Different Methodologies in Project Management

• In this article you will learn:
• 1.What Is Project Management Methodology?
• 2.Waterfall methodology.
• 3.Agile methodology.
• 4.Scrum methodology.
• 5.Six Sigma.
• 6.Critical Path Method (CPM).
• 7.Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM).
• 8.Kanban Methodology.
• 9.Lean Methodology.
• 10.Conclusion.

What Is Project Management Methodology?

• A project management methodology is the set of principles, tools and techniques that are used to plan execute and manage projects. Project management methodologies help to project managers lead team members and manage a work while facilitating team collaboration.
• There are many various project management methodologies and they all have the pros and cons. Some of them work better in specific industries or projects so will need to learn about a project management methodologies to decide which one works best.
• We’ll go through some of most famous project management methodologies which are applied in a more sectors such as a software development R&D and product development.

Waterfall methodology:

Waterfall methodology is one of oldest and most widely used a methodologies across all industries. The different phases involved in a waterfall methodology are:

• Requirement specification.
• Design.
• Construction.
• Integration.
• Testing.
• Implementation.
• Maintenance.

Agile methodology:

• Agile methodology is about applying and responding to an iterative and incremental rhythms as and when requirements evolve through cross-functional self-organized teams during a software or solution development. These iterative incremental work cadences of a requirements are called sprints.
• Agile methodology facilitates a responding to sprints in the planned approach allows evolutionary development of a software solutions and encourages strategic response to change. This method is more appreciated by a customers because it provides more strategic and planned approach to developing a requirements during a project and gives high visibility to the progress of a project.
• Waterfall methodology is not more adaptive to changes during software cycle while agile methodology is more responsive and adaptive to evolving requirements during a project phases. Agile methodology provides a rapid and continuous delivery of software product to customer while waterfall methodology provides a product as it was planned at initiation state and is more stringent to adopt changes are during software life cycle.
• In an agile methodology a project development is broken up into sprints with a small deliverables and every sprint is planned tracked and reported individually. An Agile methodology brings an effective governance and provides more quality software in a cost effective and timely manner meeting a changing needs of customer.

Scrum methodology:

• Scrum master training equips with an agile methodology which is one of the most sought after a project approaches that is carried out iteratively in sprints and every sprint is of fixed duration as a one two to four weeks. At end of each sprint the project progress is be assessed meeting stakeholders and team members planning for a next steps. This enables simple prioritization of work or sprints gaining productivity as a project progresses. This methodology is well suited where a project requirements are unpredictable and rapidly changing the especially in a software development projects.
• The role of a person who manages a scrum project is termed as a ‘Scrum Master’ rather than Project Manager. His role is to facilitate a daily project communications and handle any deviations to a project.
• Scrum model is much prevalent in geographically collocated teams where multiple small teams are be working in an intensive dedicated and independent environment in project. This entitles for a clear definition and prioritization of tasks efficient planning, identification and evaluation of risks execution of project in a frequent work sessions.
• Scrum methodology allows a Scrum Master to control a project based on real time accurate assessment of a progress with sprints. It helps the team to remain a creative and productive while making sure a project success is visible to stakeholders.

Six Sigma:

• Six Sigma is the disciplined data-driven product and process improvement methodology that was an originally developed by Motorola. The idea was to increase processes by eliminating defects which are explained as ‘non-conformity of a product or service to its specifications’.
• For those of us in a project management we generally do not think of it as project management methodology. The process steps go by the acronym DMAIC-S Which stands for a Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control and When it is done by Synergize through an organization.

PMBOK & PRINCE2:

PMBOK Guide and PRINCE2 are both not said as a methodologies rather called as de-facto standards that is recognized by a Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). These are both the broad collection of good and best practices widely recognized and used by a private and government sector.

Critical Path Method (CPM):

What It Is: In a critical path method (CPM) build a model of the project including all activities listed in a work breakdown structure the duration of those tasks what if any task dependencies there are and marking off milestones to indicated a larger phases of the project or points in which a project deliverables are due.With this information can identify the longest sequence of a tasks to finish the project which is called a critical path. need to keep an eye on those tasks because if one of them is be delayed the whole project will be delayed.

When to Use It: CPM works a better with smaller or mid-sized projects. The larger a project the more complx exit can be to take all the data need to diagram and make sense of it without a project management software.

Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM):

What It Is: In CCPM focusing on a resources that will be using to complete a project such as teams, equipment, office space etc. It’s a less technical method of a project management that doesn’t put as much emphasis on task order or schedule, but rather on a balancing resources and keeping them flexible.

When to Use It: Can be applied to the both large and small companies and for a projects that include an industries like construction software development and tech research and also development.

Kanban Methodology:

• What It Is: The Kanban methodology is the visual approach to project management. The name is literally a billboard in Japanese. It helps manage workflow by placing tasks on the Kanban board where workflow and progress is clear to all the team members. The Kanban methodology helps to reduce inefficiencies and is great project management tool for many purposes such as a lean manufacturing or agile projects.
• The car company applied it to lean manufacturing model known as a Toyota production system.With the dawn of a visual planning boards in software in era like Trello there are now new uses for a Kanban tools and Kanban methods. Agile teams use Kanban boards for a story-boarding user stories and for the backlog planning in software development.

Lean Methodology:

• What Is It? Lean project management is exactly what its name implies a method of reducing waste and increasing value in projects and manufacturing processes. As a result lean focuses on eliminating waste from key processes in order to have a continuous positive impact on a value stream. It accomplishes this by optimizing various technologies, assets and verticals.
• Lean project management can be traced back to Henry Ford and his flow production method for automating the car-building process. Toyota seized on the concept as well expanding it beyond manufacturing to include continuous improvement of the product development process.

Conclusion:

There are many various models and methodologies prevalent that are used in a project depending on the size and nature of a project.