example of hybrid methodology

Run and collaborate on creative projects more smoothly.

Plan, manage, and track product launches and campaigns.

Stay organized and communicate critical details to teams.

Streamline and scale manufacturing operations.

See how TeamGantt helps teams like yours meet deadlines, streamline communication.

Successful marketing project starts with a plan.

Track event details and to-dos.

Scope out roadmaps and manage backlogs.

Manage design, copy, and video work.

Learn all about gantt charts and how to use them to manage projects more easily.

Hear real testimonials from real TeamGantt customers.

Hybrid Project Management: A Blended Approach to Agile and Waterfall Methodologies

Are you a die-hard Waterfall fan who struggles to get your dev team on board with your process? Or maybe your team went all-in on Agile, only to find that deadlines got confused or even missed?

If so, a hybrid approach could be the answer to all your Agile vs. Waterfall process problems.

What is hybrid project management?

Hybrid project management—also known as blended project management—combines different aspects of Waterfall and Agile methodologies to craft a process that truly fits your team and projects. This hybrid approach is popular among project managers who feel limited by a single methodology.

With an Agile-Waterfall hybrid model, you have the flexibility to create your own recipe for success. Choose the best ingredients from the Waterfall and Agile methodologies, and mix things up to suit your team’s particular project tastes.

Since no hard and fast rules apply, you can enjoy the freedom to experiment with your process. If one project leans heavily on software development and another requires no dev at all, that’s okay! Adapt your hybrid approach to each different project, and improve your process as you go.

What are the pros and cons of hybrid project management?

Even a process you design yourself comes with pros and cons. Let’s explore common reasons people use an Agile and Waterfall hybrid for their projects—and some of the pitfalls to consider.

Advantages of hybrid project management

Hybrid project management is all about clearing the roadblocks that keep your projects from crossing the finish line on time and on budget. Here are just a few benefits you’ll see with the hybrid method.

• Holistic approach: With hybrid models, you’ve got to tailor your process to all of the project details, not just the scope. Taking a well-rounded approach means you’re deeply engaged in the project and truly in command of the details.
• Focus on improvement: The best way to improve is to make note of issues, discuss them, and commit to getting better. The hybrid approach pretty much forces you to do that.
• Best of both worlds: Agile isn’t better than the Waterfall methodology , and vice versa. Established methods have go-to practices that just work. With hybrid models, you pick what works best for you. Or you use those great ideas to modify it and create your own. Even better!
• Ability to adapt: People hate change, but with hybrid project management, you have to be adaptable. It takes practice, but when you commit to it, it makes change easier. And that can impact teams and even individuals in and out of work. 

Hybrid approach pitfalls

No project management method is perfect. Keep these considerations in mind when you take a hybrid approach to your projects. 

• Practical experience: If you don’t have practical experience with the models you’re combining, it can affect your outcomes. Be sure to study up on principles and practices so you can gain the confidence you need to know you’re doing the right thing.
• Stakeholder understanding: If you’re going off script and your stakeholder is used to something different, make sure you provide the proper level of education and discussion about your process, their involvement, and any other relevant expectations that need to be put in place.
• Flexibility required: You’ve got to commit to being flexible—as individuals, as a team, and as partners. If your team and stakeholders aren’t bought into setting a plan with the possibility it might change, you’re not ready to test new ideas.
• Communications: Establishing new ways of working together as a successful team requires constant, clear communication. You’ll need to develop a good system for expected communications, reporting, and meetings to keep everyone engaged in the details.

How to blend project management methodologies for a hybrid approach

Crafting a hybrid project management process that’s all your own doesn’t have to be complicated. It really boils down to these simple steps.

1. Unpack the project specifics.

You can’t build a well-oiled machine if you don’t understand all the pieces and parts. So start by learning what makes your people and projects and tick.

Here are a few questions to consider as you examine your project from every angle:

• What’s the scope of your project?
• Is there a hard deadline?
• Is the budget fixed or flexible?
• Do you have a project leader steering the ship?
• How does software development fit into the picture?
• Will your team work on more than one project at once?
• Does your team have experience with Agile? What about a knack for collaboration and self-organization?
• Can you count on your stakeholders to engage when needed?
• How do you maintain an open stream of communication?

Once you’ve gathered your project basics, use this free comparison chart to determine which project management method is right for you.

2. Work with your team to come up with a plan.

Once you’ve determined hybrid project management is right for you, it’s time to draft a plan !

Here’s the good news: You don’t have to come up with a new project management process all by yourself. In fact, bringing your team into the conversation is a must if you want your process to truly work for the people involved in your project.

So get the team together to hammer out a plan, then discuss and adjust until everyone’s happy with the outcome and fully bought in.

3. Give your team and stakeholders a process roadmap.

With a solid plan in place, the next step is simple: Confirm the plan with your team and stakeholders. Basically, you need to share all the important details so everyone’s clear how the new hybrid process will work. Sending an email with a link to your TeamGantt project plan is an easy way to do this.

Don’t forget to let folks know the plan is subject to change once it’s put to the test. Setting this expectation on the front end will eliminate surprises and ensure everyone’s prepared to adapt away from Agile and Waterfall processes as needed.

4. Regularly review your project management process.

Customizing a hybrid Agile methodology for your projects is not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing. It takes some trial-and-error to get all the pieces working together just right.

That’s why it’s important to establish checkpoints for you and your team to assess your new process. Think of it like mini-retrospectives. Talk about what’s going well—and what’s not—so you can iron out the kinks along the way.

5. Make process adjustments as you go.

No hybrid project management process works perfectly right out of the gate. But embracing change and looking for opportunities to continually improve your process will put you on the fast-track to success.

Just be sure to update your plan when you do make adjustments. And—psst!—spread the word by communicating the changes to all your project peeps.

Hybrid project management process examples

Now that we’ve laid out the steps for creating your own hybrid project management process, let’s look at how you might apply a hybrid approach to a project that combines both Waterfall and Agile components.

Hybrid approach example 1

In this hybrid project management example, the Waterfall action happens on the front end of the project. Research lays the groundwork for the project kickoff, and the design phase follows a traditional approach to make room for stakeholder feedback.

Once the major decisions are made, the project transitions to Agile. Development work is done in sprints that ultimately lead up to a launch.

Hybrid approach example 2

Here’s another example of a hybrid approach that starts with Waterfall because doing research in an Agile way is next to impossible—especially when stakeholder and user interviews are involved.

Once the research and kickoff meeting are in the books, it’s all Agile from there. Design and development use an Agile approach with sprints and Scrum ceremonies. There’s also a plan to continue iterating after the project launches.

How use a hybrid approach to manage a project in TeamGantt

Taking a hybrid approach is easy in TeamGantt because you have multiple options for viewing and managing your project . Here’s a simple process we recommend.

1. Build Waterfall and Agile phases into your project plan.

Every project needs a clear and documented plan that reflects the full scope of work you’ve got to accomplish. 

An Agile gantt chart enables you to combine both Waterfall and Agile phases of your project into one cohesive timeline. That way everyone understands how their work fits into the big picture and you have a single source of truth to guide decisions along the way. 

Let’s say you’re planning a conference event for a client and need to build a website for it. Here’s how that might look. 

Start by using a Waterfall approach to schedule the project definition, research, content, and design phases since these tasks run on deadlines, involve dependencies, and require client review and approval at various milestones.

Then add sprints into the gantt chart to block in time for development once content and design are complete. Include a task group for backlog items so you can put them on the schedule during sprint planning.

In this hybrid project example, we added a quick Waterfall phase at the end of the project to track final review and launch dates. 

Tip: Use the Workloads tab at the bottom of your gantt chart to keep workloads balanced as you schedule out each phase of your hybrid project plan.

2. Use the gantt chart to manage Waterfall project phases.

The best way to manage Waterfall tasks in TeamGantt is with your gantt chart . That’s because you can see how progress is tracking against your plan and adjust your schedule to accommodate changes without losing sight of deadlines or dependencies.

Here are a few easy features you can use to manage tasks and keep work on track in Gantt view:

• Use drag and drop scheduling to update timelines and move multiple tasks at once
• Schedule and track important meetings or approvals with project milestones
• Set baselines to compare planned vs. actual timelines
• Spot potential delays or overages with hourly vs. task progress

Watch our free training class to learn how to plan and manage your projects quickly and easily in TeamGantt!

3. Use a project board to track task status in any phase. 

Project boards have a 1:1 relationship with your project’s gantt chart. Every task on your gantt chart has a card on your project board (and vice versa), and updates reflect instantly across every project view .

A project board gives everyone on your project team the ability to move cards across different status categories as they make progress on tasks. That way team members who get overwhelmed by gantt charts have a simple way to view and manage tasks in any phase of the project.

Here an example of how you might set up a project board for a hybrid project:

4. Create a custom board to manage Agile sprints.

If your dev team likes to keep track of all their work in a single board, we recommend creating a custom board in TeamGantt. That way, they can manage cards across multiple projects and align the columns to their own Agile process. 

Just like with project boards, every card in a custom board is tied directly to the project’s gantt chart. Custom boards enable you to filter the inbox so it only pulls in tasks that are assigned to your team. This makes populating your backlog quick and easy.

Plan your next project in minutes

When you’re a project manager, every minute counts. Our free project management software enables you to stay focused on the tasks that move the needle—no matter which methodology you use. 

Whip up a project plan in minutes, and watch your team cross the finish line faster. It really is that simple.

Get started for free!

9 Benefits Of Hybrid Project Management & Real-Life Examples of Companies Hitting The Mark

By : Esha Panda

Last Updated: April 25, 2023

11 min read

How often have you seen companies investing in project management tools only to have them fade to black after stops and starts? This happens because managers fail to find the best project management approaches that fit the team’s requirements.

There’s one common dilemma organizations are stuck with:

Should we use Agile or Waterfall project management?

What if your project needs the best of both?

PMI found that 60% of companies well versed in Agile prefer a blended approach to project management.

Welcome to hybrid project management, the perfect cocktail of Agile and Waterfall. If you are familiar with the concept, let’s have a quick refresher.

What Is Hybrid Project Management?

Hybrid project management combines the best traits of Agile and Waterfall techniques to fit dynamic project requirements.

It is adaptive (Agile) yet retains the firm characteristics of Waterfall per your project needs. It integrates the planning strategies from traditional project management (Waterfall) with the fast and flexible Agile approach.

It is also called blended project management.

And the result?

A perfect blend of predictive and uncertain work based on:

Collecting and documenting requirements

Unit testing, system testing, and user acceptance testing

Delivering end product

Best yet, it opens up room for creativity. You can use new and unique strategies to manage projects better.

Before we hop on to the benefits of hybrid project management, let’s first understand the challenges that gave rise to this technique.

What Challenges Led To The Advent Of Hybrid Project Management?

Shortest answer: the demerits of Agile and Waterfall. The constant tussle between the tight constraints of Waterfall and resistance to the fast-paced nature of Agile was impacting project results. That’s when the inception of the hybrid/blended project management tool took place.

As a wise middle ground, it has the potential to address the following challenges:

Project complexity: Changing dynamics in nearly all industries make projects more complex. This calls for improved project management strategies that yield the best results from start to completion.

Market competition: With new technologies ruling the market, businesses compete to stay relevant and proactively respond to emergent issues.

Customer expectations: Fast-evolving customer expectations are spurring companies to focus on personalization, speed, ease, and usability.

9 Benefits Of Hybrid Project Management In Complex Projects

Hybrid project management empowers you to combine the best of Agile and Waterfall and develop a custom approach. This helps your team deliver top-notch outcomes. Here’s how.

1. Transition to agile

A direct transition from Waterfall to Agile is riddled with challenges for many companies. The teams find it complicated to shift to a fast-paced environment with frequent, incremental updates.

Hybrid project management acts as a bridge. It helps your team members cope with the new ways of working and reduces leaps and bounds. The blended approach facilitates the transition by applying specific indicators to processes that need to be faster and more flexible.

2. Eliminate constraints in agile project management

The leap to Agile does not happen overnight. It’s not easy, either. Not all organizations and projects are structured to adapt rapidly. Serious roadblocks may arise if your project’s space and time are narrow enough.

If you need to expedite your project but can’t compromise on quality and other factors, the hybrid approach is the best route for a smooth transition.

3. Manage issues with waterfall approach

So you figure that the sudden shift to Agile is taking a toll on your team, deliverables, timelines, etc. What do you do now? Revert to Waterfall?

It’s too late. The hybrid route is your best bet. This way, while you dodge the risks of Waterfall, you can gradually adapt to the elements of Agile.

4. Optimized time and risk

As a project manager, you must determine the quickest and hassle-free path to achieving your project goals. Hybrid or blended project management enables you to complete your project within budget and on time while maintaining certain specifications.

5. Holistic and comprehensive

Hybrid project management lets you tailor your strategies based on the project requirements. As a project manager, you can collect continuous feedback and make incremental changes while distinctly identifying the phases (as per the Waterfall approach).

Read next: What qualities do successful project managers have?

6. Fast and flexible

The Agile half of this hybrid technique makes room for adaptability and flexibility while quickening the pace of the project. In complex and dynamic environments, team members should be able to assess the project and make changes without disrupting the progress. The hybrid technique makes your projects customizable.

No wonder it is becoming the go-to project management strategy for organizations.

7. Clarity and transparency

The waterfall half of hybrid project management ensures the project is well-planned and carefully executed. Project managers need to map out all the end-to-end processes. This provides a clear roadmap for your team members in terms of the following:

Project requirements

Individual roles and responsibilities

Expectations

If you are using hybrid project management to transition to Agile, your teams may often wonder how Agile is flexible. The hybrid route is the best way for them to learn and adapt. Before switching to Agile, they can implement plans meticulously while understanding the long-term project goals.

8. Sprints and iterations

In blended project management, clients and developers agree on the deliverables in the early development lifecycle stage. This lets managers split projects up into smaller segments known as sprints. This allows clients and team members to view real-time progress and updates.

The team can work on updates and changes along the way through iterations.

9. Improved efficiency and innovative outcomes

Evidently, hybrid project management enhances your team’s morale. Blended project management yields maximum efficiency when you communicate well with stakeholders and teams and reach a mutual understanding.

The perfect combination of careful planning and emergence helps your project team deliver innovative outcomes.

Not A Silver Bullet: Limitations of Hybrid Project Management

Blended project management is not a one-size-fits-all solution. You need to understand Waterfall completely and Agile techniques to know how to combine them for the best results.

Projects new to the hybrid approach face a few common challenges:

Communication gaps

Since most teams are used to the Waterfall approach, it takes them a while to switch to Agile completely. When they use blended project management during the transitioning phase, constant and clear communication is necessary.

Project managers must have an explicit process to loop every member during feedback, and the reports should be documented.

Your team also needs to understand the expectations of the clients clearly and stakeholders. The hybrid approach works best when they have clear insights into the end goals and their roles in achieving them.

Resistance to change

A common struggle for teams implementing hybrid project management is: not being on the same page. A few team members may struggle to upgrade to the new methods.

The best way to level up as a team is to follow systematic planning while leaving room for updates and changes. Team members need to be trained on any new skill required to adapt to the changes.

Stakeholder management

The first roadblock could be your stakeholders and project sponsors. They may not be familiar with the hybrid style and could resist change.

Getting buy-in from your stakeholders gets easier when you provide them with additional support, such as constant status updates, project changes, and more.

Also Read: The Fundamentals Of Effective Stakeholder Management

Conflict resolution

Early on, project managers often find it challenging to track deliverables and check if the deadlines are being met. This may often lead to conflicts that require administrative intervention and result in a loss of time and resources.

Practical knowledge and flexibility

Real-time experience matters. When you combine two different project management techniques, you need practical knowledge of real-world challenges and how to address them.

Additionally, you must know the practices and principles to steer the project in the right direction.** **

Flexibility is the key. If your team members, partners, and stakeholders aren’t prepared for constant changes to the project, the hybrid way might not produce the best results. Flexibility as a unit lets you test new changes and deliver better outcomes.

Success With Hybrid Project Management: The Cases of IBM & Atypon

IBM is known for implementing hybrid project management for teams transitioning to Agile. The IBM Center of Excellence in Illinois, Chicago, conducted a study to combine Agile with traditional development approaches.

They named this hybrid: Agile with Discipline.

The project managers tried to understand how the hybrid technique helps develop new methods to improve current programs and practices.

They interviewed the senior project managers, architects, and project leads to understand what influences their decisions to use hybrid project management. All the project managers were disappointed with traditional practices. With Hybrid Agile (an IBM terminology), they could make the best use of the following:

Detailed documentation

Flexible timelines

Adaptability to accommodate changes

Development sprints

Continuous feedback

Hybrid project management allowed these PMs to be hands-on managers actively engaged in leading people, arranging resources, and delivering quality outputs. On being asked how the project manager’s role changes in hybrid teams, a senior PM responded:

How the PM delivers his/her solution and involves customers is what changes. The PM still owns the project, still drives the project through the completion of sprints, still goes through all of the checks and balances needed, and still gets all of the required sign-offs. The things that change are that the PM has a lot more interaction with the customers, leads daily sprint calls with the team, and scopes the projects a bit differently (i.e. delivery in smaller chunks and frequent reviews with the customer). - IBM Senior Project Manager

Let’s now discuss the case of Atypon , a California-based software company. Atypon implemented hybrid techniques to improve the existing workflow. They were developing a new website for a publishing company.

To complete the project within timelines, they were required to shift over 1000 journals to the new website. Now this was a monumental task.

The team started with the Waterfall approach but later switched to Agile. They thought it would help them manage the changing variables. Soon they realized they needed a hybrid middle ground.

Hybrid project management helped Atypon to:

Deliver end results via Waterfall

Address unforeseen challenges (variables) via Agile

Make the best use of limited resources and time

Brainstorm and share new ideas

The team delivered the software three months in advance. How often do you hear that?

Manage Hybrid Projects Better: Useful Tips To Get You Started

Bringing together everything we discussed, hybrid project management boils down to a few basic steps:

1. Focus on the challenges you must address: Identify and list the issues you must resolve in your present development process. Collect inputs from your team members like:

What challenges are they facing?

What improvements do they suggest?

What goals and milestones did they set for themselves?

These discussions help you determine the degree of the challenges and the optimal ways to resolve them. If there are a lot of issues, you need to fix, prioritize and focus on the one that’s impacting your team the most. When your people see you actively engaging in the project and rectifying the issues, they become more invested in delivering the best outputs.

2. Ensure your team is on board with the process: You may have team members who’ve never worked in a hybrid environment. You need to ensure they are well-versed with Agile and Waterfall first. Start training them on the new processes before you start planning your tasks and deliverables.

3. Carefully select and implement hybrid elements: Once you have clarity of the issues, you must determine the Waterfall to Agile ratio to make the perfect hybrid cocktail.

The perfect blend won’t happen in a day.

Carefully examine all project parts to determine which processes are defined and which are flexible. Use Waterfall for the processes that are strictly defined. For processes that have room for change, Agile is the best fit.

4. Finalize your strategy: The strategy you select for a particular project must be well-defined. Altering your project strategy mid-way can confuse the team members and impact the project results.

The best approach is to track and assess the outcome so you can decide if the same strategy will work for your future projects.

Ready To Amp Up Your Next Project With Hybrid Project Management?

The hybrid approach looks different for various teams and projects. You can blend your project management methods in one of three ways:

Combining Waterfall and Agile teams

Using Waterfall for a part of the project and Agile for the rest

Planning a steady hybrid approach with specific elements from both

As a project manager, you need to make every minute count. With a practical knowledge of all project management techniques, you will always have a competitive edge. Edbrick’s expert-designed training programs can help you stay a cut above. Connect with us today for a free consultation.

Esha is an engineer-turned-marketer managing the development, delivery, and promotion of brand- and product-centric content. She has bagged the prestigious accolade -Most Influential Content Marketing Professional - Top 50 two years in a row. When she is not writing, editing, or ideating, Esha loves to trek, paint, and watch movies.

Related Blogs

August 9 2023

How to Get 35 Hours of Project Manage...

July 18 2023

7 Best Examples of Positive Risks in ...

June 19 2023

A 101 Guide to MSP Certification in 2...

June 12 2023

The Role of AI & ML in Project Risk M...

👋 We're hiring!

A guide to blending Agile and traditional PM methods in hybrid project management

Waterfall planning with agile execution? Waterfall execution with agile development? See how to blend approaches together in a hybrid approach.

Kelly Ostrowercha,   Freelance Project Management Leader and Process Optimization Specialist

• project management

As project managers, we envision progress, anticipate obstacles, and determine the best processes to reach our goals. And as we delve deeper into project management, we explore various methodologies and hone our skills in creating efficient methods to deliver projects on time, within scope, and budget. 

Through this continuous learning and experience, a versatile approach to project management has emerged—hybrid project management.

In this article, we will demystify the different types of project management methodologies, explore how to blend them into a hybrid method, and share why it's worth considering for your next project.

Types of project management

Here are the main types of project management:

Traditional waterfall method

Traditional project management , commonly known as the waterfall approach, relies on a well-structured plan with clearly defined steps and processes that unfold linearly—usually structured around five project phases . This popular method is employed across diverse industries, particularly for projects with predictable outcomes and minimal requirement changes. Waterfall project management allows for precise planning, resource allocation , and budget control.

However, the rigidity of traditional project management may not suit all projects, especially those with uncertain or evolving requirements. In such situations, more flexible methodologies like agile or hybrid approaches are better equipped to handle change and adapt to unexpected challenges.

The five phases of the traditional waterfall approach.

Agile project management has become a dynamic and adaptable method that prioritizes speed and flexibility. Its goal is to deliver value quickly by dividing work into smaller, iterative components called sprints. This iterative process accommodates shifting requirements and enables the frequent incorporation of stakeholder feedback , ensuring the project remains aligned with client needs.

The collaborative nature of the agile methodology encourages cross-functional teams to work closely together, fostering continuous improvement and adaptability. This approach is particularly well-suited for projects with evolving requirements or rapidly changing environments, as it allows agile teams to respond effectively to new challenges and ensure the highest quality deliverables upon completion.

Scrum project management is a modern method that frequently complements the agile approach, especially in software development projects. Like agile, it is centered around continuous improvement (e.g., through retrospectives ) and iterative testing, focusing on rapidly delivering value. The scrum framework acknowledges that requirements may change or be initially unknown at the project's outset, making it highly adaptable.

The primary distinction between agile and scrum lies in their product delivery. While agile ultimately delivers the outcome at the end of its iterative cycles, scrum accommodates more innovative ideas by enabling quicker launches within shorter cycles. This feature makes scrum especially suitable for projects that demand rapid response to market changes or evolving client needs.

What is hybrid project management?

Hybrid project management is a versatile approach that combines elements from different project management frameworks, allowing you to tailor your methodology to best suit the project at hand. By merging various methods, organizations can capitalize on the strengths of each approach while mitigating their weaknesses.

As clients increasingly demand higher quality and quicker delivery, a project manager and their team face the challenge of maintaining quality while expediting project timelines. Hybrid project management offers a solution by preserving the necessary structure and enabling innovative decision-making to enhance product and user experience.

Though scrum and agile can form a hybrid approach due to their similarities, a more popular combination involves merging elements of traditional waterfall and agile methodologies. This blend maximizes the benefits of both methods, providing an adaptable strategy for project delivery .

➡️ Learn more about the differences between scrum and waterfall

When to choose hybrid instead of other individual methods

Choosing a hybrid project management approach involves considering various factors to determine if it best fits your project, client, and team. By combining elements from different methodologies, a hybrid approach offers a customized and adaptable strategy for project delivery. 

To determine if a hybrid approach is suitable for your project, take into account the following factors:

• Project flexibility and adaptation : Agile is ideal for project parts that need continuous innovation and change. If your project requires frequent adjustments, incorporating agile components can be beneficial.
• Clear steps and processes : The traditional waterfall approach works best for tasks with a sequential order and specific requirements. If your project involves parts with well-defined steps, incorporating waterfall elements can provide structure and clarity.
• Team familiarity with methodologies : Ensure your team members understand and can adapt to new methods. Training and support may be necessary to facilitate a smooth transition to a hybrid approach.
• Resource availability : Combining methodologies requires sufficient resources, including time, budget, and personnel. A dedicated project team that can collaborate daily is critical to successfully implementing a hybrid approach.
• Client and stakeholder alignment : Securing stakeholder buy-in is essential for implementing a hybrid strategy. Stakeholders must be willing to provide frequent feedback and support the flexibility of a hybrid approach.
• Budget flexibility : A hybrid approach often requires a flexible budget due to evolving deliverables and the need for adaptation. Consider whether your project's budget can accommodate potential changes throughout the project lifecycle.
• Team communication and collaboration : A hybrid approach demands strong communication and teamwork. Assess your team's ability to collaborate effectively and regularly to ensure a successful implementation.
• Continuous evaluation and improvement : A hybrid approach requires regular feedback, adjustments, and enhancements for success. Your team must be open to change and dedicated to refining the process continually.

When evaluating whether to use a hybrid project management approach, consider the specific benefits and challenges related to your project. Determine if the extra effort required to implement a hybrid strategy will yield better results without causing unnecessary delays, ensuring that your project runs efficiently and effectively.

Examples of how to structure a project with a hybrid methodology

Below is the process for launching a website:

• Research/strategy
• UX design (user testing can happen here)
• UI design (user testing can happen here)
• Development 
• QA (user testing can happen here)

Let’s look at how you can structure these phases using a hybrid project management methodology:

Example #1: Waterfall project planning and agile execution

In this example, you're using the traditional method during the planning phase. Then, you use agile sprints to move smaller tasks through the project phases while continuously learning from each sprint.

Let's see which phase for the website launch would fall under which project management method:

• Research & strategy - To begin any design project, you must understand your client's landscape, competitors, and preferences regarding user experience and design. Gather all the needs, requirements, and expectations upfront.
• UX - Start with the user experience phase, design, test, and gather feedback and approval from the stakeholders.

As you transition from the UX phase and start testing with users and gathering stakeholder feedback, the agile loop begins, allowing you to adapt subsequent designs based on the lessons learned from the first round.

Some teams may prefer to complete all UX work before starting UI to ensure all functionality and structure are finalized before applying UI and then have the UI and development phases run through the agile process.

• UI - Once stakeholders in the UX phase approve a few pages, move those pages into the UI phase and continue the agile feedback, adaptation, and approval loop. As stakeholders approve the UX of additional pages, they move into the UI phase.
• Development & testing - Similarly to how UX moves into UI, approved UI designs can move into development and testing.

Short-duration sprints help the team maintain focus and address issues early with clients. The project timeline can be shortened due to the continuous movement of tasks through each phase without waiting for the entire UX phase to be completed before starting UI, and so on. This hybrid approach combines the strengths of waterfall planning and agile execution for optimal project management.

A sample view of waterfall planning blended with agile execution.

Example #2.: Waterfall planning/execution and agile development

The research, strategy, and UX/UI design phases follow a traditional waterfall methodology in this example. This allows more time to gather stakeholder approvals and visualize the entire design before focusing on development. 

Once the development phase starts, you can define your sprints, create backlogs, and complete all tasks within the agile project management approach to reach the final launch.

A sample view of waterfall planning and execution going into agile development.

In my experience, hybrid project management brings together the best of both worlds, offering a versatile and adaptable approach to handling today's dynamic projects. 

By tailoring your strategy to suit each phase, you can boost efficiency, better manage risks, and enjoy more successful outcomes. The secret to a thriving hybrid approach is understanding your project's unique needs, maintaining open communication with your team and stakeholders, and staying open to ongoing evaluation and improvement. 

So don't hesitate to explore the flexibility and adaptability of hybrid project management for your next project and discover how it can help you achieve better project outcomes. 

Powerful planning for all project types

Plan your projects and capacity, assign work to your team with confidence, and monitor your project timelines with Float.

Related reads

How agile velocity can facilitate project delivery [and six ways to improve it], how to make the most of every daily standup meeting, hybrid work schedule: is it really the best of both worlds.

Hybrid Project Management – Combining Agile and Traditional Methods

Agile or traditional? If you are weighing the pros and cons of both project management methods, there is a good alternative. Work with both methods by using hybrid project management . This article explains the best scenarios for using this hybrid approach. An example is used to illustrate how hybrid project management methodology is put into practice. In the following sections, you will learn:

• What is “hybrid project management”?
• Which scenarios are best suited to hybrid project management?
• Roles and processes in the traditional project lifecycle
• By contrast: agile work methods
• Resource and capacity planning in agile projects
• Hybrid project management: optimally combining the two methods
• Hybrid project management: example
• Traditional and agile methods within a company: using both methods
• Combining both methods within a single project
• Agile, traditional or hybrid approaches in multi-project management?
• Conclusion and recommendations

What Is “Hybrid Project Management”? “Hybrid project management” refers to methods that combine planning strategies from the traditional PM environment with the agile me­thodol­ogy’s flexible approach. Click to tweet

A hybrid approach to project management thereby integrates the various methods (such as PMI and Scrum) or the use of diverse elements from various methods (such as User Stories from Scrum with the V model XT software specifications).

Which Scenarios Are Best Suited to Hybrid Project Management?

Many organizations function in an environment in which traditional processes have evolved over time and compliance is required with broad obligations and required standards. For projects, this means that there is a focus on choosing methods that clearly define the plans and project goals and require that everything is documented . Or methods are prescribed by an external source, such as a regulatory authority.

However, times are changing. As software continues to play an increasingly important role in hardware products, agile methods ‒ with their iterative processes and shifting objectives from sprint to sprint ‒ have become increasingly popular.

Combining traditional methods for some of the subprojects with elements of the agile methodology (such as Scrum) lets organizations take advantage of the best of both worlds to find the solutions best suited to their individual needs. This can enhance the project’s benefits by, for example, achieving better results, reaching the goals faster, or minimizing expenses.

Note: The PMI study “The Drivers of Agility” found that companies operating with a high degree of agility bring significantly more projects to a successful conclusion than those that do not. Of the companies exhibiting a high degree of agility, 68% used agile methods, 71% predictive, and 72% used a hybrid methodology. Among the companies exhibiting a low degree of agility, only 41% used agile methods, 45% predictive, and 51% hybrid methods.

Roles and Processes in the Traditional Project Lifecycle

• Project sponsors
• A project manager
• Several team leaders
• Team members
• A Project Management Office (PMO)

One or more project sponsors define the overall goal. The objectives are then to narrow these goals down to actual targets, with the expectation that these will be met. It is important to determine what skill sets are needed and when and then find out when these will be available.

The project is then prioritized and considered when resources are allocated. Team members are different for each project, as each member is chosen based on the skill sets needed for that particular project. The team leaders from the various departments need to see what resources they need to handle their daily operations to find out what resources can be made available to the project.

As the project progresses, some deadlines may need to be modified and other elements changed, but the focus should always be on ensuring that the specified goals are met by the given deadline. Resources can be withdrawn from lower-priority projects and reassigned to top-priority projects so that team members devote most of their energy to those projects having the highest priority.

It is important to keep an overview of all the current and new projects and their resource utilization . In addition, close coordination is required to optimize resource utilization with regard to the latest requirements and circumstances.

Any changes to the project are carefully tracked and, together with the sponsors and / or end customer, evaluated with regard to added value and additional cost as compared to the original specifications. Status reports are prepared to show progress on the delivery of existing orders. Detailed schedules are created in the form of Gantt charts and milestone trend analyses . Risk analyses, with recommendations for avoiding these risks or minimizing their effects, may also be included.

The final result is generally some form of acceptance document that compares the delivered result with the original order . If there are deficiencies, these will be listed in the document and subsequently corrected. Sometimes these deficiencies are minor and can be accepted, but sometimes 100% compliance with the original specifications is required because, for example, the deliverable is a bridge that must stand or a crash test that must be withstood.

In the end, there is a final meeting involving the team members, project managers and sponsors to discuss and document the lessons learned so that future endeavors may benefit.

This is a good time to ask yourself what can be done better the next time. Achieving goals and allocating the required resources is completely normal and necessary, right? Yes, if the goals are absolutely clear and these are the right measures for achieving those goals, then the traditional approach is the best one.

• What if you are expected to deliver results that can be obtained in several ways ?
• What should you do if new insights and technologies become available during the project?
• How can you integrate these into the existing project plans to deliver a better solution?
• Would it not be great if there was some way to get the sponsors, customers, and users to all agree to these changes without risking non-conformance with the specifications?

Sometimes it is just not possible to clearly define what the deliverable should be because those involved themselves do not know exactly what they want or need. Have you ever not realized you were hungry until the scent of food made you crave a particular dish? Suddenly, you knew exactly what you wanted.

Another interesting read: Agile project management, traditional or hybrid?

By Contrast: Agile Work Methods

Agile approaches are much more common today, especially at the product development stage in software development or other similar areas. This often applies to cloud solutions, which must provide uninterrupted service.

Increasingly, the approach is used in other high-tech and complex environments as well. The traditional approaches described above are just not suitable in cases like this.

Therefore, it has become prevalent, as in agile approaches, for a fixed team to develop iterative versions of a product while the users are already using the product on a daily basis . After all, the users also want to see ongoing progress.

A team is often put together only once and then continues to live for and with this software, just as other teams do with their products. The teams are rarely ever reorganized.

Looking at the roles in  agile methods  (such as Scrum ), we can identify the following:

The Product Owner

• Makes all the decisions regarding the product
• Prioritizes and maintains the backlog
• Is constantly available

The Scrum Master

• Manages the process
• Removes impediments

When it comes to resource planning, the following applies: strategic and tactical planning is also necessary for agile teams. Staff is needed for ongoing projects, new staff must be trained, etc.

You might also be interested in Agile IT Project Management at OEMs.

Remember that no one is permanently available 100% of the time. Plan for absences due to vacations, etc. What is the best way to handle resource planning and capacity planning ?

Resource and Capacity Planning in Agile Projects

Agile methods offer an advantage in resource planning: their fixed product and project teams, as well as the fixed cadence, make overall planning and the shifting of staff between projects much easier.

Our tip:  Take particular care to find a shared rhythm across projects and thus achieve harmonization. This makes it much easier for staff to shift from one project to another.

Agile teams are mostly self-organized and have the experience necessary to estimate the effort involved. This starts with a rough estimate that becomes more detailed in the course of the project. The teams report when something has been completed and give feedback in reviews and retrospectives.

Together with the product owner , they gather stakeholder feedback in review meetings.

Kick-off meetings are no longer required in agile environments.

Learn more about Project Resource Management.

Regular sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives , on the other hand, are mandatory .

In addition, the development team meets daily to discuss progress with regard to the Sprint Goal.

The only remaining targets can be found in the Product Backlog or the Sprint Backlog as a subset for each sprint. If something is not documented in the backlog, it will not be done.

Communication with the stakeholders is not only through the reviews but also via public boards with Sprint or product burn down charts. This is why the traditional reports with their schedules, costs, and status are superfluous at best.

Yet, what may be missing is a meaningful multi-project overview.

Hybrid Project Management: Optimally Combining the Two Methods

How can you combine these two different worlds?

There are many approaches to introducing hybrid methods:

• Concurrent Use of Traditional and Agile Methods:
• Some business units always use traditional methods (e.g. consulting). Others always use agile methods (e.g. software development).
• Some projects use a traditional approach, others an agile one.
• Some parts of a project are implemented in a traditional way, other parts using agile methods.
• High-level planning employs a traditional approach, detailed planning an agile one.
• Combining Traditional and Agile Methods in a Single Project:
• Closer coordination with users and more frequent, implementable intermediate results
• Regular meetings to discuss progress (not necessarily daily – once a week is a good start)
• Retrospectives (Lessons Learned) after each status update meeting, not just at the end
• There is a fixed team for the entire duration of development
• Scrum Masters also serve as project managers in the traditional sense
• A Backlog is created for each project phase rather than as a specification for the overall product
• Project planning is synchronized with the sprint lengths
• Projects are planned using phases and milestones – at a higher level than the sprints and in addition to them
• There are status reports and milestone trend analyses for management and for the stakeholders
• (By the way, many agilists are unhappy with the latter two examples, as they can water down the basic agile principles).

A general note:  Are the customer’s requirements uncertain and unclear? Is the approach to a solution for the project still unclear and new? Agile methods are particularly well-suited in this case, as they were developed for exactly this type of situation.

Our tip:  Look at the first option in the above list. Having some business units use traditional approaches while others use agile ones is probably one of the most seamless and common implementations of hybrid project management. This usually ensures high process stability.

Hybrid Project Management: Example

For customer consulting projects, you always use traditional methods whereas the endeavors focusing solely on product development follow agile principles. What to bear in mind: customer wishes have to be aligned between the business units.

This means that the sales department must have a say in the release planning .

Traditional and Agile Methods within a Company: Using Both Methods

Please note: Frequent changes between traditional and agile approaches from one project to the next pose a risk to the process stability.

Therefore, another option is to combine methods in a meaningful way – rather than changing between methods in projects. To give you an example:

• Traditional concept, specification and implementation for the hardware
• Agile software development
• Traditional acceptance test
• Agile concept and specification
• Traditional implementation and acceptance test
• Traditional methods for everything up to the integration
• Agile integration

Our tip:  If you use hybrid approaches within a single project, follow this proven approach: use agile methods for unclear parts of the project while using traditional methods for the clearer parts.

Combining Both Methods within a Single Project: U sing Traditional Methodology for Hogh-Level Planning and Agile Methodology for Detailed Planning

Another approach has been proven successful for using hybrid methods in the same project:

• Use traditional methods for high-level planning as a kind of superstructure.
• Add an iterative element afterward using agile work methods .

This approach lets you continue to plan milestones and status meetings. While at the same time benefiting from the advantages of agile work methods.

Making the meeting frequency rhythmic also will minimize friction and the general coordination effort – which ultimately increases productivity .

A survey on hybrid PM conducted during one of our webinars held in April 2018 involving 256 respondents (multiple answers possible) revealed that:

• 11% of the participants carried out their projects according to the defined methods of that business unit
• 41% decided the method project by project
• 40% chose the method based on the project situation
• 41% did their high-level planning with traditional methods and used agile ones for their detailed planning
• 18% were still unsure

Our tip:  Separate the methods clearly, depending on the business unit. This will provide the highest process reliability. It is usually a good way to get started.

Agile, Traditional or Hybrid Approaches in Multi-Project Management?

Multi-project management will always require an overview of the status, necessary decisions, and delivery dates.

• Required decisions
• Delivery deadlines

Problems concerning the project status need to be quickly and clearly discernible (e.g. with the aid of a red traffic light symbol).

This is another difference. In typical (multi-) project environments, traditional methods will always be necessary. In the course of product development for “small-scale projects” from version to version, it is a little different. They can be planned with agile methods without any problems.

As agile environments do not provide methods for multi-project management , further questions are unnecessary.

Conclusion and Recommendations

This article has introduced you to ways in which hybrid project management – a mix of agile and traditional approaches – can be applied in practice.

You have learned that there are many ways to apply hybrid methods. For example, you can use traditional and agile approaches concurrently in different business units or combined within an individual project .

There are situations in which traditional methods continue to make sense – despite growing agility.

Our tip:  Above all, we recommend that you introduce different suitable methods for the different areas of your organization.

Moreover, it is essential that you closely involve all the relevant departments (such as sales) right from the beginning.

The best strategy is to introduce the methods step by step and to find a good team rhythm for the project.

Another important point: special situations or environments often require a customized combination of methods. It is always better to find a tailored solution for every individual project (as in our examples above) than to impose an approach from an external perspective.

What hybrid method do you use, and would you call it a successful one? We look forward to reading your comments below. 

About the author:  Johann Strasser, a certified engineer, has been a managing partner at TPG The Project Group since 2001. After many years as a development engineer in the automotive and energy sectors, Johann Strasser spent a decade as an independent trainer and consultant in the field of project management. During his tenure, he also served as project manager for software projects in the construction industry and provided scheduling and cost management support for large-scale construction projects. At TPG, he applies his expertise in product development and consulting services for international clients. His special focus is on PMO , project portfolios, hybrid project management, and resource management. For many years now, he has shared his knowledge through presentations, seminars, articles, and webinars. You can read more about Johann Strasser on LinkedIn and XING .

print this article

Related posts.

3 Jira Tips for Product Owners You Should Know

3 Valuable Jira and Confluence Tips for Scrum Masters

Project Management with Jira: All Projects at a Glance with Filters, Dashboards & Reports

This is a great overview of a hybrid approach! Also, this is exactly the approach we’re working to build for our product development group.  The production / engineering environment is so culturally dependent on “structure” that a purely Agile approach would be a No-Go from a change management perspective.  As we add a more iterative process to project management planning, a more Agile mindset could be adopted, but moving processes from product development to a manufacturing process requires a traditional approach backbone due to regulatory mandates, and clear, tested methods.

Can you please elaborate on ‘change management perspective’?

In production / engineering environment, processes are so well structured (one after the other) that pure agile approach towards ‘change’ is nearly impossible to implement.

Thank you for your explication – it helped me to present the differencies among those approaches for my MBA thesis!

You’re welcome 🙂

outstanding concept, Good work sir

Thanks, Muhammad Ibrar.

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

, , , , , , , .

.

• Contact sales
• Start free trial

The Ultimate Guide to…

Agile vs Waterfall and the Rise of Hybrid Projects

Brought to you by projectmanager, the project and work management software for hybrid teams..

Agile vs Waterfall: An Introduction

Hybrid project management, what is hybrid project management software, must-have features of hybrid project management software, agile vs waterfall methodology: an in-depth look, what is agile project management, agile vs waterfall: the major differences, agile vs waterfall: do they have anything in common, hybrid project management as a new path forward, hybrid is the future…and it’s already here, other resources.

Work is changing, and old methodologies are no longer enough to manage projects and teams, shedding new light on the agile vs waterfall debate. For years, traditional methods such as waterfall have offered a structured approach to project management and software development. Nowadays, the waterfall model is not out of the picture—but the frame has grown much larger.

The agile project management approach was introduced as a way to revolutionize software development, in direct opposition to the more structured waterfall style. You’ll find those who carry the flag of waterfall or agile, but work today has become more fluid.

Stand rigidly on one side or another and you’ll eventually break. Follow a hybrid path, and you can bring remote project management and software development teams together, and let them work in a big tent that holds all skill sets.

Differences Between Agile and Waterfall

The waterfall methodology is a process of breaking down project activities into linear, sequential phases. Each phase of the waterfall project management or software development process is reliant upon the deliverables of the previous phase. Commonly used in engineering and software development, it’s a more structured approach because progress falls in one direction (like a waterfall!) from planning to launch. Waterfall plans are often built using a Gantt chart .

Agile, on the other hand, is a methodology suited for software developers and engineers where requirements and their solutions change over time. The reason why solutions change is because the end user’s feedback informs the cross-functional teams direction. Agile software development is extremely iterative and adaptive—and allows for quite a bit of flexibility in resource management, task management and project planning.

The agile method has 4 core principles that are defined in the Agile Manifesto, which we detail further below.

Hybrid project management is not as clearly defined as other concepts that have sprouted up recently in the project management world. The simple definition is that it’s a combination of two different methodologies or systems, such as waterfall and agile, to create a new and better project management model.

A hybrid method that combines methodologies uses elements from each to increase efficiency throughout the software development life cycle .

Project management is rife with methodologies, from waterfall to agile, but also PRINCE2, extreme programming (XP) and lean—the list goes on. They speak to the managerial interests of the profession, which is always looking for better and more efficient ways to carry a project to completion.

New project management methodologies are constantly developed to challenge the traditional models, and followers of hybrid methodologies assert that there can be synergy in combining aspects of new and traditional software development methods.

Hybrid methodologies accept the fluidity of projects and allow for a more nimble and nuanced approach to project planning and work management. The bottom line is that the more ways you have to approach a problem, the better chance you have of resolving it.

The problem is that many project management tools are aligned to only one way of working. ProjectManager is a hybrid work management tool with multiple project views that allow project managers and teams to work how they want.

Whether they’re remote or on-site, a seasoned project manager or an entry-level team member, ProjectManager’s Gantt charts, kanban boards, task lists and more give you the tools you need to connect hybrid teams. Try ProjectManager for free today!

Hybrid project management software is any tool that is flexible enough to manage projects in a variety of ways, such as:

• Waterfall project management
• Agile project management
• Waterfall software development
• Agile software development
• Scrum, Extreme Programming, Lean manufacturing , etc.

A good hybrid project management software will usually feature a Gantt chart, which is the workhorse of the waterfall methodology. Gantt charts allow for detailed project scheduling , linking dependencies and organizing tasks and project phases.

A Gantt chart works best on a fixed project plan . Waterfall development software lets executives and stakeholders see fixed costs and schedules. It is typically used for large infrastructure projects such as bridges, tunnels, construction and manufacturing.

The agile approach lends itself more to a hybrid work management. It was developed for a highly flexible project environment, ideal for software and product development . Agile is an approach, and software executes that approach through scrum, kanban boards and a lean methodology.

Therefore, a hybrid project management software offers multiple project views that give project managers the ability to work with different project management methodologies. Project managers can use Gantt charts, and agile teams use an array of tools that let them manage their own work. Regardless of the tool they employ, information should be updated across the software so that everyone works with the most current data.

Watch the video below to learn more about ProjectManager, an example of hybrid work management software.

Benefits of Hybrid Project Management Software

Project management software that is flexible enough to work in any kind of work environment is going to have advantages over a tool that offers only one. Here are some of the benefits of a hybrid project management software:

• Flexible tool that can pivot with ease
• Multiple project views to work how you want
• Real-time collaboration for greater productivity
• Connect hybrid teams regardless of location, work style or skill set
• In-app and email notifications to keep everyone on the same page
• Live dashboards to track progress and performance
• Resource management tools to balance workload
• Schedule and plan with interactive Gantt charts
• Reports to keep stakeholders updated

Hybrid project management software gets the job done when it has the following features:

Organize Work on Gantt Charts

Gantt charts are essential for waterfall software development and project management. With them, you can round up tasks, link dependencies and see the whole project in one place.

The visual timeline structures activities cascading from ideation to launch to plan, schedule and assign work. You can manage resources, set milestones and assign priorities to control the progress of a project.

Manage Workflow on Kanban Boards

Kanban boards are a must for agile software development and project management. You can collect your tasks on kanban cards situated beneath columns that represent the production cycle. Agile teams can collaborate when planning sprints and manage their backlog.

Managers get visibility into their team’s workflow, and can reallocate resources to remove bottlenecks and keep everyone working at capacity.

Monitor Performance on Dashboards

Whether you choose an agile or waterfall approach, you’ll need instant status reports. The software should collect and graph data, so you can keep an eye on key project metrics.

With this data, you know if you’re falling behind schedule or spending too much money. You can also view your team’s workload, how much time they’re spending on tasks and the variance between planned and actual progress.

Collect Work on Task Lists

On a task list, you can keep track of all your assignments to drive progress on projects, whether you’re working on agile or waterfall projects. They let you keep work organized and prioritize what must get done first.

Task lists keep you on track and productive. Never miss important dates, such as deadlines, on your project or your own work.

Monitor Time Teams Take

Time tracking lets you know how long it’s taking your team to finish their work. Timesheets streamline payment and give managers another window to track project progress.

Use time tracking to see issues, and reallocate resources to resolve them, before they become problems that might sidetrack your project.

Allocate Resources to Control Costs

Resource tracking lets you view your team’s availability and know who is available. You can allocate resources and track them throughout the life cycle of the project to control time and costs.

Keep teams working at capacity by balancing their workload for greater productivity. With the right software, you always have the right people on the job with the materials they need.

While the agile approach is relatively new, it has taken hold and moved from software development into many industries. But don’t count waterfall methodology out yet—it may be a slightly old-fashioned way to manage projects, but it has staying power for a reason.

Both methodologies have their pros and cons. Let’s look closely at agile vs waterfall to get a better idea of what they are (and what they aren’t). Then you can decide which is better for your next project.

What is Waterfall Project Management?

Waterfall (also known as the waterfall model) is a project management methodology. It follows a sequential process that moves from one task or project phase to the next.

The waterfall approach involves a lot of research and decision-making prior to executing the project. Everything is documented in advance, such as the user interface, user stories, feature variations and outcomes.

By doing all this work ahead of time, project estimates tend to be more accurate, which leads to a firmer deadline. However, if things change throughout the life cycle of the project, it is more difficult to change the plan and revise the course of the project.

The Waterfall Model

As noted, the waterfall model is so called because it resembles a waterfall when viewed on a Gantt chart’s timeline. You can see the project life cycle phases, from analysis to design and development to testing, all moving forward in sequence.

Using a project management software is essential to managing a waterfall project. ProjectManager has Gantt charts that not only organize and link dependent tasks , but can be filtered for the critical path. Once you create a schedule, you can set a baseline to measure project variance when executing the plan. Try ProjectManager free today.

Phases of the Waterfall Method

In the waterfall methodology, you must complete each project phase before the project can move on to the next phase:

• Research and Interviews: This involves capturing system and software requirements for the product. You do this by researching and interviewing the stakeholder team and engineers, getting customer feedback and researching competitor product offerings.
• Design: There are two parts to this phase, including logical design and physical design, all resulting in the software or product architecture.
• Implementation: In this phase, software engineers and developers return a beta version of the product based on information from the research and design phases.
• Verification: In the verification phase, the product team gets user testing data and customer feedback regarding the product’s validity.
• Maintenance: Once you have tested the beta version, and you’ve launched the final product to the general population, you make bug fixes and update features in this phase.

Benefits of the Waterfall Method vs Agile

The good thing about the waterfall method is that it places more importance on a structured, well-documented project planning approach. Whether there’s a hiccup in the project or an addition made during the execution phase, you record all steps you have taken until that point for posterity.

It’s often said that the waterfall method is best for projects where the project scope is fixed, you understand the requirements and the design team knows exactly what they need to produce.

Drawbacks of the Waterfall Method vs Agile

The downside to the waterfall method is that customers don’t play a role in development once you record their requirements during the research and interview phase. That makes interaction between the brand and its audience limited to just the beginning and end of the software development life cycle.

The agile model is an iterative approach to software development. The goal is to stay flexible so that agile teams can deliver value to their customers faster. Unlike the waterfall method, projects are not planned from the start. Instead, there are small agile sprints where you continuously evaluate requirements, plans and results.

Related: Sprint Planning Template

Cross-functional teams keep lines of communication and collaboration open to develop trust and foster adaptation. The product owner will prioritize tasks and give them to the teams, who have autonomy on deciding how to get the work done.

How Was Agile Created?

Even though agile software development is popular, it’s in its infancy. In 2001, a group of 17 software developers created the Manifesto for Agile Software Development (also known as the Agile Manifesto) as a reaction to what they deemed as heavy project management methodologies—like waterfall.

The Agile Manifesto is built on four basic values:

• Communication with parties is more important than standard procedures and tools
• Focus on delivering a working application, with less focus on providing thorough documentation
• Collaborate more with clients
• Be open to change instead of freezing the scope of the work

There’s even a nonprofit called Agile Alliance that serves to promote Agile software development.

Is Agile Really a Methodology?

Yet, some claim that the Agile approach is the opposite of a project management methodology.

“The Agile movement is not anti-methodology,” said Jim Highsmith, software engineer, “in fact, many of us want to restore credibility to the word methodology. We want to restore a balance. We embrace modeling, but not in order to file some diagram in a dusty corporate repository. We embrace documentation, but not hundreds of pages of never-maintained and rarely-used tomes. We plan, but recognize the limits of planning in a turbulent environment.”

Agile Software Development Principles

There are 12 principles of agile that elaborate on the main values listed above. The 12 agile software development principles are as follows:

• Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
• Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
• Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
• Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
• Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
• The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a software development team is face-to-face conversation.
• Working software is the primary measure of progress.
• Agile software development processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
• Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
• Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not being done—is essential.
• The best architectures, requirements and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
• At regular intervals, the agile team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

Benefits of Agile

The benefits of agile as a project management and software development methodology are reflected in its values and 12 principles. Agile software development tends to have the highest customer satisfaction rates, routinely delivers high quality products, reduces risks, increases project control and generates a better return on investment, faster.

The quality of the final product is due to the customer being involved and having their expectations constantly reflected in the agile software development project as it progresses. It’s a process that is continuously improving, which is going to reflect on the final deliverable.

That plays into higher customer satisfaction. The product is more likely to go to market faster, too, which is sure to please the customer. But that doesn’t mean shoddy quality. Agile development gives more control to the product because it’s a transparent process. Stakeholders are involved every step of the way.

You also reduce risk because of the iterative nature of the agile approach. The flexibility at the core of agile means it’s easier to change midstream without incurring costs and losing valuable time.

Drawbacks of Agile vs Waterfall Model

But, as it is with any endeavor, there are downsides as well. When it comes to agile, there is sometimes an element of unpredictability, especially for software developers and engineers who require a bigger picture planned out ahead of time to better understand the project scope.

Additionally, while opening communication lines between end users and software developers means you’ll produce a product that more customers will appreciate, it also means that there is more time wasted on communicating between teams. Ultimately, this produces a better quality product—but it comes at the cost of time.

There are many differences between agile and waterfall, but the major ones lie in the details.

Linear vs. Iterative

Waterfall as a process is linear, while agile is iterative. What that means is waterfall works best when you assess scope and any possible risks at the outset, whereas with agile, you don’t need to define the scope in the beginning, and you can make change requests as long as it’s within time and budget.

Large vs. Small

Waterfall project management or software development is better for large teams and doesn’t require too much coordination, as everyone has a role and knows what part they play in the project. Agile works best when it’s executed inside small to medium-sized teams that have a high level of cross-integration.

When Customers Provide Feedback

Additionally, customer feedback is given at different phases between the two project management and software development methodologies. Customer feedback is a permanent fixture inside the agile methodology, while it’s only present during milestones for the waterfall methodology.

From a funding and budgetary perspective, agile software development works best at increasing funding at each project milestone, while waterfall works best when dealing with contracts up-front.

Similarities between the two methodologies revolve at the higher levels—mostly around feasibility. In both agile and waterfall methodologies, there has to be some sense of feasibility and opportunity for funding before work on the project can begin, whether that’s a contract up-front or percentage of the payment at each milestone.

There is planning involved in both methodologies, however they are done at different phases. In the waterfall methodology, planning is front-loaded to the beginning of the project on a highly-detailed level to reduce risk and avoid changes once the project has begun.

In the agile methodology, there is also a considerable level of planning done, however this is done during sprint planning when the developers are ready to take pieces of the project and make a plan to develop.

Monitoring and Tracking

Additionally, there is much to monitor and report on in both waterfall and agile. In waterfall, project progress is measured alongside the project plan.With agile, project progress is measured against every sprint.

It should be clear that traditional waterfall methodology and an agile approach are both fine ways to manage a project. Each has their pros and cons. In fact, they can even complement one another. That’s what’s called hybrid project management—a mix of two approaches into one.

Hybrid project management is growing in popularity as projects become more complex and competition increases in the marketplace. Customers expect a lot, and a hybrid methodology delivers on their expectations while giving project managers and teams the control and freedom to work better together.

Take the formal structure of a traditional waterfall methodology and the more flexible, iterative methods of agile, and you have hybrid project management.

Example of a Hybrid Project

Hybrid projects begin as any other, with a plan. That involves all the documentation that gets your project the greenlight and using a WBS to collect all the tasks that lead to the final deliverable.

Organizing on Gantt Charts

Once you have all the tasks, you need to organize them. This brings us to the Gantt chart, which is a fundamental tool in waterfall, but also helpful in a myriad of project methodologies. It lists your tasks and shows the whole project on a timeline. You can assign team members and describe tasks, set priorities and add tags to make them easy to find.

Manage Workflows on Kanban Boards

Teams can organize their backlog on the kanban board, which visualizes workflow by stacking tasks beneath columns that represent a step in the production cycle. Teams can use the board view to plan their sprints and managers get visibility into their team’s process. If they spot a bottleneck, managers can reallocate resources to keep from blocking their teams.

Manage Team Workloads

Giving teams the freedom to execute tasks is part of working in the agile environment. Managers want to help without getting in the way, which is why there are resource management tools such as a workload chart. See at a glance who is overallocated, then reallocated tasks right from the workload chart to keep the team’s workload balanced to keep them productive.

Track Progress on Dashboards

Get even more transparency into progress and performance with real-time dashboards that collect project data and display them on easy-to-read graphs and charts. See tasks, costs and much more. There’s no timely configuration necessary. It’s like an instant status report whenever you want it.

Create Instant Status Reports

Teams might work agile, but stakeholders are only interested in the bottom line. They need regular updates to manage their expectations. One-click reports can be filtered to show only that data your stakeholder is interested in. Then share as a PDF or print it for them. Of course, managers can use reports on timesheets, variance and more to better manage the project, too.

Whether you like hybrid methodologies or not, they’re here to stay. Project management isn’t a static industry, and those who aren’t willing to stay abreast of new developments in the profession take the risk of being left behind.

According to the recently published Global Project Management Trends 2022 , which gathered data from 630 project management professionals around the world, 86 percent have teams in multiple locations, either in one country or across the globe. These teams need to collaborate, whether they’re in finance or healthcare. Customer expectations are changing.

As industries look to adapt, traditional methods of working will no longer do the trick. There will need to be adjustments to respond to this uncertainty. Hybrid project management makes work more flexible, whether you’re home or on-site, working on a Gantt or a kanban board, task list or calendar, regardless of the level of your experience.

With hybrid methodologies the forefront of project management’s push into the future, it’s an exciting time to lead a project.

ProjectManager is a cloud-based software that organizes work in traditional, agile and hybrid methodologies. But it’s also the online hub for all things work management and hybrid teams. There are blogs, videos, guides, templates and more that highlight every aspect of managing your work. Here are a few related posts.

• What Is Agile Project Planning? An Introduction for Beginners
• How to Make an Agile Workflow for Your Team
• The Ultimate Guide: Waterfall Model

ProjectManager is award-winning software that helps hybrid teams work remotely, how they want and serves both seasoned pros and newbies. Our collaborative platform allows you to comment, share files and get real-time updates. Managers have transparency and control of resources to keep everyone working at capacity. Try ProjectManager today for free.

Start your free 30-day trial

Deliver faster, collaborate better, innovate more effectively — without the high prices and months-long implementation and extensive training required by other products.

• Professional Services
• Creative & Design
• See all teams
• Project Management
• Workflow Management
• Task Management
• Resource Management
• See all use cases

Apps & Integrations

• Microsoft Teams
• See all integrations

Explore Wrike

• Book a Demo
• Take a Product Tour
• Start With Templates
• Customer Stories
• ROI Calculator
• Find a Reseller
• Mobile & Desktop Apps
• Cross-Tagging
• Kanban Boards
• Project Resource Planning
• Gantt Charts
• Custom Item Types
• Dynamic Request Forms
• Integrations
• See all features

Learn and connect

• Resource Hub
• Educational Guides

Become Wrike Pro

• Submit A Ticket
• Help Center
• Premium Support
• Community Topics
• Training Courses
• Facilitated Services

What Is Hybrid Project Management?

May 24, 2022 - 7 min read

Have you heard of hybrid project management ? It sounds like it'd be complex and confusing, but we promise it’s not. In fact, it can help you and your team get projects across the finish line even more efficiently and effectively.

Do we have your attention? We thought so. Let’s break down everything you need to know about hybrid project management . 

An introduction to hybrid project management methodologies

The term “hybrid” is key to understanding this concept. As Merriam-Webster explains , hybrid means “having or produced by a combination of two or more distinct elements.”

So, with hybrid project management, you’re essentially taking two (or more) different project management methodologies and combining them to create an entirely new method. 

Here’s the next question you’re bound to have: What different methodologies can be combined? There is no shortage of options. Some popular PM methods include: 

• Waterfall project management
• Critical path method (CPM)
• Agile project management
• Outcome mapping

In theory, hybrid project management means you could take any formal methodology and combine it with another.

However, typically when people are talking about this concept, they’re referring to hybrid Agile project management or a hybrid Agile methodology . 

This takes the flexibility and adaptability of Agile and combines it with the more traditional and rigid approach of Waterfall project management (where tasks are listed in sequential order — much like a waterfall). 

What are the benefits of hybrid project management?

Why bother smooshing two different methodologies together? Wouldn’t it be easier just to use one?

In some ways, yes. However, the benefit of blended project management is that it allows you to get the best of various methodologies. This enables project managers to leverage the strength of their chosen approaches , while also navigating around their weaknesses or potential pitfalls.

In the traditional sense of hybrid project management (meaning, combining Agile with Waterfall project management), projects are planned using the Waterfall approach and a work breakdown structure (WBS). This gives teams a sense of the tasks involved and the overall scope of the project.

However, projects are executed using an Agile method, which leaves enough wiggle room to handle changes and reevaluate after short sprints. 

See? You’re getting the best of both worlds: the detailed planning of a Waterfall approach with the flexibility of the Agile method . That’s the core benefit of hybrid project management. 

Additionally, hybrid project management is a great way to dip your toe into new approaches. While more and more teams have adapted Agile methodologies (an impressive 71% of organizations have done so), it’s not always intuitive. This hybrid approach is a great way for them to boost their comfort level because it’s not such a drastic shift. 

What are the challenges of hybrid project management?

While hybrid project management allows you to use the best parts of your chosen project management methodologies , this isn't without its challenges. Planning a project under two separate methodologies can be tricky, as both approaches may have differing timelines — you'll need to do more in-depth planning to ensure all your bases are covered.

Getting buy-in from stakeholders is also crucial when implementing a new project management methodology . Your project sponsor may be unfamiliar with your hybrid methodology and require additional support to communicate status updates to other stakeholders. 

Communication gets more complex when using two different project management methodologies. As the PM, you'll need to have a fundamental knowledge of your chosen approaches and be prepared for increased variety and frequency of communications with stakeholders.

How do you blend project management methodologies? 

There really aren’t any cut-and-dried rules for blending project management methodologies. You and your team have creative license to figure out what works best for you.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few quick tips to set you off on the right path.

1. Choose two methodologies

To avoid biting off more than you can chew, choose only two project management methodologies to start with.

This will probably be easier than you assume. As you were reviewing the available methodologies, you probably identified a couple that made you think, “Hey, that sounds like it could be helpful for our project…” This means you already have a good sense of which ones are a good fit.

Don’t worry about how you’ll mix them together right now. This isn’t the time to ask yourself things like, “What Agile methodology combines with this?” You’re simply selecting two methodologies. 

2. Identify what you like and don’t like about them

This is the part where you get to take a magnifying glass to each of the methodologies you selected. What do you like about them? What don’t you like about them?

Let’s stick with the traditional hybrid project management example of combining Agile with Waterfall. 

Perhaps you like that Agile provides regular opportunities to reevaluate and adjust, but you don’t like that only planning short sprints means you don’t grasp the entire project. Maybe you like the level of detail involved with a Waterfall approach, but you worry about it being too rigid and restrictive.

This is important information to have as you move into the next step because it will help you understand how to leverage the strengths of each methodology. 

3. Discuss how you’ll use each

You’ve selected each of your methodologies and you know what they each bring to the table. Now what? It’s time to figure out how you’ll implement them.

For example, will you just cherry-pick elements of each to be used throughout the project? Or will you apply them during different stages of the project — like Waterfall during planning and Agile during execution?

Involve your team in this discussion and map out a plan for how you’ll use each methodology. This will help you eliminate confusion and ensure everybody is on the same page. 

4. Regularly reevaluate and adjust

Change is hard, and even with a plan in place, you aren’t going to be perfect at this right out of the gate.

Be ready to adjust when you realize things aren’t working or could be running smoother. At the end of the project, make sure you host a retrospective with your team to discuss what went well with your hybrid approach and what you’d do differently next time.

Once you have that information, make sure you actually implement it for future projects. Knowledge is nothing without action. 

Better together: Use hybrid project management to get the best of both worlds

There are plenty of great project management methodologies out there. If you catch yourself thinking, “This methodology would be perfect if only…” don’t assume you have to take each approach as is.

Hybrid project management empowers you to combine methodologies to create something that works even better for your specific project.

With that custom approach on your side, you and your team can do more of what matters: delivering top-notch projects. 

Ready to make project management even more streamlined and straightforward? Start your free trial of Wrike .

Kat Boogaard

Kat is a Midwest-based contributing writer. She covers topics related to careers, self-development, and the freelance life. She is also a columnist for Inc., writes for The Muse, is Career Editor for The Everygirl, and a contributor all over the web.

Related articles

Tips for Agile Team Management When Working Remotely

Agile team management can make remote teams more productive, less isolated, and more dynamic. Learn more with these remote team management tips.

The Ultimate Guide to Kanban Methodology

Looking to implement the Kanban methodology into your workflow? Learn more about the Kanban process and Kanban style project management with Wrike.

Common Project Management Issues You Can Solve With the Right Tools

Project management issues are common, but they don’t have to blow budgets and deadlines. Identify project management challenges and solutions and get on track.

Get weekly updates in your inbox!

You are now subscribed to wrike news and updates.

Let us know what marketing emails you are interested in by updating your email preferences here .

Sorry, this content is unavailable due to your privacy settings. To view this content, click the “Cookie Preferences” button and accept Advertising Cookies there.

❤ Learn how Nifty inspires productivity!

• Discussions
• Milestones (Gantt Chart)
• Docs & Files
• Time Tracking
• Project Home
• Project Portfolios

❤ Nifty is very flexible. Here are a few examples of how you can use it.

• Agile Development
• Client Management
• Digital Agencies
• Legal Case Management
• Marketing Teams
• Product Teams
• Integrations
• Help Center
• Got Clients?
• Try for Free
• Log in arrow_right_alt

#ezw_tco-3 .ez-toc-widget-container ul.ez-toc-list li.active{ background-color: #ffffff; } Table of Contents

What is hybrid project management a complete guide.

Updated on March 4, 2024 by Jeffrey Kagan

Published on December 30, 2022 by Jeffrey Kagan

If you have never heard of the  hybrid project management approach  and think it’d be complex and confusing, we promise it won’t.

Before expanding over hybrid project management, let’s get a few other basic terminologies right. Project managers must think ahead and cease adhering to only one methodology in today’s competitive business field. There are many project management methodologies, but managers need to understand the best practices for each and determine which is right for them.

Each  project management methodology  works differently, allowing managers to work out the best strategies to combine them and accommodate every project need. Regardless of the needs and requirements, Waterfall and Agile methodologies remain the most popular techniques.

What is hybrid project management?

Hybrid project management is a technique where high-level project phases are planned using the waterfall method, and project phase work (actual tasks) is carried out using the agile methodology.

Integrating Agile and Waterfall into one or Scrum and Kanban into a single one can be called hybrid project management.

• Agile + Waterfall  to produce  Agile-waterfall  or  Waterfall-agile   hybrid project management
• Scrum + Kanban  to produce  Scrumban  or  Kanban-scrum   hybrid project management

However, obtaining this combination is not straightforward; thus, one must follow specific standards.

Waterfall methodology

When managers choose a  Waterfall project management  approach, they focus on the linear progression of the project from its launch to its close.

Project engineers often adopt the waterfall project management method because it requires caution during planning. Every phase demands detailed documentation and successive execution.

Agile methodology 

Agile methodology is the opposite of the Waterfall approach. Instead of adopting a linear sequence, the project manager breaks it into multiple independent phases.   The manager organizes the  agile project management tools  required and releases the teams responsible for each stage to launch the project. Consistent collaboration is required with every stakeholder, and multiple improvements can be made at every step.

Planning, evaluation, and execution are done as the project progresses. The project’s end goal is to deliver value to customers, which is why stakeholder collaboration is unnecessary.

Agile-Waterfall or Waterfall-Agile project management methodologies

Combining Agile and Waterfall to create a hybrid approach is an intelligent strategy. A hybrid project management approach ensures the organization retains clarity derived from Waterfall and Agile’s flexibility and adaptability features.

Yes, It is perfectly possible to combine and blend project management methodologies, but organizations must understand how to make them co-exist. Agile project management is adopted for projects with a higher probability of change and uncertainties.

The Waterfall methodology is adopted for projects with a clear timeline that is predictable and stable. When deciding whether to use Agile or Waterfall, an organization must consider these critical questions.

• Does the organization clearly understand the activities that require action?
• Is there a specific timeline or date by which the project must be completed?
• Will the requirements change or remain constant?

If an organization can undoubtedly answer these questions, it can effectively decide whether to adopt a hybrid approach. Other organizations are already using a hybrid approach. However, the organization must first put in place a specific kind of management system. For the two methods to co-exist, there has to be a middle ground between them.

The agile team can be responsible for objectives, delivery timelines, and goals. There should not be any defined project scope. On the other hand, the waterfall team can focus on splitting the scope and working closely with the client to help the team focus on a sequential and linear approach to project tasks. Close  collaboration  helps ensure the teams work towards one goal and project.

The teams should first appreciate each method’s strong points and identify where the strength lies. The power of agile allows quicker iteration and closely paced releases and feedback. The strength of Waterfall lies in the limitation of errors that can impact the end user. Combining the two requires planning to ensure mistakes are mitigated and schedules are released faster. It creates open feedback opportunities for quick and governed improvements.

Pros and cons of Agile-Waterfall hybrid project management approach

• Better cooperation and communication between teams
• More effective project completion approach
• The overall cost of the project comes down
• Each team must give up some features which might affect overall project quality.
• Limitation of freedom for the sake of accommodating the other method.

Scrum and Kanban project management methodologies

Scrum and Kanban are popular project development methodologies, but there is always a debate on whether they can be combined. Since they are both agile project management methods, teams often combine them to improve customer satisfaction rates and requirements.

How does Kanban work? 

Kanban is built on three principles: Meeting client needs, visualizing workflow and limiting ongoing work. Developers prefer the method because it involves the customer in every phase.

This hybrid project management approach is based on the belief that the client owns the project and his input is crucial in every phase. The team develops according to the customer’s mind, and they must not influence him. Workflow visualization is done using charts, diagrams, and tables.

How does Scrum work?

Scrum leverages iterative project cycles, also known as sprints. The timeline for each sprint takes about 1 to 4 weeks to complete. The total number of tasks performed per sprint is called a backlog.

Testing has to be done after each sprint. If any bugs or defects are detected, they are addressed before moving to the next phase. In this method, customer involvement is high too.

Scrumban methodology

Scrumban  is the hybrid project management methodology achieved after combining Scrum and Kanban. It involves the reduction of total meetings, roles, and artifacts. The team only works with priority tasks in each sprint. They resolve to meet daily to inform each other and identify challenges.

There should be other review meetings to ensure delivery is on course. The hybrid approach identifies the product owner as the client who must pinpoint all features that will enhance productivity.

The project manager usually appoints a Scrum master and a development team. In a Scrumban hybrid approach, the features of each method are brought on board. This methodology requires that we must compromise some features to accommodate others. The agreed strategies must portray natural progression and consciously decide to seek answers to specific problems.

A Scrumban approach requires a high level of transparency and self-managed solid teams. It requires an agile planning approach, well-defined work packages, and different types of iterations.

5 Steps of Scrumban 

• Creating a Scrumban board
• Setting your team’s work limits
• Identifying the team’s priorities on the board
• Removing planning poker cards
• Setting daily meetings

Pros and cons of Scrumban hybrid project management approach 

• Can help with maintaining ongoing projects when there’s no exact deadline for work completion
• It is a good replacement when traditional Scrum methodology doesn’t work
• It gives more flexibility to the team by providing decision-making freedom and encouraging teamwork
• Lack of instructions about the method since it is new
• It is more difficult to track because of the autonomy given to teams
• It doesn’t match the over-controlling management style

Hybrid project management: Best practices for project managers

Hybrid project management requires particular skills to implement successfully in your company. You may be provided with all necessary resources, such as financing, human resource, consultants, and experts. If the project needs skillful and well-coordinated management, it might collapse, fail to meet its goals, go over timelines, or overrun the budget. For you to succeed, you require these project management skills and expertise.

1. Have Leadership and product ownership abilities

Many challenges arise during project progress; with your leadership, they can succeed. Integrity is required from you, but you must practice it with honesty. You must be willing to share the vision with the entire team. Develop strong decision-making skills, and be a multitasker.

Learn to delegate, build your team and solve problems as they arise. You need to develop product knowledge to manage and give guidance successfully. Develop technical knowledge, product features, benefits, and uses, train your teams about the product, and offer hands-on experience.

2. Focus on Team building and communication skills

There should be enhanced relationships within your teams to build cohesiveness and unity. A strong squad freely expresses ideas, speaks out their opinions without fear, raises concerns, offers help, and stretches out to solve conflicts. Engage your team in team-building activities.

To build your communication skills:

• Train yourself to listen and listen again
• Show interest in listening to the person communicating with you, whether it’s face-to-face, through chats, emails, video calls , or telephone calls
• Develop good body language and learn to write down what is said
• Take your time before you speak

3. Empower your Analytical skills

When you develop your analytical skills, you become an expert in observing, investigating, and interpreting situations. You can build inspiration from complicated ideas and get solutions. You should first identify the problem and then gather enough information about it.

Consider all possible solutions and test them to see how well they work, such as doing a post-analysis and applying the new ideas to document everything and presenting it to the customer.

Documentation should include the cost, scope, timeline, goals, and deliverables. IT proficiency to ensure your team has optimal IT structures, technical support, and security

Your teams will be consulting with you often especially concerning technical issues, the use of project management tools, and many other issues. IT proficiency is critical to help you understand project structures, offer support, focus on project security, and ensure smooth IT disaster recovery in the worst-case scenario.

There are several ways to improve your IT proficiency. Upskill your current skills and take keen note of your weak areas. Seek to advance education, whether it means taking a short online course or consulting with IT experts for mentorship. Begin to gain hands-on knowledge by trying to solve IT issues.

Hardware and software security is crucial for effective project management. Even if your team is using the safest hardware like Mac, you still need to check it regularly for possible vulnerabilities and remove potential threats. This will prevent your project from data breaches or the company’s money loss. You can check  more info  on how to check your Mac device for junk files that can be potentially dangerous.

4. Produce project management reports that show ROI

To successfully develop a report, you need to understand the entire project planning. Gather the right tools to help you generate a report and make sure everything is documented from the start to the end. The documented data will help you prepare a report that includes return on investment. Take the total investment cost and divide it by the net gain to calculate the ROI.

5. Making both project management methodologies work in tandem

Hybrid project management seeks to provide fresh, adaptable solutions to organizations.  Managers must know how to strike a balance between methods depending on the nature of a project. They need to use the ones with the least risk and maximum value.

6. Identify which elements to use at which stages of a project

The key elements of a project are initiation, planning, implementation, and completion.  You can research several project management examples to help you understand which elements fall under which phase. List all requirements in each project phase and detail the scope of each. Document all deliverables in detail, timelines, and risk assessment report. Focus on the need at the moment and allocate resources to it.

7. Check whether additional software may be necessary

Project management software is necessary because it helps keep track of all project tasks. There are different types of project management software, but each is used to meet a specific need. Some are used for scheduling meetings, collaborating, documenting, and managing resources. As the project progresses, you might realize you need apps such as issue-tracking software or desktop software. Establish the need and source for the software.

8. Set aside time for training

Project managers should invest in training because it minimizes setbacks and controls costs . The best approach is to offer structured training where you provide a detailed schedule, activity details, responsibilities, training assessment , and timelines. Clearly define the training goals and communicate in advance. The exercise produces better success and engagement.

Suppose your role is more specific, and you work with marketing project management. You might need specialized software for managing creative teams, scheduling email marketing campaigns, or Kanban-based planning.

9. Review projects to see what works well and what could be done better

Decide the type of review you want to conduct. You can do a review after every phase of the project or wait until it is complete to review. During the review, take note of any gaps and decide whether the project objectives were met. Measure how well the customer was satisfied and the costs against benefits. Take note of any shortcomings, lessons learned, and future adjustments.

Combining hybrid project management methodologies and skills gives project managers the strict processes and flexibility they need. This can help a team to reach project goals faster with superior results and at a lower cost.

If you are looking for a better project management solution that allows your team to maximize resource use for the best returns, Nifty is the right choice for you.

Recent Articles:

Alternatives

Wait before you go, do you really want to lose 5 productive hours a week, teams waste 5 hours a week on average juggling between tools. nifty is one app for chat, tasks, docs, and more. try it for free and see for yourself. we promise you’ll love it..

What is hybrid project management?

Definition of hybrid project management.

Hybrid project management combines elements of waterfall and agile methodologies to make the project management approach best suited for an individual use case. A pure agile or waterfall approach can limit the project manager and hence with a hybrid approach they want to get the best of both worlds. Thereby, no fixed rules exist, hybrid project management allows to mix and match elements from agile and waterfall as needed.

Waterfall project management

Waterfall is also often called traditional project management. It follows the principle of plan first, execute second, thereby following a 5-phase-process:

• Project conception and initiation
• Project definition and planning
• Project launch or execution
• Performance and control
• Project close

It is a one-step-after-the-next approach in which one phase after the other is completed while never revisiting a previous phase.

Agile project management

The agile methodology is an iterative approach, adapting to changes along the way through iterations. By being an adaptive approach, the project is broken down into smaller projects managed by cross-functional teams. Customer and stakeholder feedback are integrated regularly to increase the chance for a successful launch. Its underlying principle is responding to change over following a plan.

Why hybrid project management?

To effectively deliver a project, you have to choose the right approach. Agile methods can add to a faster delivery, meeting changing requirements and environment and taking customer feedback into consideration. Waterfall project management gives you a clear, efficient plan and structure for project delivery. Marrying both can give you an advantage for your project’s success.

Benefits of hybrid project management

By choosing elements of waterfall and agile, you are trying to get the best of both worlds. Overall, a hybrid approach allows you to:

• stick to budget and timings
• focus on improvements by allowing iterations
• respect your organization’s culture
• keep your team motivated by using an approach that fits the team and the project
• have the most innovative outcomes through combination of both planning and emergence

However, make sure to communicate well with the project team and stakeholders to develop a mutual understanding of your project management approach. Moreover, make sure you are experienced in both agile and waterfall project management to be able to confidently combine the models.

When to use a hybrid approach?

An agile approach is best suited for complex and uncertain projects. On the other hand, the waterfall approach is the most efficient for standard, recurring projects with a clear process. If you are dealing with a broad, complex project you might want to use an agile approach.

However, large companies can pose a challenge to the implementation of agile project management. The larger the company, the more processes are typically implemented and make it more difficult to break through for an agile team. The organization and the project team have to be ready for this approach. From an organizational perspective, the agile team itself needs to have its own space where it is not bound to the usual way of working with strict procedures. Also, agile team members that have the right open mindset to work differently.

Especially for those large-scale organizations with rigid processes, a hybrid project management approach presents an opportunity to improve project outcomes while still maintaining the organizational controls and structure.

Also projects with an aggressive delivery schedule and the goal of rapidly developing a working solution, benefits from a hybrid project management approach. It will guarantee the delivery on time as well as a functioning product.

Overall, you could say that all projects with a short-term focus on product features and a long-term focus on the final result will benefit from a hybrid approach.

Implementation of hybrid project management

Most commonly, hybrid project management would be implemented in the following way: The project is planned in a traditional “waterfall” way, thereby scope and requirements are defined upfront. Then, development and testing are done with agile methodologies, i.e. sprints. For these sprints, planning is done in terms of prioritization of work packages. Stakeholders will give feedback after sprints to then optimize and reiterate if necessary.

Before implementing a hybrid project management approach, make sure to:

• Define your project and what to use agile and waterfall features for
• Create process roadmap for the team and stakeholders
• Regularly review project management process
• Make adjustments if necessary This way, your team and stakeholders are on board and will help you make the project a success.

Hybrid project management enabling software

OpenProject integrates waterfall and agile features and is thus the ideal tool for hybrid project management. E.g. create your Gantt chart to plan the timeline for your project and use a Kanban board to visualize and execute tasks.

• User guides
• Release notes

Getting started

Learn about the first steps with OpenProject

In-depth guide of all features in OpenProject

System admin guide

Learn how to configure your OpenProject

General frequently asked questions

Enterprise edition guide

Manage your OpenProject Enterprise edition

Installation and operations guide

Find out how to install and operate OpenProject

Release Notes

See the latest changes in OpenProject

Development

Learn about how to contribute to OpenProject

Learn about the API powering OpenProject

Additional BIM features for construction teams

Detailed step-by-step instructions

A dictionary of project management terms

Security & privacy

Data protection and information security are of central importance for the OpenProject team.

Most popular topics

Installing OpenProject

Learn how to download and install OpenProject on your own servers.

Enterprise add-ons

Find out about the OpenProject Enterprise add-ons to boost your project management.

OpenProject hosting

Get started easily with OpenProject hosting from the experts.

Find out how to get maintenance and support for OpenProject in your organization.

For enquiries call:

+1-469-442-0620

• Project Management

What is Hybrid Methodology in Project Management?

Home Blog Project Management What is Hybrid Methodology in Project Management?

Hybrid project management refers to combining two or more methodologies, thereby allowing a project manager to enjoy the benefits of multiple methodologies. This project management methodology allows you the flexibility to use elements from different methodologies. 

Organizations that harness hybrid project management methods are more likely to reap the benefits like speed, adaptability, flexibility, etc. Hybrid project management methodology may seem difficult, but once you get the hang of it, it will make your tasks significantly easier. 

What is Hybrid Methodology in Project Management?  

The term “hybrid” refers to the result obtained from a combination of two. A hybrid methodology in project management is developed through a combination of two or more methodologies. This helps to bring together the benefits of the features of all the constituting methodologies. 

There are a number of project management methodologies like Waterfall, Agile, Critical path method, Six Sigma, PRINCE2, etc. One can choose from any of these methodologies and merge them together. However, when we speak of the hybrid project management methodology, we usually refer to the amalgamation of Agile and Waterfall methodologies. To learn more about the different project management methodologies,  Project Management training online can be a great start to your management journey. 

Which Cases Hybrid Methodology is Best Suited?  

There are several factors that have led to the emergence of the hybrid methodology in project management. Some of them are:

• Project Complexity: Projects these days are becoming extremely complex. This calls for an improved project management methodology that can help monitor every project step. 
• Cutthroat Market Competition: Since technology is advancing and new players are entering the market, businesses should try to figure out ways to survive the competition. Having a flexible methodology for project management helps to respond to the changes proactively. 
• Changing Expectations of Customers: The expectations and needs of customers are ever-changing. Therefore, businesses should be able to respond to their requirements more quickly than before.

While the Waterfall methodology is ideally suited for projects with a clear process, the Agile approach is suited for complex projects with a lot of uncertainty. Combining both methodologies is beneficial for large-scale organizations as it can help improve project outcomes. Not only this, but projects that have an aggressive delivery schedule are also likely to benefit from a hybrid project management model. 

Therefore, it is safe to say that the projects that have a short-term focus on the features and lay emphasis on how the project will deliver results, in the long run, should opt for the hybrid approach. 

Roles and Responsibilities in Hybrid Project Method 

As the hybrid approach in project management is an amalgamation of the Waterfall and Agile methodologies, it adopts effective features from these two methodologies. It adopts the concept of a project manager from the Waterfall-related approach and the idea of a scrum master from the Agile methodology. Let us now understand how a combination of these two helps in the effective execution of the projects. 

The project manager is entrusted with the overall responsibility of managing the entire project. They must make sure that the project is being planned effectively. The project manager further breaks down the tasks associated with a project into different time frames and divides the primary goals into further subgoals. This makes it easy to execute the tasks and monitor the progress from time to time. 

After the goals have been established, the project manager defines the tasks to be fulfilled under each component. A scrum master must ensure that “Scrum principles” are applied. 

Scrum is an Agile methodology for project management that is applied to tasks where changes are likely to occur. In scrum methodology, there are short daily meetings, and the work cycles are kept short and cumulative, known as sprints. These sprints are kept 1-4 weeks long, which makes it easy to incorporate the changes that may occur during the project execution.

Therefore, the project manager and the scrum master work in collaboration with one another to ensure the smooth execution of the projects. The scrum master looks over the sprints, after which the project manager comes to review the results. They then suggest the necessary improvements to be made, which the scrum master later implements. 

Both roles play a significant role; therefore, skilled professionals in the role must acquire the right skill set.  Online PMP certification is one such way to achieve that. Let us further explore the advantages of using the hybrid project management methodology. 

Benefits of Hybrid Project Management 

There are many benefits of combining the Waterfall and Agile project management methodologies. Some of them are as follows:

• Suitable for a Variety of Projects: The hybrid methodology for project management takes the best of the Agile and Waterfall methodologies of project management. It is flexible and can easily be applied to almost any team size. This makes it an ideal choice for a wide range of projects. 
• Planning can be Done in Detail: With the help of the hybrid project management model, businesses can plan better. All the plans can be made in detail, along with the cost estimation for each sprint. Breaking the project into sprints allows for a smooth review process. Not only this, but sprints also help to predict how quickly the goals will be achieved. 
• Division of Responsibilities: This is one of the most important advantages of the hybrid project management process . It maps the project right from the initiation to the completion. It also mentions in detail the entire scope of the project while also allocating the responsibilities as to who is involved in each of the steps. This ensures a smooth monitoring process. 
• Flexibility:  The hybrid project management methodology incorporates the adaptability of Agile. This helps to ensure that the projects are flexible enough to include changes that might come mid-way.

Hope this gives you an idea about the advantages of hybrid project management. You can best understand these by going through a hybrid project management case study as well as navigating through  PRINCE2 certification training course. 

How do you Blend Project Management Methodologies? 

Blending project management methodologies means combining more than one project management methodology. This can be done in the following way:

Choose Methodologies that you Want to Blend 

To begin with, you will first have to choose the project management methodologies that you wish to combine. For this, you will have to develop an understanding of the features of the different program management methodologies. 

Select the Elements Where you Want to Incorporate Specific Methodologies.

You will have to identify the project parts that are strictly defined and the elements that require constant upgradation. Let us take the instance of an Agile-Waterfall hybrid. 

For the aspects that are rigid and strictly defined, apply the elements of the Waterfall methodology. On the other hand, the aspects that are not clearly defined and may require frequent changes have to be assigned principles of the Agile methodology. 

Team Members Should be Adequately Trained

Businesses have their ways of applying the hybrid methodology to execute their projects. Therefore, organizations must train team members to be thoroughly informed of the hybrid project management tools used for the specific project. They should understand what kind of issues the hybrid methodology will address and what will be the results thus obtained. 

Incorporating Hybrid Components 

The organization must apply the elements of the hybrid methodology in the project. Teams must work together to apply the principles to the initially identified areas. They should also ensure that the strategy is adhered to throughout the project. 

Discussing the Effectiveness of Project Methodology

Teams should meet once in a while and discuss the effectiveness of the methodologies applied. Feedback and reviews are an important part of any project that can help organizations improvise on the methodology.

Timely evaluation helps to identify the small adjustments that need to be made in the hybrid methodology. The process involves continuous learning, adjustment, and development to ensure that the style works for the project it has been applied to.

Hybrid Project Management Process Examples 

Apart from the combination of Agile and Waterfall methodologies, some other hybrid methodologies for project management can be used as per the needs of the organization. They are Scrum-Waterfall, Lean-Waterfall, Lean-Agile, and so on. 

Choosing the right hybrid project management methodology depends on the deliverables of the project, its goals and objectives, and the timelines. The hybrid project management manifesto states that every project has its own unique nature and requirement. Therefore, it is ideal to take the best of every project management methodology and make a single framework that will cater to the needs of the project.

However, there are some shortcomings in the hybrid methodology of project management. The next section discusses the disadvantages of hybrid project management methodology.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Methodology  

When you harness the use of a hybrid project management approach for any organization, make sure you are aware of all the aspects of it. 

Before you choose two projects you wish to merge, ensure you have practical knowledge about them. Choosing the wrong methodology can further enhance the obstacles. Your stakeholders may not be adequately informed about the hybrid model that you are choosing. This can be a challenge while communicating project updates to the stakeholders. 

Conclusion  

To make the right choice while merging project management methodologies, you need to be knowledgeable about the features of the different methodologies. You can opt for  KnowledgeHut's best Project Management certifications , which bring you the excellent opportunity to learn the intricacies of project management from the comfort of your home or workspace. 

Once you have developed a command over these concepts, you will be able to manage and execute all projects effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Both Agile and Hybrid are project management methodologies. Agile is the project management methodology that organizes the tasks in short iterative processes known as sprints, whereas the Hybrid methodology incorporates the use of multiple methodologies in a project. 

The hybrid methodology of project management helps to use the best features of the different project management methodologies. You can learn more about the benefits of hybrid project management examples.

Although one can make a hybrid project management methodology from any two or more methodologies, the Agile-Waterfall hybrid model is the most used hybrid project management methodology. 

Kevin D.Davis

Kevin D. Davis is a seasoned and results-driven Program/Project Management Professional with a Master's Certificate in Advanced Project Management. With expertise in leading multi-million dollar projects, strategic planning, and sales operations, Kevin excels in maximizing solutions and building business cases. He possesses a deep understanding of methodologies such as PMBOK, Lean Six Sigma, and TQM to achieve business/technology alignment. With over 100 instructional training sessions and extensive experience as a PMP Exam Prep Instructor at KnowledgeHut, Kevin has a proven track record in project management training and consulting. His expertise has helped in driving successful project outcomes and fostering organizational growth.

Avail your free 1:1 mentorship session.

Something went wrong

Upcoming Project Management Batches & Dates

What Is Hybrid Project Management?

The word hybrid refers to something created by combining two different elements. 

In nature, a hybrid is created by combining two different species or types of animals and plants into a completely new variety such as the brilliantly named zorse — an offspring of a zebra and a horse.

In project management , a hybrid is a custom approach created by combining predictive (Waterfall) and adaptive (Agile) methodologies to varying degrees to create a version that best suits each unique project workflow .

This blog post will further elaborate on:

• Different types of hybrid methodologies,
• Differences between adaptive, predictive, and hybrid methodologies,
• How and when to use a hybrid approach, and
• The advantages and disadvantages of hybrid project management, along with some examples and tips on how to implement it in your organization.

Table of Contents

What is hybrid project management?

Hybrid project management refers to any combination of the aptly named adaptive approaches and the more traditional, predictive approaches. Or, as it’s described in the PMBOK® Guide (7th edition) , “ a combination of two or more agile and nonagile elements, having a nonagile end result. ”

However, rather than imagining it as a combination of two entirely opposing approaches, think of it more in terms of a spectrum. 

Say you have a blob of yellow and blue paint, and you start gradually mixing them together. 

You can add a dot of yellow to the blue, a dot of blue to the yellow, or even mix them up completely. What you get will always be green but in slightly different shades — it’s the same with the hybrid approach.

As described by PMI, the process of mixing and adapting elements of different predictive and adaptive approaches is called tailoring.  

Since it’s impossible to use a single methodology for all projects to equal effect, project managers use tailoring to craft a hybrid approach that will best fit their current project.

Hybrid project management vs blended project management

Note that hybrid project management is often confused with blended project management. 

The difference between them is that: 

• Hybrid combines two distinct methodologies, while 
• Blended approach combines two frameworks within the same methodology.

For example, a mix of Waterfall and Agile methodologies would create a hybrid approach, while a mix of two different Agile frameworks make a blended project management approach such as Scrumban , which is created by combining elements of Scrum and Kanban .

To illustrate this in a more approachable way, we can once again make use of our zorse analogy. 

A zorse is an offspring of a zebra and a horse — a new hybrid species that’s neither a zebra nor a horse. On the other hand, a Morab is a horse you get when you cross a Morgan and an Arabian Horse. While it’s a completely new blended breed, a Morab is still a horse.

Hybrid vs Agile vs Waterfall project management

Notice that we’ve been using the terms adaptive and predictive so far, instead of the more popular Agile and Waterfall, to refer to these approaches. This is because the latter is not entirely correct.

That said, from this point onward, we will refer to these approaches as Agile and Waterfall for the sake of simplicity. But, we’ll also do our best to explain the difference between the 2 confusing naming conventions.

What is Agile (adaptive) project management?

Adaptive project management is an approach that structures work in an incremental, iterative, or Agile (both incremental and iterative) way. 

An adaptive approach is used in projects that don’t have well-defined requirements and clear project scope . Instead, the work is performed in short bursts often called sprints. The scope is determined separately for each sprint and in close collaboration with the client.

Because written standards can’t agree on a unified naming system, and the term “Agile” is good enough to cover the general characteristics of adaptive approaches, adaptive project management has gradually become synonymous with Agile and encompasses the following frameworks:

• Extreme Programming (XP),
• Future-Driven Development (FDD), and
• Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), to name a few.

In conclusion, adaptive and Agile are, for all intents and purposes, one and the same.

💡 Plaky Pro Tip

For a more in-depth explanation of Agile project management, take a look at the guide below.

• What is Agile project management?
• Agile meetings: What are they and how to manage them?

What is Waterfall (predictive) project management?

Predictive, traditional, or Waterfall project management is an approach used in projects that have a clearly defined scope and a clear vision in mind. It puts emphasis on detailed planning and preparing for any number of project risks that might pop up.

In other words, predictive approaches are characterized by:

• Detailed upfront planning,
• Work structured in phases, 
• Strict monitoring and control, and
• High level of project governance .

Any approach with these characteristics is considered a predictive approach. This includes methodologies like:

• Stage-Gate, and 

That said, due to the unfortunate lack of universal naming conventions in project management, some people refer to predictive approaches as Waterfall, which can get confusing.

However, Agile and Waterfall are the 2 approaches that most people are familiar with, and they manage to encapsulate the characteristics of both adaptive and predictive approaches well enough. 

This is why we chose to continue using these 2 terms throughout the rest of this guide, but still decided to explain all of this due to some of the more complex examples of hybrid methodologies you’ll find below. 

Learn about Waterfall in more detail at the link below.

• What is Waterfall project management?

Waterfall — Agile — Hybrid cheatsheet

After having covered all three approaches, you should now have an idea of what exactly a hybrid project management approach is — an approach that combines detailed upfront planning and documentation with iterative, incremental, and highly-flexible work that focuses on collaboration and customer satisfaction .

But, just in case there are still some uncertainties that need to be cleared up, we’ve prepared a  table comparison of these three approaches.

5 Types of hybrid project management methodologies

As we’ve already explained, the term hybrid project management may refer to any approach that’s neither fully Agile nor entirely Waterfall. This means that, in theory, the number of unique hybrid approaches could be endless.

However, in their systematic review of literature on hybrid project management, Reiff and Schlegel noticed 4 distinct hybrid methodologies that stood out:

• Water-Scrum-Fall,
• Waterfall-Agile,
• Hybrid V-model, and
• Agile-Stage-Gate (Scrum-Stage-Gate).

Additionally, there’s a very common fifth hybrid project management approach — the parallel approach — that we’ll also discuss in this section.

Free project management software

Digitalize the workflow of your project management methodology using Plaky.

Type #1: Water-Scrum-Fall

As the name suggests, the Water-Scrum-Fall methodology is a combination of Waterfall and Scrum. 

First suggested by Dave West in 2011, as the reality of Agile in most organizations , Water-Scrum-Fall describes a methodology where the project begins and ends with Waterfall, while the iterative Scrum is used in the execution phase.

In other words, the entire requirements gathering and planning processes, including detailed documentation, are done using Waterfall. 

This is followed by the execution phase where the product is created in iterative Sprints until the final deliverable is complete. 

The project ends with the implementation and testing phases once again performed using strict Waterfall processes.

Since the methodology uses Scrum as part of its process, there are two additions to the project team — the Scrum Master and Product Owner who make sure that development goes smoothly.

To learn about the most notable differences between Scrum and Waterfall, check out the following guide:

• Scrum vs. Waterfall: Understanding the Differences

Type #2: Waterfall-Agile

The Waterfall-Agile hybrid methodology is similar to the Water-Scrum-Fall in that it begins with Waterfall-type planning and then flows into the execution phase that is done using an agile approach. 

The main difference is that, in Waterfall-Agile, the implementation and testing phases are also performed in an agile manner. 

More simply put, all the planning is done using strict Waterfall processes, while the rest of the project is performed using an agile approach — typically Scrum.

An interesting thing about Waterfall-Agile is that there is no strict line that defines when Waterfall ends and Agile begins — this is left up to the project manager.

When it comes to the project roles , the main decision-maker in the Waterfall part of the project is still a project manager . The other necessary roles within the agile part are taken up by various team members throughout the project.

Type #3: Hybrid V-model

Like the Water-Scrum-Fall, the Hybrid V-model begins and ends with a traditional approach, with agile (usually Scrum) once again being used for development. The difference is that this hybrid uses the V-model methodology instead of Waterfall .

Interestingly enough, the V-model is a traditional approach that was created for software development. Just like Waterfall, it structures work in phases, but it encourages feedback and collaboration and allows returning to the previous phase.

The name of the V-model is derived from its V-shaped structure where the left-hand side is dedicated to requirements gathering and planning, and the right-hand side to testing. 

Each of the defined requirements on the left slope must have a corresponding testing task on the right slope to ensure all requirements have been implemented and checked.

In the hybrid version, the traditional V-model practices are applied only: 

• At the beginning (requirements gathering and planning) and 
• At the end of the project (integration and system testing).

The development phase that lies at the bottom of the V diagram is performed using Scrum and incorporates testing in each iteration instead of waiting for the coding to be complete before tests can begin.

Type #4: Agile-Stage-Gate (Scrum-Stage-Gate)

The Agile-Stage-Gate hybrid is a combination of the basic Stage-Gate principles and Agile practices. Most often, the Agile framework combined with Stage-Gate is Scrum.

Stage-Gate is a basic system of project stages or phases and metaphorical gates the team needs to go through to mark a stage finished and proceed to the next one. 

As its creator, Dr Robert Cooper, explains, the main idea of Stage-Gate is that the project manager plans and collects money on a per-stage basis. In other words, each stage is treated like a separate mini-project as a way of mitigating risks . 

The Agile-Stage-Gate hybrid adds flexibility to the more traditionally structured Stage-Gate approach by incorporating a string of Sprints into each stage. The goal is to: 

• Collaborate with users, 
• Provide them with something tangible as soon as possible, and 
• Improve on it throughout the stage.

Type #5: Parallel approach

Parallel approach is not an approach described in the abovementioned literature review, but it’s one of the very common uses of hybrid project management. Namely, it’s possible to use Agile and Waterfall alongside one another. 

Take the creation of a new smartphone, for example. 

The project requires the teams to create both software and hardware to get a finished product. In this case, it’s very common for software development teams to use an Agile approach, and the hardware development team to use a Waterfall approach — all while working on the same project and under the same project manager.

When to use hybrid project management

Hybrid project management has become quite the buzzword in the PM community in recent years, and for good reason — it’s a great way to circumvent many of the risks that come with rigidly sticking to only one approach. 

However, this doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. Instead, according to the previously mentioned paper by Reiff and Schlegel, the hybrid approach is best suited for: 

• Extremely large organizations,
• Large cross-functional teams,
• Large and complex projects,
• Uncertain and risky projects,
• Heavyweight innovation projects, and
• Software development projects.

While hybrid project management can be used in small and medium-scale companies and projects, this often isn’t necessary since straightforward methodologies get the job done.

Small companies that mainly deal with standardized projects that follow a clear pattern and have clearly defined requirements most likely use some type of a traditional approach and it probably works well. To suddenly switch things up just because all the cool kids do it would only cause unnecessary chaos.

The same goes for smaller, fully Agile teams whose project success heavily relies on their ability to cater to their demanding clients.

That said, due to its adaptable nature, hybrid project management can be used in any company or project, regardless of its size or complexity. Whether the challenge of implementing it is worth it is a whole different discussion. 

How to craft your perfect hybrid approach

Say you’ve weighed your options and decided that a hybrid approach would be the ideal solution for your project. However, you’re not sure which methodologies to combine and how to structure the ratio of Agile to traditional elements. 

In this case, you can ask yourself some basic questions about the project that should help you reach a decision. 

First off, it would be wise to take a look at the external factors that influence the project. It’s only after you’ve gotten the basics out of the way that you can move on to asking questions about the nature of the project itself, to paint a clearer picture of what your hybrid project approach should look like.

Step #1: Analyze the external project circumstances

First of all, you should take a look at your own experience in project management and that of the people close to the project. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

• Which methodologies are you familiar with? — Transitioning to a hybrid model is not easy, especially if it’s your first time using one or both of the methodologies you’re combining. So, make sure you’re proficient in the methodologies you plan to combine.
• What methodologies is your team familiar with? — Similarly, you should be aware of the skills and experience of the people on your team. If it would take longer to educate the team and make them get used to new processes than to finish the entire project, the transition might not be worth the effort.
• Which methodologies are your stakeholders willing to accept? — Your projects depend a great deal on your key stakeholders. If your executive management, client, or project sponsor are not willing to dive into uncertainty with you, it will be difficult to make the hybrid approach work.
• Are your project management skills up to par? — Can you handle not only leading a project, but also introducing new concepts and processes and getting everyone motivated and on board with the new way of doing things? Another thing to consider is that you ought to have superb planning skills to be able to switch methodologies from project to project and still keep the quality from dipping.

Step #2: Analyze the project

Asking the questions from step 1 should already drastically narrow down your choices. Next, it’s time to take a look at the project itself.

• What is the type of project you’re working on? — Different kinds of projects in different industries lend themselves better to different approaches. While hybrid project management can function in virtually any environment, understanding the project and its strengths and weaknesses will help you pick the right elements to construct your unique approach.
• How clear are the project requirements and the final goal? — A project with its goal, budget, and deadline set in stone will lean toward Waterfall, while more flexible requirements and constraints will work better with a more Agile approach with only a little bit of Waterfall thrown into the mix.
• Will your team members work on one or more projects at once? — If your team members will be stretched across several projects, consider that all of those projects might use different approaches. Adding another one into the mix without considering their current workflow might only cause confusion and negatively affect their performance.

Once you answer all of the questions above, you should have a clearer understanding of what your hybrid approach should look like. The answer could be one of the 5 types of hybrid methodologies described earlier in this guide, or it could be your own unique approach.

Regardless of what it is, you should further discuss the details of its implementation with your project team. Since they are the ones who will be doing all the work, they will be able to tell you with more certainty whether things will or will not work the way you envisioned them.

How to implement a hybrid approach in your organization

After you’ve drawn up the strategy with your team, Wellingtone suggests you follow these steps next to implement it in your organization:

• Define roles and responsibilities — since roles and responsibilities are going to change after combining approaches, it’s best that you clarify them at the very beginning to avoid confusion once the project is already underway.
• Create capabilities — all team members should have at least a basic understanding of the methodologies they will be using. But, why settle for basic understanding when you can train your team to recognize the best processes to use according to the type of project they’re working on.
• Do a trial run — be at peace with the fact that you’ll never get it right the first time. So, it’s always better to start small — try it, see what works, what doesn’t, fix it, then try again.
• Find your champions — Wellingtone describes champions as people within the organization who have the power to change people’s mindset. The idea is to adapt the entire company culture to the new approach and, for that, you need people who are willing to support you and encourage a new and more flexible way of thinking.

Manage projects using a hybrid approach with Plaky.

Hybrid project management example

Theory is all well and good, but how does hybrid project management actually work in practice?

Here’s an example of a hybrid approach in action in an organic baby food company called Ella’s kitchen.

Ella’s kitchen was a disorganized mess without any formal project management processes in place.

Ellen Jarret, the new program manager who was hired to set things in order, decided that hybrid project management was the right choice for the company. 

In her interview with APM, she said: “ We run the team, tolerances and change requests in a PRINCE2-type way, but everything isn’t set in stone at the beginning, because things change so much at every stage. ”

The company normally deals with two kinds of projects — product projects and internal projects. 

Internal projects are normally led using a PRINCE2 methodology. The teams follow a highly structured process of going through predetermined phases, and the work is performed in order.

Product projects are run using a hybrid of PRINCE2 and Agile across 5 stage gates:

• Business analysis,
• Gate document,
• In-house sample creation,
• Factory process, and
• Review of product.

Jarret further organized the company’s processes to better fit their new hybrid approach by introducing the teams to project tracking software . 

Where the company used to have 40 projects running at the same time and stretched over 60 people, and all their schedules, deadlines, tasks, and information stored in 40 different Excel files, they could now easily keep track of their tasks and progress on one platform.

Hybrid project management benefits

Hybrid project management has become rather popular lately. 

In fact, a 2021 survey of 220 project managers revealed that 60% of respondents use a hybrid approach to run their projects.

Here are some of the reasons that make hybrid the most commonly used approach:

• Adaptability — the hybrid approach allows project managers to tailor their systems and processes to fit any project like a glove. Hybrid project management also leads to better outcomes since its flexibility allows project managers to pivot and adapt ongoing projects according to their current status.
• Reduced project risk — being able to pick and choose the elements of Agile and Waterfall they wish to incorporate into their projects, project managers can strategically alter their methodology to exclude processes that carry the most risk, thereby minimizing the chances of project failure .
• Increased transparency and collaboration — in cases where Agile is introduced to a previously traditional project environment , it forces the project to become more transparent and incorporate more feedback and collaboration both with the stakeholders and within the project team.
• Increased creativity — two heads are better than one. More open communication in hybrid versus traditional environments improves problem-solving and creativity across the board.
• Boosted efficiency — thanks to the wide selection of tools available within hybrid approaches, it’s easier to find the right one for any given project. This often leads to finding better solutions to problems, lowering project costs, and completing tasks more quickly with better-quality outcomes.
• Increased motivation of project teams — in cases where projects introduce Scrum to an otherwise traditional environment and shed conventional project roles, team members gain a higher emotional stake in the project. The project becomes a shared responsibility of the team, which increases their motivation to perform well.

Hybrid project management challenges

Hybrid may sound like the perfect approach, but it’s not without its challenges. Here are some examples of difficulties you may encounter when trying to switch to hybrid project management:

• It’s difficult to teach an old dog new tricks — not everyone is equally receptive to change. Changing a project management approach in an organization that has used one method for decades can be extremely challenging. Sometimes, this is because people find it difficult to get used to new ways, and sometimes, because they consciously resist it.
• Switching to a new approach takes time — as mentioned above, change is never easy. It takes dedication and willingness from all parties involved. Transitioning to hybrid project management also often requires a lot of trial and error, which takes quite a bit of time in project management .
• Misplaced expectations from executive management — when uprooting the way the project management team functions in an organization, the stakeholders and executive management must be fully on board. If they’re insufficiently informed about the changes that are happening, they will have wrong expectations, which will create serious issues and misunderstandings during project development.
• Conflicts within the project team — adoption of Agile principles comes with increased communication and transparency. While this has its fair share of benefits, it also means that teams are encouraged to publicly share ideas and opinions — something that can easily lead to conflicts between team members if not managed properly.

Conclusion: The hybrid approach improves project flexibility

In an evolving market where fast output and innovation are highly valued, traditional project management approaches are slowly giving way to more adaptive methods. Mixing and merging with Agile frameworks, they create hybrid project management methodologies that are faster, stronger, and more flexible.

But, while using hybrid methodologies will likely have strong positive effects on organizations, making the transition to hybrid is not as easy as it seems. So, it’s best to double down on planning if you intend to switch to a hybrid model.

📖 Now that you’ve read all about hybrid project management, maybe it’s time to delve deeper into project management terminology — explore our Project Management Glossary of Terms .

• Project Management Institute. (2021). PMBOK® Guide (7th ed). PMI. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58474625-a-guide-to-the-project-management-body-of-knowledge-pmbok-guide-sev
• Reiff, J., & Schlegel, D. (2022). Hybrid project management – a systematic literature review. Journal of Information Systems and Project Management , 10(2), 45-63. 10.12821/ijispm100203
• West, D. (2011). Water-Scrum-Fall Is The Reality Of Agile For Most Organizations Today. Forrester Research, Inc . https://www.verheulconsultants.nl/water-scrum-fall_Forrester.pdf 
• Watson, C. (2010, May 21). The “V” Model as Applicable Today in IT as It Has Always Been . ProjectSmart. https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/lifecycle-and-methodology/the-v-model-as-applicable-today-in-it-as-it-has-always-been.php 
• Cooper, R. (2016). Agile–Stage-Gate Hybrids. Research Technology Management. 59(1), 22-29. 10.1080/08956308.2016.1117317
• Planinsware. (2015, June 11). Stage-Gate in a nutshell [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNlja0mplDI 
• Clayton, M. (n.d). Hybrid Project Management: What You Need to Know. OnlinePMCourses. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://onlinepmcourses.com/hybrid-project-management/ 
• Silva, M. (n.d.). Hybrid Project Management: From Frameworks to Whatever works. Wellingtone. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://wellingtone.co.uk/hybrid-project-management-from-frameworks-to-whatever-works/ 

Explore further

Introduction to Project Management

Basic Project Management Terminology

Advanced Project Management Terminology

Project Management Methodologies

Additional Project Management Materials

FREE project management app

Alternative to Monday and Asana for managing projects, teams, and all types of work.

GitScrum Skyrocket Productivity

The Power of Hybrid Methodologies in Corporate Project Management

Hybrid Methodologies have emerged as a pragmatic approach to navigating the complexities of modern business environments. Integrating the best of both Agile and Waterfall methodologies, hybrid approaches offer a flexible framework that adapts to diverse project requirements, timelines, and team structures.

The Evolution of Hybrid Methodologies

Hybrid methodologies have evolved in response to the limitations and strengths of traditional project management approaches. While Agile methodologies excel in fostering adaptability and responsiveness to change, they can lack the structured governance and predictability often required in large-scale projects.

Conversely, Waterfall methodologies provide a systematic and sequential approach to project execution but may struggle to accommodate evolving stakeholder needs.

Recognizing these nuances, organizations have embraced hybrid methodologies as a middle ground, blending iterative development cycles with defined milestones and deliverables.

Harnessing the Power of Adaptability

One of the key advantages of hybrid methodologies lies in their ability to adapt to the unique characteristics of each project. By leveraging a tailored combination of Agile and Waterfall practices, teams can strike a balance between flexibility and structure.

Agile principles such as iterative development, continuous feedback loops, and self-organizing teams empower stakeholders to embrace change and respond swiftly to evolving market demands.

Meanwhile, Waterfall elements such as comprehensive planning, milestone-driven timelines, and rigorous documentation ensure clarity of objectives and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.

This adaptability enables organizations to mitigate risks effectively, optimize resource allocation, and accelerate time-to-market without compromising quality.

Optimizing Collaboration and Communication

Effective collaboration and communication are cornerstone principles in hybrid methodologies, facilitating seamless coordination among cross-functional teams and stakeholders. Embracing Agile-inspired practices such as daily stand-up meetings, Kanban boards, and collaborative tools enhances transparency, fosters alignment, and promotes collective ownership of project outcomes.

Concurrently, integrating Waterfall practices such as comprehensive project documentation, milestone reviews, and formal change management processes ensures clear communication of project objectives, progress, and potential roadblocks.

By fostering a culture of open communication and knowledge sharing, hybrid methodologies enable teams to leverage diverse expertise, mitigate misunderstandings, and drive collective innovation.

Embracing a Data-Driven Approach

In an era defined by data-driven decision-making, hybrid methodologies empower organizations to leverage insights and analytics to drive project success . By implementing robust metrics, key performance indicators (KPIs), and progress tracking mechanisms, teams can monitor project health, identify bottlenecks, and proactively address issues before they escalate.

Agile practices such as burndown charts , velocity tracking, and retrospective meetings enable teams to continuously refine processes, optimize workflows, and enhance productivity .

Additionally, Waterfall-inspired metrics such as earned value analysis, variance tracking, and milestone adherence provide stakeholders with comprehensive visibility into project performance and adherence to predefined objectives.

This data-driven approach empowers organizations to make informed decisions, allocate resources efficiently, and drive continuous improvement across projects.

Cultivating a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Central to the success of hybrid methodologies is a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. By embracing Agile principles such as regular retrospectives, feedback loops, and adaptive planning, teams can reflect on past experiences, identify areas for enhancement, and implement iterative changes to processes and workflows.

Concurrently, integrating Waterfall practices such as post-implementation reviews, lessons learned documentation, and formal change control procedures enables organizations to capture valuable insights, standardize best practices, and institutionalize knowledge for future projects.

This culture of continuous improvement fosters resilience, agility, and innovation, positioning organizations to thrive in an ever-evolving business landscape.

Embracing the Hybrid Future

As organizations navigate the complexities of modern project management, hybrid methodologies offer a pragmatic and versatile approach to achieving success. By blending the adaptability of Agile with the structure of Waterfall, organizations can unlock efficiency , foster collaboration, and drive continuous improvement across projects of all scales and complexities.

Embracing a data-driven mindset and cultivating a culture of continuous learning are fundamental to harnessing the full potential of hybrid methodologies in 2024 and beyond. By embracing the hybrid future, organizations can position themselves as leaders in innovation, resilience, and project excellence.

Understanding Hybrid Methodologies: A Fusion of Agile and Waterfall

At its core, a hybrid methodology combines elements of Agile and Waterfall methodologies to create a flexible yet structured framework for project execution. While Agile methodologies emphasize adaptability, collaboration, and iterative development, Waterfall methodologies prioritize thorough planning, sequential execution, and clear deliverables. By integrating these complementary principles, hybrid methodologies offer organizations the agility to respond to change while ensuring accountability and predictability throughout the project lifecycle.

Real-World Examples of Hybrid Methodologies in Corporate Settings

Software Development Projects : In a software development context, hybrid methodologies are particularly prevalent, given the need for both flexibility and rigor in managing complex projects. For instance, a large technology company embarking on a major software upgrade may adopt a hybrid approach.

While the development team follows Agile practices such as daily stand-up meetings and sprint planning for coding and testing tasks, the project management office (PMO) maintains a Waterfall-like structure for overall project governance, budgeting, and milestone tracking.

This hybrid model allows the team to embrace change swiftly while ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and regulatory requirements.

Marketing Campaign Rollouts : Marketing campaigns often involve multiple stakeholders, tight timelines, and evolving market dynamics, making them ideal candidates for hybrid methodologies. For example, a global consumer goods company launching a new product line may employ a hybrid approach to its marketing campaign rollout.

While the creative team operates in an Agile fashion, iterating on campaign concepts and content based on real-time feedback and market insights, the project steering committee maintains a Waterfall-like approach to budget management, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder communications.

This hybrid model enables the organization to balance creativity and structure, maximizing campaign impact while minimizing risks.

Infrastructure Upgrade Projects : Infrastructure upgrade projects, such as network expansions or data center migrations, require meticulous planning, risk mitigation, and seamless execution. A hybrid methodology can offer the flexibility needed to navigate unforeseen challenges while adhering to strict project timelines and quality standards. For instance, a financial services firm undertaking a data center relocation may adopt a hybrid approach.

While the technical team follows Agile practices for iterative testing and troubleshooting of new infrastructure components, the project governance team adheres to Waterfall principles for change management, compliance verification, and stakeholder communication.

This hybrid model enables the organization to minimize downtime, mitigate risks, and ensure business continuity throughout the migration process.

Benefits of Hybrid Methodologies in Corporate Project Management

Flexibility : Hybrid methodologies empower organizations to adapt to changing project requirements, stakeholder priorities, and market dynamics without sacrificing governance or predictability. By blending Agile and Waterfall principles, teams can respond swiftly to feedback, seize emerging opportunities, and mitigate risks effectively.

Risk Mitigation : By integrating structured governance and thorough planning with iterative development and continuous feedback loops, hybrid methodologies enable organizations to identify and address risks proactively.

This proactive approach minimizes project disruptions, enhances stakeholder confidence, and fosters a culture of accountability and transparency.

Optimized Resource Utilization : Hybrid methodologies enable organizations to optimize resource allocation by aligning project activities with strategic objectives, stakeholder priorities, and team expertise.

By leveraging Agile-inspired practices such as cross-functional teams and adaptive planning alongside Waterfall principles such as resource forecasting and milestone tracking, organizations can maximize productivity and minimize waste throughout the project lifecycle.

Enhanced Stakeholder Engagement : Hybrid methodologies facilitate robust stakeholder engagement by fostering open communication, collaboration, and alignment of expectations.

By providing stakeholders with visibility into project progress, risks, and outcomes through regular status updates, milestone reviews, and feedback sessions, organizations can build trust, manage expectations, and cultivate a supportive project environment.

Challenges and Considerations in Adopting Hybrid Methodologies

While hybrid methodologies offer significant benefits, they are not without challenges. Organizations considering adoption should carefully evaluate factors such as organizational culture, team maturity, and project complexity. Additionally, effective implementation of hybrid methodologies requires robust change management processes, stakeholder buy-in, and ongoing training and support for project teams.

Real-World Use Cases and Methodology Specifications

We explore several real-world use cases of hybrid methodologies across different industries and specify the characteristics of each hybrid methodology employed.

Case Study 1: Agile-Waterfall Hybrid Methodology in Software Development

Methodology Specification :

• Agile Components : Iterative development, continuous feedback loops, self-organizing teams.
• Waterfall Components : Comprehensive planning, milestone-driven timelines, rigorous documentation.

Use Case : A leading software development company embarks on a project to build a new e-commerce platform. Recognizing the need for both adaptability and predictability, the project management team adopts an Agile-Waterfall hybrid methodology.

The development phase follows Agile principles, with bi-weekly sprints , daily stand-up meetings, and continuous integration and testing.

Meanwhile, the overall project governance, budget management, and stakeholder communications adhere to Waterfall practices, with detailed project plans, milestone reviews, and formal change management procedures.

Case Study 2: Scrum-Fall Hybrid Methodology in Marketing Campaign Management

• Scrum Components : Iterative development, sprint planning, backlog refinement.
• Waterfall Components : Clear project milestones, formal approval processes, documentation.

Use Case : A multinational consumer goods company launches a marketing campaign to promote a new product line. To ensure a balance between agility and structure, the marketing team adopts a Scrum-Fall hybrid methodology.

The creative development phase operates under Scrum principles, with bi-weekly sprints, sprint planning sessions, and regular backlog grooming meetings.

However, the campaign launch process follows a more traditional Waterfall approach, with defined milestones for creative review, formal approval processes, and comprehensive documentation of campaign assets.

Case Study 3: Lean-Agile Hybrid Methodology in Product Development

• Lean Components : Value stream mapping, waste reduction, continuous improvement.
• Agile Components : Iterative development, cross-functional teams, customer collaboration.

Use Case : A startup company aims to develop a new mobile application for project management. Embracing the principles of Lean and Agile methodologies, the development team adopts a Lean-Agile hybrid approach. The project begins with value stream mapping to identify and eliminate non-value-added activities.

The development process follows Agile practices, with iterative development cycles, frequent customer feedback sessions, and cross-functional teams collaborating on feature delivery.

Additionally, Lean principles guide the continuous improvement efforts, with regular retrospectives and process refinements to enhance efficiency and value delivery.

Case Study 4: Kanban-Scrum Hybrid Methodology in IT Operations

• Kanban Components : Visual task boards, workflow optimization, WIP limits.
• Scrum Components : Time-boxed iterations, sprint planning, backlog management.

Use Case : An IT operations team within a financial services organization seeks to improve its incident management process. To achieve greater visibility and responsiveness, the team adopts a Kanban-Scrum hybrid methodology. The incident resolution process is visualized using a Kanban board, with columns representing different stages of resolution (e.g., triage, investigation, resolution).

Time-boxed iterations are introduced for priority incidents, following Scrum principles, with sprint planning meetings and backlog refinement sessions to prioritize tasks. This hybrid model enables the team to balance the predictability of Scrum with the flexibility of Kanban, resulting in improved incident resolution times and customer satisfaction .

Case Study 5: Feature-Driven Development (FDD)-Scrum Hybrid Methodology in Product Engineering

• FDD Components : Feature modeling, iterative and incremental development, domain object modeling.
• Scrum Components : Sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews.

Use Case : A software engineering firm undertakes a project to develop a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for a client. Recognizing the need for structured feature development and Agile practices, the project team adopts a Feature-Driven Development (FDD)-Scrum hybrid methodology. The project begins with feature modeling workshops to identify and prioritize key system features.

Each feature is then developed iteratively and incrementally, following FDD principles, with regular milestone reviews and domain object modeling sessions. Scrum practices, such as sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and sprint reviews, are employed to ensure collaboration and transparency among cross-functional teams.

Introducing GitScrum: Features and Functionality

GitScrum is a powerful project management tool specifically designed for Agile and Scrum methodologies. It offers a range of features and functionality tailored to streamline project planning, execution, and collaboration. Some key features of GitScrum include:

Backlog Management : GitScrum allows teams to create and prioritize user stories , tasks, and epics within a centralized backlog. This enables teams to focus on delivering high-priority features while maintaining visibility into upcoming work.

Sprint Planning : With GitScrum, teams can plan and schedule their sprints efficiently. The tool provides intuitive sprint boards where team members can drag and drop tasks, estimate effort, and track progress in real-time.

Burndown Charts : Burndown charts in GitScrum provide valuable insights into team progress and sprint performance. By visualizing remaining work against time, teams can identify potential bottlenecks and adjust their plans accordingly.

Collaboration Tools : GitScrum offers a range of collaboration tools, including built-in chat functionality, task assignments, and activity feeds. This fosters communication and transparency among team members, ensuring everyone stays aligned and informed.

Integration Capabilities : GitScrum integrates seamlessly with popular version control systems like Git, enabling teams to link code changes directly to project tasks and user stories. This tight integration streamlines the development process and improves traceability.

Leveraging GitScrum with Hybrid Methodologies for High Performance

To harness the full potential of GitScrum with Hybrid Methodologies, organizations should follow some best practices:

Tailor GitScrum to Hybrid Workflows : Customize GitScrum to align with your organization’s hybrid methodology. Define workflows that incorporate Agile and Waterfall principles, ensuring clarity and consistency in how work is planned, executed, and monitored.

Embrace Iterative Development : Leverage GitScrum’s sprint planning and backlog management features to support iterative development cycles. Break down project requirements into smaller, manageable tasks and prioritize them based on business value and stakeholder feedback.

Maintain Transparency and Accountability : Use GitScrum’s collaboration tools to foster transparency and accountability within the team. Encourage open communication, regular stand-up meetings, and progress updates to keep everyone aligned and informed.

Monitor Progress and Adapt Accordingly : Utilize GitScrum’s reporting and analytics features to track project progress and performance. Monitor burndown charts, sprint velocity, and other metrics to identify trends and potential issues early on. Adapt your plans and priorities based on real-time insights to optimize project outcomes.

Integrate Version Control Systems : Integrate GitScrum with version control systems like Git to streamline development workflows. Link code commits to specific tasks and user stories, enabling traceability and facilitating collaboration between development and project management teams.

Real-World Use Case: Implementing GitScrum with Hybrid Methodologies

Let’s consider a real-world scenario where a software development company adopts GitScrum with a Hybrid Methodology for a new product development project:

• Planning Phase : The project management team collaborates with stakeholders to define project requirements and prioritize features. They use GitScrum’s backlog management features to create a prioritized list of user stories and tasks, incorporating both Agile and Waterfall elements.
• Development Phase : The development team follows an iterative development approach, working in bi-weekly sprints. They use GitScrum’s sprint planning and task boards to plan and track their work, while also adhering to milestone-driven timelines and quality standards.
• Review and Adaptation : At the end of each sprint, the team conducts a sprint review meeting to demonstrate completed features and gather feedback from stakeholders. They use GitScrum’s burndown charts and reporting tools to assess sprint performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Continuous Improvement : Throughout the project lifecycle, the team embraces a culture of continuous improvement, regularly reflecting on their processes and adapting them to optimize efficiency and quality. GitScrum’s integration capabilities with version control systems enable seamless collaboration between development and project management teams, ensuring alignment and transparency.

How Hybrid Methodologies Drive Project Success in Today’s Business World

IBM : IBM, a global technology and consulting company, is known for its adoption of hybrid methodologies in project management. With a diverse portfolio of projects ranging from software development to infrastructure upgrades, IBM recognizes the need for flexibility and structure.

By blending Agile and Waterfall practices, IBM ensures that its projects are delivered efficiently while meeting the rigorous standards expected by its clients. Whether it’s developing cutting-edge AI solutions or implementing complex IT systems, IBM’s hybrid approach enables it to adapt to evolving requirements and deliver value to its customers.

Amazon : As one of the world’s largest e-commerce and cloud computing companies, Amazon relies on hybrid methodologies to manage its vast array of projects. With initiatives spanning from website development to supply chain optimization, Amazon understands the importance of agility and predictability in project execution.

By leveraging hybrid methodologies, Amazon can respond quickly to customer feedback and market trends while maintaining strict adherence to timelines and quality standards. This approach enables Amazon to innovate rapidly and stay ahead in highly competitive markets.

Microsoft : Microsoft, a leading technology corporation, is no stranger to hybrid methodologies in project management. With a diverse product portfolio encompassing operating systems, productivity software, and cloud services, Microsoft relies on a blend of Agile and Waterfall practices to deliver world-class solutions to its customers.

By embracing hybrid methodologies, Microsoft can balance the need for innovation and stability, ensuring that its products meet the evolving needs of users while maintaining high levels of reliability and security.

General Electric (GE) : General Electric (GE), a multinational conglomerate, has a long history of using hybrid methodologies in its project management practices . With operations spanning multiple industries, including aviation, healthcare, and renewable energy, GE understands the importance of adaptability and rigor in project execution.

By combining Agile and Waterfall approaches, GE can navigate the complexities of large-scale projects while ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and regulatory requirements. This hybrid approach enables GE to drive innovation and deliver value to its stakeholders across diverse business sectors.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) : Procter & Gamble (P&G), a multinational consumer goods corporation, is known for its adoption of hybrid methodologies in product development and marketing initiatives. With a vast portfolio of brands spanning from household cleaning products to personal care items, P&G relies on a blend of Agile and Waterfall practices to bring new products to market efficiently.

By leveraging hybrid methodologies, P&G can iterate quickly on product designs and marketing strategies while maintaining stringent quality standards and regulatory compliance. This approach enables P&G to stay responsive to consumer preferences and drive growth in competitive markets.

Harnessing the Power of GitScrum with Hybrid Methodologies

By combining GitScrum with Hybrid Methodologies, organizations can unlock new levels of efficiency, collaboration, and success in their project management endeavors.

By tailoring GitScrum to hybrid workflows, embracing iterative development, maintaining transparency and accountability, monitoring progress, and adapting accordingly, organizations can optimize project outcomes and drive continuous improvement.

With its robust features and intuitive interface , GitScrum provides the ideal platform for organizations to leverage the power of hybrid methodologies and achieve high performance in their projects.

Table of Contents

Hybrid project management methodologies, differences between hybrid project management, agile, and waterfall methodologies, roles and processes in the traditional project lifecycle, roles and processes in the agile framework, benefits of hybrid project management, challenges of hybrid project management, choose the right program, what is hybrid project management.

Hybrid project management is an approach that combines principles and practices from both traditional project management methodologies, such as waterfall, and agile project management methodologies. It is a flexible and adaptive approach that aims to leverage the strengths of different methodologies to suit the specific needs of a project .

In hybrid project management, project managers and teams tailor the project management processes and techniques based on the unique requirements and characteristics of the project. It involves blending traditional project management phases, such as planning and documentation, with agile practices, such as iterative development and continuous feedback.

The main idea behind hybrid project management is to find the right balance between the structured, predictive nature of traditional project management and the collaborative, adaptive nature of agile approaches. This allows organizations to manage projects effectively while accommodating changes and uncertainties that may arise during the project lifecycle .

Some key features and characteristics of hybrid project management include:

• Flexibility
• Tailored Approach
• Iterative and Incremental Development
• Phased Approach
• Agile Principles:
• Emphasis on Stakeholder Engagement

Hybrid project management methodologies combine the best elements of traditional and agile approaches to project management. By blending structured processes with flexibility and adaptability, hybrid methodologies aim to deliver successful project outcomes in diverse and dynamic environments. These methodologies offer the ability to tailor project management practices to specific project needs, striking a balance between predictability and responsiveness. They integrate elements such as iterative development, stakeholder engagement, continuous feedback, and phased approaches to achieve optimal results. With hybrid project management methodologies, organizations can effectively navigate the complexities of modern projects while maintaining the ability to adapt to changing requirements and deliver value to stakeholders.

Here's a tabular comparison highlighting the key differences between hybrid project management methoodology, Agile, and Waterfall methodologies, as well as recommendations on when to choose each approach:

Choosing the right approach depends on project specifics and requirements. Hybrid project management is suitable when there is a need for flexibility and adaptability while incorporating structured elements. Agile is recommended for projects with evolving requirements and a high degree of uncertainty. Waterfall is ideal for projects with well-defined and stable requirements where sequential execution is preferred. It's important to assess the project characteristics and organizational context to determine the most suitable methodology for successful project delivery.

In the traditional project lifecycle, there are specific roles and processes that are commonly followed. Here are the key roles and processes typically found in the traditional project lifecycle:

• Project Sponsor: The project sponsor is the individual or group responsible for initiating and funding the project. They provide support, resources, and strategic guidance throughout the project.
• Project Manager : The project manager is responsible for overall project planning, execution, and control. They coordinate and manage project activities, oversee the team, and ensure project objectives are met within scope, budget, and timeline.
• Project Team: The project team consists of individuals with specific skills and expertise required to complete project tasks. Team members are responsible for executing assigned activities, collaborating, and providing input to the project manager.
• Stakeholders: Stakeholders are individuals or groups affected by or with an interest in the project. They may include clients, end-users, management, and other relevant parties. Stakeholders provide input, requirements, and feedback throughout the project lifecycle.
• Initiation: In the initiation phase, the project is defined and authorized. The project's feasibility and potential benefits are evaluated, objectives are established, and initial planning takes place.
• Planning: The planning phase involves detailed project planning, defining deliverables, creating schedules, identifying resources, and developing a project management plan. Risk assessment, stakeholder analysis, and communication planning are also conducted.
• Execution: In the execution phase, project activities are performed according to the project plan. The project manager coordinates tasks, manages resources, monitors progress, and ensures deliverables are produced.
• Monitoring and Control: Throughout the project lifecycle, monitoring and control processes are implemented to track project progress, compare it to the plan, identify variances, and take corrective actions as necessary. This includes tracking performance, managing changes, and addressing risks and issues.
• Closing: The closing phase involves finalizing project deliverables, obtaining approvals, conducting project reviews, and transitioning the project to its operational phase. Lessons learned are documented, and project closure activities, such as archiving project documents, are completed.

Become a Project Management Professional

• 6% Growth In Jobs Of Project Management Profiles By 2024
• 22 Million Jobs Estimated For Project Management Professionals By 2027

PMP® Certification Training

• Access to Digital Materials from PMI
• 12 Full-Length Simulation Test Papers (180 Questions Each)

Post Graduate Program in Project Management

• Receive Post Graduate Program Certificate and Alumni Association Membership from UMass Amherst
• 8X higher live interaction in live online classes by industry experts

Here's what learners are saying regarding our programs:

Katrina Tanchoco

Shell - manila ,.

The interactive sessions make a huge difference as I'm able to ask for further clarifications. The training sessions are more engaging than the self-paced modules, it's easier now that i first decided to take up the online classroom training, and then followed it up with the self-paced learning (online and readings).

PHC Business Manager , Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit

I wanted to transition into the Project Management field and wanted the right opportunity to do so. Thus, I took that leap forward and enrolled in this course. My learning experience was fantastic. It suited my learning style.

In contrast to traditional project lifecycles, agile work methods prioritize flexibility, collaboration, and adaptability. Here are the key characteristics and processes commonly associated with agile work methods:

• Agile Manifesto: Agile work methods are guided by the Agile Manifesto, which emphasizes individuals and interactions over processes and tools, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, working solutions over comprehensive documentation, and responding to change over following a plan.
• Iterative Development: Agile projects are divided into short iterations or sprints, typically lasting 1-4 weeks. Each iteration involves a subset of project features and results in a potentially shippable product increment.
• Cross-Functional Teams: Agile teams are self-organizing and cross-functional, including individuals with various skills necessary to deliver the project. Collaboration and frequent communication are encouraged to address challenges and ensure collective ownership of the project's success.
• Product Backlog: The product backlog is a prioritized list of features, user stories, and requirements. It serves as a dynamic repository for project needs and is continually refined and reprioritized based on feedback and changing requirements.
• Daily Stand-ups: Agile teams hold daily stand-up meetings, also known as daily scrums, to discuss progress, plan the day's work, and identify any obstacles. These short, focused meetings promote transparency, communication, and alignment within the team.
• Continuous Feedback: Agile work methods emphasize frequent feedback from stakeholders, including end-users and clients. This feedback informs the direction of the project, facilitates course corrections, and ensures that the product meets evolving needs.
• Continuous Integration and Testing: Agile teams strive for continuous integration, where code changes are frequently integrated and tested to detect issues early. Automated testing is often employed to maintain quality and reduce rework.
• Agile Ceremonies: Agile work methods include various ceremonies or events, such as sprint planning, sprint reviews, and retrospectives. These ceremonies allow the team to plan upcoming work, review and demonstrate completed work, and reflect on ways to improve.
• Adaptability to Change: Agile work methods embrace change as a natural part of the project lifecycle. They allow for flexibility in reprioritizing and adjusting project scope based on new insights, feedback, and evolving requirements.

Example of How Hybrid Project Management

Let's consider an example of how hybrid project management can be applied in a software development project:

Imagine a software development company is tasked with building a new web application for a client. The client provides a high-level vision and requirements for the application, but they also expect some level of flexibility and the ability to incorporate changes as the project progresses. In this scenario, the company decides to adopt a hybrid project management approach.

• Planning Phase: The project manager conducts an initial planning phase, gathering requirements, and defining the overall project objectives. They work closely with the client to understand their vision and identify the critical features and functionalities.
• Hybrid Approach Selection: Based on the project requirements, the project manager determines that a hybrid approach will be most suitable. They recognize the need for some level of structure and documentation but also want to incorporate agile principles to accommodate potential changes and iterations.
• Iterative Development: The project is divided into iterations or sprints, each lasting two weeks. The development team focuses on delivering specific features and functionalities within each sprint. They use agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban to manage the development process, conduct daily stand-up meetings, and track progress.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Throughout the project, the team maintains regular communication and collaboration with the client and other stakeholders. They conduct periodic meetings to demonstrate completed features, gather feedback, and discuss potential changes or enhancements.
• Change Management: When new requirements or changes arise, the project manager assesses their impact on the project scope, timeline, and resources. They work with the client to prioritize changes and incorporate them into future sprints, ensuring the overall project goals are still met.
• Documentation: While the hybrid approach allows for flexibility, the project manager ensures that essential project documentation, such as project plans, requirements, and technical specifications, is maintained and updated as needed. This helps maintain project visibility and provides a reference point for the development team.
• Continuous Improvement: The project team conducts regular retrospectives to reflect on the development process, identify areas for improvement, and implement changes to enhance efficiency and quality. They make adjustments to their development practices and workflows based on the lessons learned from each iteration.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing project requirements and uncertainties.
• Customization of project management practices based on project-specific needs and goals.
• Balanced approach to risk management, combining structured planning with agile responsiveness.
• Increased stakeholder engagement and collaboration throughout the project lifecycle.
• Efficient resource allocation and optimization for better project outcomes.
• Incremental value delivery and early feedback to ensure project success.
• Balance between control and agility, allowing for effective project management in dynamic environments.
• Enhanced team collaboration and communication for improved project performance.
• Continuous improvement and learning culture to drive project success and organizational growth.
• Complexity in combining and managing different methodologies
• Balancing structured planning with adaptability and flexibility
• Potential conflicts between traditional and agile mindsets and practices
• Ensuring effective communication and collaboration across diverse teams and stakeholders
• Difficulty in managing and prioritizing changing requirements and expectations
• Integrating different tools and techniques used in various methodologies
• Identifying the right balance between control and autonomy
• Overcoming resistance to change and embracing a hybrid approach
• Ensuring consistent documentation and knowledge sharing across hybrid projects
• Navigating the learning curve and acquiring expertise in both traditional and agile practices.

Blending project management methodologies involves combining elements from different methodologies to create a customized approach that suits the specific needs of a project. Let's consider the blending of waterfall agile hybrid methodologies as an example:

1. Agile Methodology:

• Liked: Flexibility, iterative approach, adaptability to changes, frequent stakeholder collaboration, focus on delivering value early.
• Disliked: Lack of detailed upfront planning, potential for scope creep, dependency on ongoing stakeholder involvement.

2. Waterfall Methodology:

• Liked: Structured planning, clear milestones, comprehensive documentation, defined roles and responsibilities, predictable timeline.
• Disliked: Limited flexibility for changes, minimal stakeholder involvement during development, potential delays in feedback and issue resolution.

Blending Approach:

• Utilize Agile for development: Implement Agile practices such as sprints, daily stand-ups, and continuous feedback loops to enable iterative development, adaptability to changes, and frequent stakeholder collaboration.
• Incorporate Waterfall for planning: Adopt the Waterfall approach for initial project planning, requirements gathering, and defining project scope and milestones. This ensures a structured foundation and clarity in project objectives.

Regular Evaluation and Adjustment:

• Regularly assess the project's progress, team dynamics, and stakeholder feedback to determine the effectiveness of the blended approach.
• Adjust the methodology mix as needed to optimize project outcomes, considering factors such as project complexity, stakeholder expectations, and resource constraints.
• Continuously learn from the project experiences and refine the blending approach for future projects.

By blending Agile and Waterfall methodologies, the project benefits from the structured planning and clarity of Waterfall while also leveraging the adaptability and collaboration of Agile. Regular evaluation and adjustment help ensure that the blended approach remains effective and aligned with the project's evolving needs and goals.

Supercharge your project management skills with Simplilearn's industry-leading courses. From beginner to advanced levels, our comprehensive training programs offer hands-on experience, expert guidance, and globally recognized certifications. Gain the knowledge and confidence to lead successful projects and advance your career. Enroll today and unlock your project management potential.

Program Name PMP® Certification Training Course PMP Plus Post Graduate Program In Project Management Geo All Geos All Geos All Geos University PMI Simplilearn University of Massachusetts Amherst Course Duration 90 Days of Flexible Access to Online Classes 36 Months 6 Months Coding experience reqd No No No Skills you wll learn 8+ PM skills including Work Breakdown Structure, Gantt Charts, Resource Allocation, Leadership and more. 6 courses including Project Management, Agile Scrum Master, Implementing a PMO, and More 9+ skills including Project Management, Quality Management, Agile Management, Design Thinking and More. Additional Benefits Experiential learning through case studies Global Teaching Assistance 35PDUs Learn by working on real-world problems 24x7 Learning support from mentors Earn 60+ PDU’s 3 year course access Cost $$ $$$$ $$$$ Explore Program Explore Program Explore Program

Are you looking to enhance your project management skills and advance your career? Simplilearn offers the ideal solution with PGP Project Management Certification Training Course . This comprehensive program is meticulously designed to provide you with the necessary knowledge and expertise to excel in project management roles. With a curriculum aligned with industry standards, practical projects, and expert guidance, you'll gain proficiency in essential project management methodologies, tools, and techniques. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned professional, this course presents the opportunity to earn a globally recognized certification and gain a competitive advantage in the job market. Embrace success today by enrolling in Simplilearn's PGP Project Management Certification Training Course!

Willing to learn all the project management concepts from scratch? Enroll in our project management course , get certified, and grab the job and salary you deserve!

1. What is the difference between Agile and Waterfall project management?

Agile is iterative and flexible, allowing for adaptability to changing requirements and frequent collaboration. Waterfall is sequential with a structured plan, suitable for projects with well-defined requirements and minimal changes.

2. Can you use both Agile and Waterfall methodologies in the same project?

3. how do you decide which project management methodology to use.

Consider factors such as project complexity, scope, stakeholder involvement, and flexibility needs. Agile is suitable for dynamic projects, while Waterfall is ideal for projects with well-defined requirements.

4. Can Agile and Waterfall methodologies be used in different project phases?

Yes, Agile and Waterfall can be used in different project phases based on the project's characteristics. For example, Agile for development and Waterfall for planning and documentation phases.

5. What are the main challenges of blending project management methodologies?

Challenges include managing conflicts between methodologies, ensuring effective communication, balancing control and flexibility, integrating different tools and techniques, and navigating the learning curve for the blended approach.

6. How often should project management methodologies be reevaluated and adjusted?

Regular evaluation and adjustment are recommended throughout the project lifecycle. Factors such as project progress, stakeholder feedback, and changing requirements should prompt adjustments to optimize outcomes.

7. Are there any project types that are better suited for a blended methodology?

Complex projects with evolving requirements and significant stakeholder involvement benefit from blended methodologies. It allows flexibility, adaptability, and collaboration while maintaining structure and planning.

8. What are the advantages of blending project management methodologies?

Advantages include flexibility, customized approaches, balanced risk management, stakeholder engagement, resource optimization, incremental value delivery, and a continuous improvement culture.

9. Can blending project management methodologies lead to increased project success?

Yes, blending methodologies enables tailored approaches, mitigates risks, engages stakeholders, adapts to changes, and promotes continuous improvement, leading to increased project success.

10. How can project managers ensure a smooth transition when blending project management methodologies?

Clear communication, stakeholder buy-in, adequate training, defining roles and responsibilities, implementing effective change management, and facilitating collaboration are key for a smooth transition in blending methodologies.

Our Project Management Courses Duration And Fees

Project Management Courses typically range from a few weeks to several months, with fees varying based on program and institution.

Learn from Industry Experts with free Masterclasses

Project management.

How to Successfully Ace the PMP Exam on Your First Attempt in 2024

Career Masterclass: How to Successfully Ace the PMP Exam on Your First Attempt in 2024

Career Fast-track

Panel Discussion: The Startup Career Strategy - The Highs and Lows

Recommended Reads

An Introduction to Project Management: A Beginner’s Guide

The Basic Principles of Project Management

What is Agile Project Management?

Project Management Interview Guide

PMP Study: 3 Types of Contracts in Project Management

What Is Project Management?

Get Affiliated Certifications with Live Class programs

• PMP, PMI, PMBOK, CAPM, PgMP, PfMP, ACP, PBA, RMP, SP, and OPM3 are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Hybrid Agile Methodology

This category contains topics associated with a hybrid Agile methodology.  There is a big misconception among many people that there is a binary and mutually-exclusive choice between an “Agile” and “Waterfall” approach.  That is not the case.  It is very possible to blend the principles and practices behind those two approaches to develop a hybrid approach that provides the best of both worlds.

What Is a Hybrid Agile Process?

What is a hybrid Agile Process? Is there such a thing? I’ve seen many articles that position “Agile” and “Waterfall” as two binary and mutually-exclusive alternatives with no middle ground between the two.

Instead of thinking of what people commonly call “Agile and “Waterfall” as individual discrete methodologies, it is more accurate to see it as a continuous spectrum of approaches from heavily plan-driven at one extreme to heavily adaptive at the other extreme like this:

If you think of it in that way, it is much easier to see the possibility for lots of approaches in the middle of that spectrum that blend the right level of plan-driven principles and practices with more adaptive principles and practices to fit a given situation.

How Do You Make a Hybrid Approach Work?

It takes some skill to make a hybrid Agile methodology work successfully and anyone who would literally try to combine an Agile methodology with a Waterfall methodology to create a hybrid methodology is asking for failure.  That’s not the way to do it.

It requires a shift in thinking to do it successfully.  Instead of thinking about how you might go about mechanically combining an “Agile” development process with a “Waterfall” process, I prefer to think of a hybrid approach as the appropriate blend of an adaptive approach and a plan-driven approach.  The words “adaptive” and “plan-driven” convey an entirely different meaning than “Agile” and “Waterfall”.

Related Articles

Please check the articles associated with this category for more detail:

What Can We Learn from the OceanGate Tragedy?

What Can We Learn from the OceanGate Tragedy? The recent OceanGate tragedy where five people were killed in an apparent implosion was, in hindsight, a disaster waiting to happen; and from a project management perspective, there are many things that could have been done better to prevent this from happening. We can learn from this […]

Share this:

• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

What Can We Learn from the OceanGate Tragedy? Read More »

How to Make a Hybrid Agile Process Work

Have you given any thought to “How to make a hybrid agile process work”? Some people claim that hybrid Agile projects don’t work at all. For example, I recently saw an article on LinkedIn entitled “Why Hybrid Agile-Waterfall Projects Fail” that caught my eye.  I’m not surprised at this article: It takes some skill to

How to Make a Hybrid Agile Process Work Read More »

What is a “Hybrid Agile” Approach? Is There Such a Thing?

What is a hybrid Agile Approach? Is there such a thing? I recently came across an article on the Internet that was posted in several places entitled “The Moment of truth: There Is No Hybrid Agile“. This article is so full of stereotypes and misconceptions about “Agile” and “Waterfall” that I felt that I had

What is a “Hybrid Agile” Approach? Is There Such a Thing? Read More »

What Is the Best Methodology for a Project?

I often see a discussion about “What is the best methodology for a Project?” or “What methodology do you like the best?” I don’t think that’s an appropriate way to look at methodologies or frameworks at all. No methodology or framework is inherently “better” than all others and you shouldn’t pick a particular methodology just

What Is the Best Methodology for a Project? Read More »

Managed Agile Development Framework – A Hybrid Approach

I’ve seen many people ask a question like “should I use Agile or Waterfall for a project? That excludes the possibility that there is a hybrid approach that provides the benefits of both approaches. The Managed Agile Development Framework is an example of a hybrid approach that is very easy to implement Background Some years

Managed Agile Development Framework – A Hybrid Approach Read More »

High Performer Superworks Ranked #5 as a High Performer in Category Asia Winter 2024 !

Streamline business processes with Superworks

Get started with a free trial!

Easy to set up

Seamless configuration

Quick customer support

Super Payroll

Super Project

Super Recruit

Super Asset

Super Survey

Super Track

I think Superworks is an exciting platform with a company that has forward-thinking and built around objectives.

Krunal Vaghasiya

CEO of Tatvam Cloud Solutions

Increasing productivity & helping us to manage employees. Keeping an eye on what team works on has never been easier.

Jatin Lathiya

CEO of 16 Pixel

Book a free demo

Talk to our expert and know how it will work in your system

“Hybrid Methodology”

Table of contents, what is hybrid methodology, benefits of hybrid methodology, components of a hybrid methodology, implementing a hybrid methodology, what is an example of a hybrid methodology, why use hybrid methodology, what is the difference between a agile and a hybrid methodology.

Hybrid methodology is an approach to product and project management which combines existing methods from two or more different methodologies. The combination allows various aspects of different project management systems to be combined into one unified system. It draws upon traditional project management approaches such as waterfall, agile, and Lean. It also combines elements of design thinking, gamification and user experience design, among others.

By combining the pros from different approaches, a hybrid methodology can boost productivity, deliver improved results and reduce costs. It can also avoid the cons that often occur when a single methodology is used. Examples of benefits include:

• Increased agility: Hybrid methodology enables teams to quickly identify and respond to external changes.
• Improved communication: By combining different disciplines, teams are able to communicate effectively and efficiently.
• Enhanced capability: Hybrid methodology gives teams the flexibility to use the best techniques from different disciplines.
• Quick problem solving: Hybrid methodology allows teams to identify root causes of issues quickly which leads to effective solutions.
• Increased scalability: Hybrid methodology allows teams to scale up and down easily in response to changing business needs.

A hybrid methodology combines elements from two or more project management methodologies. Methods that are often combined include:

• Waterfall method: A traditional approach to project management that requires tasks to be completed sequentially.
• Agile methods: A set of methods used for chaotic, highly dynamic and unpredictable projects.
• Scrum/Kanban: A popular Agile HRMS framework used for smaller, quick iterations and for rapidly delivering projects.
• Design Thinking: A process of empathizing with users and developing creative solutions to their problems.
• Lean and Six Sigma: A set of practices and frameworks used for reducing waste and improving processes.

Implementing a hybrid methodology requires careful consideration of the project needs. Teams must first decide which elements of their current methodology should be combined. It’s also important to think about the capabilities of the team, the complexity of the project, and the business objectives.

Once a mixture of methodologies has been identified, teams should develop a plan which outlines the approach, timelines, resources and goals of the project. This plan can then be used to guide implementation and ensure that each step is completed on-time and to a high quality.

Learn all HR terms with Superworks

From hiring to retiring, manage whole business with 1 tool

An example of a hybrid methodology could be an Agile Scrum/Kanban hybrid. This involves using a scrum framework in conjunction with kanban boards to gain the benefits of both methodologies. This type of hybrid methodology can improve communication amongst the team, speed up delivery times and reduce waste.

Hybrid methodology enables teams to combine the best aspects of different project management software . This can lead to improved productivity, better communication, enhanced capability, and reduced costs. It also allows teams to respond quickly to external changes and scale up and down easily.

The primary difference between Agile and a hybrid methodology is that Agile only uses one approach to project management. A hybrid methodology, on the other hand, combines two or more approaches to project management. This allows teams to customize their approach to their specific project needs. Also, See: Extreme Project Management | Project Stakeholder

Combine agile and traditional methodologies in a hybrid approach for project management.

Related glossary

We are here to help you find a solution that suits your business need.

Megaproject

BARS Rating Scale

Deliverable

Unplanned Leave

Join waitlist

Be An Encyclopedia of All HR, Payroll & Recruit Concepts!

Master your skills & improve your business efficiency with Superworks

• Easily Accessible
• Employee Friendly

• Advancing the science of adaptive interventions
• Advancing mobile health interventions
• Integrating human-delivered and digital interventions
• Solving implementation challenges
• Intervention Designs
• Trial Designs
• Software Tools
• Training Programs
• Online Courses
• Publications
• CATIE Training for Education Researchers
• Pilot Grant Program
• Postdoctoral Fellowships

Data Analysis for Hybrid Experimental Designs

Home / Code Library

About this code

On this page, we provide example datasets, analysis code in SAS and R, and outputs, for the three kinds of hybrid experimental designs considered in “ Design of Experiments with Sequential Randomizations at Multiple Time Scales: The Hybrid Experimental Design .”

The specific hybrids considered combine: a classic factorial experiment with a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART), a classic factorial experiment with a micro-randomized trial (MRT), a SMART with an MRT.

How can a behavioral scientist use this code?

A behavioral scientist can use this code to learn how to analyze data for three different types of Hybrid Experimental Designs (HED). They may then repurpose the code to analyze data from their own hybrid design.

Related References

Nahum-Shani, I., Dziak, J. J., Venera, H., Spring, B., & Dempsey W. (2023). Design of Experiments with Sequential Randomizations at Multiple Time Scales: The Hybrid Experimental Design. Behavior Research Methods, doi:10.3758/s13428-023-02119-z.

April 12, 2024, 3 p.m.

Jillian C. Strayhorn

d3center Seminar Series

April 17, 2024, 1 p.m. EDT

Hybrid experimental designs for optimizing digital interventions that adapt on multiple timescales

cadio Webinar Series

April 18-19, 2024

P50 Annual Meetings

April 19, 2024, 3 p.m.

April 30, 2024

Hybrid Experimental Designs

Center for Healthy Minds, UW-Madison

May 3rd, 2024, 3 p.m.

Timothy Lycurgus

May 6, 2024, 11 a.m. EDT

Experimental Designs for Adapting Digital Interventions

mHealth Training Institute 2024

June 3-5, 2024, Day & Time TBA

Missing Data in Micro-Randomized Trials: Challenges and Opportunities

Society for Ambulatory Assessment 2024

June 15, 2024

Innovations in Digital Interventions for Substance Use

College on Problems of Drug Dependence Conference

Join the d3center Mailing List

Keep up to date with the latest news, events, software releases, learning modules, and resources from the d3center.

© 2024 • d3center • Institute for Social Research • University of Michigan

Help | Advanced Search

Computer Science > Computation and Language

Title: hybrid multi-stage decoding for few-shot ner with entity-aware contrastive learning.

Abstract: Few-shot named entity recognition can identify new types of named entities based on a few labeled examples. Previous methods employing token-level or span-level metric learning suffer from the computational burden and a large number of negative sample spans. In this paper, we propose the Hybrid Multi-stage Decoding for Few-shot NER with Entity-aware Contrastive Learning (MsFNER), which splits the general NER into two stages: entity-span detection and entity classification. There are 3 processes for introducing MsFNER: training, finetuning, and inference. In the training process, we train and get the best entity-span detection model and the entity classification model separately on the source domain using meta-learning, where we create a contrastive learning module to enhance entity representations for entity classification. During finetuning, we finetune the both models on the support dataset of target domain. In the inference process, for the unlabeled data, we first detect the entity-spans, then the entity-spans are jointly determined by the entity classification model and the KNN. We conduct experiments on the open FewNERD dataset and the results demonstrate the advance of MsFNER.

Submission history

Access paper:.

• HTML (experimental)
• Other Formats

References & Citations

• Google Scholar
• Semantic Scholar

BibTeX formatted citation

Bibliographic and Citation Tools

Code, data and media associated with this article, recommenders and search tools.

• Institution

arXivLabs: experimental projects with community collaborators

arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.

Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.

Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs .