Introduction
Introductory Overview
Project management is a critical process in organization, as it entails planning and implementing projects in line with the available time, human resource and financial resources. Successful project management is based on the available systems available. The automation of the project management has become the norm, whereby project managers use tailored software and applications to design, plan and implement projects, along with appropriate control and regulation. For a long time, the waterfall project management has been the project management tool of choice for businesses (Cervone, 2011). Organizations using the waterfall project management toll realize great success, including proper scheduling and completion. However, despite the benefits and returns arising from the use of the waterfall project management tool, recent developments and creation of newer, more efficient and reliable project management systems has rendered the waterfall system obsolete. As a result, organizations that still use the waterfall system may not be as competitive as other that use the new technologies, such as the agile project management tool.
Statement of Research Problem
The current situation, especially in software development projects, is such that the agile model has found applications. However, there are confusions as to whether the agile project management model is any different from the traditional approaches. This is so because most of the tenets of
The paper is divided into three sections, the first of which will establish a timeline of events. This project background will serve as a case study for the analysis in the following section that will be structured such that each of the previously mentioned facets will be independently analyzed and contrasted with project management principles. Finally the paper will conclude with a summary of the analysis and recommendations based on
In the current business environment, the demand for project managers is ever growing. In short, project management is a provisional project constrained by time, cost and scope (A guide to the project management body of knowledge, 2013). Between the immense organization, optimization, and communication assets skilled project management brings to a project, it is easy to see why project management is a booming field of study. Furthermore, project management can be both financially and personally rewarding when long term milestones and goals come to fruition.
In order to achieve successful results within established time-frames and budgets, project managers are likely to employ methodologies models. A project methodology is a model that aids managers to plan, design and implement their project goals. Project methodologies are helpful to project manager in any field, for instance, Niel Nickolaisen CIO at the Western Governors University, is an advocate for the agile software development methodology. As these models grants flexibility when dealing with stipulations and scope changes on a project. Needless to say the agile software development methodology is just one example of a varied assortment of methodologies, each with their strengths and weakness. As such, it is up to the project manager to decide which methodology fits their needs, as there isn`t a one fits all solution.
Project Management Office (PMO) and Agile method are highly reputable terms in many organizations, especially in their IT projects. The PMO is a group of people or committee within an organization that is responsible to define and maintain standards and practices for traditional project management. The ultimate objective for the PMO is to gain the benefits that are derived from applying Project Management (PM) methods, practices and policies. Thus, the PMO over time will become the origin for documentation, guidance and metrics regarding to any practices that are involved in managing projects within the organization, as well as it will be the communication channel that
In Recent times, there is an increase in interest in project management because most of the complex projects are often late, over budgeted and fail over and over again. Standish report says, there is 24% of projects that are failed or cancelled prior to completion or may be never used. 32% of them are successful which are delivered on time, on budget with required features and functions. And remaining 44% of the projects are challenged projects which are late, over budget or less than the required features and functions. The surveys says the IT project cost overrun on 2015 was 59%. Every organization wanted to be successful in delivering the projects. So it is important to implement models or methodologies to follow, check and verify the
Among the various approaches adopted in project management is Agile Methodology, one that is mentioned frequently among experts and considered as one of the key approaches adopted in organizations. As pointed out by Stare (2013), Agile Methodology can be described as a particular way that is embraced in the management of projects and teams in Information and Technology among other fields. There are various practices associated with the Agile Methodology and some of them include the ability to assume simplicity, creation of documentation based on value, enabling rapid feedback to all stakeholders, and embracing change among others practices. Since its emergence in project management, various research studies have been conducted in a bid to explore the possibilities of using the Agile Methodology in other industries that are not specifically meant for software development. Given the fact that corporations are
All through this essay, the agile project management approach and the traditional (otherwise known as waterfall)
The current project management process that we currently employ (the agile scrum framework) shares many of the same characteristics of the ‘Ten Step’ structured project management process.
The purpose of this paper is to compare traditional project management with agile methods to determine the differences between the two methods, which is more effective at addressing certain activities such as time management and which is the preferred methodology. An even better question is whether or not these methodologies can co-exist. This is no easy task as the debate between these two methodologies continues today. To begin, one must understand each methodology on its own merits. “Although there will continue to be applications for which the old ways are still appropriate, there is a whole new set of applications for which the old ways are totally inappropriate. The paradigm must shift and is shifting” (Wysocki, 2014, p. 41).
In order to be a successful Project Manager, one must know how to go about managing projects successfully. Not every project is the same therefore not every project should be handled the same. A project manager must decipher all factors and determine what is most important, how the project will be handled and then and only then can an appropriate project methodology be selected and implemented. Like the sands thorough the hourglass, so are the days of project management, ever-changing. Not all projects will fit into just one methodology that’s why there are literally dozens of methodology practices to choose from, this paper will detail five of those options: Adaptive Project Framework, Crystal Methods, Joint Application Development (JAD), Projects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) and Waterfall (Project n.d.). Cavemen evolved over time to meet the challenges faced before them, project management methodology has done the same. It has evolved from the fixed rigid models to a more adaptive model that ebbs and flows with the project needs. Just like a project has to start somewhere, we will start with Adaptive Project Framework.
The purpose of literature review in this dissertation is to provide knowledge to sponsor on what benefits and possibilities that comes with Agile Project Management. The first source to information is gathered through studying relevant literature
As the world keeps evolving day by day, technology has become an essential thing in our daily lives. Many tech-companies have been established due to huge expectation from people who are always enthusiastic about new inventions. However, not so many companies could survive in very competitive markets like PC computing, software, hardware, etc. In the early 1990s, as PC computing began to proliferate in the industry, software development faced a crisis. Expected estimated the time for a startup business to have a shippable application in production was about three years. This was even worse when it came to others area in the industry. For example, in aerospace and defense, the average time for a typical complex project could easily be more than 20 years. As a result, many projects ended up being cancelled in the middle of the development phase. Some were complete but did not meet all the business’s current needs. Conclusively, project management is the primary cause for those failures. Fortunately, the agile process management has been established from a small group of software leaders to solve the management issue. Agile is a set of development methods which promotes adaptive planning, early delivery. Not only that, it also encourages rapid and flexible responses to requirements changes at any phase of the development process. It is true to say that agile process has given companies, businesses a more sophisticated
As an IT and Business Process Consultant, my clients hire me to help them implement different types of projects according to their needs. Some of these projects may be developing and implementing new systems, which are long-term projects, costly and critical for the organization. As a project manager, I am responsible for delivery of the assigned project on schedule; we accomplish this using different project management and software development methodologies. Searching about new project management trends to improve my work, I looked at an
As we saw throughout the last forty or so years is that computer systems frequently evolve and that developmental change is inevitable and software development is no stranger to this, which is where agile development or the term that some use agile software development comes into play. This is a concept that searches for alternatives to the traditional way of managing a project and based on the foundation that change is essential to software development. Throughout this paper, we will look at the reasons that brought about the change in thinking with regard to software development, discuss some of the key principles of agile development, methods under agile development and the benefits of the use of agile development. Let’s begin this document with a discussion into what brought about the change in thinking.
They are not tool specific. In today's software-reliant world, the reality is that the methodology and the organization's project management software tool are often heavily intertwined. Complication and sophisticated client expectations of the latest projects reveal the flaws of traditional project management methods. In addition usually project managers are expected to make a sense of balance between client expectations and business interests and also to improve the end product, decrease cost and duration of the project (Project Management Institute 2005). The disadvantages of traditional project management method are listed below.