What’s a methodology? A methodology can be simply defined as a system of practice, techniques, procedures and rules used to manage a project. There are many methodologies that could be used in project management, the type of methodologies we use will depend on the type of project and project scope. To decide which project methodology is best suited for a project here are a coupe of factors to consider.
- Project constraints (Cost, Scope, Time)
- Rigidity or flexibility of the project
- Project goals
There are various methodologies to choose from each with their own pros and cons, two of the widely used project management methodologies are:
Agile: is a project management methodology that focuses on continuous improvement in the production of a product or service through short development cycles known as sprints.
Pros: – Flexibility and Adaptivity, Lower cost
Cons: Training and Skill Required, Scalability
Waterfall: is a project management methodology that is modeled after its name, in that project steps flow accordingly from top to bottom in a sequential linear order, just like a waterfall.
Pros: No Financial Surprises, Clear Outcome
Cons: Longer Delivery Time, Lack of Flexibility
5 Comments
Brandon Kresge · April 27, 2021 at 1:39 pm
Good post with clear definitions. I think I would rather prefer agile as opposed to waterfall. While they both sound good, the flexibility agile provides makes me choose that over waterfall. Projects can have problems at any moment, and not having much time to go back and fix them is something that would worry me. I feel like everything would have to be perfect as it goes along, which doesn’t seem possible. I think the only problem I would have with agile is having to do one thing per week. It would make me feel like work is going by really fast, and not seeing previous sprints in a while would make me question if I did them or how well I did on them.
Sean Kinneer · April 27, 2021 at 1:44 pm
Nice post, Henok. I like how you defined what methodology is in project management. I also like that you included the main factors that into play and pros/cons of the most common methodologies. I really like the Waterfall methodology but I prefer the Agile methodology due to the overall flexibility. As we have seen with our adaptations, there can be a wide host of potential negative factors that can arise. Yes, some of these may be able to be predicted and prevented. For the random issues that can blindside us, I feel that it is beneficial to have a higher adaptability. More options for reconciliation are always better.
Trisha Badlu · April 27, 2021 at 3:27 pm
Good overview on methodologies. The waterfall methodology makes it a lot harder to account for requirement changes because of its sequential structure. On the other hand, agile can handle these changes easily because of its sprints and communication. Also because of the amount of communication involved in agile, this gives the client a lot more involvement in the entire process that I don’t think the waterfall methodology offers. When choosing between these two methodologies, I think agile is more better for projects where requirements are likely to change and waterfall should be used for projects with low risks and that guarantee that requirements won’t change.
Griffin Nye · April 27, 2021 at 4:55 pm
Very clear and concise post, Henok. Great work! I personally prefer utilizing the agile methodology over the waterfall methodology because of its flexibility and use of short sprints. With the agile method, changes to the system’s features or the project staff and/or resources are much easier to adjust, whereas the waterfall method requires a lot of reworking and effort to adjust to these changes. Additionally, the agile method allows you to work incrementally and focus on adding a single feature or performing a specific task per sprint, something that I find to be very useful in development. I will say, however, the waterfall methodology is very useful for larger projects relying heavily on design, as it allows the developers to see the big picture before they begin development.
Manogna Pillutla · April 27, 2021 at 4:59 pm
Good post Henok! Methodologies are really important to maintain the process of project life cycle. I have been a part of Agile methodology but never waterfall model. Also, I would like to learn more about lean methodology. I have heard that many companies follow it.