| Course | MGT 647 Project Management Integration Framework |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | MBA Agile fit paper |
| Length | About 1,026 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Master of Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MGT 647 Module 1
Not Everything Should Be Agile: Sorting an Insurer's Technology Portfolio by Approach
Student Name
Master of Business Administration, Aspen University
MGT 647: Project Management Integration Framework
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Not Everything Should Be Agile: Sorting an Insurer's Technology Portfolio by Approach
Lakeshore Mutual's chief information officer has heard that competitors are going Agile and wants to know whether Lakeshore should too. The company, a composite regional property and casualty insurer in Milwaukee, has a technology group of 140 people and four large initiatives under way. This paper explains what Agile values and principles are for, weighs the evidence and sorts the four initiatives by the approach that fits each.
What the Values Are For
The Agile Manifesto of 2001 set four value statements, preferring individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation and responding to change over following a plan. The items on the right still have value; the items on the left are valued more. Highsmith and Cockburn (2001), two of the manifesto's authors, explained the business reasoning. In environments where requirements change quickly and unpredictably, the cost of change rises if a team commits to a detailed plan early, so the better strategy is to reduce the cost of change itself through short iterations, constant feedback and close collaboration with customers. They also argued that skilled people working together closely are the main source of results in creative work, and that methods should support them rather than replace their judgment.
Each value answers a specific problem. Preferring working software addresses the gap between a document that says a feature is done and a feature customers can use. Customer collaboration addresses requirements that cannot be fully known in advance. Responding to change addresses markets and regulations that move during a project.
What the Principles Add
The manifesto's twelve principles turn the values into working habits. Several matter most for an insurer. Delivering working software frequently, every few weeks, lets claims staff and policyholders react to something real. Welcoming changing requirements, even late, accepts that storm season or a new state rule may reshape priorities. Business people and developers working together daily removes the long chain of documents between a claims manager and the engineer building the screen. A sustainable pace protects quality over the long run. Simplicity, described as maximizing the amount of work not done, pushes teams to build only what users need. And regular reflection, in which the team looks at how it works and adjusts, makes improvement part of the job rather than a separate program.
What the Evidence Says
Dybå and Dingsøyr (2008) systematically reviewed empirical studies of Agile software development published up to 2005 and identified 36 that met their criteria. Most studied Extreme Programming. They found reports of benefits in customer collaboration, work processes and job satisfaction, and also difficulties, such as the strain on customer representatives. But they judged the strength of the evidence low and called for more rigorous research.
Later work is larger. Serrador and Pinto (2015) analyzed survey data on 1,386 projects and found that the degree of Agile approach used was positively related to project efficiency and to overall stakeholder satisfaction. They also found that the quality of up-front vision and goals mattered, which suggests Agile is not a reason to skip planning.
Where Agile Fits at Lakeshore
The claims app is the clearest fit. Policyholders' needs when filing a claim after a storm are not well understood, adjusters can test features weekly and the app can be released in small, usable steps. The rate filing tool is the poorest: regulators set the requirements, the tool must be complete before each filing and there is little room to learn from users. The migration is mixed; moving data is predictable, but the new features built on the core system benefit from iteration.
| Initiative | Requirements | Feedback available | Delivery in pieces | Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile claims app | Uncertain; customers' needs unclear | Yes, from policyholders and adjusters | Yes | Agile, with Scrum |
| Policy system migration | Known for data; unclear for new features | Partly | Partly | Hybrid |
| Rate filing tool | Fixed by state regulators | Limited | No; must be complete for filing | Predictive |
| Data center move | Clear | No | Cutover is a single event | Predictive |
The Hybrid Case
The policy migration shows why a binary choice between Agile and predictive is too simple. Moving fifteen years of policy records to the new core system has a known scope, fixed cutover windows and auditors who need a documented plan, so that stream follows a predictive plan with phase gates. The new self-service features built on the core system, such as letting agents quote endorsements online, are uncertain and benefit from short iterations with agent feedback. The two streams share a release calendar so that features arrive only after the data they depend on has moved.
What Leaders Must Change
Agile asks more of leaders than of teams. A team cannot work in two-week cycles if funding is approved once a year for a fixed scope, if its product owner has no authority to decide priorities or if managers continue to assign tasks to individuals. Lakeshore's leaders will need to fund the claims app as an ongoing product with a stable team, give the product owner real decision rights and judge progress by working features released, not by documents completed. Later modules in this course address those leadership changes directly.
Where to Begin
Agile at Lakeshore should start small. One Scrum team of seven will build the claims app, with a claims operations manager as full-time product owner and a trained Scrum Master. The team will release to a pilot group of adjusters within three months. The chief information officer will review the results after six months, looking at features released, adjuster use and the team's own view of how the method works, before deciding whether a second team should adopt Scrum on the migration's feature stream. Starting with one team limits the cost of mistakes and produces local evidence, which will persuade Lakeshore's managers more than studies of other firms.
Conclusion
Highsmith and Cockburn explain why Agile values suit changing work, Dybå and Dingsøyr caution that early evidence was thin, and Serrador and Pinto offer stronger support. Applied with judgment, those findings place one initiative firmly in Agile, one in a hybrid and two outside it.
References
Dybå, T., & Dingsøyr, T. (2008). Empirical studies of agile software development: A systematic review. Information and Software Technology, 50(9-10), 833-859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2008.01.006
Highsmith, J., & Cockburn, A. (2001). Agile software development: The business of innovation. Computer, 34(9), 120-127. https://doi.org/10.1109/2.947100
Serrador, P., & Pinto, J. K. (2015). Does Agile work? A quantitative analysis of agile project success. International Journal of Project Management, 33(5), 1040-1051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.01.006
Reading the MGT 647 Module 1 assignment instructions
Aspen's MGT 647 opens with Agile values, principles and the question of when Agile fits, and Module 1 usually asks students to explain these ideas and apply them to a real or described organization. Your course's Module 1 instructions govern; this example uses a composite insurer. Explain the values and principles behind Agile. Summarize what research says about whether Agile works. Identify the conditions under which Agile fits and where it does not. Apply them to specific initiatives. Recommend where to begin. Note the leadership changes that Agile will require. Cite Agile research in APA 7 form.
How the MGT 647 Module 1 example is put together
Lakeshore Mutual's technology group of 140 people runs four major initiatives: a mobile app for filing and tracking claims, a migration of policy records to a new core system, a tool for preparing rate filings for state regulators and a move out of its data center. Highsmith and Cockburn's Computer article described Agile development as a response to unpredictable, fast-changing business needs. Dybå and Dingsøyr's Information and Software Technology review analyzed 36 empirical studies and called for better research. Serrador and Pinto's survey analysis tied more Agile practice to better efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction. The portfolio table places the claims app in Agile, the migration in a hybrid, and the rate filing tool and data center move in predictive approaches. The recommendation starts one Scrum team on the claims app with a claims manager as product owner.
Where the marks sit in the MGT 647 Module 1 rubric
Agile papers in this course earn credit when they explain the reasoning behind the values, weigh the evidence honestly and apply the ideas with judgment. This example presents Highsmith and Cockburn's argument, notes Dybå and Dingsøyr's cautions about early evidence and uses Serrador and Pinto's larger study. The portfolio table shows judgment by placing two initiatives outside Agile, and the starting plan is small enough to learn from. Instructors often reward exactly this balance over enthusiasm for Agile everywhere. Naming the changes leaders must make, in funding, decision rights and how progress is judged, shows the paper understands Agile as more than a team method.
Common MGT 647 Module 1 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Agile papers often list the four values and twelve principles without explaining why they matter. Explain the problem each addresses. Another weakness is treating Agile as better for everything; say where predictive or hybrid approaches fit better and why. Use evidence, and acknowledge its limits. Apply the fit conditions to specific work rather than to the organization as a whole. Recommend a starting point small enough to learn from. Finally, note what leaders must change for Agile to work, since later modules build on it. Say how the organization will judge the first Agile effort and decide whether to extend it.
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MGT 647 Module 1 questions, answered
What does MGT 647 Module 1 usually ask for?
Aspen's MGT 647 opens with Agile values, principles and fit, so an MBA paper explaining them and applying them to an organization's work is typical. Read your classroom prompt.
Does Agile improve project success?
In Serrador and Pinto's data on nearly 1,400 projects, heavier Agile use went with better efficiency and happier stakeholders, though clear early goals counted too.
Is the evidence for Agile strong?
Dybå and Dingsøyr's systematic review found early evidence of benefits but judged the strength of much of it low and called for better studies.
Where can I find a free MGT 647 Module 1 sample paper?
The example above applies Agile values and fit conditions to four initiatives at a composite insurer and recommends where to start.
When does Agile fit best?
When requirements are uncertain or changing, customers can give frequent feedback and work can be delivered in small usable pieces; Highsmith and Cockburn tied Agile to unpredictable business needs.