- DSDM is an agile framework that blends iterative delivery with built-in project management discipline.
- Keep decisions anchored to the business case by prioritising with MoSCoW and delivering within fixed timeboxes.
- Build one collaborative team by involving business, technical staff and stakeholders throughout via workshops and empowered roles.
- Fix quality expectations early and protect them with continuous testing and frequent reviews.
- Agree firm foundations upfront, then deliver increments that are regularly revalidated against viability and feedback.
FAQsUse an investment appraisal, such as net benefits and break-even timing, to test viability.
Introduction Learn the 8 DSDM principles and ensure they stick in your mind with this handy graphic and article. Ideal if you are working on DSDM projects at the moment or taking an AgilePM course
.ContentsThat’s because the Agile PM certification scheme is based upon the DSDM framework. So, by attending an Agile Project Management course
(Agile PM course) you will essentially be learning about DSDM.Contents
Instructor-led
Better Business Cases Practitioner (with Foundation) course
Self-paced AgilePM Practitioner (with Foundation) self-paced online£2,400 +vat
£1,299 +vatSee all dates
Instructor-ledSelf-pacedAgilePM Foundation courseBetter Business Cases Practitioner (with Foundation) self-paced online
£1,299 +vat£1,199 +vat
See all dates
DSDM principles – the building blocks DSDM based upon principlesSelf-pacedBased upon 8 principles and an underlying agile philosophy, DSDM became a popular agile approach amongst software developers seeking an alternative to rapid application development (RAD) approaches in the years after 2000. RAD approaches did not scale well for people collaborating on a team however. DSDM thus became one of the first agile approaches to be used within the software development community.Better Business Cases Foundation self-paced online
The 8 DSDM principles underpin the whole framework. Each principle must be adhered to by the project team, as ignoring any of the principles can increase the chance of project failure.
The graphic below was created to help you learn about DSDM. If you like it, please show your appreciation by linking back to this page.£699 +vat
Now, let’s find out more about the What is a business case?
DSDM principlesA business case is the justification for some activity (e.g. a project) undertaken by your organisation. It weighs up the timescales, costs and risks of doing the activity against the benefits to be gained. Think of it as weighing up the pros and cons and then taking a sensible decision.
and how teams can ensure they stick to them.A business case forms an essential component of the curriculum of the
The 8 DSDM principlesbest project management courses
For those of you interested in
project management
, the project management methodology known as
PRINCE2
focuses its decision-making on a project on having a viable business case.
Business case examples
We will now give you 2 business case examples. The first example is one which you might find useful for taking decisions in your personal life. The 2nd business case example is more business focused project.
Business case example 1: Moving home
Suppose you and your spouse are considering moving to a new home. You will need to weigh up the pros and cons of moving. This is done using a business case. You might not call it that, but that’s what it is. Let’s look at an example.
Reason
As you can see from the example, the first thing to be clear about in a business case is the reason for doing the project or activity. In this example, the couple has answered the question Why? In fact, there are two problems here – the local school and John’s long commute.
Options considered
A business case should weigh up the competing options which have been considered. After all, there is usually more than one option. Perhaps an alternative option would have been for John to change his job to one nearer their current house. However, this wouldn’t solve the issue with the school.
