An iteration is a component of a portfolio, of project or programmes that can be achieved in one sprint.

In Societal Architecture and Collaborative Decision Making (Chapter 7.3): As problem messes may be complex it is often unrealistic to achieve a solution in one step. By considering the various properties of the facility and dependencies among the decision variables a step-wise approach which may pass over several plateaus between the current situation and the intended future. Each iteration solves some sub-problems of the overall problem mess. As one progresses from one iteration to the next, additional insight into the facility and the operational processes may open up additional solution paths.