The Agile Enterprise history

The history of the Agile Enterprise starts long before the manifesto for Agile Software Development aka Agile Manifesto.  Agile was, at first, a tentative to replace Lean in manufacturing. The main  reason was that in pursuit for efficiency and cost saving organizations lost the ability to respond fast to market.

In early 1960’s The US Department of Defense started the “Project Agile” to resolve the issue that the equipment supplied to their allies was designed fundamentally for US soldiers and it was “less effective than current technology is capable of developing and supply at an acceptable cost”. Project Agile was created to identify ways in which the research, development, test and manufacturing of more suitable products can be done faster, to meet the user needs.

In mid 1990s at Iaccoca Institute from Lehigh University a group of 15 executives from 13 large manufacturing companies, called the “Agile Manufacturing Enterprise Forum”was established to find solutions for an easy transition from mass production to “agile manufacturing”.