Can I use agile methodology for support projects?

I am assuming by support projects, we are discussing the attending to and responding to customer support issues and incidents, or perhaps the deal of correcting defects in an IT world.

Agile tools and ceremonies can be used in this environment although I have some suggestions on how to best go about this.

Support is an ongoing operation (so not really a project in the true definition) but can benefit from some of the tools we have available. I would attempt to take these into a formal sprint process such as Scrum because the nature of the work is more chaotic and does not lend itself to a two week planned and fixed iteration of content. So many times, the phone rings and there is a fire to put out, which does not fit well with the sprint planning process and fixing content.

However, you should look up Kanban as an Agile process, which does not operate on time-boxed sprints and allows change in content and priority. A Kanban board can be a great visualization of your work and progress, in particular, if viewed with priority swim-lanes and a backlog. There are some reports like control reports that help understand cycle time for your tasks too. The intention of such a board is to “keep moving things to the right” – where the Done column is.

In addition, some of the Scrum ceremonies can be useful, such as a daily stand up. These can help improve information flow about hot clients or hot issues, and for the short time investment of 15 minutes can provide great value. By including some of these ceremonies you are effectively introducing what people would call “Scrumban”.

So yes, Agile play a role in support. Just choose the process wisely. Remember, “The right process for the right job”.