In the corporate world, organizations use projects to provide solutions to specific needs. Team members work together within a given timeframe and come up with strategies to accomplish the project’s objectives. A successful project achieves its goals based on the acceptance criteria. However, it requires properly applying knowledge, skills, experience, techniques, and software tools.
A project description at its commencement provides the necessary information to execute the task. The final deliverables of a project may be defined as benefits, outputs, or outcomes. The end products will satisfy the requirements that triggered the project’s creation. However, you can apply various methods to achieve a project’s objectives.
Top Three Approaches for Project Management
A project manager can lead a team to achieve a project’s goals by using project management practices. The professional encourages collaboration among team members and supervises their work. The methods applied in project management refer to the tools, techniques, and principles applied in the execution and management of projects.
Some of these processes are best for specific tasks and industries. However, the three methods discussed below are necessary for product management.
Lean Methodology
This technique focuses on waste reduction and quality improvement in business processes. It achieves this by getting the most out of technologies and assets. Though this methodology originated in the manufacturing process, its use has extended to product development tasks.
This project management practice has found new uses. The Lean Startup’s publication and promotion of swift prototyping, fast product delivery, and end-user reviews facilitated the technique’s extension to other industries. Its application currently helps software development teams improve products’ value by concentrating on end-user reviews. Besides, many startups and education and construction firms have adopted the lean process.
Scrum Methodology
This method improves team members’ communication, increasing their work rate. The team members can make decisions together and offer valuable and consistent feedback to parties working on the project. Applying Scrum allows them to respond swiftly and efficiently to changes, speeding up development.
Its application occurs in two-week cycles, including brief daily meetings. The approach is perfect for at least 10-member teams. It is best for executing short portions of a project. It may take two to three weeks to work on a project’s portion to achieve a specific goal. Then, they will meet to reevaluate the project’s scope of work before starting its next phase.
Due to the short phases, the Scrum technique is ideal if a project’s scope isn’t well defined. It is a widely used project management practice in software development tasks. Projects in the software industry are executed in phases. The team can deliver results after each phase instead of at the project’s end.
It isn’t always possible to determine the entire scope of a software development project. While executing a project, implementing some code may require extra features not included in the initial project description. Consequently, teams will deliver their results in bits as the project evolves. Due to its flexibility, the Scrum technique is compatible with the Agile approach, which allows making adjustments as team members work on tasks.
Waterfall Methodology
This technique is a linear approach to project execution. You can use it for projects with a defined scope, resources, and timeframe. Team members can only move to the next task upon completing a project phase. This project management practice ensures the achievement of project objectives in an organized manner within the given schedule.
Construction and manufacturing firms use this technique for project management. However, projects in this field have set specifications before their commencement. Also, there are defined expectations about the end product, and team members have specified roles. Adjustments to the project objectives occur rarely during its execution.
Choosing a Method Ideal for Project Management
There are several techniques for project management. Opting for the best technique for a project may be confusing if you are new in the field. However, an organization’s and the project’s needs should determine your choice.
Consider the project’s goal, complexity, industry, and working environment. These factors will help you select a project management practice that will facilitate the successful completion of tasks.
Choosing a project management technique without considering if it benefits a specific project can compromise the final result. You may end up wasting time and resources spent on the execution of tasks. This is why you need to learn and implement the right project management methodologies.
