methodology in software project management

20 Project Management Methodologies for Software Development

Ready to revolutionize your project management approach? Join us as we explore innovative project management methodologies that will take your projects to new heights. But the question is among the approximately 8,462 project management methods which one should you choose?

Which types of project methodologies will be right for the organization? So let’s discuss these methodologies and you will be able to choose the best one through this guide.  

Read also : Best Programming Languages for Front-end Development

What is a Project Management Methodology?

A project management methodology can be described as a collection of procedures, techniques, and tools utilized in project planning and execution. Simply put, these frameworks assist managers in optimizing project management practices.

These processes equip project managers with a comprehensive toolkit to effectively plan, execute, monitor, and control projects. Project management methodologies play a pivotal role in guiding project execution, and ensuring consistency, standardization, and efficiency throughout the entire process. 

How To Choose The Right Methodology?

Although there are many project management methodologies available, choosing the right one is difficult but very important. Software development projects require careful planning, organization, and execution to deliver high-quality products on time and within budget.

Choosing the right project management methodology is necessary for achieving these goals. However, to choose the type of project management methodology following factors need to be considered: 

Project Requirements 

When choosing a project management approach , begin by comprehending the nature and extent of your project. Take into account its size, complexity, and specific demands. Certain methodologies are better suited for larger and more intricate projects, while others are more appropriate for smaller, straightforward endeavors.

Budget & Cost

What is the budget for the project you are planning on working with? Consider the risks and change factors in your budget as well. Decide all these points and then take a decision according to it. 

Project Teams

Assess the skills, experience, and preferences of your team members . Some methodologies may align better with their expertise and working style. Consider their familiarity with different methodologies and their ability to adapt to new approaches.

Consider the timeline of the project that you are working on. You need to plan accordingly so that you can deliver your project on time. Keep in consideration the resources, and constraints as well. Certain methodologies are designed for specific constraints so choose accordingly. 

Stakeholder Expectations

Identify the expectations and requirements of your project stakeholders. Some stakeholders may prefer a highly structured approach with extensive documentation, while others may prioritize flexibility and rapid iterations.

Best  Project Management Methodologies

Following are some of the best management methodologies that will help you in continuous improvement:  

Waterfall Methodology

The waterfall approach is one of the most traditional and straightforward approaches of all project management methods. The waterfall model, recognized as a linear and sequential method for project management, presents a distinctive approach.

It encompasses a systematic progression through separate phases. In this methodology, each phase has to be completed before the next starts. The name of this methodology is derived from its graphical depiction, representing the cascading movement of a waterfall. 

To simply describe, the waterfall strategy follows the given sequence:

• Requirements gathering 
• System Design
• Implementation 
• Deployment 
• Maintenance

Agile Methodology 

An agile approach is one of the project management methodologies that focuses on cross-functional collaboration across teams. The methodology is an incremental approach to software development and project management.

Agile project management methodology emerged as a response to the increasing dissatisfaction with the linear approach of traditional project management methodologies. This is a more flexible approach in which the project is divided into smaller iterations known as sprints.

Scrum Methodology

Scrum is a popular Agile framework that uses short iterations called sprints to deliver incremental product increments. It emphasizes self-organizing teams, frequent communication, and continuous improvement. Scrum is particularly effective for complex projects with evolving requirements. In fact, it offers several advantages in such scenarios.

Kanban is a visual project management methodology that focuses on managing workflow and limiting work in progress. It uses a Kanban board to visualize tasks and their status, allowing teams to prioritize and manage their workload effectively. Kanban is often used in conjunction with other Agile methodologies.

Lean project management is based on the fundamentals of Lean manufacturing and the goal is to eliminate waste and improve efficiency. It focuses on delivering value to the customer and reducing non-value-added activities. Lean project management is suitable for projects that require continuous improvement and waste reduction.

Extreme Programming (XP)

Extreme Programming (XP), is an Agile methodology that focuses on close collaboration between developers, customers, and stakeholders. It promotes frequent communication, continuous feedback, and extensive testing to ensure high-quality software development. XP is ideal for projects with rapidly changing requirements.

Feature Driven Development (FDD)

Feature Driven Development (FDD) is an iterative and incremental Agile methodology that focuses on delivering tangible, working features. It emphasizes domain object modeling, iterative development, and regular inspections. FDD is suitable for projects with large development teams and complex requirements.

Crystal is a family of Agile methodologies that prioritize communication, collaboration, and simplicity. It adapts to project size, complexity, and criticality, offering different variants for different project characteristics. Crystal methodologies are highly flexible and can be tailored to suit specific project needs.

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) is another Agile methodology that provides a framework for rapid software delivery while maintaining a focus on business needs. It emphasizes active user involvement, frequent delivery, and iterative development. DSDM is particularly useful for projects with tight timeframes.

Rapid Application Development (RAD)

Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a project management methodology that emphasizes rapid prototyping and iterative development. It focuses on delivering functional prototypes to gather user feedback and make early adjustments. RAD is ideal for projects where time-to-market is critical.

Joint Application Development (JAD)

Joint Application Development (JAD) is a collaborative project management methodology that involves users, stakeholders, and development teams working together to define requirements and develop software solutions. JAD sessions facilitate effective communication, requirement gathering, and decision-making.

The Spiral methodology is a risk-driven project management approach that combines elements of both waterfall and iterative development. It emphasizes risk analysis and mitigation, allowing for early identification and resolution of potential issues. Spiral is suitable for projects with high levels of uncertainty and risk.

PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments) is a process-based project management methodology widely used in various industries. It provides a structured approach to project planning, execution, and control. PRINCE2 is highly adaptable and can be tailored to suit different project environments.

Six Sigma is a data-driven project management methodology that focuses on improving process quality and reducing defects. It uses statistical analysis to identify and eliminate variations in processes, leading to improved efficiency and customer satisfaction. Six Sigma is often used in conjunction with other project management methodologies .

Critical Path Method (CPM)

The Critical Path Method (CPM) is basically a project management technique that identifies the critical path, which is the sequence of activities with the longest total duration. CPM helps project managers determine the minimum project duration and identify activities that can be delayed without affecting the overall project timeline.

Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)

Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) is a project management methodology that focuses on resource management and reducing project duration. It identifies resource dependencies and buffers to protect the project schedule from unexpected delays. CCPM is particularly effective for projects with limited resources and tight deadlines.

Event Chain Methodology (ECM)

Event Chain Methodology (ECM) is a project management approach that addresses uncertainties and risks associated with events that can affect project outcomes. It involves identifying and managing event chains to minimize the impact of potential risks. ECM is useful for projects with high levels of uncertainty and complexity./

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is an Agile project management methodology designed for large-scale software development projects. It provides a structured approach to scaling Agile practices across multiple teams and ensures alignment with organizational goals. SAFe promotes collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.

DevOps is a project management methodology that emphasizes integration between development and operations teams. The objective is to streamline the software development lifecycle and automate processes to improve overall efficiency. DevOps is widely used in software development projects for faster and more reliable software delivery.

Challenges Of Project Management Methodologies

Project management methodologies provide valuable structure and guidance, yet they are not without their fair share of challenges. Let’s delve into some of the common difficulties associated with these methodologies:

• Resistance to Change: The introduction of a new project management methodology often necessitates a shift in mindset and work practices some team members may exhibit resistance to adopting these novel methodologies.
• Resource Constraints: Implementing these project management methodologies often require a large number of resources. Keep in mind that the ideas you have might not align with your resources, so plan according to your resources. 
• Complexity: Project management methods can be intricate, particularly when dealing with large-scale projects or when multiple methodologies are combined. Understanding and effectively applying these methodologies can prove challenging for teams
• Scalability: Certain management methodologies may encounter difficulties when it comes to scaling effectively. As the size of a project increases, managing dependencies, and ensuring consistency across teams can become more demanding.
• Lack of Flexibility: Traditional methodologies like the Waterfall approach tend to be rigid and less adaptable to changing requirements or unforeseen circumstances. This lack of flexibility may hinder project success.
• Documentation Overload: Some methodologies place heavy emphasis on extensive documentation, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Striking a balance between the need for documentation and actual project execution can be a challenge.

Choosing the right methodology from different project management methodologies is essential for successful software development projects. The methodologies outlined in this article provide a range of approaches, from traditional to Agile, that can be customized to suit the requirements of software development projects.

By selecting the most appropriate methodology and adapting it to the project’s requirements, project managers can effectively manage software development projects. It also makes it possible to deliver high-quality products on time and within budget.

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• What is Agile methodology? (A beginner’ ...

What is Agile methodology? (A beginner’s guide)

Agile methodology is a project management framework that breaks projects down into several dynamic phases, commonly known as sprints. In this article, get a high-level overview of Agile project management, plus a few common frameworks to choose the right one for your team.

Scrum, Kanban, waterfall, Agile. 

Agile project management isn’t just useful for software project management—all types of teams have been successful with this dynamic methodology. If you’re looking to get started with Agile, you’ve come to the right place.

What is the Agile methodology?

Agile methodology is a project management framework that breaks projects down into several dynamic phases, commonly known as sprints. 

The Agile framework is an iterative methodology . After every sprint, teams reflect and look back to see if there was anything that could be improved so they can adjust their strategy for the next sprint.

What is the Agile Manifesto?

The Agile Manifesto is a document that focuses on four values and 12 principles for Agile software development. It was published in February 2001 by 17 software developers who needed an alternative to the more linear product development process .  

What are the 4 pillars of Agile?

As outlined in the Agile Manifesto, there are four main values of Agile project management:

Individuals over processes and tools: Agile teams value team collaboration and teamwork over working independently and doing things "by the book.”

Working software over comprehensive documentation: The software that Agile teams develop should work. Additional work, like documentation, is not as important as developing good software.

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation: Customers are extremely important within the Agile methodology. Agile teams allow customers to guide where the software should go. Therefore, customer collaboration is more important than the finer details of contract negotiation.

Responding to change over following a plan: One of the major benefits of Agile project management is that it allows teams to be flexible. This framework allows for teams to quickly shift strategies and workflows without derailing an entire project.

What are the 12 Agile principles?

The four values of Agile are the pillars of Agile methodology. From those values, the team developed 12 principles. 

If the four values of Agile are the weight-bearing pillars of a house, then these 12 principles are the rooms you can build within that house. These principles can be easily adapted to fit the needs of your team. 

The 12 principles used in Agile methodology are:

Satisfy customers through early, continuous improvement and delivery. When customers receive new updates regularly, they're more likely to see the changes they want within the product. This leads to happier, more satisfied customers—and more recurring revenue.

Welcome changing requirements, even late in the project. The Agile framework is all about adaptability. In iterative processes like Agile, being inflexible causes more harm than good. 

Deliver value frequently. Similar to principle #1, delivering value to your customers or stakeholders frequently makes it less likely for them to churn. 

Break the silos of your projects. Collaboration is key in the Agile framework. The goal is for people to break out of their own individual projects and collaborate together more frequently . 

Build projects around motivated individuals. Agile works best when teams are committed and actively working to achieve a goal. 

The most effective way to communicate is face-to-face. If you’re working on a distributed team, spend time communicating in ways that involve face-to-face communication like Zoom calls. 

Working software is the primary measure of progress. The most important thing that teams should strive for with the Agile framework is the product. The goal here is to prioritize functional software over everything else.

Maintain a sustainable working pace. Some aspects of Agile can be fast-paced, but it shouldn't be so fast that team members burn out . The goal is to maintain sustainability throughout the project.

Continuous excellence enhances agility . If the team develops excellent code in one sprint, they can continue to build off of it the next. Continually creating great work allows teams to move faster in the future. 

Simplicity is essential. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best solution. Agile aims to not overcomplicate things and find simple answers to complex problems. 

Self-organizing teams generate the most value. Similar to principle #5, proactive teams become valuable assets to the company as they strive to deliver value.

Regularly reflect and adjust your way of work to boost effectiveness . Retrospective meetings are a common Agile practice. It's a dedicated time for teams to look back and reflect on their performance and adapt their behaviors for the future.

What are the benefits of the Agile development methodology?

You commonly find Agile project management used in application development or other types of software development. This is because software is constantly changing, and the needs of the product have to change with it. 

Because of this, linear project management methods like the waterfall model are less effective. Here are a few other reasons why teams use Agile:

Agile methods are adaptable

There's a reason why they call it the Agile methodology. One of the main benefits of using Agile processes in software development is the ability to shift strategies quickly, without disrupting the flow of a project. 

Because phases in the traditional waterfall method flow into one another, shifting strategies is challenging and can disrupt the rest of the project roadmap . Since software development is a much more adaptable field, project managing rapid changes in the traditional sense can be challenging. This is part of the reason why Agile project management is favored in software development.

Agile fosters collaborative teamwork

One of the Agile principles states that the most effective way to communicate with your team is face-to-face. Combine this with the principle that encourages teams to break project silos and you have a recipe for collaborative teamwork. 

While technology has changed since Agile’s inception and work has shifted to welcome more remote-friendly policies, the idea of working face-to-face still hasn't changed.

Agile methods focus on customer needs

One of the unique aspects of software development is that teams can focus on customer needs much more closely than other industries. With the rise of cloud-based software, teams can get feedback from their actual customers quickly. 

Since customer satisfaction is a key driver for software development, it’s easy to see why it was included in the Agile process. By collaborating with customers, Agile teams can prioritize features that focus on customer needs. When those needs change, teams can take an Agile approach and shift to a different project. 

Agile methodologies

The Agile framework is an umbrella for several different variations. Here are a few of the most common Agile methodologies. 

Kanban is a visual approach to Agile. Teams use online Kanban board tools to represent where certain tasks are in the development process. Tasks are represented by cards on a board, and stages are represented in columns. As team members work on tasks, they move cards from the backlog column to the column that represents the stage the task is in.

This method is a good way for teams to identify roadblocks and to visualize the amount of work that’s getting done. 

Scrum is a common Agile methodology for small teams and also involves sprints. The team is led by a Scrum master whose main job is to clear all obstacles for others executing the day-to-day work. 

Scrum teams meet daily to discuss active tasks, roadblocks, and anything else that may affect the development team.  

Sprint planning: This event kicks off the sprint. Sprint planning outlines what can be delivered in a sprint (and how).

Sprint retrospective : This recurring meeting acts as a sprint review—to iterate on learnings from a previous sprint that will improve and streamline the next one. 

Extreme Programming (XP)

Typically used in software development, Extreme Programming (XP) is an Agile framework that outlines values that will allow your team to work together more effectively.  

The five values of XP include:

Communication

Similar to daily Scrum standups, there are regular releases and iterations, yet XP is much more technical in its approach. If your dev team needs to quickly release and respond to customer requests, XP focuses on the “how” it will get done. 

Adaptive Project Framework (APF)

The Adaptive Project Framework, also known as Adaptive Project Management (APM) grew from the idea that unknown factors can show up at any time during a project. This technique is mainly used for IT projects where more traditional project management techniques don’t apply.

This framework is based on the idea that project resources can change at any time. For example, budgets can change, timelines can shift, or team members working on the project may transition to different teams. APF focuses on the resources that a project has, as opposed to the resources a project needs. 

Extreme Project Management (XPM)

This type of project management is often used for very complex projects with a high level of uncertainty. This approach involves constantly adapting processes until they lead to the desired result. This type of project involves many spontaneous changes and it’s normal for teams to switch strategies from one week to the next. 

XPM requires a lot of flexibility. This is one of the reasons why each sprint is short—only a few weeks maximum. This methodology allows for frequent changes, trial-and-error approaches to problems, and many iterations of self-correction.

Adaptive Software Development (ASD)

This Agile methodology enables teams to quickly adapt to changing requirements. The main focus of this process is continuous adaptation. The phases of this project type —speculate, collaborate, and learn—allow for continuous learning as the project progresses. 

It’s not uncommon for teams running ASD to be in all three phases of ASD at once. Because of its non-linear structure, it’s common for the phases to overlap. Because of the fluidity of this type of management, there’s a higher likelihood that the constant repetition of the three phases helps team members identify and solve problems much quicker than standard project management methods.

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)

The Dynamic Systems Development Method is an Agile method that focuses on a full project lifecycle. Because of this, DSDM has a more rigorous structure and foundation, unlike other Agile methods. 

There are four main phases of DSDM:

Feasibility and business study

Functional mode or prototype iteration

Design and build iteration

Implementation

Feature Driven Development (FDD)

Feature Driven Development blends different Agile best practices. While still an iterative method of project management, this model focuses more on the exact features of a software that the team is working to develop. Feature-driven development relies heavily on customer input, as the features the team prioritizes are the features that the customers need. 

This model also allows teams to update projects frequently. If there is an error, it's quick to cycle through and implement a fix as the phases of this framework are constantly moving. 

Organize Agile processes with Asana

You’ll often hear software development teams refer to the Agile process—but any team can run Agile. If you’re looking for a more flexible project management framework, try Agile. 

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Project Management

Software project management best practices: tips for success.

Evan Gerdisch

Content Strategist

May 11, 2024

Software project management covers everything from gathering client requirements to developing, testing, documenting, and delivering your software on time. 

And while it’s kind of a big deal, not everyone gets it right all the time.

Like most people can’t handle the Mjolnir like Thor! 😜

But don’t worry.

In this article, you’ll uncover what software project management is and why it matters. We’ll then explore what goes into a software project management team and the different processes involved.

What Is Software Project Management?

What is the structure of a software project management team, what are the different software management processes, the end game 💥.

Avengers assemble!

Software project management is a subset of traditional project management that helps you plan, execute, track, control, and complete software projects. 

Usually, managing projects in software development involves:

• Gathering client requirements
• Building software products
• Testing their functionalities & usability
• Preparing documentation
• Making product modifications based on customer input

But knowing Tony Stark, he probably skipped some of these processes when building J.A.R.V.I.S. 😵

Why you need software project management

Whether it’s J.A.R.V.I.S. or a revolutionary iPhone app, creating software solutions is no easy task.

That’s where software project management comes into play.

It enables you to:

• Create a clear blueprint for software project execution
• Maximize the utilization of available project resources
• Improve team collaboration and communication
• Track, monitor, and control project progress
• Deliver completed software solutions on time
• Ensure that software development efforts stay within budget
• Perform better stakeholder management
• Provide better customer satisfaction

Bonus: Check out these stakeholder management tools

So, is there a fixed way to do software project management?

Not really…

Two popular types of software project management 

You can manage software projects in two ways: 

1. Waterfall software project management

Waterfall software project management adopts a linear approach to software engineering.

You proceed to the next phase only after completing the previous one. 

However, this leaves little room for flexibility since changing customer requirements could derail your entire software project plan .

So unless you’re Doctor Strange, with complete knowledge of future possibilities, the waterfall approach probably isn’t for you. ⏳

Want to learn more about where waterfall project management falls short? 

Check out our detailed guide to waterfall project management (and why it probably isn’t ideal for your team) .

2. Agile software project management

In agile project management , you engineer software solutions incrementally. 

What does that mean?

You divide your agile projects into smaller, more manageable tasks that take between two to four weeks to finish. Throughout the process, you include stakeholder feedback and make changes regularly to create superior quality products. We recommend using a board view/kanban project management approach as shown below:

Remember how J.A.R.V.I.S. was just a voice interface when Stark first created it, and then it evolved into Vision (who now has his own TV show)? 

That’s agile management right there! 😍

Want a more comprehensive breakdown of agile and what it can do for you?

Check out our detailed guide on agile software development .

You’ll need a kickass, creative team to pull off a software project efficiently. 

And for effective functioning, your project team will need a proper structure .

Like how the Avengers has Nick Fury giving the orders, Tony Stark for the tech, Natasha Romanova for surveillance, and Hulk for, well, smashing. 💪

Generally, the most critical role in a software project management team is that of a project manager .

A project manager would:

• Develop the detailed plan for software project execution
• Arrange the necessary resources
• Maintain internal and external communications between multiple stakeholders
• Track project progress so you can create the deliverables on time

In addition to the software project manager, a software team includes other roles like:

• Business analyst: analyzes business requirements and guides software engineers on building solutions that meet the client’s business model
• Backend software developer: designs and manages the databases, web services, and APIs
• Frontend software developer: crafts the graphical user interface of your websites or web applications. The frontend developer builds the part that users actually see and interact with.
• Tester: ensures that the developed software applications adhere to the scope of work document and company guidelines

Here’s a look at the different processes involved in software project management:

• Project planning
• Project estimation
• Project scheduling
• Project collaboration
• Project resource management
• Project monitoring
• Project portfolio management

Let’s go over each one:

1. Project planning

Before you develop the software, you need to plan how you’ll go about it. 

Project planning provides a comprehensive outline of the various project steps and processes you’ll go through while creating software deliverables. 

And while carefully planning a software project helps you stay on top of deadlines, it also allows you to:

• Allocate necessary resources
• Identify any dependencies
• Prioritize tasks
• Create deliverables efficiently

Fortunately, software project planning is a breeze when you use ClickUp , one of the highest-rated project management software . 

With ClickUp, you get:

A. Docs : draft, edit, and manage your project management plan with your team.

B. Goals : break down your projects into smaller, more measurable, and manageable targets .

C. Timeline view : visualize and organize various events and tasks in your software project chronologically, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe events. 

D. Milestones : divide multiple projects into different phases using Milestones and mark significant headways made by your software development team.

E. Mind Maps : create visual outlines from scratch or use existing tasks to map out the workflow of complex projects. Like Dr. Strange’s mapping of 14 million possibilities.

2. Project estimation

Your software projects have to stay within budget . But this isn’t possible without a realistic project estimation .

A proper project management app will have estimation tools to help you allocate the necessary resources for tackling project tasks. This lets you execute and manage software projects more efficiently .

There are several ways to perform project estimation:

1. Software size estimation: evaluate the number of function points within your software solution or the Kilo Lines Of Code (KLOC) required for accomplishing client requirements.

2. Project cost estimation: determine the costs of developing a particular software application based on hardware requirements, employee training plan needs , travel, software licenses, level of complexity, and more.

3. Effort estimation: determine the number of person-hours required to complete a particular software project based on historical data or a project manager’s experience.

This probably doesn’t apply to you if you’re a billionaire like Tony Stark who can use expensive holographic tech like B.A.R.F. for a walk down memory lane. 👀

But for others, ClickUp is the ultimate project management solution for project estimation.

You can leverage the power and convenience of:

A. Time Estimates : forecast how much time a software project will take and divide the time estimated between multiple team members.

B. Velocity charts : create automated velocity charts for your software projects and complement them with widgets like burnup , burndown , and cumulative flow charts.

C. Story Points : find out how much effort and time would go into an agile software project task by calculating its Sprint Points . After all, we don’t have Hulk’s superhuman strength. 

D. Custom Fields reporting : evaluate and monitor how much money it would take to properly wrap up the software project 

3. Project scheduling

Project scheduling is all about creating a roadmap for project tasks and allocating specific time slots. 

This involves:

• Splitting your project into more manageable chunks
• Specifying the order for task completion
• Identifying the interdependencies and correlate the different tasks
• Verifying the time estimate for each task
• Recalculating and ensuring that your time estimate isn’t too far away from your forecast

Scheduling your software projects on the ClickUp project management system is super convenient because the tool offers:

A. Gantt chart view : see how various project tasks are dependent on each other and identify any important milestones .

B. Multiple Assignees : assign tasks to multiple assignees or a Team to accelerate your software project progress. Quite handy if you’re managing a large enterprise team like the Avengers!

C. Calendar view : schedule your project tasks by adding start and due dates to help you create software deliverables on time.

D. Priorities : set the priorities for your project tasks as urgent, high, normal, or low based on how crucial a task’s completion is to project advancement.

4. Project collaboration

Software project management needs effective collaboration to prevent any communication gaps and hiccups that could pop-up over time. 

You need to keep all your team members and stakeholders in the loop and send relevant updates on recent project developments . Doing so ensures that everyone is on the same page .

With a collaboration tool like ClickUp, you benefit from several features like:

A. Comments : Assign comments to any team member in your Workspace , nest replies as threaded comments , add reactions , and format your comments to convey as much info as possible.

B. Collaboration detection : know when other team members view, comment, or edit the same task as you.

C. Chat view : whether you want to discuss project updates or plans to binge-watch the Avengers , the chat view provides room for all sorts of conversations.

D. Email ClickApp : send and receive your project-related emails directly within tasks.

E. Clip : create screen recordings with audio from anywhere in your Workspace to explain stuff to your team.

F. Slack integration : create and manage tasks straight from your Slack conversations.

G. Zoom integration : host meetings from within your tasks and get notified of upcoming meetings.

H. Public Sharing : share your Timelines, Mind Maps , Maps , and more with your ClickUp team members, stakeholders, or anyone outside your Workspace .

5. Project resource management

Anything that’s involved in the software development process can be considered a resource . For example, human resources, software development tools , hardware, and more.

And it’s crucial to manage your project resources judiciously as poor resource allocation could slow down your project and lead to tons of unnecessary costs.

Imagine what would’ve happened if the Avengers didn’t allocate their resources properly when trying to recover the Infinity Stones? 💎

It’d result in the end of the world, literally.

For effective project resource management , there are a couple of things you can do, like:

• Identify what resources you need and make sure they’re ready to go
• Allocate tasks according to a team member’s availability, so everyone has the right number of tasks on their plate 🍽
• Set up a system for generating resource requests when a resource is needed and de-allocating it when the need has been fulfilled

Fortunately, ClickUp can simplify resource management for you.

Here’s a quick look at how this task management software helps you manage resources:

A. Workload view : get an idea of how occupied your team members are and see who’s overworked and who has some free time.

B. Box view : drag and drop tasks between different resources to manage teams more effectively.

C. Profiles : view the tasks completed by a team member, what they’re working on currently, and what they would take up later. 

6. Project monitoring

Consistently tracking and monitoring software project progress allows you to deal with bottlenecks proactively. 

This also helps keep up the team’s momentum, letting you know whether you can realistically complete projects on time.

Tracking, monitoring, and controlling software projects is super convenient in ClickUp with features like:

A. Dashboards : monitor project performance with customizable widgets that provide insights into people, projects, statuses, sprints, and more. 

B. Time tracking : track how much time it took to finish a specific task so you can analyze team performance and make better forecasts for future projects.

C. Custom Statuses : create and use customized project statuses to get a quick glimpse at project progress.

D. Pulse : get a live overview of the activity levels of your in-house or remote teams over the day.

E. GitHub-ClickUp integration : integrate all your GitHub activity into ClickUp for quick bug-tracking and issue-reporting.

7. Project portfolio management

In project portfolio management , a project manager would analyze the company’s entire project portfolio to gauge the software project processes’ efficiency and effectiveness.

And this often leads to reallocation of resources or adjustments to software project processes.

Fortunately, ClickUp is a project management app with the functionality to help you with project portfolio management.

Simply add the portfolio widget to your Dashboard!

With this widget, you’ll get a Hawkeye-view of all your project initiatives, from project strategy to completion.  

Use ClickUp’s portfolio widget to:

• Organize team objectives: oversee and manage product releases , company objectives, marketing campaigns, and more from one place
• Craft your business strategy: add, select, and prioritize task lists to align with your software team’s objectives
• Keep everyone in the loop: share your portfolios with different stakeholders to provide an overview of what’s going on

Given how vast software project management is, it can seem very difficult at first.

But that’s okay.

With a tool like ClickUp by your side, software project management is effortless!

You can use Hierarchy for effective task management, Time Estimates to forecast how much time a project task will take, Dashboards to analyze your project status, and use tons of other powerful features .

On top of that, you can collaborate on unlimited projects with your team on the free plan!

Power up with ClickUp for free today to knock your software projects out of the park.

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Chapter 3: Project management methodologies

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There are many project management methodologies and frameworks out there, designed to assist with different types of projects. But how do you know which one is best for your efforts? 

In this section, we’ll walk through the most popular PM methodologies, and share advice for how to choose the best method to fit your needs.

Waterfall or traditional project management

Waterfall or traditional project management is based on a defined set of tasks that are completed sequentially to produce a final deliverable. This method of PM is simple and predictable, but not very flexible. 

Waterfall project management is ideal for projects with a single, large deliverable, like a building. While it’s less useful for projects that require a lot of flexibility, are subject to change, or require multiple, dependent tasks to be completed in tandem, like software development. 

The main benefits of Waterfall are tight planning and organization, and a high degree of control over each project task and the greater project schedule. That said, using Waterfall can make it difficult to adapt to unexpected events or changes to project scope, which can result in added time, resources, and cost.

Teams often use a Gantt chart , a visual timeline tool that maps out project tasks in succession, in Waterfall-managed projects. Learn more about Gantt charts in Chapter 9 .

To learn more about the phases and pros and cons of Waterfall, visit our in-depth guide to creating and using a Waterfall chart .

The Agile family

The Agile family is a category of project management methodologies that prioritizes flexibility and continuous improvement over rigid, sequential processes. There are many popular methodologies within Agile, and we’ve dug into each below.

Agile project management

In Agile project management , teams complete smaller, incremental tasks, and then continually review, refine, and iterate based on feedback and demands of the end users.

Agile project management was formalized in 2001 by a group of software developers intent on finding a more collaborative, flexible method to complete projects. The group documented their ideas in the Manifesto for Agile Development , which lays out the following four values:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan

Agile PM prioritizes a collaborative relationship between the end user and the project team. The customer sets the project objectives, but the deliverables are subject to change as the team incrementally executes each project task. In Agile, each development feature is called a user story , which reflects how the end user will interact with it. 

Agile project management was initially intended for software development, but is now commonly used across a variety of industries and types of projects. Learn more about the Agile process and how to implement it by reading our comprehensive guide to Agile PM . 

Pros and cons of Agile project management

Agile is a good fit for projects that require a high degree of flexibility and are likely to shift as the project progresses. The top benefits of Agile include the following:

• Less upfront planning
• Increased open communication
• Continual feedback
• Flexible objectives 

When used effectively, Agile also often leads to speedier delivery.

However, there are some tradeoffs to this flexible approach: 

• Lack of concrete delivery date, which can lead to scope creep 
• A high degree of dedication and flexibility from the project team

Is Agile right for you?

Remember, Agile isn’t for everyone. The methodology is likely not right for your team if any of the following apply to you:

• Your project is not very urgent.
• Your client’s expectations don’t support Agile (e.g., they want to give final approval at every stage of the project, or incremental delivery isn’t appropriate for the project specs). 
• You or your client’s organization requires detailed documentation at every stage.
• Your current processes are not set up for a more flexible approach.
• Your team or organization doesn’t currently use Agile, and implementing it would be too costly or time consuming.

In the following sections, we’ll go over other methodologies that fall within the Agile family.

Additional Resources

The ultimate agile dictionary, free agile project management templates, best practices for agile project planning.

Scrum , the most popular Agile methodology, involves smaller teams that complete tasks in short, time-bound periods, called sprints , in order to incrementally work through pieces of a larger project or release.

Scrum typically leads to greater responsiveness in customer relationships, lower costs of development, increased job satisfaction, and more immediate returns. Scrum is a fluid practice that takes many moving parts, teams, and goals into consideration as the project progresses. 

Scrum teams also engage in four regular meetings, or ceremonies , which provide structure to each sprint: 

• Sprint planning: At this meeting, the product is presented and everyone on the Scrum team voices any concerns and feedback. The team designates priorities and estimates the timeline.
• Daily stand-up: The Scrum team meets daily during the sprint to debrief with the team, establish a daily plan, and voice any concerns so the team can address them together.
• Sprint review: Held at the end of each sprint, this meeting is a review of the working product and gives stakeholders transparency into what the team accomplished during the sprint.
• Sprint retrospective: The sprint retrospective is a meeting that occurs after each sprint to discuss team performance and establish ways to improve future efforts.

Each Scrum team has designated members who own specific pieces of the process. These roles include the following:

• Product owner: Possesses a thorough understanding of the product’s business value and serves as the middleman who communicates the stakeholder needs to the development team and writes and prioritizes user stories.
• Development team: Performs the technical development of the product and is responsible for the analysis, design, code writing, testing, and technical communication based on the user stories provided by the product owner.
• Scrum Master: Assists in the progress of the Scrum team by working hand-in-hand with the product owner and the development team to streamline work and eliminate distractions. 

As with Agile, Scrum is popular in software development, but it can also be deployed successfully across marketing, design, and other creative projects. Learn more by reading our guide to implementing Scrum with the right tools .

Kanban is an Agile framework that prioritizes continuous improvement , an ongoing effort to improve a product or service incrementally. Kanban teams complete work items based on team capacity and manage resources using a visual kanban board that shows task status.

Kanban originated in Japan in the 1940s. Based on what he had seen in supermarkets, Toyota engineer Taiichi Ohno implemented a supply-and-demand method on the factory floor, which greatly improved the company’s inventory management. 

Teams at Toyota created a visual cue (a kanban, which translates to “visual sign” or “card”) to communicate that they were ready to “pull,” or take on, more tasks or materials to complete their work. This approach enabled workers to only take on new tasks when they had capacity for them, which reduced excess work in progress (WIP) . This style of work is now known as the just-in-time (JIT) approach.

How to use a kanban board

The Kanban methodology centers on the kanban board, which is either a physical or digital “board” that includes three columns (or lanes ): to-do, doing, and done. Team members move cards, representing individual tasks, to different columns as a way to track task status. This provides a quick view of how items are progressing and ensures teams have adequate capacity to take on new work.

In recent years, teams have moved to online, digital kanban boards, which helps distributed teams collaborate on projects and gain real-time visibility into the work getting done. You can learn more about setting up a Kanban board with our guide . 

Pros and cons of Kanban

Overall, Kanban is great for teams that have many incoming requests, short work cycles, and flexibility with resources and scheduling. However, Kanban can be difficult for teams that work on many interconnected, dependent tasks, or have tight deadlines to adhere to. 

To learn more about implementing kanban from the ground up, read our complete guide for newbies .

Critical path method

Critical path method (CPM) is a technique for estimating the total duration of a project by identifying the order in which you must complete all project tasks, and then mapping out your sequenced tasks, called dependencies .

CPM follows the basic steps below:

• Identify all project tasks.
• Identify dependencies among tasks.
• Estimate the duration of each task. 
• Add up the durations to calculate the total duration of your project. 
• Update the critical path as the project progresses to compare estimated vs. actual timelines.

CPM helps teams reduce project timelines by identifying and scheduling the most important tasks and then scheduling other tasks to happen in parallel. CPM also helps with project planning, as you can easily reference estimated vs. actual project schedules and more accurately estimate how long each task will take on future projects.

Learn more about the steps and advantages of the method with our beginner’s guide to the CPM .

The change management methodologies

Change management is an umbrella term for techniques that help individuals, teams, and organizations implement new processes or achieve organizational change. In this section, we’ll cover event chain and extreme project management. 

To learn more, visit our essential guide to change management , or find free change management templates .

Event Chain methodology

In event chain methodology , you identify tasks (events) and their relationships (event chains) in order to properly allocate resources and assess and reduce project risk. 

The goal of event chain is to estimate the amount of time and resources you need to complete a project. This method follows some of the same steps as the critical path method — you also break down activities into smaller tasks and outline their dependencies and durations. But, in event chain, you do so to create a realistic timeline and budget, rather than to simply better manage the tasks (and task order).

Event chain can also serve as a modeling technique to create more conservative scheduling estimates, which ultimately improves performance by building in time to address unforeseen risks.

This methodology is often used in change management efforts to eliminate the need to overhaul projects, which can be extremely time consuming and resource-heavy.

Extreme project management

Extreme project management (XP or XPM) is used to manage a massive amount of change in a short period of time. XPM is ideal for fast-paced, complex projects that can handle a trial-and-error approach to successfully pull off the effort.

Think of XPM as the opposite of Waterfall methodology. As opposed to valuing a linear, planned project development process, XPM allows you to change your project plan, budget, and the final deliverable as requirements shift. In XPM, the onus is on the project team to self-correct and shift as necessary. 

Extreme project management works well for projects with a high-degree of uncertainty, but is less useful for projects with a clear-cut timeline, budget, and scope.

The process-based methodologies

Process-based methodologies approach work as a collection of processes, rather than a strict methodology that you apply to a single project. These approaches are sometimes used as part of a larger business process management (BPM) strategy.

Lean is an approach aimed at maximizing value while minimizing waste. When deployed properly, Lean helps to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, delays, and other inefficiencies in order to deliver value faster.

Lean originated in manufacturing in the 1950s, but it has evolved over time and is used today across industries. As laid out in the book Lean Thinking , Lean involves the following five core principles and activities:

• Define value: Identify the value of each product or service in the eyes of the customer. 
• Map the value stream: Map out the process (aka value stream ) and identify areas of waste, in terms of  resources, time, or redundancy.
• Create flow: Create a flow plan that eliminates the waste you identified. 
• Employ a pull system: Progress through the plan only as the customer has new needs. Doing so will prevent you from taking on too much at once, or creating a bottleneck at any stage of the process. 
• Pursue perfection: Using the idea of continuous improvement, aim to eliminate as much waste as possible from your process. 

Visit our comprehensive guide to Lean project management to learn more about different types of Lean methodologies and the best tools for implementing Lean.

Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology that aims to improve quality across projects. Six Sigma takes a statistical approach to measuring and eliminating bugs or defects in project deliverables and raising quality standards.

The basic steps in Six Sigma include finding defects, identifying and eliminating their cause(s), and optimizing processes to increase reliability and accuracy going forward. 

Building off the Lean principle of pursuing perfection, Six Sigma aims to eliminate all opportunities for defects by using data-driven improvement cycles to achieve its goal. 

There are two main Six Sigma methodologies:

• DMAIC: This stands for define , measure, analyze, improve, control , and is intended to help you improve existing processes.
• DMADV: This stands for define, measure, analyze, improve, verify, and is best for when creating new processes or products.

There is no single, formal certification body for Six Sigma, but many organizations offer training so teams can learn to implement the practice in their organization. Read our article on Six Sigma belts and certifications to learn more. 

Six Sigma works well for teams who are interested in implementing data-driven ways to reduce defects and optimize business processes, but is less ideal for those looking for a strict set of steps to follow.

Read our in-depth guide to all things Six Sigma to learn more.

Lean Six Sigma

Lean Six Sigma is a hybrid approach to process improvement that combines the Lean principle of no waste and the Six Sigma principle of no defects to improve quality across processes, projects, and products.

Lean Six Sigma offers the following benefits:

• Increased cost savings due to fewer bugs or defects
• Improved quality
• Time savings due to fewer process issues
• Improved data-driven decision making
• Continuous process improvement throughout the organization

While Lean Six Sigma originated in manufacturing, a variety of industries can deploy it to reap benefits. The most common use cases include healthcare, construction, design, and government.

All About Lean Six Sigma

Free lean six sigma templates, other project management methodologies.

Below, you’ll find details on a few more project management methodologies that are gaining traction in the modern PM world.

PRINCE2 , or Projects in Controlled Environments , is a project management methodology that focuses on defining and delivering work against precise requirements. As opposed to Agile PM, PRINCE2 emphasizes intense planning and documentation of work items.

PRINCE2 is a hybrid methodology initially used for information technology (IT) projects to help reduce cost and time overruns. Now, it’s deployed across many different industries. 

This approach works well for projects with a clearly defined goal. However, if you need more flexibility, or don’t have time to properly plan and document work, Agile methods might be a better option.

PRiSM , or Projects Integrating Sustainable Methods , is a modern project management methodology that values sustainability over all else. The goal of PRiSM projects is to reduce the environmental impact of a project and drive meaningful social impact.

The PRiSM model is based on the following six principles: 

• Commitment and accountability 
• Ethical decision making 
• Integration and transparency 
• Principal and values-based deployments 
• Social and ecological equity 
• Economic prosperity

Implementing PRiSM is a long term mindset shift that puts sustainability and equity at the center of all processes and projects and aims to maximize value for all involved.

Why you should choose a PM methodology for your organization

Choosing an organization-wide project management method ensures teams have a consistent guideline for how to manage each aspect of their projects, like resources, budget, communication, timeline, and more.

Of course, some teams and projects require different levels of planning, flexibility, and documentation. And, it can be overwhelming to choose one “perfect” approach when there are so many options out there.

But, by assessing the types of projects that you typically take on — as well as your existing processes — you can identify the most effective methodology for you.

In some cases, organizations may select multiple project management types to meet the requirements of different projects and teams.

How to choose the best PM methodology for you

To identify the right project management methodology, first consider the details of your project. Then, assess your existing systems and processes. Look at both what you need as well as what you already have in place to select the best method.

Ask yourself the following questions to evaluate your project needs:

Project basics

• What is the project’s focus?
• What industry are you in?
• How complex is the project?
• Is the project scalable?  

Flexibility

• How flexible are your timeline, budget, and deliverables?
• How much planning do you need to do beforehand?
• What is your allotted budget, and how flexible is it?
• What resources do you have, and what additional resources do you need to obtain?
• How flexible is your timeline?
• Are there set start and end dates?
• Does your project have key milestones or a critical path?

Roles and responsibilities

• How many people or teams are working together on this project?
• How specialized is the work?
• What is the level of customer and stakeholder involvement?

After you’ve worked through the project-related questions, follow these steps to identify which methodology aligns best:

• Outline the main variables, like timeline, resources, and budget, that will drive the project.
• Consider how the methodology you choose will impact these variables, such as how a more flexible approach might affect a hard-and-fast deadline.
• Weigh the pros and cons of each methodology against the needs of your project. Think both about which will be the best fit and which will be least disruptive to your current processes.
• Collaborate with other team members to get input.
• Roll out the methodology to the team. This includes educating everyone on the new processes and setting up the necessary tools and documentation systems.
• Apply the methodology to the project and monitor it for success.

Here’s a simplified cheat sheet you can use to identify which methodology will work for your next project:

Discover a better way to streamline workflows and eliminate silos for good.

Agile Project Management - What is it and how to get started?

How agile project methodologies can work for your software team

Browse topics

Get started free with the jira project management template.

Manage activities across any project with powerful task management and easy prioritization tools.

What is agile project management?

Agile project management is an iterative approach to managing software development projects that focuses on continuous releases and incorporating customer feedback with every iteration.

Software teams that embrace agile project management methodologies increase their development speed, expand collaboration, and foster the ability to better respond to market trends.

Here is everything you need to know to get started or refine your agile project management practices. 

Agile project management articles

Agile vs. waterfall project management.

Agile project management is an incremental and iterative practice, while waterfall is a linear and sequential project management practice

Get started building an agile workflow

Agile process flows help bring structure to scale your software development process. Learn more about workflow management to support your agile program.

Epics, Stories, Themes, and Initiatives

These popular agile methodologies help teams strike a healthy balance between structure and flexibility

An epic is a large body of work that can be broken down into a number of smaller stories. Learn more about how to organize an agile workflow with epics.

User Stories | Examples and Template

User stories are system requirements often expressed as “persona + need + purpose.” Learn how stories drive agile programs & how to get started.

What are story points in Agile and how do you estimate them?

An inside look into secrets of agile estimation and story points. Good agile estimation lets product owners optimize for efficiency and impact.

Five agile metrics you won't hate

Learn how to use agile KPI metrics like sprint burndown, epic and release burndown, velocity, control charts & the cumulative flow diagram.

Gantt Charts

A Gantt chart is a project management tool that illustrates a project plan. Learn how they can help and see an example of Gantt charts

A brief history of the agile project management methodology

Stemming from Toyota's lean manufacturing concept of the 1940s, software development teams have embraced agile methodologies to reduce waste and increase transparency, while quickly addressing their customers' ever-changing needs. A stark change from waterfall project management that focuses on "big bang" launches, agile helps software teams collaborate better and innovate faster than ever before. 

Traditional agile project management can be categorized into two frameworks: scrum and kanban . While scrum is focused on fixed-length project iterations, kanban is focused on continuous releases. Upon completion, the team immediately moves on to the next. 

Agile project management framework 1: Scrum

Scrum is a framework for agile project management that uses fixed-length iterations of work, called sprints. There are four  ceremonies  that bring structure to each sprint.

It all starts with the backlog, or body of work that needs to be done. In scrum, there are two backlogs: one is the product backlog (owned by the product owner) which is a prioritized list of features, and the other is the sprint backlog which is filled by taking issues from the top of the product backlog until the capacity for the next sprint is reached. Scrum teams have unique roles specific to their stake in the process. Typically there's a scrum master , or champion of the scrum method for the team; the product owner, who's the voice of the product; and the scrum team, who are often cross-functional team members in charge of getting s@#$ done.

The four ceremonies of scrum

The scrum board

A scrum board is used to visualize all the work in a given sprint. During the sprint planning meeting, the team moves items from the product backlog into the sprint backlog. Scrum boards can have multiple steps visible in the workflow, like  To Do, In Progress , and  Done . Scrum boards are the key component for increasing transparency in agile project management. Get started using a scrum board with our free scrum template .

Agile project management framework 2: Kanban

Kanban is a framework for agile project management that matches the work to the team's capacity. It's focused on getting things done as fast as possible, giving teams the ability to react to change even faster than scrum.

Unlike scrum, kanban has no backlogs (usually). Instead, work sits in the To Do column. This enables kanban teams to focus on continuous releases, which can be done at any time. All work is visible, scoped, and ready to execute on so that when something is completed, the team immediately moves on to the next. The amount of work is matched to the team's capacity through  WIP limits , which is a predefined limit of work that can be in a single column at one time (except the To Do column). The kanban framework includes the following four components:

The four components of kanban

The kanban board

A kanban board is used to visualize all the work that's being done. It's also used for planning resources allowing project managers to see the work and develop timelines accordingly. A kanban board is structured into columns and lanes that stories pass through on their way to completion. Stories sit in the To Do column until the WIP limit allows for the next task to be worked on. The list of work should be split into relatively small issues and organized by priority. As you can see in this example, lanes can help keep the higher priority items separated from "everything else." Get started using a kanban board with our free Jira kanban template .

Responsibilities of agile project managers

Whatever agile framework you choose to support your software development, you'll need a way to see your team's progress so you can plan for future work or sprints. Agile project estimating helps both scrum and kanban teams understand their capacity. Agile reports show the team's progress over time. Gantt charts and backlog grooming help project managers keep the list of work current and ready for the team to tackle.

Agile project estimating

Project estimating is an extremely important aspect of both kanban and scrum project management. For kanban, many teams set their  WIP limit  for each state based on their previous experiences and team size. Scrum teams use project estimating to identify how much work can be done in a particular sprint. Many agile teams adopt unique estimating techniques like planning poker, ideal hours, or story points to determine a numeric value for the task at hand. This gives agile teams a point of reference to refer back to during sprint retrospectives, to see how their team performed. Jira can be customized to capture your teams' unique  project estimations .

Agile reporting

Project estimations come into play at the beginning and end of each sprint. They help teams determine what they can get done at the beginning of the sprint, but also show how accurate those initial estimates were at the end.  Agile reports , such as Burndown charts, show how many " story points " are completed during the sprint. Jira  offers dozens of out-of-the-box reports with real-time, actionable insights into how your teams are performing. Having data to support your retrospectives is an invaluable way for agile teams to improve.

Backlog management and grooming

A product backlog is a prioritized list of work for the development team to do that comes from product roadmap and its requirements. The development team pulls work from the product backlog for each sprint.  

Grooming and maintaining your backlog helps teams achieve their long-term goals by continually adding and removing items based on the team's long-term capacity and changing business objectives. Jira lets teams groom huge backlogs with multi-select ranking and order user stories and bugs by dragging and dropping issues. You can also filter with Jira's flexible search to find a particular user story or bug.

Effective stakeholder communication

Agile project managers also have to report the right amount of context to different stakeholders and teams - including senior leadership - on the status of the projects they’re responsible for.

With Atlas , project managers can share curated weekly updates on the progress of work, where it's happening, and call out key blockers, changes, and updates.

Claire Drumond is a marketing strategist, speaker, and writer for Atlassian. She is the author of numerous articles published on the Trello and Atlassian blogs and is a regular contributor to various publications on Medium including HackerNoon, Art+Marketing, and PoetsUnlimited. She speaks at tech conferences around the world about agile, breaking down silos, and building empathy.

Scrum - a brief introduction to scrum methodology

In scrum, a product is built in a series of fixed-length iterations called sprints. Learn how the scrum methodology can impact the software development.

Project Management

Explaining project management methodologies in 2024: project managers’ guide.

Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. However, any earnings do not affect how we review services. Learn more about our editorial integrity and research process .

While you might think there are only a few ways to manage projects, there are actually dozens of project management methodologies that can help a project manager get their team and projects successfully across the finish line. Here, we'll look at the most common project management methods and introduce a few you might never have heard of.

Last Updated: 07 Mar'24 2024-03-07T21:22:52+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

Every project manager must decide which project management methodologies they want to use to help get their projects from start to finish. Of course, there are the popular Kanban and Scrum methodologies that many project managers favor, but being popular doesn’t make them the right choice for every project.

Key Takeaways: Project Management Methods

• Different project management methodologies suit different management styles and projects, and it’s vital you choose the right one.
• Agile project methodology is ideal for projects that need flexibility and needs teams that can adapt to change often.
• The Waterfall project management methodology is ideal for teams and projects requiring a rigid structure.
• Most leading project management software platforms offer all the tools needed to implement the project management methodologies we discuss here.

Here, we’ll cover 11 project management methodologies that should be on your radar because, let’s face it, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy. The good news is that the software featured in our roundups of the best project management software and the best free project management software play nicely with these popular project management methodologies. This means you have plenty of great software options.

What Is a Project Management Methodology?

You might be wondering what exactly a project management methodology is. In short, a methodology is a set of processes, principles and tools that are used to plan, manage and track projects and tasks. Each methodology has the same common goal — to help get your team and its projects across the finish line — but each method has a slightly different way of doing things.

For example, the Lean methodology focuses on ways to cut waste and increase efficiency. The Six Sigma methodology helps teams focus on what’s not working and instills greater accountability around consistency and quality control, while the Waterfall methodology helps guide teams through a series of linear steps that lead to the end of the project.

Check out our project management courses and grab a limited-time offer. Registration available now!

It’s easy to hang on to more traditional project management methodologies like Kanban and Scrum , but there’s a whole world of project management styles that can help you become an even better project manager. The team at Cloudwards has used many of these methodologies and is comfortable with each of them, which is why we have put together this handy guide for you.

The Top 11 Most Common Project Management Methodologies

Many methodologies can be used to manage projects. Drawing from our experience, we have decided to round up and explain the most common project management methodologies to show you what they’re used for and how they can help you and your teams become more efficient.

• Waterfall  — Easy to learn and provides a structured workflow
• Agile  — Highly adaptable and flexible, teams can course correct quickly
• Scrum  — Focuses on timed events in a structured environment
• Kanban  — Provides teams with a clear overview of entire projects
• Scrumban  — A kanban and scrum lovechild, great overviews and workflow
• Lean  — Lets you trim the fat, improve efficiency and potentially cut costs
• PRINCE2 — Asks the who, what, when, where and why questions
• PMI PMBOK — Teachs about different methodologies and best practices
• Critical Path Method (CPM) — Structured methodology that guides the way
• Extreme Programming (XP) — An Agile method for small teams
• Six Sigma — A series of principles that can enhance other methodologies

We will explain each methodology in detail below to help you find the best practices for your project management.

1. Waterfall Methodology

• Best used for : Software development, marketing and design teams
• Best software for Waterfall : monday.com , TeamGantt , Wrike
• Uses clear project structures
• Easy to manage
• Strong project life cycle stability
• No room for revisions
• Delays testing

With its linear approach, the Waterfall project management method is one of the easiest to understand. The methodology, which relies on Gantt charts , is made up of multiple phases, with each phase containing numerous tasks. The phases are: setting requirements and document gathering, planning, development, testing, deployment and support.

In the Waterfall model, teams complete tasks in each phase. Once a task is complete, the team flows down the “waterfall” to the next task. Once all the tasks are finished, you move to the next phase. This method makes following a project’s path easy, but can create problems; after all, it’s hard to go back up a waterfall once you’ve gone down it.

If the projects you work on are clearly defined and the end goals don’t change, the Waterfall approach will work well. However, should you need to pivot to meet new needs or do testing throughout the project, the Waterfall method may hinder you with its inflexibility.

Many platforms, like monday.com (here’s our monday.com review ), offer Waterfall methodology templates . You can give it a try to see if it works for you.

2. Agile Methodology

• Best used for : Software development, product development
• Best software for Agile : monday.com , Asana , ClickUp
• Speed & flexibility
• Project visibility
• Promotes collaboration
• Less predictable results
• Vague planning
• Can be cost-inefficient

To be clear, Agile isn’t a methodology; it’s a set of principles created by software developers who despised the restrictive Waterfall method. The Agile Manifesto is broken down into four Agile principles: individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive project documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change by following a plan. If you’d like to learn more, check out our complete guide on what is Agile .

Agile project management methodology takes an iterative and collaborative approach that’s highly adaptable and can meet changing needs quickly. The Agile approach is favored by development teams who need to react to customer demands at a moment’s notice and perform testing throughout the project.

Working from a backlog of tasks and collaborating with stakeholders instead of relying on documentation allows project teams to work quickly, but it comes at a cost. Because the end goal is constantly changing, results can be less predictable, and continually altering work that has already been done can be costly. Find out which platforms we recommend for Agile teams in our roundup of the best Agile tools .

3. Scrum Method

• Best used for : Software development, logistics, healthcare
• Best software for Scrum : Jira , Trello , Asana
• Makes teams highly efficient
• Quickly breaks down big projects
• Scrum meetings provide project visibility
• Not suitable for large teams
• Daily meetings can be bothersome
• Lack of commitment can be detrimental

The Scrum methodology is born from the Agile movement, read our Scrum vs Agile guide. It enables teams to self-manage by introducing a Scrum framework that improves communication, task execution speed and collaboration. Scrum is usually used for software development, but it can also be used for various projects in other industries, including event planning, logistics, healthcare, marketing and more. Learn more in the Scrum history guide.

Scrum uses short work periods (roughly two weeks) called “sprints.” Sprints contain tasks that get pulled from a backlog. A small team of nine attends daily meetings called “scrums,” which a scrum master holds. Each team member shares how their task is progressing. At the end of the sprint, a final retrospective meeting is held to discuss how the sprint went. You then repeat until project completion.

The Scrum methodology works best with small teams that are fully committed to the Scrum process, who can pivot and change course mid-way through a project and focus on time frames rather than the project as a whole. A lack of commitment to avoid scrum anti-patterns from any team member can be devastating, so make sure everyone is on board. Need help figuring out what software to use? Check out our list of the best Scrum software .

4. Kanban Method

• Best used for : Production, editorial and creative work, human resources 
• Best software for Kanban : Trello , Wrike , monday.com
• Easy to visualize work
• Overall ease of use
• Can help reduce waste
• Poor for dynamic projects
• No timed phases
• Needs timely updates to remain effective

Kanban, which roughly translates from Japanese to “sign you can see,” was developed by Taiichi Ohno and became popular after it was used to cut waste and make the Toyota production system more efficient. Like Scrum, Kanban uses an Agile project management framework. Kanban is simple and effective, and provides team members with a global view of an entire project.

Kanban methodology uses columns for project phases and cards that represent tasks. Users move task cards from left to right through various project stages (like to-do, in progress and done) to document project progress. Kanban is also suitable for implementing work in progress (WIP) limits that dictate how many cards can be in one column, which can prevent teams from becoming overworked.

Kanban’s flexibility and support for many workflows and large teams make it popular. However, there are downsides. The Kanban method makes it hard to plan ahead. Complex tasks with subtasks or dependencies are not easy to manage, and each project phase has no timeline associated with it, which can cause delays. You can learn more by reading our Kanban guide . Also, check out our roundup of the best Kanban apps .

5. Scrumban Method

• Best used for : Maintenance and construction, marketing, digital agencies
• Best software for scrumban : Jira , Trello , monday.com
• Promotes independence & autonomy
• Can reduce bottlenecks
• Ideal for large projects
• Without meetings, large projects can be unwieldy
• No velocity tracking
• Relatively new & untested

Scrumban is one of the other project management methodologies managers should know about. As the name suggests, Scrumban is a hybrid project management methodology that mixes elements of Scrum and Kanban. This mixture removes some of Scrum’s rigidity and injects Kanban’s free-flowing nature into one easy-to-use system.

A Scrumban board has three columns: to-do, work in progress and done. Scrumban follows scrum’s workflow, but instead of tasks being assigned from a backlog, individuals take tasks from the to-do column as needed. Daily scrums and retrospective meetings are held as needed. Keep in mind that without daily scrums and proper focus on time, large projects could become problematic.

You can look at Scrumban two ways. Either Kanban makes Scrum more flexible and adaptable, or Scrum adds more rigidity and structure to Kanban. Either way, you’re left with a methodology that effectively mixes two of the most popular project management styles. With Scrumban being so new, the methodology is largely untested, so your mileage may vary.

6. Lean Methodology

• Best used for : creative industries, manufacturing, construction
• Best software for lean methodology : Leantime , monday.com   
• Eliminates waste
• Promotes efficiency
• Easy to implement
• Little room for error

The Lean method was also made famous by Toyota. Once implemented, Toyota became incredibly efficient and saw huge gains in its manufacturing process. Lean is governed by the three M’s: muda (wastefulness), mura (unevenness) and muri (overburden). It is used by companies in the manufacturing space. It has proved effective at cutting down on waste and increasing efficiency.

Kanban boards are used with the Lean method because of the overviews they provide. Managers can quickly see wasteful tasks ( muda ), where tasks are backed up ( mura ) and can see if a project phase is overrun with work ( muri ). Users of Lean need to be careful, though, as too many cuts in the pursuit of not being wasteful will leave managers with little room for error.

Lean project management is perfect for those who want to strip the fat out of their workflows and save money by cutting tasks that aren’t needed. If you want to get your workflows in tip-top shape, Lean project management could be for you. After using Leantime, we found that it’s ideal for this methodology. Be sure to read our Leantime review .

7. PRINCE2 Method

• Best used for : Software development, enterprise projects
• Best software for PRINCE2 : monday.com , Asana , ClickUp

PRINCE2, which stands for PR ojects IN C ontrolled E nvironments, is a structured project management methodology that requires certification. PRINCE2 is based on Waterfall (linear) and Agile methodologies, which makes it one of the more unique types of project management. It uses a mixture of tools, from Gantt charts, to lists, to kanban boards.

PRINCE2 has seven high-level principles that dictate seven project management principles; six phases comprise each project. Each phase has defined inputs and outputs so that no stone is left unturned, and each project has its own governance. A project board owns the project, while a project manager is responsible for running the project.

The PRINCE2 method is used to ensure a project has solid business reasons. The methodology determines how viable a project is, what will be delivered, when it will be delivered, project costs and risks, and who will be in specific roles. As you can imagine, PRINCE2 is unsuitable for small projects, but large, complex projects could benefit from the structure.

If you’d like to find out more about PRINCE2, check out our beginner’s guide on what is PRINCE2 .

8. PMI PMBOK Method

• Best used for : Learning about project management
• Best software for PMI PMBOK : Whatever platform suits your needs best
• Increases PM knowledge
• Gain certification from PMI
• Increase PM skills
• Studying, lots & lots of studying

PMI PMBOK isn’t a methodology like Waterfall or Lean; it is a book from the Project Management Institute that contains best practices, processes and terminology for project managers. PMBOK, which stands for “Project Management Body of Knowledge,” is required reading for those who want to obtain PMP certification from the PMI.

If you’re a project manager who strives for continuous improvement, the PMI PMBOK could be for you. You’ll learn about the five stages of projects (conception and initiation, planning, execution, performance and monitoring, and closing), as well as various project management methodologies, such as Agile, adaptive and hybrid. You’ll also learn how to tailor different approaches to your work environment so that you can be more efficient.

Once you complete the course and become certified, you’ll better understand different methodologies and how they can help your projects thrive. PMI PMBOK leaves it up to each manager to choose project management software and tools. Head to our project management software reviews and roundups for some recommendations.

9. Critical Path Method (CPM)

• Best used for : Product and software development, construction, engineering
• Best software for the critical path method : Zoho Projects , nTask , Wrike
• Precise project planning
• See entire project life cycles
• Enhances team discussions
• Hard to add changes
• It’s a resource hog
• Not easy to implement

Critical path methodology, designed in the 1950s by Morgan R. Walker of DuPont, makes managers model every part of a project from the ground up before work starts. This method helps make projects predictable and ensures every team member knows what’s expected of them. However, it’s not the easiest method to implement and has a steep learning curve.

Every task, dependency and milestone for a project is planned. Managers also factor in tasks that cannot start until other tasks have been finished. With this information, a manager can see every phase of a project and every task within a phase, which they can use to build a “critical path” through the tasks and set them to a timeline that gives an estimated completion date.

CPM — which should not be confused with critical chain project management (CCPM) — is ideal for teams who like using Gantt charts and those who work on complex projects with hard deadlines. CPM, which is also called “critical path analysis,” is not for teams needing flexibility. Platforms like Wrike ( see our Wrike review ) and nTask ( here’s our nTask review ) are ideal for CPM.

10. Extreme Programming (XP)

• Best used for : Software development
• Best software for extreme programming : Jira , ClickUp , Trello
• Incredibly fluid workflow
• Teams are self-managing
• Allows fast direction changes
• Lack of formal plans can cause issues
• Not for big or remote teams
• Lack of hard timelines can cause delays

Next on our list of project management methodologies is something called Extreme Programming (XP), an Agile method designed exclusively for software development projects. XP is based on five core values: simplicity, communication, feedback, respect and courage. There are some rules that teams need to follow, too, for the method to work as intended.

XP, which is similar to Scrum, focuses on short development cycles and multiple software releases so that testing can happen continuously. Teams prioritize and pull tasks from user stories, constantly communicate with project stakeholders and work on tasks until completion. Work is then released and feedback is received.

Any changes requested are then implemented. You repeat until the project is finished.

Due to its fluid nature and the need for constant face-to-face communication, XP is only suitable for small, close-knit teams who can adapt to continuous change. XP can have many pitfalls due to the lack of documentation and timelines, but it can help produce excellent results when used correctly.

11. Six Sigma Method

• Best used for : manufacturing, healthcare, IT
• Best software for Six Sigma : Leantime , Asana , monday.com
• Ensures high-quality work
• Improves customer support
• Helps reduce risk
• Increases predictability
• Makes large amounts of data
• Can be time-consuming
• Can increase operating costs

Six Sigma is a set of processes and tools that aim to improve work quality via statistical analysis. By focusing on what’s not working, errors can be reduced, efficiency can be increased and outcomes can be more predictable. If Six Sigma sounds complicated, it’s because it is. In fact, Six Sigma cannot be practiced without a Six Sigma project management certification .

Six Sigma has several variations, including lean Six Sigma and Agile Six Sigma. No matter which flavor you choose, the goal is the same: to use Six Sigma methods to improve processes (DMAIC, or define, measure, analyze, improve and control) or create new ones (DMADV, or define, measure, analyze, design and verify), that suit you, your team and your project.

Six Sigma can be used with many other methodologies, like Waterfall, Agile and Lean, and can be used in any type of organization or setting. Just make sure you have the time and money to implement the system, and understand it’s not a set of tools to improve project and task management, but it’s meant to improve processes. 

Why Are Project Management Methodologies Important?

Our experiences have taught us that understanding many project management methodologies is essential to better overall management because every project you work on differs and may require your team to take a different approach. Additionally, each team is unique and may have project management skills that suit one method over another.

How to Choose the Best Project Management Methodology for Your Team or Project

Picking the right project management methodology for your project teams is crucial. As mentioned above, you cannot use one approach for every project because each project brings unique challenges. Some projects may need structure to ensure all tasks are completed on time, while others may require your team to take a more flexible approach to work (check out our guide on the best multi project management ).

As a leader, you must determine if your current project needs structure (Waterfall), flexibility (Agile), hyper-efficiency to limit waste and cut costs (Lean) or a little bit of everything (hybrid). The best way to do this is to communicate with your client to see what they need from you and your team. From there, you can make a sound decision.

Most project management suites, like monday.com, ClickUp (here’s our ClickUp review ) and Asana (here’s our Asana review ), are flexible and provide tools for most methodologies. Meanwhile, platforms like Trello (here’s our Trello review ) and TeamGantt (here’s our TeamGantt review ) offer a more focused approach. All you need to do is pick a platform that works for your team and you’re ready to go.

Final Thoughts: Project Management Methodology

There are many ways to approach projects. You could use an Agile framework, opt for Waterfall projects or even use a hybrid methodology, depending on the project. It’s important to know about different project methodologies so that you and your team can work through projects efficiently, get project deliverables to your client on time and enjoy project success.

If you only take away a few things from this guide, understand that there is no one-size-fits-all methodology and that each project should be treated with the respect it deserves by choosing the correct methodology for the job. We hope this look at project management approaches has opened your eyes and that you enjoy future project success. As always, thank you for reading. 

Project management methodologies are guidelines and values that help project managers and teams plan, execute and manage projects and tasks.

Agile project methodology is an approach to project management that favors an iterative, highly flexible approach to working. Agile suits teams who need to pivot and change direction quickly.

The six major project management methodologies are Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, Lean, Critical Path, Six Sigma and PRINCE2.

When managing a project, you must remember that your chosen methodology should allow you to initiate, plan, execute, monitor and close out projects successfully.

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What is Software Project Management? - The Ultimate Guide

In an age where technology influences every walk of life, project management is a cornerstone to our digital future—particularly in software development. The combination of art and science is essential in software project management as the demands on this type of work evolve over time.

In this article, we explore the nature of software project management—from its definition and purpose to its various types. For professionals already in the field, this article provides a way to build on your strengths and improve. For rookies entering the world of developing software, it offers guidance through the beginning stages of learning how to succeed at making and selling products.

So get ready to explore the fascinating subject of software project management.

Table of Contents

What is Software Project Management? Different Types of Software Project Management     ➤   Traditional (Waterfall)     ➤   Agile     ➤   Scrum     ➤   Kanban Fundamentals of Software Project Management Role of a Software Project Manager Benefits of Effective Software Project Management Best Practices for Managing Software Projects Conclusion Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Software Project Management?

Software project management is a subset of project management that focuses on the planning, monitoring, and controlling of software projects. It is the art and science of planning and leading software projects while considering complex variables such as, but not limited to, the creation of viable schedules, the efficient utilisation of resources, and risk management to deliver valuable software products.

According to the CHAOS Report, only around one-third of all projects were finished on time and on budget . This data shows that the possibility of software projects reaching their objectives is greatly reduced in the absence of effective management.

Project Management in Software Engineering

Due to the technical complexities and unique problems of software engineering, the function of software project management is even more crucial. Project managers function as schedulers and quality inspectors, allowing effective communication among the team, clients, and stakeholders. Their ultimate purpose is to ensure that the software fulfils quality requirements as well as the needs of the clients.

The significant gap highlights the necessity of good project management approaches in software engineering, such as Agile or Scrum. When compared to their colleagues who employ traditional approaches, software project managers with a solid understanding of these methods and realistic viewpoints on projects can dramatically increase project success rates.

Project managers must modify their leadership style based on team makeup, project complexity, and stakeholder expectations in order to examine the software project from various angles. This includes managing the schedule, resources, and risks and creating an atmosphere where software engineers may perform at their best. Team motivation, innovation, and conflict resolution all play important roles in effective project management.

Different Types of Software Project Management

Software project management is differentiated into various methodologies. Each approach comes with unique strengths and weaknesses, designed to accommodate different styles of projects. Here, we delve deeper into the four primary types:

Traditional (Waterfall)

Being one of the earliest project management models, the Waterfall model offers a linear, sequential approach, distinctly mirroring a waterfall's flow. Each stage follows a concrete path of initiation, analysis, design, construction, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Interestingly, despite the rise of Agile models, about 56% of organizations still use Waterfall .

• Predictability: The Waterfall model is straightforward, simplifying understanding and implementation.
• Documentation: Each phase has specific deliverables and a review process, fostering comprehensive documentation.
• Rigidness: Waterfall isn't flexible. Once a stage is completed, it's challenging to revisit it.
• Customer Dissatisfaction: The product isn't visible until late, leading to potential dissatisfaction if expectations aren't met.

Championing customer satisfaction and team collaboration, Agile methodologies employ iterative progress through time-boxed sprint phases and welcome changes—even late in development. VersionOne's State of Agile report revealed that as high as 97% of organizations practice Agile in some form.

• Adaptability: Agile can adjust to changes in real-time, promoting customer satisfaction.
• Incremental Delivery: Agile guarantees early tangible demonstrations, making stakeholders feel more invested.
• Scope Creep: The project scope might gradually expand due to flexibility, burdening teams.
• Solid Communication Required: Agile demands high interaction and transparency among team members.

An Agile subset, Scrum aims to manage complex, rapidly changing projects. Scrum employs short iterations called sprints, usually 2-4 weeks long, leading to incremental product builds.

• Improved Product Quality: Regular reviews and retrospectives ensure effort towards continuous improvement.
• Team Autonomy: Scrum teams organize themselves, fostering responsibility and creativity.
• Less Predictable: As Scrum is less structured, forecasts of the delivery timeline might not always be accurate.
• Depends Heavily on Team Effectiveness: Scrum requires diligent, self-managing teams. A lack of teamwork can lead to failure on a project.

Originating from lean manufacturing, Kanban is popular for its visual take on project management. Kanban boards give a clear overview of work status, increasing clarity and effectiveness.

• Visibility: Kanban boards make progress visible, identifying bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
• Flexibility: Kanban allows alterations anytime – an excellent fit for projects with evolving priorities.
• Prioritization Issues: Without clear rules for prioritizing tasks, less critical tasks may take precedence.
• Lacks Timeline: Kanban doesn't offer a holistic view of the project timeline, making long-term planning challenging.

Using these types of software project management effectively requires understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each, tailoring them to the unique needs of your project.

Fundamentals of Software Project Management

The cornerstone of this type of project management lies in three main areas: Planning, Resourcing, and Tracking, and, according to the PMI's Pulse of the Profession report, organizations that master these areas are 28 times more successful than their counterparts.

• Establish project objectives and define project scope.
• Create the project charter and accurately estimate schedule and costs.
• Maintain a balance between conflicting demands of capacity, time, cost, quality, and stakeholders.
• Resourcing:
• Assemble the project team and assign roles and responsibilities based on individual skills.
• Optimal allocation of resources is crucial for project success.
• Monitor project progress against the plan.
• Manage risks, track issues, control project changes, and ensure the project stays on schedule and within budget.
• Analyze performance and take corrective actions if needed.

These elements require skilled execution, coordination, and the right balance to ensure successful project delivery.

Role of a Software Project Manager

A software project manager has a multifaceted role that encompasses various responsibilities to oversee software projects from inception to completion. In addition to technical knowledge, their diverse skills include effective communication, leadership, problem-solving, risk management, and the ability to adapt to change. Thus, exceptional software project managers bring technical proficiency and the ability to manage relationships with clients, stakeholders, and team members.

According to Project Management Institute (PMI), organizations that underestimate project management report an average of 50% more of their projects failing outright .

Below are some key responsibilities of a software project manager:

• Outline the overall plan, covering budgets, schedules, and objectives.
• Work with stakeholders to define realistic goals and establish the project roadmap.
• Ensure tasks are delegated and executed efficiently.
• Assemble the team, assign roles and responsibilities, and provide necessary resources.

Monitoring:

• Closely track the project's progress against the predefined goals.
• Early identification of issues allows timely interventions.

Communication:

• Establish an open communication channel with the team, stakeholders, and clients.
• Facilitate collaboration and effectively convey project updates.

Risk Management:

• Identify, evaluate, and implement strategies to mitigate risks.

Diverse perspectives come into play in many aspects of a software project manager's role:

Cultural Differences : A software project manager must be aware of cultural differences within the team; effectively managing a diverse team is essential for collaboration and success.

Technical Expertise : Project managers with diverse technical experience can better understand the challenges different team members face and tailor their approach to suit each individual's needs.

Organizational Perspectives : A software project manager must align their goals and strategies with the organization's broader objectives and consider interdependencies with other projects and departments.

Client Perspectives : Understanding and appreciating client values is critical to adapting project deliverables to meet client expectations and address their concerns effectively.

Considering diverse perspectives and bringing a versatile skill set, a software project manager is instrumental in ensuring the project's triumph, avoiding costly failures, and satisfying clients' expectations.

Benefits of Effective Software Project Management

Implementing effective software project management can result in numerous benefits:

Cost Saving : Project management helps you optimize resource allocation by carefully planning and monitoring project tasks. This enables you to minimize waste, identify potential cost overruns, and make timely adjustments, ultimately reducing the overall project cost.

Improved Efficiency and Productivity : A PMI report suggests that 9.9% of every dollar is wasted due to poor project performance . Effective project management can help reduce this waste, augmenting efficiency and productivity.

Enhanced Team Collaboration and Communication : Project managers ensure team members are on the same page, improving communication and collaboration across the board.

Better Risk Management and Resource Allocation : Effective project management involves the early detection of risks and managing resources optimally.

Higher Quality Outcomes and Client Satisfaction : Ultimately, streamlined processes and superior project management result in higher quality outputs and client satisfaction.

Best Practices for Managing Software Projects

An effective software project manager combines methodology, communication, and organization. Some best practices that contribute to successful software project delivery include:

Proactive Communication:

• Open communication lines, regular check-ins, and status updates ensure that team members are aligned and informed, fostering better collaboration.

Scope Management:

• Clearly define and manage the project scope to avoid scope creep and maintain realistic expectations.

Risk Analysis and Management:

• Anticipate potential issues and develop feasible mitigation plans.
• Regularly assess and update these plans as the project evolves.

Quality Assurance and Control:

• Conduct thorough testing and quality control measures to guarantee the delivery of a reliable and high-quality software product.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Keep stakeholders involved throughout the development process.
• Transparent communication, progress updates, and feedback loops maintain their confidence in the project.

Continuous Improvement:

• Review the processes and progress periodically, adjusting to achieve better results and increased efficiency.

The software project management landscape is multifaceted, requiring a deep understanding of methodologies, roles, and best practices to make informed decisions.

As every project is unique, embracing a willingness to adapt and evolve as the project progresses is essential.

With the right approach, software project management can drive successful outcomes, leading to efficient resource allocation, risk mitigation, and delivery of high-quality software products.

Learn more about how Imaginary Cloud can help your software development project succeed. Contact our team to learn more about project management software and how it can help your company.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is software project management.

Software project management is a sub-discipline of project management where software projects are planned, monitored, controlled, and facilitated. It covers tasks like establishing project objectives and timelines, allocating resources, including team members and budget, tracking progress and performance, managing risks and changes, and meeting requirements to complete software-related projects successfully.

Do I need a project manager for my software development project?

Absolutely, a project manager is crucial for software development projects, ensuring proper planning, resource allocation, risk mitigation, and communication.

They also play a crucial role in:

• Ensuring project quality: A project manager sets quality standards, regularly reviews progress, and implements necessary changes, thus enhancing the overall quality of the final software product.
• Cost management: Through effective resource allocation and proactive risk management, a project manager can optimize spending and prevent cost overruns, contributing to overall cost efficiency.

Their presence significantly contributes to the project's overall success and is highly recommended.

What are the 3 types of project management software?

The three types of project management software are:

Task Management Software: This type helps track and manage tasks efficiently. Tools like Asana, Trello, and Microsoft To Do fall under this category.

Resource Management Software: This type allows managers to plan, schedule, and optimize resource usage. Tools like Resource Guru, Smartsheet, and Float are examples.

Environment Management Software: This software type provides a collaborative workspace for teams, supporting communication, document sharing, and project visibility. Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Basecamp are examples.

Is software project management easy?

It may pose challenges, especially for complex projects with shifting requirements, strict timelines, and budget constraints. It requires a balance of technical knowledge, planning, organizing, decision-making, and communication skills. However, appropriate methodologies, tools, and practices can lead to successful project outcomes. Training, experience, and continuous learning can make the task more manageable and straightforward.

What is the difference between project management and software project management?

While project management involves planning, coordinating, and executing projects across different industries, software project management is specific to the software domain.

Project management applies standard methodologies and principles to deliver projects across construction, healthcare, or manufacturing sectors. On the other hand, software project management is about administering and leading software projects, dealing with tasks like software design, development, deployment, testing, and maintenance.

At Imaginary Cloud , we simplify complex systems, delivering interfaces that users love. If you’ve enjoyed this article, you will certainly enjoy our newsletter, which may be subscribed below. Take this chance to also check our latest work and, if there is any project that you think we can help with, feel free to reach us . We look forward to hearing from you!

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Project Management Methodologies and Frameworks Every Project Manager Should Know

You might find yourself drowning in information, tools, and processes as a project manager. To stay afloat and thrive, you must choose the right project management methodologies and frameworks that suit your team and project needs.

Many different project management methodologies are available and deciding which one is right for you can be challenging. This article provides an overview of the most popular frameworks to get you started.

What is a Project Management Methodology?

A project management methodology is a set of principles, processes, guidelines, and tools that help to plan, manage, and control a project. The methodology helps to ensure that a project is on schedule, within budget, and that the project goals are met.

A project team or an organization uses a management framework to execute a project. The information generated is usually documented and shared with others. Recording the information is essential as it will help others understand the project requirements and responsibilities.

While most project management methodologies take a standardized approach, some are for specific purposes, i.e., manufacturing or software development.

Project Management Framework vs. Methodology

The terms framework and methodology are often used interchangeably in project management. However, there is a slight yet distinguishable difference between the two approaches.

A framework provides more flexibility and freedom. You can adopt new rules and change or remove existing ones as necessary. As such, a framework provides the structure and direction needed for a project without being too rigid or detailed.

On the other hand, a methodology is a set of principles and processes that guides the management of a project. It is a formal approach that is strictly defined and generally adheres to a strict code complete with steps and rules.

Another way to understand the two approaches is that most of the time, methodologies are for implementing ideas and values, while a framework provides a step-by-step guide to attain that idea or manage that project.

Project Life Cycle Processes

A project management framework includes the whole project management life cycle, which will guide you from the beginning to the end. In a project management life cycle , there are five steps:

• Initiation : The beginning stage of the project, where the main focus is to narrow down the required key components to kickstart the project. Teams get together to research, brainstorm and conduct analysis and stakeholder mapping/interviews to gather information.
• Planning : Here, the teams and members working on the project are identified along with activities, milestones, risks, management structure, and success benchmarks.
• Execution : During this stage, the project kickstarts and is implemented.
• Management/Monitoring : At each milestone, the progress will be monitored, documented, and reported. Key progress and outputs will be shared with stakeholders as well.
• Review/Closing : This stage marks the end of the project. Project leaders and team members will review and analyze how the project progressed and setbacks to identify future improvements. Updates or replacements will be scheduled if necessary before wrapping up.

5 Key Project Management Methodologies and Frameworks

1. waterfall framework.

The Waterfall Framework is a linear approach that first gathers stakeholder and customer requirements before creating a sequential project plan to address the identified requirements. Consisting of five main stages, each stage is completed before progressing to the next–similar to a cascading waterfall.

The main stages of the waterfall framework are:

• Requirements : needs and requirements of the business/project are identified, analyzed, and documented.
• Design : possible solutions are explored before a detailed plan is made to achieve the goals.
• Implementation : the project plan and activities are set in motion along with progress measurements.
• Verification/Control : the product is reviewed, and the project plan is compared with the performance to address issues.
• Maintenance/Closure : the end result is shared with clients for feedback and final fixes. Approval is obtained before the project is closed.
• As project and client requirements are identified and agreed in the very first stage, it sets clear client expectations that are easier to plan.
• Extensive documentation ensures that each activity and task is well documented and that no knowledge is lost.
• The project schedule is laid out at the beginning stages. As such, project costs, deadlines, and other resources can be estimated accurately.
• Easier to measure and understand as you progress through each milestone one after the other.

Disadvantages

• Identifying all client/customer requirements at the very beginning is difficult.
• Changes to the product at the end stages are costly and difficult if the customer is unsatisfied.
• Lack of flexibility due to the linear nature of the framework, which provides minimal room for change and adaptation in case of unexpected events.

2. Lean Methodology

Lean methodology originated in the 1950s in Toyota and currently focuses on eliminating waste, maximizing value, and improving efficiencies. Many organizations have opted to adopt the Lean Framework as it can be applied to any business, regardless of size, to achieve objectives in a sustainable manner.

The two main guiding concepts in Lean are respect for people and continuous improvement. Accordingly, necessary training and tools are provided, constant improvement is encouraged, and management takes on a more active role in understanding and meeting the needs of employees to initiate better work performance.

Besides the above two concepts, lean has five core principles that support the methodology:

• Value : customer defines the value of the product offered.
• Value stream : a clear and in-depth understanding of the product’s life cycle from research to development. Each step of the value chain is analyzed to identify waste areas and improvements.
• Flow : every process should be in sync with one another, and the value stream should flow seamlessly.
• Pull : ensures that products are made only when required, leading to shorter delivery cycles and increased flexibility.
• Perfection : always strive for perfection by uncovering quality or waste issues and applying strict measures to address inefficiencies.
• The quality of products is high due to the constant attention to value.
• Reduced costs and increased profits as Lean focuses on providing value and minimizing waste.
• Improved customer relations as the focus is to deliver what the customer requires.
• Regular communications among employees, stakeholders and management pave the way for better decision-making.
• Emphasis on constant improvement leads to continuous learning opportunities.
• Organizations may focus too much on Lean principles that they lose sight of the bigger picture leading to a lack of strategy.
• If there are bottlenecks or resource issues, delivery can be delayed leading to unsatisfied customers.

3. Agile Methodology

Agile is often used in the software industry, though it has spilled into others recently due to its adaptability. It is an iterative approach that promotes collaboration among team members, emphasizing adaptive planning and early delivery of functional products. In an Agile project, development work is carried out in short-term periods called sprints, and the management focuses on continuous improvement throughout the project’s life cycle.

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Popular frameowkrs such as Scrum and Kanban stem from Agile, which acts as an umbrella term that encompasses several different frameworks. To learn more about Scrum and Kanban, check out The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Scrum and How to Better Manage Your Projects with Kanban Boards .

The Agile Manifesto highlights four core principles that are the building blocks of any agile approach. They are:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan
• Agile promotes smaller teams, making it easier to keep up the pace and quickly adapt to necessary changes, leading to faster response times and ample flexibility.
• Faster turnaround times due to the ability to quickly detect and provide solutions to issues.
• Low wastage and costs as tasks are always up-to-date with constant feedback and follow-ups, allowing developers to experiment and test ideas.
• Agile is practiced by many and has a considerable following. Therefore, you can always reach out for help and share knowledge with others if you run into trouble.
• Difficult to measure the progress as it is estimated across several cycles, which may take time.
• Documentation is not given prominence, leading to misunderstandings and difficulty for newer members to be up-to-date.
• At times, there is no clear end date; therefore, the overall project may seem to go on forever. This can also lead to scope changes beyond what was initially agreed (scope creep).
• Due to the short cycle times, the design thinking process may be stinted, leading to a lack of cohesion and fragmentation.
• Teams may tend to avoid key features that may take too long to deliver.
• The need for constant communication can take a toll on team members who have to spend extra energy and time.

4. Critical Chain Project Management Framework

Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) is a project management framework that helps the planning and managing of projects by monitoring the resources required to execute the project tasks. The framework helps project managers to deliver projects in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Buffers are safety margins that ensure all tasks are completed within schedule. CCPM identifies strategic points in the project and inserts buffers to ensure that project milestones are met on time, regardless of constraints or uncertainties. There are several types of buffers used in CCPM.

• Project buffers : this is positioned between the completion date of the project and the last task allowing team members to catch up on any outstanding tasks or delays.
• Feeding buffers : this is positioned between the non-critical chain and the critical chain to prevent delays.
• Resource buffers : resources that are kept aside in case of extra support in terms of resources are required.
• Team members tend to be more efficient and pace themselves rather than working more as the deadline approaches.
• Work is scheduled around resource availability, thereby optimizing resource utilization.
• The insertion of various buffers to address issues on time.
• The minimum time required to finish the project is taken into consideration.
• Major planning packages do not often support the framework.
• If the team does not understand the endpoint, many losses and setbacks could occur.

5. PRINCE2 Framework

PRINCE stands for “PRojects IN Controlled Environments” and is a process-based framework focused on organization and control. The framework started as PRINCE with a particular focus on the IT industry before expanding into others.

PRINCE2 details what each step of the project should look like, deliverables, roles, and responsibilities, and also structure each stage of the project with no loose ends at the point of completion.

• PRINCE2 is a good beginner framework to start project management as it has a defined process with clear steps.
• Due to the detailed and step-by-step guide provided, PRINCE2 is relatively easy to understand and follow. Furthermore, the ability to divide the project into manageable stages is helpful in managing the project.
• PRINCE2 is flexible in nature and can be easily adapted to suit different projects.
• Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, which improves accountability.
• Lessons learned can be tracked and updated for future reference and improvements.
• PRINCE2 is not ideal for projects in fast-changing environments (i.e., technology-driven) due to the extensive documentation required.
• Requires the buy-in of the senior management for success.
• Requires experience to be managed and delivered successfully.

Key Steps to Follow when Selecting a Methodology or Framework

1. assess the project in terms of size and scope.

Size and scope play a significant role when selecting a suitable project methodology or framework. Some projects may be small, requiring a team of no more than 3-4 people and a short period. In contrast, others would be large, with multiple teams working together for several years.

Larger projects with several cross-functional teams and extended time frames would benefit from adaptive project management frameworks such as agile. In comparison, smaller projects that are less complex would do well with methodologies such as waterfall.

2. Look into the available project management methodologies and frameworks

Once the project scope and size are determined, look into the available methodologies and frameworks. Compare notes, and weigh the pros and cons as to which one would suit your requirements the best while minimizing risks.

3. Obtaining the acceptance and buy-in of your team

Reach out to your team to see their reaction and input. Make sure you listen to their viewpoints and present your side accordingly to obtain their buy-in. Otherwise, conflicts and challenges may hinder the project’s smooth progress.

4. Confirm the selection

Before starting the project, re-confirm the feasibility of your selection by comparing and assessing the success rate of projects delivered using the same framework.

5. Obtain feedback and conduct self-assessments

As the project progresses, ask for feedback from your colleagues regarding the processes followed. Furthermore, make sure to conduct self-assessments to see if the methodology or framework is proceeding according to your expectations and whether it allows you to manage your team successfully.

Tools and Techniques for Project Management Methodologies and Frameworks

There are several tools and techniques relevant to project management methodologies and frameworks. While some specific tools and techniques are similar across multiple frameworks, there are some that may differ. Below are a few commonly used tools and techniques.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Work breakdown structures can be used to break down the larger deliverables of your project into manageable smaller tasks. This is a productivity technique that uses a step-by-step approach to project management.

Gantt Chart

Gantt charts are ideal for tracking tasks' start and end dates and milestones. It helps teams to plan their work and jobs to meet deadlines and allocate resources accordingly.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. For each project, the SWOT identifies the internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external (Opportunities and Threats) drivers affecting your ability to meet the goal. For example, suppose your organization is well known for its expertise in customer service. In that case, improving customer service will be a competitive advantage and a meaningful driver for meeting your goals.

RACI Matrix

RACI stands for responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed. RACI matrix is used to describe the roles and responsibilities of team members in a project.

Stakeholder Map

The stakeholder map is a tool to help you understand who your stakeholders are and their needs. Using this tool, you can map stakeholders according to their importance and potential impact on the project.

Decision Tree

A decision tree is used for effective decision-making and predicting potential outcomes when multiple courses of action exist. It allows the team to explore options and outcomes to understand the risks and rewards associated with each possible course of action.

Creately for Project Management

Creately has many tools to make your journey effortless and successful regardless of the type of project methodology or framework you decide to follow.

• Powerful documentation capabilities include doc blocks and attachments and image attachments to create reports and presentations.
• Built-in project management tools including Kanban boards, timelines, multi-role workflows, visual prioritization tools to enable any kind of workflow.
• Whiteboard and freehand drawing capabilities to brainstorm and discuss with colleagues and peers.
• Multiple templates and shapes to prepare project plans and schedules, Gantt charts, roadmaps, and other formats necessary for project management documentation and tracking.
• Multiple access and role levels to manage, share, edit and review, along with multiplayer editing capabilities to collaborate in real-time.
• Comment on anything, with context. Full comment threads and discussions for async collaboration.
• Data, note, and task panels to house information, assign roles and responsibilities, feed in information, and track the progress of activities.
• Integration with other platforms with 2-way syncing to manage data efficiently.
• Spotlight and presentation mode to conduct interactive and dynamic presentations right on the canvas.

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Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.

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Top 10 Project Management Methodologies: An Overview

Table of Contents

• Waterfall Methodology
• Agile Methodology
• Scrum Methodology
• PMI / PMBOK
• Critical Path Method (CPM)
• Kanban Methodology
• Extreme Programming (XP)
• Lean Methodology

What Is a Project Management Methodology?

A project management methodology is a set of principles, tools and techniques that are used to plan, execute and manage projects. Project management methodologies help project managers lead team members and manage work while facilitating team collaboration.

There are many different project management methodologies, and they all have pros and cons. Some of them work better in particular industries or projects , so you’ll need to learn about project management methodologies to decide which one works best for you.

We’ll go through some of the most popular project management methodologies, which are applied in many sectors such as software development, R&D and product development.

Top 10 Project Management Methodologies

If you manage projects, you need to learn about project management methodologies. Here’s a quick overview of the most commonly used project management methods that you can use.

1. Waterfall Methodology

This may be the most straightforward and linear of all the project management methods in this list, as well as the most traditional approach. The name is apt, as the waterfall methodology is a process in which the phases of the project flow downward. The waterfall model requires that you move from one project phase to another only once that phase has been successfully completed.

When to use it: The waterfall approach is great for manufacturing and construction projects , which are highly structured, and when it’s too expensive to pivot or change anything after the fact. The waterfall method makes use of Gantt charts for planning and scheduling.

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2. Agile Methodology

What it is: In a nutshell, Agile project management is an evolving and collaborative way to self-organize across teams. When implementing the agile methodology , project planning and work management are adaptive, evolutionary in development, seeking early delivery and are always open to change if that leads to process improvement. It’s fast and flexible, unlike waterfall project management.

The agile methodology offers project teams a very dynamic way to work and collaborate and that’s why it is a very popular project management methodology for product and software development. That’s because what we think of as agile really appeared in 2001 with the publication of the “Manifesto for Agile Software Development,” authored by 17 software developers.

When to use it: The practice originated in software development and works well in that culture. How do you know if agile is for you? It has been applied to non-software products that seek to drive forward with innovation and have a level of uncertainty, such as computers, motor vehicles, medical devices, food, clothing, music and more. It’s also being used in other types of projects that need a more responsive and fast-paced production schedule , such as marketing.

3. Scrum Methodology

What it is: Scrum is a short “sprint” approach to managing projects. The scrum methodology is It’s ideal for teams of no more than 10 people and often is wedded to two-week cycles with short daily meetings, known as daily scrum meetings . It’s led by what is called a scrum master . Scrum works within an agile project management framework, though there have been attempts to scale Scrum to fit larger organizations.

The term scrum was introduced in a “Harvard Business Review” article from 1986 by Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka. It became a part of agile when Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle wrote the book “Agile Software Development with Scrum” in 2001. Schwaber formed the Scrum Alliance in 2002, a certified scrum accreditation series. Schwaber left the Scrum Alliance in 2009 to start a parallel accreditation organization called Scrum.org.

When to use it: Like agile, the scrum methodology has been used predominantly in software development, but proponents note it is applicable across any industry or business, including retail logistics, event planning or any project that requires some flexibility. It does require strict scrum roles , however.

4. Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)

What it is: This is the granddaddy of methodologies if it’s a methodology at all. The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a not-for-profit membership association, project management certification and standards organization.

This organization produces a book called the “Project Management Body of Knowledge” or PMBOK. The PMBOK provides definitions and guidelines for project planning, scheduling, executing and controlling. For example, the project management process groups describe the project life cycle, while the 10 project management knowledge areas explain how to manage a project.

When to use it: Almost any project can benefit from PMBOK, as all projects big and small are going to go through the various stages of the project life cycle outlined in the book. It’s a great way to keep everyone on the same page, so to speak, and offers a clear definition of how a project is managed.

The Project Management Institute it’s also the organization that grants various project management certifications such as the project management professional (PMP) certification, which is the gold standard among project managers and is recognized all over the world. PMBOK is a great traditional framework to run a project.

5. Critical Path Method (CPM)

What it is: In the critical path method (CPM), you build a model of the project, including all the activities listed in a work breakdown structure , the duration of those tasks, what if any task dependencies there are and marking off milestones to indicated larger phases of the project or points in which your project deliverables are due.

With this information, you can identify the longest sequence of tasks to finish the project, which is called the critical path. You’ll need to keep an eye on those tasks because if one of them is delayed, the whole project will be delayed.

The critical path method was developed in the late 1950s by Morgan R. Walker of DuPont and James E. Kelley, Jr., of Remington Rand. DuPont was already using a precursor of CPM as early as the 1940s, and it was applied to the Manhattan Project.

When to use it: CPM works better with smaller or mid-sized projects. The larger the project, the more difficult it can be to take all the data you need to diagram and make sense of it without project management software .

6. Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)

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

First introduced in 1997, in the book “Critical Path” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, it has been credited with making projects anywhere from 10-50% faster and/or cheaper.

When to use it: CCPM can be applied to both large and small companies, and for projects that include industries such as construction, software development and tech research and development.

7. Kanban Methodology

What it is: The kanban methodology is a visual approach to project management. The name is literally billboard in Japanese. It helps manage workflow by placing tasks on a kanban board where workflow and progress are clear to all team members. The kanban methodology helps reduce inefficiencies and is a great project management tool for many purposes such as lean manufacturing or agile projects.

Kanban project management has been around since the late 1940s when it was studied by Toyota used the rate of demand to control the rate of production of its vehicles. The car company applied it to its lean manufacturing model, known as the Toyota production system.

With the dawn of visual planning boards in software in our era, like Trello, there are now new uses for kanban tools and kanban methods. Agile teams use kanban boards for story-boarding user stories and for backlog planning in software development.

When to use it: Another process developed initially for manufacturing and for software teams, the kanban method has since expanded and has been used in human resources, marketing, organizational strategy, executive process and accounts receivable and payable. Almost anyone can plan with Kanban boards, adding cards to represent project phases, task deadlines, people, ideas and more. Kanban software makes this methodology especially accessible.

8. Extreme Programming (XP)

What it is: It sounds like some dangerous sport the kids are into, but in fact, XP is a type of agile software development with short development cycles and multiple releases to improve productivity. Customer requirements are sought and can adapt to the course of the project.

Created by Kent Beck while working on the Chrysler Comprehensive Compensation System payroll project, he literally wrote the book (“Extreme Programming Explained”) in 1999. But many of its practices have been around for a while.

When to use it: When requirements change frequently, then you’ll want to use a methodology such as XP. It’s good when your customer doesn’t have a clear idea of what they want.

9. Lean Methodology

What it is: Lean project management is what you’d think it is from its name: a way to cut waste and in so doing increase value in projects and manufacturing processes. So, lean focuses on eliminating waste from key processes to continuously be impacting positively on the value stream. It does this by optimizing separate technologies, assets and verticals.

Lean project management goes back to Henry Ford and his flow production for automating the process of building cars. Toyota picked up on the idea, as well, extending their idea beyond manufacturing to the continuous improvement of the product development process.

Today, software development teams run lean processes to focus on end-user feedback and increased value, which means Lean methodology has taken on a new meaning, particularly with the publishing of Lean Startup, by Eric Ries, who advocates for rapid prototyping, end-user feedback and early and rapid product delivery.

When to use it: Lean project management was first developed by Toyota and is obviously a great methodology for manufacturing. In fact, it’s also referred to as lean manufacturing , but it has been adopted by construction and education industries, among others in the manufacturing space and countless startups and software development firms looking to drive products focused on the end-user.

10. Six Sigma

What it is: Introduced by engineers working at Motorola in the mid-1980s, Six Sigma works to improve quality by identifying what is not working in the project. It applies quality management, including empirical statistics, and employs personnel who are experts in these disciplines. There is also a Lean Six Sigma that adds lean methodology to eliminate waste.

As a doctrine, it says that continued efforts to achieve results that are stable and expected are most important to success. Processes can be refined and improved. It takes the whole organization, from the top down, to sustain quality in a project.

When to use it: This methodology works best in larger organizations. Even companies with a few hundred employees are likely too small to take advantage of its benefits. It requires a certification to practice. Learn about six sigma certification here.

11. PRINCE2

What it is: PRINCE2 stands for Projects IN Controlled Environments and is a structured certified methodology. It was initially created by the UK government for IT projects. PRINCE2 is not like other traditional methods like waterfall, in that it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, but follows seven principles, themes and procedures.

When the UK government adopted standards for IT systems in 1989, they called in PRINCE. PRINCE2 came about in 1996 as a more general project management method. It is now a popular project management methodology throughout all UK governmental agencies and the United Nations.

When to use it: Adopted by many other countries’ governments, PRINCE2, so, as you can imagine, it’s not always suitable for smaller projects.

ProjectManager Works with Any Project Management Methodology

There are almost as many methods to manage as there are projects. But they all share one thing in common: getting deliverables done on time and within budget. No matter which project management methodology you choose ProjectManager is the one software you’ll need to do it.

Tools for Waterfall Project Management

Waterfall is structured. One thing follows the next and it’s all planned out. No problem. ProjectManager has an online Gantt chart . Import your task list to start a new project. Add due dates and the tasks populate a timeline. Link-dependent tasks to avoid bottlenecks. Set milestones to separate the project into phases. You control the project step by step.

Tools for Agile Project Management

Gantt charts aren’t going to help as much as other project tools if you’re working in an agile framework. That’s true, but ProjectManager is flexible enough to serve scrum teams with multiple project views.

Use the kanban view to map out your sprint. Product backlogs are collected on cards, which can be prioritized for scrum teams to know which user story to work on first. Then the sprint can be archived, so when doing a sprint retrospective, teams can learn from their mistakes and improve the process.

Multiple Views for Diverse Teams

What if your organization is larger, with different divisions, some that work with an agile project management framework and others with a more traditional waterfall methodology? What’s great about ProjectManager is that it can switch from one view to the other, giving IT teams a kanban board view for their scrum sprints and managers a Gantt chart for a bigger project planning overview.

The real-time dashboard and reporting features gather the same data and crunch the same numbers, so whatever project management method you use is tracking the same results.

Yes, ProjectManager is an award-winning project management software for a reason. It’s flexible enough to work in an agile environment, traditional waterfall methodology or a hybrid of the two. You decide, not the software, which means ProjectManager is the one tool to bring in your project, however, you manage it, successfully.

Related Content

• Project Integration Management
• Waterfall Project Management Software
• Agile Project Management Software
• Critical Path Software

There are more project management methodologies, but these are some of the most popular. Regardless of which you use, you need a project management tool to best manage all your processes and projects. ProjectManager is an online PM tool, so whatever methodology is right for you our software will help you apply it to a successful end. Try it free for 30 days and see for yourself.

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• What is a Software Development Project?
• Project Management for Software Development
• Specific Details
• 5. Six Sigma
• 6. Extreme Programming
• 7. Critical path method
• 8. Gantt Chart Method
• 11. Black box testing
• 12. Prototyping Model
• 13. Rapid Application Development Model
• 14. Spiral Model
• 15. White Box Testing
• 16. Extreme Programming Methodology
• 17. Joint Application Development Methodology
• 18. Dynamic System Development Model Methodology
• 1. Evaluate the project
• 2. Evaluate your team also helps determine the right methodologies
• 3. Evaluate your organization
• 4. Evaluate your stakeholders
• 5. Evaluate your tools
• A Final Thought on Project Management Methodologies

18 Software Project Management Methodologies for Software Development

Undoubtedly, the project management methodology is an essential part of any project since all businesses and enterprises use it to improve their project performance. Given that there are many software project management methodologies besides the traditional Agile methodology, it may be challenging to select the most suitable one.

With that in mind, the following article will help you better understand some aspects of the popular project management methodologies apart from traditional project management Agile. Besides, with our tips for choosing the right project management methodology, you could easily make your choice and attain your business goals.

Understanding Software Development Project Management

Whether you’re a seasoned project manager or new to the field, grasping these foundational concepts is key to successfully navigating the diverse landscape of software project management methodologies. So, let’s embark on this journey to gain a deeper understanding of the core principles that underpin effective software development project management.

In a restrictive definition, software development is just a process of writing and maintaining codes. However, a real software development project covers much more tasks, from researching and conceptualizing ideas to launching, maintaining, and improving final deliverables.

Whether an outsourcing company is working on small-scale projects for startups or complex ones for large enterprises, project management is an integral factor in the software development process.

Software development is no longer the job of only software engineers, but rather involves many other stakeholders such as UI/UX designers or business analysts and therefore accompanies a higher level of complexity. Therefore, software development management is essential regardless of project scope. This process entails various principles and practices, beginning with input parameters specified by clients and even pasting after the software goes to the market. 

Without project management, all people involved in the project hardly establish obvious goals and then fail to devise respective plans to meet the end on time and within budget. Worse, the lack of project management translates to inefficient organization and supervision of the project, resulting in poorly functioning deliverables and crippling losses in terms of finance and reputation.

In this article, we’ll deduce some common methodologies or models to monitor projects successfully as follows:

• Six Sigma ;
• Extreme Programming;
• Critical path method;
• Gantt Chart Method;

10 Best Software Project Management Methodologies for Software Development

People consider Scrum the most widely used agile methodology framework, so Scrum still follows some fundamental agile principles such as responding quickly to customer feedback and changes, focusing on effective communication, and making collaborative efforts in short cycles.

However, Scrum itself has distinct properties. First, the designers of this management model designed it for the shortest iterations called “sprints”, which usually last for two weeks and never exceed one month.

The scrum team often involves fewer members than the agile team, with no more than 10 people including a scrum master, software developers, and a product owner. Which, a scrum master doesn’t act as a leader, but rather as a team facilitator who educates both stakeholders and team members about scrum principles to ensure the high quality of deliverables organizes daily meetings to examine progression, and eliminates impediments to software development, and more. 

A scrum process operates according to the following steps:

• Sprint planning:  All people involved discuss the sprint goal and choose metrics that contribute to achieving the goal before building a sprint backlog.
• Implementation:  During the process of coding software, all members hold daily meetings to track progress. 
• Sprint review:  This step occurs at the end of the scrum sprint. It’s time for developers to present their work to a product owner and receive feedback.
• Sprint retrospective:  In this phase, members look back on what worked well in the past sprint and how to improve products.

Because Scrum focuses mainly on quality and operates within a limited time frame, it is suitable for projects in fast-changing environments.

Rather than a fully-featured management methodology, Scrum is an approach with a set of principles and processes of Agile. However, it has different methods and tactics to deal with project management. Specifically, it emphasizes the project team, short “sprints,” and regular stand-up meetings. To be more specific, there is often no project manager, so the team needs to possess excellent team collaboration, self-organization, and self-management capabilities.

Thanks to the Scrum sprints, you can have no difficulty in managing large and complex projects. The “sprint” 30-day approach and daily stand-up meetings also contribute to the rapid iteration and development of your project. However, because the Scrum team is self-managing, the undisciplined and uncommitted team members will put the project at risk.

Large, complicated software development projects with highly experienced and dedicated development teams could capitalize on Scrum. This methodology, however, can also apply to other projects of IT and digital marketing.

Recommended reading: What is Agile Software Development?

PRINCE2 is a project management methodology that divides the responsibilities between a board and a project manager. The board is responsible for necessary resource management and business justification, while the project manager deals with daily tasks and manages the whole team. This method includes all the needed tools, practices, and procedures to control resources and focus on the end-users and final improved product.

With the requirement of extensive documentation and the guiding principle “learn from experience”, this method emphasizes the role of experience in reducing your project risk. But you have to redo the documentation and re-allocate resources when changes are necessary, which may slow down your project.

The UK government predominantly uses this methodology, PRINCE2, in almost every project. You can opt for this methodology for complicated and big projects with consistent requirements. They can range from construction, architecture, and education projects to digital marketing and IT ones.

3. Waterfall

This methodology is a traditional development process that involves the execution of project activities in linear sequential order. There are six major phases in the Waterfall model including:

• Software requirements: A project manager works with a customer to define the problem, cost, risk, and project management metrics requirements in the first stage.
• Analysis: All stakeholders and team members analyze the problem and establish business concepts and models to tackle it in this phase.
• Design: Software architects and developers create a technical design including layouts, scenarios, and data models. 
• Coding: This stage involves implementing the technical solution by programming software and apps based on predetermined specifications.
• Testing: Before delivering to end-users, testing and debugging are necessary. These procedures ensure the program is bug-free and meets client requirements.
• Operations: This stage occurs after the product launch, including technical support, maintenance, and improvements.

This strategy relies on the results of the preceding phase because each step starts after it ends. If the client makes modifications in the Coding stage, the whole process has to go back to Design. Waterfall’s drawback. This development methodology is best for individuals who have a clear product vision from the start and rarely change their requirements.

Stakeholders can readily find errors in the Design stage, which helps them program later. The client and development team may estimate costs, timelines, and phase performance.

Waterfall methodology often requires a phase to finish before starting another. Requirements, designing, implementation, finding, testing, and maintenance are typical steps. Gantt charts can arrange subtasks, task relationships, and project phases using this methodology.

The intuitive step segmentation makes this Waterfall approach straightforward to employ for beginners. However, the distinct phases require “excellent” performance in each. If you find an error or need to alter something, you must start over, which slows project development.

This strategy works best when consumers know what they want and your project won’t alter. Waterfall project management can help in regulated industries with comprehensive project tracking and documentation.

Lean is a method that was once used in manufacturing, more specifically, the Toyota Production System. Despite initially being a method to minimize waste in the manufacturing process, it now refers to three wasteful practices throughout the project management process, known as Muda (wastefulness), Mura (unevenness), and Muri (overburden).

This method can allow small teams to achieve more remarkable results and create valuable products with profits in a short time without overspending on materials. It also guides enterprises to adapt to changing customers’ requirements. However, they need to have a large budget to invest in it because it is expensive to implement despite reducing costs.

Many projects across different industries from construction to education are using Lean. However, only some projects whose focal point is to reduce waste for more efficient workflows could get the most out of this methodology.

As the name states, lean software development works toward the idea of eliminating all redundant features, requirements, and so forth from the software development process. Although this model shares some pieces of philosophy with the agile methodology, there is some difference between them. Apart from waste elimination, lean software development services encourage the product’s fast delivery, adaptability to any dimension, and more. These major principles enable risk and cost mitigation and boost a better decision-making process. 

However whether the framework works well hinges on the development team’s competence and the commitment to all Lean principles. Therefore, to guarantee the effective use of this model, development teams often use such tools and techniques as value stream mapping, options thinking, etc.

Six Sigma (6σ) is a customer-driven quality management methodology focusing on eliminating defects during the entire production process. It requires evaluating existing data and error reports to detect non-conformities that fail to match the initially approved product requirements. And thus, it contributes to a better quality of the project output. 

By focusing on this method, companies could turn out more competitively priced products and win more customers. However, because Six Sigma looks into business processes minute-by-minute and produces a lot of empirical data, it might lead to complicated and time-consuming procedures. Moreover, adopting its protocols often increases the overall costs for businesses.

This method could function well in larger organizations and enterprises specializing in engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, marketing, etc. You can use the Six Sigma methodology in any other industry where your primary goal is to deliver high-quality products to attract more clients.

Extreme programming XP is another popular project management methodology. It is to better software quality and ensure responsiveness to client’s changing requirements. Despite similar values or principles to Scrum, it features rules around technical practices of designing, coding, and testing, making it convenient for various types of projects. 

Using the Extreme Programming method, the project team doesn’t need to use too much documentation. Instead, it will tackle the problems and ensure regular testing for the software products to be on time. However, this method focuses more on code rather than design. This is a downside because good design is crucial for software apps.

This methodology is suitable for projects with unpredictable development or requiring more considerable changes. This method could have applications in complex project environments when your projects are not allowed to fail. You also want to focus on speed, innovation, quality, and profitability. 

The critical path method CPM, critical path analysis, is to identify and schedule your project’s critical tasks and all their dependencies. The longest sequence of critical tasks will constitute the critical path and establish your project timeframe. It is quite helpful for determining the priority of your projects’ activities, reassigning the team roles, evaluating risks, and distributing resources. 

This method allows you to schedule crucial tasks better and complete the project as quickly as possible without any critical steps being missed. However, everything needs to be carefully planned initially. Thus, those with little real-world scheduling and project planning experience may find it hard to calculate the time and distribute resources to each activity accurately. 

This method is most appropriate for projects with interdependent components. Therefore, you can use it when necessary to finish a task before another can begin with flexibility or prefer a visual way to map out the tasks’ sequence.

A Gantt chart’s display is in the form of a bar chart that demonstrates all events and tasks of a software development project. The left side of the chart shows a detailed list of activities performed in multiple phases such as planning or execution. Meanwhile, the top illustrates a determined time frame. A horizontal bar represents the duration, start date, and end date of an activity. 

The Gantt chart method accompanies various benefits including:

• Monitor which task is assigned to whom;
• Make project adjustments more convenient;
• Examine and report how things work;
• Help stakeholders clearly visualize how the project is conducted;
• Detect and report issues during the software development life cycle , thus producing suitable actions with ease.

Yet using this method in software development management comes with some drawbacks, more noticeably the time-consuming creation, management, and update of the chart.

Among the most popular methods for software development management used by various modern-day companies. Accordingly, an IT service provider breaks a whole project down into smaller workflows done in short cycles called “iterations”, each of which requires perpetual cooperation between project stakeholders and development team members. This hence encourages more efficient communication between both parties. 

Also, team members can both code and test each part of the deliverable in the same iterations. This mitigates time and cost risks, helps stakeholders focus more on the product’s quality, and speeds up the time of releasing the product to the market. 

Due to the mentioned characteristics, Agile is a tremendous methodology for projects experiencing constant changes or having ambiguous specifications from the onset.

Apart from the above methods, there is also another one called Kanban, which originated from Japan.

Another prevalent agile framework that development teams use to visualize their work. In particular, a Kanban board, albeit physical or virtual, consists of several columns that represent respective items such as In Progress, Testing, or Done, whereas sticky notes that demonstrate specific tasks are attached to the board. 

This design allows all project participants to visually monitor the overall workflow and the progression of individual tasks in one place. When existing tasks are completed or when new tasks come up, information on the board will change accordingly. 

However, the Kanban model has some limitations such as no timeframe or confusion over whether the information is up-to-date. So those engaging in this methodology should prioritize information transparency and frequent communication so that team members may know exactly the project’s progress and at what phase the process is.

Bonus 8 Software Development Methodologies

Software development is a complicated process, and to get it done correctly, you need to find the correct methodology. There are over 100 different software development methodologies to choose from, and deciding which one is best for your team can be daunting. Luckily, we’ve narrowed it down for you and listed the top 10 software development methodologies out there. Take a look below and see which one best fits your team and project’s needs.

As with any industry, there are many different software development methodologies to choose from. You need to know all of the development methodologies. This is important because every project has different requirements and constraints. The best way to make sure you’re using the right methodology for your project is to be familiar with them all. With this article, you’ll find that each one differs in purpose and implementation depending on the type of software.

We’ve all seen this before, it’s one of the most common and recognized methodologies in software development. It’s a common practice to test and develop software, but you’ll find that a lot of teams that do this use a very high degree of formality and rigidity. Some of the techniques used to control the environment the software is running can lead to it being difficult to achieve good reproducibility and long-term metrics. However there is a cost to using this type of testing, namely time and resources. A more efficient, but more rigid approach to testing would be to combine a high degree of formality with a good amount of manual testing.

The prototyping model is the earliest stage of software development when you create a simple design and then move on to testing it. Prototyping is best used for problems that have a very small cost to solve. For example, a team of software developers might want to prototype a simple report using the Velocity Scrum framework. In the process of prototyping, they’ll have a working prototype that they can quickly expand into a fully functional software package.

The version control system built into the project management tool might be the next step, which ensures that a design document can be copied and pasted into a new document as the code changes. Next, the test team tests the code to find bugs and make any necessary changes.

Rapid Application Development Model (RADM) is a flexible, agile software development process that can deliver major business value within just 6 months. That’s right — you can begin delivering massive ROI in under 6 months, and the entire process is designed to enhance your existing architecture with customer-centric innovations, while at the same time making you more efficient at deploying incremental changes.

The use case is driven development is a fast-paced, iterative approach to software development that focuses on real-world applications. It utilizes a continuous integration methodology, combining waterfall methodologies with agile methodologies.

This method, which is based on the spiral model, is one of the most popular software development methodologies. Developers create a set of requirements for their proposed project. In turn, they submit them to the project managers, who place a value on them and turn those values into schedules and estimates.

Once these estimates are finalized, development starts. Some of the advantages of this method include Very good communication between the development team and the project managers. Can be used for both large-scale and small-scale projects. Built-in project coordination. You don’t have to worry about unclear project goals because everything is clearly spelled out. The project approach has clarity and logic. Focusing on needs and opportunities to deliver the best results.

Recommended reading: What Is Software Development and Software Development Process?

Sometimes, when we’re working on a software project, we want to be able to see what our application is going to look like before it’s done. That’s where white box testing comes into play. White box testing is a software development methodology that allows developers and testers to use virtual machines and simulation software to test a system without actually installing it or modifying the code.

White box testing can be especially useful in situations where we don’t know what components we’re going to be using or what functionality we’re going to be supporting. If you’re thinking about implementing white box testing into your application, you can check out the white-box testing methodology provided by the Society of Test Automation Specialists.

Extreme Programming (XP) is a general-purpose software development methodology developed in 1990 by XP creator Jeff Sutherland and his colleagues at Extreme Programming, Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The basic tenets of XP are: Users and stakeholders must be at the center of the development team’s actions. Stakeholders must be included early and often in the development process.

Development can’t be stalled while the client waits for a patch or fix. Cross-project collaboration is encouraged. Development is broken down into small manageable pieces that are completed early in the development process. “Simplify and then make it better,” is the motto of XP. At its most basic level, XP involves a set of programming principles for software development.

This is the method that is used by the greatest software developers in the world. So, in the joint application development methodology, you will combine the experience of two or more developers. The developer who started the project will receive the credit and the money for the final result. To implement this methodology, you will need two developers who are in a similar position in terms of skills.

However, the key point is that the developer who starts the project will receive the credit and the money for the final result. As the name suggests, this methodology is made up of objects and their relationships and works on the principle that objects are either visible or hidden. Once they are visible, they are marked as such.

Recommended reading: 6 Popular Types of Software Development Services in 2022

One of the most well-known software development methodologies, this approach is known as DSDM (Dynamic System Development Methodology). It uses a software design approach rather than developing individual components to fill specific requirements. Developing components allows development teams to focus on one component at a time, rather than the whole application at once. This methodology provides flexibility but requires that development teams work cooperatively to do the job. Many developers, especially those newer to the industry, assume that DSDM is better for large teams, but in reality, large teams can become counterproductive. Instead, teams that work well together will get more done in less time.

5 Tips for Choosing the Right Project Management Methodologies

The above section shows that different project management methodologies are more suitable for specific projects. To pick the methodology best serves your needs, you must consider factors impacting what you select. Here are a few particular things you could keep in mind when opting for project management methodologies. 

You should be clear about the final deliverables and ways to get your project done by gathering initial requirements. Depending on specific project initial requirements such as budget, timelines, complexity, etc., you could pick different methodologies. For example, if you are required to form a large and diverse team, a flexible method will be most suitable. 

The project management methodology is a blueprint for the project, so your team must know how to read it. Hence, if your team has little experience with a project management methodology, it is challenging to complete the project successfully. You should choose what fits your team members rather than forcing them to adapt to an unfamiliar method.

Moreover, you had better consider your team’s strengths and weaknesses to opt for the right project management methodologies . If your team is highly disciplined, motivated, and experienced, Scrum could be a smart choice. And if you have limited resources, a resource-efficient approach such as Critical Chain Project Management will offer better results. 

Your company’s organization, culture, and past records will significantly determine the type of project management methodology you choose. Some project methodologies are only suitable for large organizations with established hierarchies. Others could work well for smaller, leaner ones.

For example, if your past records reveal that all your Scrum projects were delayed and poorly performed, you ought to avoid this methodology in the future.

With some methodologies, stakeholders must frequently be involved in every project stage. For example, in the Agile methodology, you need stakeholders to give feedback regularly. If they are busy, a method with lower requirements of stakeholder involvement would be better. Moreover, it would help if you considered the demands of your stakeholders. If they want to change the project scope regularly, you can accommodate this demand by selecting a more flexible project management methodology. 

There is a certain correlation between the methodologies and the project management tools . So, the available tools you have may affect your choice of project management methodologies. You could list all the pros and cons of the software tools you currently use and look into the tool requirements of a specific project methodology. Ideally, you should pick the method that works well with your existing tools. It may be expensive to purchase new tools and time-consuming to retrain your team.

In a nutshell, there are several project management methodologies with their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, you should evaluate your project requirements, your team, your organization, your stakeholders, and your current tools. By doing so, you can select a methodology that aligns with your strengths and your project goals. Hopefully, our article has helped you learn something about popular project management methodologies besides Agile. And may you be able to choose the right choice the most suitable one for your business?

With this latest technology now available, it is a much better option for you to switch to  Designveloper.  We offer all of the services needed for any size business and more – from web development, to mobile application design, and consulting. We are here waiting for your call!  Give us a call today  if you want an estimate or just some advice on how we can help your company with these new developments in technology!

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The best Project Management methodologies to know about

Project management methodologies can get a bad wrap as processes scattered and riddled with grunt work. While projects can range from simple to complex, the most successful ones have a clear and consistent project management approach.

When it comes to choosing the best course of action for your team members, it’s best to start with a baseline understanding of both project methodologies and their respective frameworks.

In this blog, we’ll cover the distinction between these terms, popular project management methodologies and examples, and of course how to manage it all with the right project management tools.

Let’s get started!

What is the difference between project framework and methodology?

In general, frameworks outline what to do but lets the doer decide how to get it done. A methodology is more precise, specifying: what to do, when to do, how to do it, and why.

Projects in controlled environments—that require you to map details out from the start— might differ from those that allow for continuous improvement, but more on that soon.

Why is using a project management methodology important?

There are several reasons you may want to opt for a project management methodology. We’ve outline a few below:

Project management methods allow teams to clearly define roles, which helps improve the decision-making process and ensures accountability. This reduces confusion down the line, saving your teams time and frustration.

Whatever project management methodology you follow, you’ll implement a process for monitoring and controlling the project as a part of the project lifecycle. Project management methodologies set standards for how often these project checks take place, as well as any resulting actions incorporated into the workflow.

Whether there is a decision up front as to what the project deliverables are, or they emerge as the project progresses,

“following a project management methodology makes it almost 20% more likely the project will deliver what it’s supposed to.”

Using a project management method that’s been tried and tested means you can accurately plan the project initiation phase and the overall project timeline and budget from the start.

You can also incorporate lessons learned from other projects, increasing the chance of success.

Before jumping into specific project management methodologies and frameworks, let’s take a high-level look at the project management lifecycle. As most frameworks and methodologies use these steps in their own way, this will help put all approaches into context later on.

Quick review: 5 steps of the project management lifecycle

Below, you’ll read terms like ‘Waterfall’ and ‘Agile’ —we’ll explain these more in the following section. For now, here’s a quick summary of the project management lifecycle .

This is the very start of the project when teams put the business case together and senior stakeholders sign off on it. During project initiation you can identify a project sponsor and the project scope— what’s in and what’s out — in the project charter.

In this phase, the project manager will create the project plan . In the Waterfall methodology, this will be comprehensive, with all stakeholders agreeing on project deliverables and identifying milestones. In an Agile framework, the project planning phase is shorter and combined with the project execution phase.

For Waterfall projects, the project execution phase is all about following the project schedule and putting into action what was agreed on in the planning phase. In an Agile project, sprints start at this stage. Each sprint informs what will be delivered next, edging the project closer to the end goal.

Monitoring & controlling

Projects following a Waterfall model document their governance processes within a project charter. The key thing the project manager and other stakeholders will look out for is scope creep during project monitoring . While changes in scope happen, they should be formally documented through a change control process.

For Agile projects, a sprint retrospective at the end of each sprint gives the opportunity for a quick and dirty review of what is and isn’t working and what should be prioritized next.

Hooray, you made it to the end! Whether your deliverables were agreed upon upfront, or they emerged during the project life-cycle, it’s time to hand them over to the business and during project closeout .

Okay now back to our main topic: frameworks and methodologies. Next, we’ll quickly cover two of the most popular project management methodologies.

Two of the most popular project management methodologies

The two main project methodologies are Waterfall and Agile. Again, we will get more granular about each later on. For now, here’s an easy way to think about each one:

• Waterfall methodology: a linear, sequential process where each step in the project waits for the previous one to finish before it can start
• Agile methodology: functions in an iterative way, meaning work is completed in planned increments and each increment brings greater clarity as to what the final outcome will be

Here’s a more in-depth look at both methodologies, starting with Agile.

We started outlining Agile in a section above, but let’s get deeper into this method. Agile is an umbrella term that encompasses several different project management frameworks, such as Scrum , but it’s worth mentioning a few more details here.

It rejects rigid planning and says that teams needs to operate flexibly and iteratively—meaning you don’t “do it once, and do it right,” but rather you work on something small and execute it quickly, evaluate what’s working and what’s not, and then change and adapt from there.

Agile accepts uncertainty as a given and aims to empower project teams to be super flexible, execute their work quickly, and respond to change without a hitch. This could be a disadvantage to teams working with a tighter budget or timeline because the Agile method can feel fraught with unpredictability.

It also requires close and frequent communication—which is made easier with a Work Operating System. We’ll get into more on the Work OS further down, but here’s an idea of what Agile planning looks like on the software:

Waterfall model

Again, this isn’t technically a framework. This old-school method asks project managers to list all the tasks that lead to the end goal and work on them in order. Progress cascades downwards from one phase of the project to the next.

Teams must complete each before moving on to the next. The Waterfall methodology is great for anyone who makes pricier, physical products in repetitive process itself.

And in terms of smaller endeavors, if you’re an excellent planner working on a project with clear scope and requirements, the Waterfall method can help you land on a successful, predictable result.

If you’re unsure when to use Waterfall vs. Agile, we’ll break it down in the next section.

When should I use Waterfall?

Waterfall project management works best for projects with long, detailed plans that require a single timeline. It works best in a less volatile project environment, and where there can be an upfront investment from the client to ensure a high level of certainty around the final deliverables.

Check out some of the pros and cons:

Next up, Agile. Here’s when to use it and what you can gain or sacrifice from this method.

When should you use Agile?

Agile project management methodology works really well when the product vision or features don’t need to be well-defined. Agile allows product owners to tweak requirements and priorities throughout the project to take advantage of opportunities and ultimately deliver a better product to all of the project stakeholders.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of the methodology:

If neither Agile nor Waterfall seem like the perfect fit for your project, there’s another solution.

Let’s meet in the middle: hybrid project management methodology 

Otherwise known as a hybrid methodology, this approach combines the best of both Agile and Waterfall project management methodologies.

Be warned, however, that combining them into one methodology can be challenging. Teams may have to work in ways they aren’t used to, or comfortable with.

Senior stakeholders may need some guidance as to how to get the data they need from unfamiliar metrics. Decisions may take longer, information may need repeating several times, and teams may miss something if responsibilities are unclear.

But, for an experienced project manager who understands the challenges, the potential for increased efficiency and flexibility, the hybrid approach may just be worth it.

Now that we’ve gone over a few methodologies, here’s how to know which project management methodology is right for you.

4 factors for choosing the right project management methodology

Aside from understanding the pros and cons of each methodology, you can use these four factors to help you decide on your ideal approach.

1. Requirements: The first question you have to answer is whether you need to define project requirements upfront, as part of a scope statement, or whether they’re more flexible and can become clearer over the course of the project. Your answer will influence the project management methodology you choose.

2. Resources: If your project needs a specialist resource with limited availability, you need to be clear when in the project timeline you are going to use them and make sure you book them. Otherwise, you risk adding a significant delay.

3. Client culture: You’ll need to identify the client’s non-negotiables. If the project scope needs to be tightly controlled, but time and budget aren’t set in stone, you’ll need a different approach than when time and budget are fixed, but the end deliverable can be more flexible.

4. Level of stakeholder engagement: How is the client expecting to work with the project team? Will they be close to the project and on-hand throughout to make decisions and offer direction? Or do they want to provide all that at the start and then let the project run with minimal input?

If you’re still unsure of which methodology to use, let’s examine frameworks. We’ve gathered the top project management frameworks below, giving an in depth explanation of each.

What are the top project management frameworks? An in-depth explanation

While the project management field continues to evolve, there are several project management frameworks project managers and their teams favor. Keep reading to get the 411 on each.

PRINCE2 stands for P rojects IN C ontrolled E nvironments and is one of the process-oriented Waterfall project management frameworks that emphasizes clear steps and well-defined responsibilities.

PRINCE2 places heavy emphasis on planning, business justification, cost analysis, and risk mitigation, and is an incredibly thorough framework for running large and predictable enterprise projects .

It is also the most widely practiced project management methodology in the world, which means that a lot of people are familiar with it, know how it works, and understand its terminology.

It’s a tried-and-true classic for mapping out stages of a large-scale project from start to finish, clarifying what will be delivered, by whom, and when. It’s also pretty rigid and poses similar challenges most Waterfall projects have.

2. PMBOK methodology

Created by the Project Management Institute (PMI), PMBOK stands for Project Management Body of Knowledge, which breaks down project management into five phases: conception and initiation, planning, execution, performance and monitoring, and closing.

Although the PMBOK Guide doesn’t dictate methodology, many software project managers associate it with the Waterfall model. Just as there isn’t a PMI methodology (it provides project management practices and guides), PMBOK leaves it up to the team to decide which processes are best in their situation.

Scrum is the Agile project management framework of choice of most product development teams today, and it’s one that we loosely follow here internally at monday.com.

Scrum is famous for buzzwords such as “sprints,” “scrums,” “backlogs,” and “burndowns.” With Scrum, you don’t focus on projects per se, but you instead focus on time: what can you achieve as a team in the next two weeks?

Small teams (no more than nine people) divide work into two-week milestones known as “sprints” or “iterations.” They meet for daily 15-minute “stand-ups” led by a Scrum Master to discuss where things stand.

The Scrum Master acts as a facilitator whose job is to clear away obstacles and help the team work more efficiently. This Agile approach is great for creative projects where you can modify goals midway without derailing the entire project. Take a look at this example Scrum Sprint Planning board:

This philosophy focuses on achieving more by working with less. It’s mostly attributed to the Toyota Production System (TPS) who defined three broad types of waste: muda, mura, muri.

Lean aims to systematically eliminate all forms of waste so you’re working as efficiently as possible. It encourages you to strip away all the fluff of your day-to-day so you’re only left with the essentials that deliver real value.

Lean is easy to follow if you work in a manufacturing or production environment delivering a physical product, such as a Toyota car. Unfortunately, Lean is an old-school methodology that’s not as relevant teams working digitally.

The Kanban board is used to visually manage processes with several different columns that represent stages in your workflow . The stages could be as simple as “To-do,” “Working on it,” and “Done” or far more complex, as tailored to your process.

You then represent work via cards or sticky notes, moving them from left to right as they progress through your workflow—this way you can easily evaluate points of inefficiency: where are sticky notes building up?

Like Agile, Kanban was specifically developed for software development, but it people love it because it can be applied to basically any workflow that follows a predictable process.

People love Kanban for its simplicity and flexibility, but it doesn’t particularly help you strategize and plan ahead. You’re focused on what’s urgent, which may be different from what’s actually important. In addition, many projects follow non-linear processes that can’t be managed by a flat, single-layer display.

Whatever project management framework or methodology you choose, a key project success factor is using the right tools. If you’re using a Waterfall approach, you know that means to plan, plan, and plan some more. This is where monday.com Work OS comes in.

Manage any project with monday.com Work OS

As we mentioned earlier, monday.com Work OS is a Work Operating System. On our software, teams can create and customize any work solution for faster, more agile, and customizable workflows.

Our drag and drop capabilities mean anyone with permission can easily account for customer feedback or add another item to the product backlog for extra agility.

No matter which framework or methodology you use, we have a view or template to make planning and executing projects easier. More specifically, our project management planning template shows the tasks, timeline, and progress for each stage of the project lifecycle.

If you’re using an Agile project management methodology, you’ll need sprint planning templates . We’ve also got a handy template for your sprint retrospective .

Plus, we integrate with the tip-top collaboration, communication apps, and organization tools to prioritize tasks, assign workflows, and seek feedback from stakeholders.

For a hybrid approach, you can mix and match from our wide range of templates.

Start your project management engines

Choosing the right project management methodology is all about careful consideration and the right tools to match. If you’ve read this article, you’re already headed in the right direction.

To see how you can achieve your project management goals, get started with our free, 2-week trial—it’s on us! Be sure to try our customizable templates built for these project management methodologies and more.

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The definitive guide to project management methodologies.

• Types of project management methodologies
• How to pick the right methodology

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Originally published July 14, 2019. Updated with current & new info on April 25, 2022.

What are project management methodologies? A project management methodology is essentially a set of guiding principles and processes for managing a project. Your choice of methodology defines how you work and communicate.

So, how do you choose a project management methodology?

What methodology you choose will depend on your team, project type, and project scope . Choosing project management methodologies (PMM) is one of the first decisions you’ll have to make as a project manager.

What methodology you pick will have a profound and ongoing impact on how you and your teamwork. Different project management methodologies have their own pros and cons for different project types. Some are geared for speed, and some for comprehensiveness. 

In this article, we’ll give you a complete overview of different PMMs and how to choose them.

Types of Project Management Methodologies

On paper, PM methodologies are tool agnostic, i.e. you should be able to use any methodology regardless of what PM tool you use.

In reality, most project management tools are specialized to use a handful of methodologies. This will be a factor in what methodology you eventually choose to use.

The question now is: What are the different types of project management methodologies? What are their advantages and disadvantages? What kind of projects are they best suited for?

Below, we’ll take a look at and explore 13 of the most popular project management methodologies.

1. waterfall methodology

What is the waterfall methodology.

The Waterfall methodology is the oldest methodology on this list. It was first outlined by Dr. Winston Royce in 1970 as a response to managing the increasingly complex nature of software development. Since then, it has become widely adopted, most prominently in the software industry.

The Waterfall methodology is sequential. It is also heavily requirements-focused. You need to have a crystal clear idea of what the project demands before proceeding further. There is no scope for a correction once the project is underway.

The Waterfall method is divided into discrete stages. You start by collecting and analyzing requirements, designing the solution (and your approach), implementing the solution, and fixing issues if any.

Each stage in this process is self-contained; you wrap up one stage before moving on to another.

Graphically, you can represent it as follows:

The above is from a software development perspective. Individual stages would be different for creative project management, but the approach remains the same.

Advantages of the Waterfall methodology

As Mike Wang, our Director of Training and Support, mentioned earlier :

“One of the driving factors behind waterfall management is that by investing time in the early stages of a project, managers ensure design needs and other requirements have been met—thus saving the time and effort generally associated with retroactively correcting problems”

Thus, the Waterfall method has several advantages, such as:

Ease of use:

Documentation:, disadvantages of the waterfall methodology, higher risk:, front-heavy:.

The Waterfall methodology is most commonly used in software development. It works best for the following project types:

• Short, simple projects
• Projects with clear and fixed requirements
• Projects with changing resources that depend on in-depth documentation
• For further reading on Waterfall methodology, see this post. 

2. Agile methodology

What is the agile methodology.

Agile , another software development-focused PM methodology, emerged as a response to the failure of the Waterfall method for managing complex projects. Although Agile PM ideas had been in use in the software industry for quite a while, it formally came into being in 2001 when several IT representatives released the " Agile Manifesto "

Graphically, it can be represented as follows:

Advantages of the Agile methodology

Flexibility and freedom:, lower risk:, disadvantages of the agile methodology, no fixed plan:, collaboration-heavy:.

The flexibility of the Agile approach means that you can adapt it to different types of projects.

That said, this methodology works best for:

• When you don't have a fixed end in mind but have a general idea of a product.
• When the project needs to accommodate quick changes.
• If collaboration and communication are your key strengths (and planning isn't)

3. Hybrid methodology

The Hybrid methodology focuses on gathering and analyzing requirements initially - a nod to the Waterfall method. From thereon, it takes the flexibility of the Agile approach with an emphasis on rapid iterations.

By combining attributes of Waterfall and Agile, the Hybrid method (sometimes called "Structured Agile") gives you the best of both worlds.

Advantages of the Hybrid Methodology

Increased flexibility:, more structured:, disadvantages of the hybrid methodology, requires compromise:, the "best of both worlds".

The Hybrid approach is best suited for projects that have middling requirements when compared to Agile and Waterfall, i.e. they require structure as well as flexibility.

Mostly, these would be medium-sized projects with moderately high complexity but fixed budgets. You would likely have an idea of the end product but you are also open to experimentation. You will need close collaboration, especially past the planning stage.

4. lean project management

Lean project management focuses on maximizing efficiency by minimizing waste. It is inspired by the 1980s Lean manufacturing philosophy which holds that waste (the expenditure of resources on anything other than the creation of value for the end customer) should be eliminated.

LPM groups tasks into three types:

Value-Added: Tasks that advance the completion of the project and generate value for the customer (e.g., adding a roof to a hotel).

Enabler: Tasks that the customer isn’t paying for, but which are necessary for the project to be completed (e.g., project planning or quality testing).

Waste: Tasks that are unnecessary and which do not add value by advancing the completion of a deliverable (e.g., a team member attending a meeting at which they are not required).

Applying Lean principles to project management boils down to reducing the time required to complete projects. This is because the longer a project takes, the more money it will cost. Plus, missing the project deadline can cause a loss of benefits and attract financial penalties. 

By eliminating wasteful activities so that more time can be spent on value-added tasks, LPM reduces the amount of time it takes to complete the project. 

Advantages :

• Faster project completion times: Realizing the project earlier means that the customer will receive more value at a lower cost. 
• Boost in quality : Attention is paid to details with the goal of minimizing mistakes and the need to make amendments. Processes become optimized and the quality of the work improves.  
• An improvement culture: Project Managers practicing PLM are always communicating with their team about ways to cut waste and work smarter. Teams feel empowered and open to making and suggesting improvements.

Disadvantages :

• Inventory could be at risk: To decrease carrying costs, lean companies keep stock amounts low, leaving them vulnerable to supply chain issues. 
• Expensive start-up: Updating legacy systems and introducing more efficient equipment, software and processes can be expensive and time-consuming.
• Requires culture change : Teams may be resistant to training and unwilling to adopt lean practices.   

LPM is best for engaging team members and reducing staff turnover as everyone is encouraged to take the initiative and make continuous improvements. Using this method can give an organization a competitive advantage as it drives up quality and profits. 

5. Scrum Project Management

Scrum isn't a fully-featured project management methodology. Rather, it describes an approach to Agile management with a focus on project teams, short "sprints" and daily stand-up meetings.

While it borrows the principles and processes from Agile, Scrum has its own specific methods and tactics for dealing with project management. As Mike put it earlier:

"Agile is the philosophy, and Scrum the methodology. While scrum is agile, agile isn’t scrum." 

The Scrum approach places the project team front and center of the project. Often, there is no project manager. Instead, the team is expected to be self-organizing and self-managing. This makes it ideal for highly focused and skilled teams, but not so much for others.

• Scrum "sprints" : The Scrum approach is heavily focused on 30-day "sprints". This is where the project team breaks down a wishlist of end goals into small chunks, then works on them in 30-day sessions with daily stand-up meetings. This makes it easy to manage large and complex projects.
• Fast-paced: The "sprint" approach with its 30-day limit and daily stand-up meetings promotes rapid iteration and development.
• Team-focused: Since the project team is expected to manage itself, Scrum teams have clear visibility into the project. It also means that project leaders can set their own priorities as per their own knowledge of their capabilities.

Besides these, it has all the benefits of Agile - rapid iteration and regular stakeholder feedback.

Disadvantages

• Scope creep : Since there is no fixed end date, nor a project manager for scheduling and budgeting, Scrum can easily lead to scope creep.
• Higher risk: Since the project team is self-managing, there is a higher risk of failure unless the team is highly disciplined and motivated. If the team doesn't have enough experience, Scrum has a very high chance of failure.
• Lack of flexibility: The project-team focus means that any resource leaving the team in-between will hugely impact the net results. This approach is also not flexible enough for large teams.

The Scrum approach is best for highly experienced, disciplined, and motivated project teams who can set their own priorities and understand project requirements clearly. It has all the flaws of Agile along with all its benefits. It works for large projects but fails if the project team itself is very large.

In short: use Scrum if you're developing complex software and have an experienced team at your disposal.

6. Kanban Project Management

Kanban is a visual agile project management framework developed by Japanese auto giant Toyota in the 1950s. At its core is a physical or digital Kanban (signboard), divided into three columns representing three stages of completion:

•     Work that hasn’t begun (backlog)
•     Work in progress (WIP)
•     Work that has been completed

Project tasks, listed on real or virtual Kanban cards, are added to the board and moved from one column to the next as their status changes. The more urgent a task is, the higher its position will be in the first and second columns.  

• Maintains a smooth flow of production: By limiting the number of tasks in progress at any one time, Kanban protects the project team from becoming overburdened by work. This approach can maximize efficiency and speed up delivery times. 
• Visible and transparent workflow: Kanban shows the status of each task and the overall progress of the project in a way that is immediately intuitive to most people.  
• Not designed for a dynamic environment: Kanban assumes that a project will be executed according to a pre-arranged plan. This makes Kanban unsuitable for creative agencies where changes can be transformative rather than evolutionary. 
• Lack of timeline: In Kanban, no timeframes are associated with each work stage. This makes it difficult to schedule deliveries and estimate things like project costs.

Best for:  

Kanban is best for teams who want to visualize a project from start to finish. This method will help you avoid workflow bottlenecks and prevent too many tasks from being in progress at the same time, which can overwhelm teams and cause morale to plummet.

7. Scrumban Project Management

Despite its name, Scrumban isn’t simply an amalgamation of the Scrum and Kanban project management methods. Though it was created with the intention of helping teams transition from Scrum to a flow method such as Kanban, today Scrumban exists as a standalone agile method based on Lean.

Like Scrum, Scrumban involves planning out chunks of work (sprints). These iterations must be completed within a set timeframe (typically two weeks). 

Deploying the same visual methodology and task-focused work organization as Kanban, tasks are represented as cards that move through different stages across a board. 

Instead of tasks being assigned, team members choose what they want to work on. Scrumban places a hard limit on how many tasks can be in progress simultaneously. 

• Good for large-scale or long-term projects : Scrumban simplifies complex projects by splitting them into smaller, manageable pieces. As an iterative Agile method, it allows small changes to be made over large stretches of time, making it a great framework for long-term projects.
• Prevents overwhelming workload: With Scrumban, the project is broken up into smaller tasks and teams focus only on what they have the capacity to complete. This helps to reduce the risk of scope creep.

Disadvantages:

Lack of management :.

Scrumban has no team hierarchy and no clear group leader. While this gives every person on the team the same opportunity to make decisions, it can cause confusion.

Troublesome tracking:

Best for: 

Scrumban is best for teams who need structure and flexibility. By limiting WIP, it cuts down on multi-tasking, helping teams to maintain productivity. Scrumban projects don’t necessarily need to have a deadline which makes this method a good choice for very long-term projects or projects with an ambiguous goal. 

8. Critical Path Method (CPM)

The above four project management methodologies emerged from software development. While you can certainly use them for non-software projects, there are better alternatives at your disposal.

One of the more popular alternatives is the Critical Path Method (CPM).

In the Critical Path Method, you categorize all activities needed to complete the project within a work breakdown structure . Then you map the projected duration of each activity and the dependencies between them.

This helps you map out activities that can be completed simultaneously, and what activities should be completed before others can start.

Better scheduling:

Prioritization:, scheduling requires experience:, no flexibility:.

The Critical Path Method is best suited for projects with interdependent parts. If you require tasks to be completed simultaneously, or for one task to end before another can begin, you'll want to use this methodology.

CPM finds a lot of application in complex, but repetitive activities such as industrial projects. It is less suited for a dynamic area such as creative project management.

9. Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)

Critical Chain PM is one of the newer project management methodologies out there. It was developed as an alternative to the Critical Path method with a focus on resource management.

With CCPM, you work backward from the end goal. You recognize the deliverables, then use past experience to map out the tasks required to complete the project. You also map out the interdependencies between resources and allocate them accordingly to each task.

This graph from TrackerSuite shows the difference between a traditional vs. a CCPM project schedule.

CCPM emphasizes resource utilization and minimizing lost productivity. It is heavily reliant on "monotasking", i.e. focusing on the task at hand and avoiding multitasking.

For resource-strapped project teams, CCPM can be a powerful methodology.

Resource-efficient:

Focused on the end goal:, not appropriate for multi-project environments:, delays common:.

CCPM works best in environments where resources are devoted to a single project. If you have a dedicated team for a project, it works great. If your team is spread across several projects, you'll struggle with resource planning.

The resource-focused approach of CCPM is also ideal for resource-strapped project teams. If you find yourself constantly overworked or missing deadlines, the CCPM methodology might be for you.

10. Integrated Project Management (IPM)

Integrated Project Management (IPM) - sometimes also called "Integrated Project Delivery" - is a common project management methodology in creative industries. This methodology emphasizes the sharing and standardization of processes across the organization. 

The IPM approach came about as a response to the increasingly integrated nature of creative campaigns. You don't just produce a single ad; you integrate the ad with microsites, digital content, etc.  Most creative projects are a piece of a larger campaign. 

An integrated project has the following components:

By integrating processes across the organization, IPM gives project managers better insight into the project and access to the right resources.

This makes IPM particularly appropriate for creative agencies.

Transparency:

Accountability:.

Requires extensive planning: With the IPM approach, you will have to plan extensively upfront and ensure that all processes are well-integrated. This increases your burden significantly and can lead to delays.

Large agencies with diverse teams and processes benefit the most from Integrated Project Management. It works best for complex creative projects where you need resources from multiple teams and departments to interface with each other.

PRiSM (Projects Integration Sustainable Methods) is a project management methodology developed by Green Project Management (GPM) Global.

As hinted by the creator's name, the PRiSM approach focuses on accounting for and minimizing adverse environmental impacts of the project. It is different from traditional methodologies in that it extends beyond the end of the project. Instead, it factors in the entire lifecycle of the project post-delivery to maximize sustainability.

Here's an overview of how activities are organized in PRiSM :

The PRiSM approach is very pertinent for modern projects where environmental costs and sustainability are key success criteria. For large projects where reducing energy consumption, managing waste, and minimizing environmental impact is critical, PRiSM offers a viable project management ideology.

PRiSM is unsuitable for projects where environmental impact is not a concern (such as software or creative projects).

Success with the PRiSM approach also requires every part of the project team - including outside contractors and stakeholders - to be on board with the sustainability principle - a hard ask in most organizations.

PRiSM is mostly suited for large and complex real estate and industrial projects where sustainability is a key concern.

12. PRINCE2

PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments) is the official project management methodology of the UK government (which means that most UK government projects use it). You can even get a PRINCE2 certification to make working as a project manager in the UK easier.

PRINCE2 is based on 7 principles, 7 themes and 7 processes. The 7 PRINCE2 principles, for instance, are:

• Continued business justification
• Learn from experience
• Defined roles and responsibilities
• Manage by stages
• Manage by Exception
• Focus on products
• Tailor to suit the project environment

Wikipedia has a great introductory article on this methodology. I suggest you start there if you're interested in PRINCE2.

Running a PRINCE2 project requires extensive documentation. Additionally, one of the guiding principles of PRINCE2 is to "Learn from experience". This focus on documentation and past experience can help reduce risk.

The disadvantage of PRINCE2's extensive documentation is that changes can be hard to accommodate. If the requirements change, you have to redo the documentation and re-allocate resources, which can hamper the project pace.

This methodology is best suited for large and complex projects with fixed requirements. If you're in the UK, you'll likely want to know the PRINCE2 methodology. It is widely used in the country and is a requirement for government projects.

13. What is Six Sigma Project Management? 

Developed in the 1980s by Motorola, Six Sigma is a data-driven quality-control management method focused on understanding customers’ requirements and eliminating waste and defects (anything that doesn’t meet customers’ expectations).

Statistical analysis is used to identify problems and determine their cause, and processes are improved through decisions based on data.   

This quality management process is monitored by a team with Six Sigma expertise. Inspired by martial arts, Six Sigma uses belts to designate different levels of methodological mastery. 

Within Six Sigma are two five-step methodologies: DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) which focuses on incrementally improving existing processes, and DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify) which focuses on optimizing new products or processes to Six Sigma standards.

Advantages:

Proactive approach:, informed decision-making:, increased efficiency:, data deluge:, training requirements : companies must find certified six sigma institutes to train all their employees or conduct in-house training without formal certification., no framework:.

While Six Sigma can be a useful tool for small to medium-sized businesses seeking to reduce waste, it brings the greatest benefit to large-scale companies that continuously produce the same products or deliver the same services.

There are several other PMMs besides these, such as Crystal , Feature Driven Development (FDD), Dynamic Systems Development (DSDM), and Rational Unified Process (RUP).

For the most part, however, you’ll choose from one of the methodologies described above.

choosing the Right Methodology

From the above section, it is clear that different PM methodologies are better suited for different projects. You wouldn’t want to use PRiSM for a software project, just as you wouldn’t want to use Agile for big real-estate development.

When you’re picking PM methodologies, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Evaluate the Project

Focus on gathering initial requirements. If the requirements suggest that you need a large and diverse team, pick a methodology that supports flexibility.

Similarly, if you have a clear idea of the end result, pick a more structured methodology such as Waterfall. If the end result is vague (common in the case of in-house projects), pick an iterative methodology like Agile.

Some other things to consider when evaluating the project are:

• Project budget
• Size and complexity
• Stakeholder expectations
• Project type and industry

2. Evaluate Your Team

Your project management methodology is essentially a blueprint for the project. It tells your team what to create and when to create it.

For this to happen, however, your team should be able to read the blueprint itself.

In other words, if your team isn't familiar with the project management methodology of your choice, you will struggle to get results. You will have to devote time to learning the methodology (which some of your team members might be resistant to), leading to delays.

Here are a few things to consider when evaluating your team:

• Team experience
• Self-organization capabilities
• Team preparedness
• Team location (remote, on-site, etc.)

Essentially, pick a methodology that fits your team, instead of forcing your team to fit the methodology.

3. Evaluate Your Organization

How your company is organized, its culture, and its past records will have a big impact on your choice of project management methodology. Some methodologies only work with large organizations with established hierarchies. Others are more suitable for smaller, leaner outfits.

For instance, if your past records show that all your Agile projects have been delayed AND poorly received, it's a good idea to avoid this methodology in the future.

A few things you should consider when evaluating your organization are:

• Past records and experience with different methodologies
• Organization hierarchy
• Level of flexibility
• Organization maturity level
• Organization size
• Available resources, including external resources such as freelancers and contractors.
• Your industry

4. Evaluate Your Stakeholders

When choosing a PM methodology, factor in:

• Stakeholder involvement: Some methodologies demand that stakeholders be regularly involved at every stage of the project. With Agile, for instance, you need stakeholders to be regularly available for feedback. If the stakeholders are busy, pick a methodology that requires lower stakeholder involvement.
• Stakeholder requirements: How do your stakeholders work? What do they require from the project manager? If the stakeholders are known to change project scope frequently, pick a more flexible methodology. Similarly, if the stakeholders require daily updates, pick a methodology that can accommodate this demand.

Given the importance of stakeholders in the project’s success, keeping their requirements in mind will make for happier stakeholders and more successful projects.

5. Evaluate Your Tools

Project management tools are seldom methodology-agnostic. They are usually designed to work well with a specific methodology.

Hence, the software tools you have existing access to and expertise in will impact your choice.

To do this:

• Make a list of all software tools you currently use
• List their limitations and capabilities
• Compare their capabilities against the requirements for a specific PM methodology.

Ideally, the methodology you choose should work with your existing toolset. If you have to buy new tools, you will not only have to spend more but will also lose critical time in retraining your team.

Doing this in-depth evaluation will help you choose a methodology that aligns with your goals, your team’s capabilities, and your stakeholder’s requirements perfectly.

As a project manager, you have several project management methodologies to choose from. Each of these methodologies has its own strengths and weaknesses. Picking the right one will make running your project faster, smoother, and more efficient.

Pick from one of the several methodologies listed above. Then evaluate your project, team, organization, stakeholders, and existing tools to pick a methodology that aligns with your strengths and requirements.

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Software Project Management (SPM) – Software Engineering

Software Project Management (SPM) is a proper way of planning and leading software projects. It is a part of project management in which software projects are planned, implemented, monitored, and controlled. This article focuses on discussing Software Project Management (SPM) .

Table of Content

Need for Software Project Management

Types of management in spm, aspects of software project management, downsides of software project management, question for practice, frequently asked questions – software project management (spm).

Software is a non-physical product. Software development is a new stream in business and there is very little experience in building software products. Most of the software products are made to fit clients’ requirements. The most important is that basic technology changes and advances so frequently and rapidly that the experience of one product may not be applied to the other one. Such types of business and environmental constraints increase risk in software development hence it is essential to manage software projects efficiently. It is necessary for an organization to deliver quality products, keep the cost within the client’s budget constraint, and deliver the project as per schedule. Hence, in order, software project management is necessary to incorporate user requirements along with budget and time constraints.

1. Conflict Management

Conflict management is the process to restrict the negative features of conflict while increasing the positive features of conflict. The goal of conflict management is to improve learning and group results including efficacy or performance in an organizational setting. Properly managed conflict can enhance group results.

2. Risk Management

Risk management is the analysis and identification of risks that is followed by synchronized and economical implementation of resources to minimize, operate and control the possibility or effect of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities.

3. Requirement Management

It is the process of analyzing, prioritizing, tracking, and documenting requirements and then supervising change and communicating to pertinent stakeholders. It is a continuous process during a project.

4. Change Management

Change management is a systematic approach to dealing with the transition or transformation of an organization’s goals, processes, or technologies. The purpose of change management is to execute strategies for effecting change, controlling change, and helping people to adapt to change.

5. Software Configuration Management

Software configuration management is the process of controlling and tracking changes in the software, part of the larger cross-disciplinary field of configuration management. Software configuration management includes revision control and the inauguration of baselines.

6. Release Management

Release Management is the task of planning, controlling, and scheduling the built-in deploying releases. Release management ensures that the organization delivers new and enhanced services required by the customer while protecting the integrity of existing services.

The list of focus areas it can tackle and the broad upsides of Software Project Management is:

1. Planning

The software project manager lays out the complete project’s blueprint. The project plan will outline the scope, resources, timelines, techniques, strategy, communication, testing, and maintenance steps. SPM can aid greatly here.

A software project manager brings together and leads a team of engineers, strategists, programmers, designers, and data scientists. Leading a team necessitates exceptional communication, interpersonal, and leadership abilities. One can only hope to do this effectively if one sticks with the core SPM principles. 

3. Execution

SPM comes to the rescue here also as the person in charge of software projects (if well versed with SPM/ Agile methodologies ) will ensure that each stage of the project is completed successfully. measuring progress, monitoring to check how teams function, and generating status reports are all part of this process.

4. Time Management

Abiding by a timeline is crucial to completing deliverables successfully. This is especially difficult when managing software projects because changes to the original project charter are unavoidable over time. To assure progress in the face of blockages or changes, software project managers ought to be specialists in managing risk and emergency preparedness. This Risk Mitigation and  management is one of the core tenets of the philosophy of SPM. 

Software project managers , like conventional project managers, are responsible for generating a project budget and adhering to it as closely as feasible, regulating spending, and reassigning funds as needed. SPM teaches us how to effectively manage the monetary aspect of projects to avoid running into a financial crunch later on in the project.

6. Maintenance

Software project management emphasizes continuous product testing to find and repair defects early, tailor the end product to the needs of the client, and keep the project on track. The software project manager makes ensuring that the product is thoroughly tested, analyzed, and adjusted as needed. Another point in favor of SPM.

Aspects of Project Management

Numerous issues can develop if a Software project manager lacks the necessary expertise or knowledge. Software Project management has several drawbacks, including resource loss, scheduling difficulty, data protection concerns, and interpersonal conflicts between Developers/Engineers/Stakeholders. Furthermore, outsourcing work or recruiting additional personnel to complete the project may result in hefty costs for one’s company.

1. Costs are High

Consider spending money on various kinds of project management tools, software, & services if ones engage in Software Project Management strategies. These initiatives can be expensive and time-consuming to put in place. Because your team will be using them as well, they may require training. One may need to recruit subject-matter experts or specialists to assist with a project, depending on the circumstances. Stakeholders will frequently press for the inclusion of features that were not originally envisioned. All of these factors can quickly drive up a project’s cost.

2. Complexity will be increased

Software Project management is a multi-stage, complex process. Unfortunately, some specialists might have a propensity to overcomplicate everything, which can lead to confusion among teams and lead to delays in project completion. Their expressions are very strong and specific in their ideas, resulting in a difficult work atmosphere. Projects having a larger scope are typically more arduous to complete, especially if there isn’t a dedicated team committed completely to the project. Members of cross-functional teams may lag far behind their daily tasks, adding to the overall complexity of the project being worked on.

3. Overhead in Communication

Recruits enter your organization when we hire software project management personnel. This provides a steady flow of communication that may or may not match a company’s culture. As a result, it is advised that you maintain your crew as  small as feasible. The communication overhead tends to skyrocket when a team becomes large enough. When a large team is needed for a project, it’s critical to identify software project managers who can conduct effective communication with a variety of people.

4. Lack of Originality

Software Project managers can sometimes provide little or no space for creativity. Team leaders either place an excessive amount of emphasis on management processes or impose hard deadlines on their employees, requiring them to develop and operate code within stringent guidelines. This can stifle innovative thought and innovation that could be beneficial to the project. When it comes to Software project management, knowing when to encourage creativity and when to stick to the project plan is crucial. Without Software project management personnel, an organization can perhaps build and ship code more quickly. However, employing a trained specialist to handle these areas, on the other hand, can open up new doors and help the organization achieve its objectives more  quickly and more thoroughly.

1. If in a software project, the number of user input, user output, inquiries, files, and external interfaces are (15, 50, 24, 12, 8), respectively, with complexity average weighting factor. The productivity of effort = 70 percent-month is [ISRO CS 2015]

Solution: Correct Answer is (B).

How do you manage risks in Software Project Management?

The best way to manage risks is to identify the threats and implement a strategy to handle and manage threats. Applying a regular risk management strategy is beneficial in managing risks.

How does better software management contribute to project success?

Effective Project Management helps us in keeping our project on track, meeting deadlines, and delivering high-quality software that matches the client’s requirements. It also helps in managing risks.

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A Comprehensive Guide to Waterfall Methodology

Waterfall Methodology is one of the most popular ‘System Development Life Cycle' or SDLC software projects. The linear approach of the Waterfall methodology makes it very easy to manage and track your projects' progress. Especially for software companies, waterfall methodology is still the first choice for most.

SDLC process lets you finish your projects with the best quality at the lowest cost and in the shortest time.

According to PMI, 56% of projects used this traditional project management methodology- ‘ Waterfall ‘ during 2020. This is more than double if you compare it with the 22% projects share of the newer & increasingly popular methodology- ‘ Agile .'

In this article, we will let you know how the waterfall methodology works , why and how you should use it, and the importance of project management software to implement it.

But first, let's take a step back and get to know what SDLC,and Waterfall Methodology are before we dive deep into the details.

Introduction to SDLC and Waterfall Methodology

SDLC or the System Development Life Cycle is a process that helps you complete a project with the best quality and lowest cost within the shortest time. SDLC is also known as the Software Development Life Cycle in the software industry.

However, regardless of the industry, SDLC helps to create well-structured phases of a project that help an organization to quickly produce well-tested, high-quality outcomes.

There are several methodologies or models of SDLC that one can use to manage their project efficiently . Some of the most commonly used methodologies include Waterfall, Agile , Lean, and Spiral. Waterfall Methodology is by far the most common SDLC model among all of these.

Waterfall methodology is a linear and sequential project management approach to a system development life cycle. This method was originally defined by Winston W. Royce in 1970. The name waterfall methodology was coined because of the nature of this methodology. The model helps develop a project in sequential phases, which resembles a natural waterfall. This model is the perfect one if you want to release a product that is well-tested and ready for scale, right from day one of release.

Factors That Make Waterfall Methodology So Popular

Every result has reasoning. The fact that Waterfall Methodology is one of the most popular SDLC models despite being a traditional one, has to do more with its efficiency. If you know the outcome of a project before you start working on it, Waterfall Methodology will help make the process foolproof. Below are some more reasons for the popularity of waterfall methodology.

• One of the most important reasons behind the popularity of waterfall methodology is that the project stays rigid, so determining accurate cost and timeline becomes much easier before the start of the project.
• If the project stays stuck for more than the time needed, supervisors can always check the dependencies to get the process running again.
• Manufacturing companies tend to like it more because the design of the project is done early in the project, so there are little to no changes to the project during the implementation, making the whole project smooth.
• The whole process of waterfall methodology is structured. Thus everyone understands their role and when it should be done. This makes the project efficient and less time-consuming .
• Even if the project loses some key individuals, the team can quickly replace them because the design of the process and all the roles are defined in detailed documentation when the project is initiated.

There are many other reasons that one might want to use this model for their project. Now after knowing the reasons for the popularity, you might be wondering how you can use this methodology for your project. Well, you're in the right place.

Is The Waterfall Methodology Perfect for Your Projects in 2024?

Like any other model. Waterfall Methodology also has its advantages and drawbacks. Here are the most notable ones. We will start with the advantages of the Waterfall Methodology first.

Managing Project is Easy:  Managing a project is no easy task. But since waterfall methodology is not very flexible, and because it follows a sequential process, this model is very easy to manage. Every step of this model is rigid, thus you can track the progress at any time and get to know the exact process.

Predictability : Whether it is the project finish time, issues that might happen, project cost, what resource and tools will be needed, and when, all these data are highly predictable if you follow this acclaimed model.

Quality Assurance:  A key advantage that makes waterfall methodology a popular SDLC model is the quality of the final product. Since every step of the project is tested thoroughly, the projects often produce the best quality products.

Now let's take a look at some of the disadvantages of using the Waterfall methodology .

Modification of a Part is Hard:  Since the waterfall methodology follows a rigidly linear process, you can not change a part of the project if that phase is already completed.  Thus, making changes or updates is very hard in this model.

Takes More Time:  Unlike newer SDLC models, using waterfall methodology means you'll have to spend more time planning for the project . So, to see the project in action, you will have to wait till almost the last part of the life cycle.

Now, to get a more insightful look into the waterfall methodology, you need to know how another methodology compares to this. And up next, we will show you how it fares against another popular methodology, Agile .

How to Use Waterfall Methodology to Ensure Best Quality at Lowest Cost

As you already know, depending on the type of your business, different SDLC models are appropriate for you. But if you have decided that the waterfall methodology is the most suited model for your business , you should know how to implement it. But for that, you should have clear ideas of the phases of the waterfall methodology and what each of them does.

Phases of Waterfall Methodology

As a sequential model, the Waterfall Methodology has several phases. The phases are distributed linearly, and you can not skip one to start the next. Depending on the needs of your business, the number of phases can vary from 5 to 7. The inventor of this model, Winston W. Royce, described 5 different phases. The phases of the waterfall methodology are as follows –

• Requirements
• Implementation
• Verification
• Maintenance

We already know that with waterfall methodology you will only be able to begin a phase after the previous phase is completed and absolutely no update is required. In order to help you with the ideas of developing a project using this methodology, we will go through the phases in the proper order.

Developing a Project with Waterfall Methodology

Collecting the Requirements: The first phase of this methodology starts by meeting with clients or customers to determine the objectives of the project. The nature of the methodology is that you won't be able to get any more client feedback during the process. So you need to get as much data as you can during the initial meeting.

Designing the Product: The phase where you finalize the design of the product looks different from industry to industry. For software development companies, this is the phase where you choose the programming language, finish creating a design prototype of the product (not the actual product). For most other industries, it is the phase where you decide the design of the working process and lists out the tools & resources needed for that.

Implementing the Project: This is the phase where actual work is done. With the help of early requirements and the provided design, the final product should be developed.

Testing the Product: The verification phase starts as soon as the product is developed. While the product shall be tested many times during the development process, the final verification is a must. Apart from finding issues or bugs, in this phase, you will also compare the final product against the client's requirements . When you finally submit or share the project with the customer, make sure it is tested to the core and is ready to be used.

Maintenance:  While you will have to scrutinize the project during the verification process, problems will arise. Even if new problems don't arise after you hand over the project, demand for new features will surely arise. In this phase, you will deal with such maintenance tasks .

Waterfall Methodology vs Agile Methodology- Which One to Go for

Waterfall vs Agile? Which is the best methodology? This is a question that you will surely have once you start finding a suitable methodology for your project. Now there is no straight answer to this since both these methodologies are good and best at different aspects. But just to make it more clear for you to decide, here's a comparison of the waterfall and agile methodology.

• The waterfall is a linear and sequential approach to project management while Agile offers a more flexible incremental and iterative approach.
• Waterfall models accomplish the project by dividing them into several phases and breaking down the works . Agile gets a project done by dividing it into sprints.
• Agile Project Management introduces a product mindset with a focus on customer satisfaction; Waterfall focuses on successful project delivery.
• Project requirements are gathered at the start of the life cycle in Waterfall. However, they are prepared in every sprint in Agile.
• Agile allows the change on a certain requirement at any time; once the project starts Waterfall does not allow any changes.
• Agile is best suited for projects where changes are needed frequently and clients don't always have a clear vision of the final product . The waterfall model is perfect for industries where the final product is fixed and predictable before the project is completed.

For your convenience, here is a table showing the difference between Waterfall and Agile methodology-

From the comparison above you can choose your preferred methodology. However, if you have a software project agile is perhaps the better choice for you. For industries like manufacturing, the waterfall is the better choice, because in those cases you will know all the requirements of the project upfront . But in the end, it all depends on the demands of your project, so make your decision according to that.

Who Uses the Waterfall Model?

The Waterfall process is adopted by project managers who are faced with development projects that:

• Don’t have ambiguous requirements.
• Offer a clear picture of how things will proceed from the outset.
• Have clients who seem unlikely to change the scope of the project once it is underway.

If a project manager prefers clearly defined processes, where cost, design, and time requirements are known upfront, then the Waterfall method is the way to go, as long as the project itself is conducive to those constraints.

WP Project Manager: A Reliable Tool to Perfectly Implement Waterfall Methodology

If you have a small to medium-scale business, then there's a perfect project management tool for you. Yes, we are talking about WP Project Manager (WP PM) .

WP Project Manager is a WordPress-based project management tool that has all the features to streamline your SDLC. If you are planning a project that you want to accomplish using waterfall methodology, then WP PM has all the features equipped. The key features include –

Creating Multiple Projects: Does your company have multiple projects at a time? WP PM lets you create unlimited projects and task lists.

Setting up User Roles: You can set the user roles for each user of a project while creating. With WP PM you have the ability to give each user a specific set of custom access permissions.

Gantt Chart:  To create a sequential work process, the Gantt Chart is a must. WP PM's Gantt Chart feature lets you plan, schedule a project and create a project flow with ease. Which perfectly complements the Waterflow methodology.

Dashboard:  Do you need a birds-eye view of the whole project? Like where the project is waiting right now, the current progress, and calendar-based visualization of your overall project.

Overall Progress Report:  If you want a much detailed report , you can always go for the overall progress report, which is pretty comprehensive.

Apart from these, there are lots of other features that will come in handy if you want to manage your project following waterfall methodology. What's more, the price of the WP PM is very affordable. There is also a free version, which you can find on the WordPress repository. However, to get all the advanced features, you need to have the premium version that starts at just $79/year !

Wrapping Up

To run a project smoothly, you must follow organized ways. The common term for these organized ways is “SDLC” or “System Development Life Cycle”. There are quite a few SDLC methodologies that exist. Depending on the type of project (software, machinery, food processing, etc.) you might need to choose your preferred SDL methodologies.

Waterfall methodology is one of the most popular SDLC models that is used in a range of industries. Developing a project using Waterfall methodology takes multiple steps, the flow of the project almost seems like a natural waterfall. We have shown you the ways to develop a project using waterfall methodologies. We have also let you know how using WP Project Manager, you can efficiently implement a project using waterfall methodologies.

Waterfall methodology can be implemented perfectly if you use project management software . Project management software helps keep track of the progress of your project at any time. With the help of the Kanban Board, and Gantt Chart, supervisors can also find the progress and dependencies for every task. WP Project Manager can be the right partner to ease your workflow.

If you still have any questions regarding waterfall methodologies, don't forget to comment down below.

Faisal Sarker

Faisal is a tech blogger who excels at WordPress Content Writing. Apart from sharing useful info pieces that helps people around the world, he also likes to travel and read books of all genres in his leisure time.

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The Ultimate Guide To Web Development Project Management in 2024

Emilia gette.

Emilia Gette serves as a marketing associate at Workast, specializing in crafting innovative strategies to engage with the audience. With a focus on creativity and attention to detail, she contributes to driving impactful results across various marketing channels.

Starting a web development project can be an exciting yet complex journey. From defining project goals to selecting the right project management methodology, every step plays a crucial role in delivering a successful website. 

In this guide, we'll explore the key aspects of web development project management, including popular methodologies like Agile and Waterfall, effective steps for project planning and execution, and top project management software tools. 

Whether you're a seasoned web developer or new to the field, this guide will provide valuable insights to navigate your web development projects with confidence.

What is Web Development Project Management?

Web development project management is the process of planning, organizing, and overseeing the execution of a web development project from inception to completion. 

3 Project Management Methodologies for Website Development

Here's a structured guide on three project management methodologies commonly used in website development, each providing unique benefits and approaches to managing web projects effectively:

1. Waterfall Methodology

Waterfall methodology is a traditional, linear project management approach where tasks progress sequentially through requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. 

Phases of Waterfall Methodology:

Requirements Gathering:

Detailed gathering of client requirements and project specifications.

Clear documentation of project goals, scope, and deliverables.

Creation of design mockups, wireframes, and prototypes based on gathered requirements.

Approval of design elements before proceeding to development.

Development:

Implementation of the approved design into functional website components.

Coding, programming, and integration of features as per specifications.

Thorough testing of the developed website to identify bugs, errors, and functionality issues.

Testing includes unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing (UAT).

Deployment:

Deployment of the tested and approved website to the live environment.

Configuration of servers, databases, and other infrastructure components.

When to Consider Waterfall Methodology:

Clear and well-defined project requirements and scope.

Stable project timelines and limited need for frequent changes during development.

Client expectations aligned with the initial project plan.

Smaller-scale website development projects with straightforward functionalities.

Projects where a linear, sequential process is suitable and efficient.

Benefits of Waterfall Methodology:

Clear project structure and defined milestones.

Well-documented requirements and deliverables.

Sequential progress ensures each phase is completed thoroughly before moving forward.

Suitable for projects with stable scopes and limited changes during development.

Limitations of Waterfall Methodology:

Limited flexibility for accommodating changes during development.

Client feedback incorporated late in the process, potentially leading to revisions and delays.

Risk of delivering a product that may not fully meet evolving client needs or market expectations.

2. Agile Methodology:

Agile methodologies, such as Scrum and Kanban, prioritize flexibility, collaboration, and iterative development. Scrum divides the project into short iterations called sprints, usually 2-4 weeks long, where cross-functional teams work on specific tasks. 

Experts at Clickysoft , a leading web development in Houston , suggest leveraging Agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban for website development projects. They emphasize that Agile's focus on flexibility, collaboration, and iterative development aligns well with the dynamic nature of web projects. 

Key Components of Agile Methodology:

Iterative Development:

Projects are divided into short iterations called sprints, usually 2-4 weeks long.

Cross-functional teams work collaboratively on specific tasks during each sprint.

Continuous Feedback:

Regular feedback loops with clients and stakeholders ensure alignment with project goals.

Iterative development allows for adjustments based on feedback received during each sprint.

Adaptability:

Agile teams are adaptable and responsive to changes, accommodating new requirements or priorities as they arise.

Flexibility in planning and execution allows for quick responses to market demands or client needs.

Collaboration:

Close collaboration between team members, including developers, designers, testers, and clients, promotes transparency and communication.

Daily stand-up meetings, sprint reviews, and retrospectives facilitate collaboration and problem-solving.

When to Consider Agile Methodology:

Projects with evolving or unclear requirements may benefit from iterative development and frequent feedback loops.

Client-centric projects where continuous collaboration and responsiveness to feedback are crucial.

Complex projects require flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to prioritize deliverables based on changing priorities.

Benefits of Agile Methodology:

Enhanced flexibility and adaptability to changing requirements.

Continuous delivery of working features or increments, providing value throughout the development process.

Improved collaboration, communication, and transparency among team members and stakeholders.

Client satisfaction through early and frequent delivery of functional components and responsiveness to feedback.

Limitations of Agile Methodology:

Requires active involvement and collaboration from clients and stakeholders throughout the project.

May be challenging to estimate timelines and budgets accurately, especially in the early stages.

Continuous changes and iterations can lead to scope creep if not managed effectively.

3. Lean Methodology

Lean project management focuses on maximizing value while minimizing waste. It emphasizes efficiency, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction. 

Lean principles, like eliminating unnecessary steps, optimizing processes, and prioritizing customer needs, can be applied to website development to streamline workflows and deliver high-quality results efficiently. 

By identifying and eliminating bottlenecks, Lean helps teams deliver websites that meet client requirements and exceed expectations.

Key Principles of Lean Methodology:

Value Stream Mapping:

Identifying and optimizing value streams to eliminate waste and inefficiencies in the development process.

Streamlining workflows and processes to deliver value to clients and end-users efficiently.

Continuous Improvement:

Encouraging a culture of continuous improvement and learning within teams.

Regularly assessing and refining processes, tools, and practices to optimize performance and outcomes.

Customer Focus:

Prioritizing customer needs and preferences in website development, aligning solutions with client expectations.

Incorporating user feedback and data-driven insights to enhance user experience and satisfaction.

Waste Elimination:

Identifying and eliminating non-value-adding activities, such as redundant tasks, unnecessary documentation, or inefficient processes.

Streamlining workflows and resources to maximize productivity and value delivery.

When to Consider Lean Methodology:

Projects focused on delivering value efficiently and optimizing processes for maximum efficiency.

Customer-centric projects where understanding and meeting customer needs are top priorities.

Continuous improvement-oriented projects aiming to eliminate waste and optimize workflows.

Benefits of Lean Methodology:

Increased efficiency and productivity by eliminating waste and non-value-adding activities.

Enhanced customer satisfaction through solutions aligned with customer needs and preferences.

Streamlined processes and workflows, reducing lead times and improving time-to-market.

Data-driven decision-making and a continuous improvement culture drive innovation and quality.

Limitations of Lean Methodology:

Requires a cultural shift and commitment to continuous improvement within teams and organizations.

May face challenges in complex or large-scale projects where process optimization and waste elimination are more intricate.

Balancing efficiency with quality and innovation requires careful planning and execution.

5 Effective Steps for Web Development Project Management

Here are five effective steps for web development project management:

Step 1: Define Project Scope and Objectives:

Defining the project scope and objectives is crucial for setting clear expectations and goals. This involves understanding the client's requirements, business goals, target audience, and desired outcomes. By clearly defining what needs to be achieved and the boundaries of the project, you can avoid scope creep and ensure everyone is aligned on the project's purpose and deliverables.

Step 2: Gather Requirements:

Gathering requirements involves detailed discussions with clients, stakeholders, and end-users to understand their needs and expectations. This step includes documenting functional requirements (e.g., features, functionalities, user interactions) and non-functional requirements (e.g., performance, security, scalability). Effective requirements gathering ensures that the final product meets user needs and aligns with the project's objectives.

Step 3: Create a Project Plan:

Developing a project plan involves creating a roadmap that outlines tasks, timelines, milestones, and resource allocations. A well-defined project plan helps in organizing work, managing priorities, and tracking progress. Project management tools such as Gantt charts or Kanban boards can be used to visualize the project's timeline and dependencies, facilitating effective project management and communication within the team.

Step 4: Design and Development:

The design and development phase involves translating requirements into tangible components of the website. This includes creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes to visualize the layout, user interface, and user experience. Development tasks focus on coding, programming, and integrating functionalities based on the approved design. Collaboration between designers, developers, and other team members ensures a cohesive and functional website.

Step 5: Testing and Quality Assurance:

Testing and quality assurance are essential to ensure the website meets quality standards and functions as intended. This phase includes various types of testing such as unit testing, integration testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), and performance testing. Identifying and fixing bugs, errors, and usability issues during testing helps deliver a reliable and user-friendly website.

3 Best Web Design Project Management Software Tools

Here are three of the best web design project management software tools:

Trello is a popular project management tool known for its intuitive Kanban board interface. It allows teams to create boards, lists, and cards to organize tasks, collaborate on projects, and track progress. 

Trello's visual approach makes prioritizing tasks, assigning responsibilities, setting deadlines, and communicating within teams easy. Integration with other tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox enhances collaboration and productivity.

Asana is a versatile project management platform suitable for managing web design projects. It offers features such as task management, project timelines, team collaboration, and customizable workflows. Including Salesforce integration , Asana enhances productivity and collaboration.

Asana's intuitive interface, project templates, and dependency tracking help teams streamline processes, stay organized, and meet project deadlines effectively. Integration with popular tools like Adobe Creative Cloud and Slack enhances productivity and collaboration.

3. Workast:

Workast is a robust project management tool tailored for teams working on web design projects. It offers features like task assignment, customizable workflows, project timelines, and collaboration tools.

Workast's user-friendly interface and integration with communication platforms like Slack make it easy for teams to manage tasks, track progress, and communicate effectively. Its flexibility allows teams to adapt workflows to their specific project needs, ensuring efficient project management and timely delivery.

Managing a web development project requires careful planning, collaboration, and the right tools. By understanding the nuances of project management methodologies and following effective steps, you can streamline workflows, meet client expectations, and deliver high-quality websites. 

With the help of project management software tools like Trello, Asana, Jira, Basecamp, and Monday.com, teams can enhance productivity, communication, and project transparency. 

Using best practices and continuous improvement ensures successful outcomes in web development projects, driving business growth and customer satisfaction.

Make teamwork simple with Workast

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10 Steps for Requirement Gathering in 2024

10 Steps for Requirement Gathering in 2024 Requirement gathering is a critical phase in any project management or software development process. As we step into 2024, the landscape of requirement gathering has evolved, incorporating new technologies, methodologies, and best practices.

In the realm of software engineering, requirement gathering is especially crucial, ensuring that the final product meets user needs and business objectives. This blog post aims to provide a comprehensive guide on the ten essential steps to gather business requirements in 2024.

10 Gathering Requirements Tips and Techniques

1. define the purpose and scope.

The first step in the requirements-gathering process is to define the purpose and scope of the project clearly. This involves understanding the business objectives, project goals, and overall vision. Defining the scope helps in setting boundaries for the project, ensuring that the project team focuses on what is essential and avoids scope creep.

Actionable Tips:

• Conduct a kick-off meeting with stakeholders to align on the project goals and objectives.
• Develop a project charter that outlines the scope, objectives, and deliverables.
• Use visual aids like mind maps or project diagrams to illustrate the scope clearly.

2. Identify Key Stakeholders

Identifying and involving the right stakeholders is crucial for successful requirements gathering. Stakeholders can include anyone who is impacted by the project, such as clients, end-users, project managers, and team members.

• Create a stakeholder matrix to identify and categorize stakeholders based on their influence and interest in the project.
• Engage stakeholders early and often through meetings, surveys, and workshops.
• Ensure continuous communication with stakeholders to gather their input and feedback.

3. Conduct Stakeholder Interviews

Interviews with key stakeholders provide valuable insights into their needs, expectations, and pain points. These interviews should be structured to cover all aspects of the project requirements.

• Prepare a list of open-ended questions to encourage detailed responses.
• Use recording tools (with permission) to capture the conversation for future reference.
• Summarize the interview findings and validate them with the stakeholders to ensure accuracy.

4. Utilize Modern Tools and Technologies

In 2024, leveraging modern tools and technologies can significantly enhance the requirements gathering process. Tools like AI-driven analytics, collaborative platforms, and requirement management software can streamline the process and improve accuracy.

• Use AI tools to analyze stakeholder feedback and identify common themes.
• Implement collaborative platforms like Jira, Confluence, or Trello for real-time requirement documentation and tracking.
• Utilize requirement management software to create, track, and manage requirements throughout the project lifecycle.

5. Conduct Workshops and Brainstorming Sessions

Workshops and brainstorming sessions are effective ways to gather requirements collaboratively. These sessions encourage creative thinking and ensure that diverse perspectives are considered.

• Plan and facilitate workshops with a clear agenda and objectives.
• Use techniques like brainstorming, mind mapping, and role-playing to elicit requirements.
• Document the outcomes of the sessions and follow up with participants to validate the gathered requirements.

6. Create User Personas and Use Cases

Creating user personas and use cases helps in understanding the needs and behaviors of the end-users. This approach ensures that the requirements are user-centric and aligned with real-world scenarios.

• Develop detailed user personas based on demographic data, user behavior, and pain points.
• Create use cases to illustrate how users will interact with the system and achieve their goals.
• Validate the personas and use cases with actual users to ensure they accurately represent their needs.

7. Develop a Requirements Document

A comprehensive requirements document serves as the foundation for the project. It should detail all functional and non-functional requirements, along with any constraints or assumptions.

• Use standardized templates to ensure consistency and completeness.
• Include clear, concise, and testable requirements.
• Review the document with stakeholders to obtain their approval and sign-off.

8. Prioritize Requirements

Not all requirements are equally important. Prioritizing requirements helps in focusing on the most critical aspects of the project and managing resources effectively.

• Use prioritization techniques like MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have) or the Kano model.
• Engage stakeholders in the prioritization process to ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Revisit and adjust the priorities as needed throughout the project lifecycle.

9. Validate and Verify Requirements

Validation and verification are essential to ensure that the gathered requirements are accurate, feasible, and aligned with the project goals. This step involves reviewing the requirements with stakeholders and conducting feasibility studies.

• Conduct requirement review sessions with stakeholders to validate their accuracy.
• Perform feasibility analysis to assess the technical and financial viability of the requirements.
• Use prototyping or simulation tools to verify that the requirements can be effectively implemented.

10. Manage Requirements Changes

Changes in requirements are inevitable in any project. Establishing a robust change management process ensures that changes are handled systematically without disrupting the project.

• Implement a change control process to evaluate, approve, and document changes.
• Use version control systems to track changes and maintain a history of requirements.
• Communicate changes to all stakeholders and update the requirements document accordingly.

Effective requirement gathering is the cornerstone of successful project management and software development. By following these ten steps, teams can ensure that they gather comprehensive, accurate, and actionable requirements, setting the stage for project success. As we move through 2024, leveraging modern tools, engaging stakeholders effectively, and maintaining a flexible approach will be key to navigating the complexities of the requirements gathering process.

A well-executed requirements gathering phase lays the foundation for the entire project. It ensures that the project team is aligned with the project objectives and can efficiently use project management tools to track project progress. Embracing these steps will not only streamline the requirements gathering process but also enhance the overall success of your projects in 2024 and beyond.

How to Achieve Successful Project Delivery by Aligning Finance, Sales, and Delivery Teams 

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While obvious, successful project delivery is key to a professional services organization’s success and profitability. However, achieving it isn’t always as straightforward. One of the biggest drivers for having successful project delivery is having teams well aligned, particularly — finance, sales, and delivery teams. To do so, professional services businesses should establish a singular source of truth, ensuring teams work together seamlessly. In doing so, organizations empower their teams to make informed decisions, mitigate the risk of miscommunication, and streamline time-consuming processes to achieve successful and repeatable project delivery. 

In this article, we’ll discuss how organizations can create this single source of information and the benefits it brings.

Disjointed Systems are Working Against You: Ineffective Project Delivery Methods 

Using outdated methods and relying on spreadsheets can create countless obstacles. These approaches often lead to confusion, errors, and limited collaboration. Below we outline some of those challenges you’re probably all too familiar with if you’re using a disjointed system like spreadsheets or relying on several different tools. 

Information Disparities Impact Different Teams

Effective project delivery relies on seamless information flow, yet disparities across teams can lead to confusion and hinder progress. Misaligned information can compromise the cohesiveness of project teams, impacting decision-making and overall project success. 

Inaccurate Resource Availability Cause Scope Creep and Budget Overruns 

Checking resource availability without real-time confirmation poses a significant risk of project delays. The lack of accurate, up-to-date information on resource availability can lead to misjudgments in planning and execution, potentially resulting in resource conflicts, bottlenecks, and disruptions to project timelines. This not only impacts the overall efficiency of project management but also introduces the potential for increased costs and client dissatisfaction. 

Unreliable Data Means Result in Unreliable Forecasting 

The absence of a unified view of resources and finances can severely impact budgeting and long-term planning. Finance teams face challenges in providing accurate forecasts and projections without comprehensive oversight. Recognizing the importance of a unified view is essential for effective financial planning and ensuring the success of projects in the long run.

The Syncing Power of Resource Management Software: Bringing Teams Together 

Now it’s time to get into what’s really important — the solution. Resource management software acts like a team unifier, bringing everything (and everyone) together in one place. It syncs teams by centralizing resource management, providing real-time visibility and easy communication. This creates a stable working environment where everyone stays on the same page about resources and project details. 

In this section, we’ll show you how to harness the syncing power of resource management software to enhance teamwork, optimize resource use, and enhance overall project delivery success.

Seamless Sales-to-Project Handoff: Client expectations and project requirements are clear to all teams, improving the execution and reducing the need for costly revisions.

For sales, the efficient transfer of client details and project specifications to the delivery team via resource management software ensures that client preferences and expectations are accurately conveyed. This lays the groundwork for transparent communication and lasting client satisfaction.

In this step, the delivery team serves as consultants to the sales team during client handoff, providing valuable insights on realistic plans and expectations. This ensures that the sales team doesn’t oversell services or create false expectations, leading to better alignment between client expectations and actual deliverables.

With access to real-time data and historical project information, the sales team can provide informed recommendations and guidance to ensure a smoother transition from sales to project delivery. For the delivery team, being aware of accurate client expectations ensures an informed execution of project tasks. 

How resource management software creates a smooth sales-to-project handoff: 

• Seamlessly transfers client details, project specifications, and relevant documentation from sales to delivery teams.
• Ensures that client preferences, expectations, and any specific requirements are clearly communicated and understood by the project delivery team.
• Enables all teams to forecast resource needs for upcoming projects, preventing overallocation or bottlenecks. This includes assessing the balance between supply and demand, determining when additional hiring might be necessary to meet incoming deal demands, and identifying available staff members who can be allocated to new client projects.
• Makes sure that all relevant information is stored in one location, reducing the risk of miscommunication or data loss during handoff.
• Provides real-time updates on project progress, resource availability, and any changes in project scope. Sales teams can access the latest information.
• Maintains a consistent level of service for the client experience from the sales phase to the project delivery phase, fostering trust and satisfaction.
• Forecasts resource requirements by leveraging insights from the pipeline, enabling proactive planning and resource allocation.
• Utilizes historical project data to accurately estimate costs and price future projects, ensuring competitiveness and profitability.

Centralized Resource Allocation: Finance, sales, and delivery teams work in one system for reliable insights into utilization and availability, keeping projects on track and profitable. 

Simple and up-to-date resource allocation is crucial for successful projects, ensuring the right resources are utilized at the right time. It not only keeps everything on track but also helps in assessing bandwidth for potential new clients and managing the project pipeline. 

Resource management software simplifies the allocation process by providing a centralized platform for finance, sales, and delivery teams to coordinate efforts and align with project goals. This prevents delays and optimizes timelines by streamlining communication and ensuring everyone has real-time visibility into resource availability. 

The software also allows you to match resources based on skills and expertise, ensuring the right capabilities are allocated to meet specific project requirements. By enhancing resource utilization in this way, it significantly increases the likelihood of successful project delivery, fostering effective collaboration and timely project completion.

How resource management software keeps resource allocation centralized:

• Ensures that all teams have a consolidated view of available resources, preventing discrepancies in resource information.
• Enhances communication and coordination among teams to align resource allocation decisions with project objectives.
• Helps finance teams keep a pulse on budget constraints and financial implications. 

Accurate Project Insights: Empowers teams to quickly spot and address issues, make informed decisions based on the latest project developments, and respond promptly to changing requirements or external factors through instant access to project analytics.

Resource management software plays a pivotal role in ensuring accurate project insights and synchronizing finance, sales, and delivery teams throughout the project lifecycle. For sales, real-time updates on project milestones and challenges empower proactive client communication, fostering transparency and satisfaction. In delivery, these insights enable efficient task navigation and prompt problem resolution, ensuring smooth transitions and positive client experiences. Finance teams also benefit by making informed pricing decisions with access to historical project data, aligning budgets with past performance. This interconnected approach not only enhances individual team efficiency but also fosters a synchronized workflow, promoting seamless communication and collaboration across sales, delivery, and finance teams.

How resource management software keeps project insights accurate::

• Reduces delays and miscommunications during the handoff process, leading to smoother transitions and client satisfaction for the sales team.
• Fosters a shared understanding of project goals, timelines, and resource allocation.
• Ensures everyone is working with the latest information, promoting accuracy in decision-making and reducing the risk of errors due to outdated information.
• Enables finance teams to accurately plan budgets based on current resource utilization, while delivery teams can adjust project timelines and tasks dynamically.

Unified Utilization : Sales, finance, and delivery can forecast with accuracy to optimize project profitability.

Aligning finances to the measurement of utilization allows you to make projects more profitable and increase the accuracy of your forecasting. It ensures transparent client communication for sales and provides finance with precise budgeting insights. Streamlining task management aligns project timelines with financial goals. Additionally, simplified time tracking accelerates the invoicing process, keeping project and finance teams in sync and minimizing delays in financial workflows. This all leads to optimized resource allocation, controlled costs, and enhanced forecasting, leading to increased project profitability and success.

How resource management software keeps utilization unified: 

• Provides a centralized platform for finance, sales, and delivery teams to collaborate on unified utilization data, fostering a cohesive approach to project planning.
• Enhances communication and coordination, ensuring financial decisions are aligned with project objectives.
• Utilizes analytics to identify potential financial risks associated with resource utilization, enabling proactive measures to mitigate them.

Proactive Risk Management: Improved transparency and collaboration allow sales, finance, and delivery teams to quickly spot and solve challenges for continued success. 

Resource management software provides a platform for collaborative risk management among sales, finance, and delivery teams. It enhances visibility, facilitates informed decision-making, and ensures proactive measures are taken to address challenges, improving the project delivery process.

By leveraging historical project data and analytics, the software informs gut checks, risk assessments, and identifies patterns and lessons learned. It enables teams to conduct scenario planning based on identified risks, allowing them to anticipate various outcomes and develop contingency plans to address potential challenges. This proactive approach not only improves communication and transparency among teams regarding identified risks and mitigation plans but also supports continuous monitoring throughout the project lifecycle.

How resource management software keeps risk management proactive: 

• Supports continuous monitoring of risks throughout the project lifecycle.
• Enhances visibility into risk factors, allowing teams to adapt strategies promptly and mitigate potential issues.
• Enables teams to conduct scenario planning based on identified risks.
• Helps teams anticipate various outcomes and develop contingency plans to address potential challenges.
• Improve transparency among teams regarding identified risks and mitigation plans.

Achieve Project Delivery Excellence with BigTime Foresight

When it comes to choosing resource management software, it’s important to choose one that’s simple to use but works to solve complex problems for your organization. BigTime Foresight does just that. Helping to align sales, delivery, and finance teams, BigTime Foresight works hard to drive successful project delivery through the following features and benefits. 

Balance Your Teams’ Workloads

Empower your organization to dynamically balance team workloads with the capability to tie utilization plans to financial impact. Strategically manipulate cost rates, leverage ratios, and projects to ensure optimal profitability. Utilize soft allocation to efficiently plan resources, preventing overallocation and maintaining a harmonized workload distribution.

Model Profitable Growth Scenarios

Compare project plans to service delivery goals using automated budget creation and long-term forecast visualization. BigTime Foresight enables your teams to understand how various resource plans impact finances, fostering informed decision-making and promoting sustained growth and profitability.

Bring Teams Together

Facilitate collaboration among delivery, finance, and sales teams using real-time insights. This enables seamless communication, precise resource allocation, and proactive planning for market demand, improving client satisfaction and enhancing project delivery success.

Create a Single Source of Truth

Centralize resource management with a unified view of resource availability, creating a single source of truth. Ensure that finance, sales, and delivery teams stay in sync with live reporting, providing clarity and control over resource allocation. Streamline operations, prevent conflicts, and make data-driven decisions for successful project delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions About Successful Project Delivery

What does a successful project delivery look like.

Successful project delivery involves meeting stakeholder expectations, finishing tasks on time and within budget, achieving project goals, and ensuring quality outcomes through effective resource management. It requires clear communication, collaboration, and efficient resource allocation following project management best practices.

How do you measure project delivery success?

Project delivery success is measured by assessing whether the project meets or exceeds stakeholder expectations, stays within the allocated budget and timeline, and achieves its predefined objectives. Additionally, evaluating the quality of outcomes and the satisfaction of stakeholders are crucial indicators of project success.

What drives project delivery?

Project delivery is driven by effective planning, clear communication, and efficient execution. Successful projects depend on a combination of skilled team collaboration, adherence to timelines, and proactive problem-solving to achieve their objectives.

What is the role of resource management in project delivery?

Resource management in project delivery involves efficiently allocating and utilizing available resources, such as time, budget, and personnel, to ensure tasks are completed within the designated constraints. It plays a crucial role in optimizing project performance, maintaining cost-effectiveness, and meeting overall project goals.

How do you manage resources to deliver a project?

To manage resources efficiently for project delivery, use resource management software to identify project requirements, allocate tasks based on team members’ strengths, and monitor progress regularly. Utilize the software’s features for real-time collaboration, communication, and data analysis to optimize resource utilization, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently within the set timeframe and budget.

How does resource management impact project success?

Effective resource management significantly impacts project success by ensuring optimal allocation of time, budget, and team members. It enhances efficiency, minimizes bottlenecks, and promotes a streamlined workflow, ultimately contributing to the timely and successful completion of project goals within the defined constraints.

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• Best for a detailed budget
• Best for tracking investment accounts
• Best for taxes
• Best for a hands-on approach
• Other apps that didn't make the cut and why
• Methodology

Frequently asked questions

Best personal finance management software of 2024.

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate banking products to write unbiased product reviews.

The Best Personal Finance Software

• Best for a detailed budget: Quicken Deluxe
• Best for tracking investment accounts: Empower Personal Dashboard
• Best if you like filing your taxes independently: TaxAct
• Best for a hands-on approach: Google Spreadsheets

Ready to get a better understanding of your finances? Personal finance software can be a great tool for building better money habits and learning how to budget in the long term.

If you'd like more guidance when making a budget, consider also downloading a budgeting app .

Here are four excellent options you might consider if you're searching for personal finance software.

Best for a Detailed Budget

Cost: Regular pricing is $5.99 per month

Why it stands out:  Quicken Deluxe is a desktop software program. It's available for download for Mac and Windows computers. 

With the program, you'll be able to connect and keep track of bank accounts, investment accounts, loans, and credit cards . You'll also be able to create a 12-month budget. Usually personal finance software programs only have monthly budget plans.

Quicken Deluxe also has a "what-if" tool that lets you see potential scenarios when you make certain investments or loan decisions to help you build a financial plan .

What to look out for:  Quicken Deluxe primarily focuses on basic finances and investments. If you have a business or prefer more robust features, like priority customer support, you may fare better with Quicken Premier or Quicken Home & Business.

Regular pricing for Quicken software plans varies from $3.99 per month to $10.99 per month.

Best for Tracking Investment Accounts

0.49% to 0.89%

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Free financial and wealth management tools; fees top that of traditional brick-and mortar-firms
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Investment selection includes stocks, ETFs, bonds, and private equities; portfolio management for employer-sponsored plans (e.g., 401(k)s or 403(b)s)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Socially responsible investment strategies and tax optimization strategies
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. One-on-one financial advisor guidance
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. High management fees
• Promotion: None at this time.

Cost:  Free

Why it stands out: The Empower Personal Dashboard is another software tool that's available through a mobile app or website. You might find the Empower Personal Dashboard appealing if you want to use a well-rounded platform that also helps monitor investment accounts and retirement plans .

With the Investment Checkup feature, you can check your current portfolio allocation alongside an ideal target allocation to minimize risk and reduce volatility. It also has a fee analyzer tool that reviews hidden fees for mutual funds , investment accounts, and retirement accounts.

What to look out for:  Some tools are exclusively for Empower advisory clients. For example, clients will have access to a financial roadmap tool that can help them stick with major financial goals.

Sign up for Empower Personal Dashboard

Best for taxes.

$0.00 - $99.99 (+$39.99 or $59.99 for state return, depending on package)

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Expert help is available with every filing package
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Free federal and state filing covers student and child tax credits
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Pay less than H&R Block and TurboTax and get a comparable experience
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Efficient and streamlined interface
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Tax document upload and import for easy data entry
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Handy "double check" tool flags common errors
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. State returns aren't free, even when you qualify for free federal filing
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Middle-of-the road option when it comes to cost

TaxAct gets the job done with fewer bells and whistles than H&R Block or TurboTax, though costs can still add up. It's best for someone who appreciates a simple, streamlined interface.

• 4 plans, including a free federal option
• Simple, intuitive interface
• Free, instant access to a tax expert at all plan levels
• Good middle-of-the road option on price and efficiency
• Option to have a professional file your taxes at an additional cost

Cost:  $0.00 - $99.99 (+$39.99 or $59.99 for state return, depending on package)

Why it stands out: TaxAct is one of our best tax software picks. TaxAct has four DIY online options: Free, Deluxe, Premier, and Self-Employed plans. You'll pay one price for a federal tax return, and if you have to file a state tax return you'll pay an additional fee. 

TaxAct stands out from other tax software companies because it offers free expert support, regardless of which DIY plan you have. If you have questions while filing your tax returns, all you'll need to do is submit questions, and an expert will reach out to you over the phone.

What to look out for: Other tax software companies do not charge a fee for state returns, and they have lower fees for filing federal tax returns (although, their features may not be as robust). 

File with TaxAct

Best for a hands-on approach, google sheets.

Why it stands out: Perhaps you don't want to link all of your bank accounts or credit cards, and you don't mind taking a more active approach to money management. Then, you might consider using Google Sheets for a straightforward way of analyzing your spending and savings goals . 

Even those who aren't as tech-savvy will find that Google Sheets has a simple, no-fuss setup process. All you need to do is set up a Google account and open the Google Spreadsheets tab. Then, you can select a general template for budgets or investment tracking and follow the steps listed on the spreadsheet.

Keep in mind that you'll have to update your spreadsheet regularly to have an effective spreadsheet.

What to look out for: Creating and maintaining your budget fully depends on whether you're willing to manually input all your data. Some may like having a closer, more hands-on approach to tallying expenses or tracking changes. But if you're worried that it might become too overwhelming to make updates every month, consider one of our other options. 

Other Personal Finance Software We Considered That Didn't Make the Cut and Why

• Tiller : Tiller might be worthwhile if you prefer tracking money in a spreadsheet, but don't want to update it manually. It links your bank accounts and credit cards to Google Sheets or Microsoft sheets so your transaction and balance information automatically update. It wasn't a top pick because Tiller only has a 30-day free trial, then costs $79 per year.
• YNAB App : You may use YNAB App through the web or on an app. While it could be a good choice if you struggle with your spending in specific categories, Quicken Deluxe have more robust features. It also has a 34-day free trial, then you'll have to pay $14.99 per month or $99 annually.
• Monarch Money : Monarch Money is a personal finance app and online platform. The plan costs $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year and allows you to track investment accounts or use customizable budget categories.
• GNU Cash : This is a free accounting software for personal and small business finances. You may download the program for Windows and Mac devices. With GNU Cash, you manage your finances through a traditional checkbook system. It could be worth considering if you have a business, but for those who don't, it likely won't be an easy-to-use interface.
• Quicken Simplifi : Simplifi by Quicken is a cloud-based software program, which means you'll need to have an internet connection to use its services. In comparison, other Quicken programs can be downloaded onto your computer. Simplifi by Quicken also isn't as robust as Quicken's desktop programs.
• Quicken Starter : Quicken Starter could be worthwhile if you want a basic overview of your finances. But if you want to be able to create a 12-month budget or keep track of investment accounts, Quicken Deluxe will be a more compelling option. 
• Rocket Money : Rocket Money has an app and online platform. Its premium plan has concierge services to review bills, premium customer support, unlimited budgets, and customizable budget categories. 
• TaxSlayer : TaxSlayer was featured as the best budget pick in our best tax software guide. However, to qualify for the Simply Free Plan, you must have taxable income under $100,000, and you won't be able to claim dependents. TaxAct's free plan allows you to claim dependents. It also offers expert help with all filing packages.
• H&R Block Tax Software : H&R Block is also featured in our best tax software guide. If you want to choose a more affordable option, you may prefer TaxAct, though.
• TurboTax : TurboTax is featured in our best tax software guide and might be worth considering if you have a complex tax situation. However, TurboTax Premium plan cost more than TaxAct options. 

Methodology: How did we choose the best personal finance software?

Research is an important part of choosing a personal finance software program that fits your needs. First, we compiled a list of 13 personal finance software programs. Then, we compared each program by analyzing the following criteria: platform accessibility, pricing, money management features, and user experience. With tax software programs, we only considered the DIY online filing options. We did not consider full-service packages where an expert helps with taxes.

The best personal finance software for you depends on your financial goals and habits. Someone new to money management will likely want different features than someone who is seasoned in making budgets or prefers filing their taxes.To help you figure out which personal finance software program could be a good option for you, we highlighted the benefits and limitations of each product. 

There are free personal finance tools that you may use online. For example, Empower, GNU Cash, and Google Spreadsheets are free. Rocket Money also has free option.

What personal finance software is easiest for you will largely depend on your needs and level of comfort with technology and finance. Google Sheets is by far the easiest to set up, but it won't help you with the finance side of things. Conversely, something like Quicken Deluxe might not be as easy to set up, but it is far more helpful for your finance needs.

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Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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