7 Best Project Management Methodologies and Frameworks Explained

Not only do these help both productivity and efficiency, but they also help connect the work needed to be completed with project goals. Many project management tools even have visual elements to better visualize these goals, creating an organized road map for team members. Project management is an ever-evolving field that requires a number of approaches to be successful. Learning the most popular project management methodologies can help you become an industry expert. With so many project management methodologies available, which one do you choose?

• Once the sprint ends, the team gets together to look back on what they have accomplished.
• Marketing agencies use it to adapt to evolving market trends and client demands swiftly.
• Unexpected challenges, completed and new tasks and problems are discussed within the team.
• Lean methodology emphasizes identifying and eliminating non-value-adding activities (waste) in project processes, thereby streamlining operations and improving overall project outcomes.

However, there are many other helpful methodologies available, including the PRINCE2, critical path and Six Sigma methods. However, other project management methodologies, such as the waterfall method include all the principles, processes and tools without a separate framework. For this reason, when discussing the common methodologies and determining which is best for you, we’ll also discuss the relevant frameworks that help you best implement your chosen principles of management. The project management methodology that typically requires the team to complete the previous phase before the next phase starts is the “Waterfall” methodology. Waterfall is a traditional, linear, and sequential approach to project management.

Choosing the right project management methodology

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. The PMBOK Guide provides project managers with guidelines and best practices, defining everything from the project life cycle to project management strategies and concepts. The PMBOK Guide details the various project management processes that interact and overlap throughout a project’s life cycle. A few frameworks like Extreme Programming focus on the practices whereas other agile frameworks like Scrum and Kanban focus on managing the flow of work.

The prerequisite is therefore based on the question of whether something should be changed or improved for the benefit of all. During a project based on the Scrum framework, a large number of so-called sprints take place. They define the completion of necessary education project manager tasks within a usually short time window. These short intervals allow the scrum team to adapt the long-term project plan to new circumstances. The agile nature of the scrum method is complemented by predefined rules and roles that give structure to the story.

What is the difference between agile and scrum?

No matter how you like to work, Teamwork.com helps your team to replicate their best practices, ensure compliance and consistency, and constantly improve their processes. It uses rapid prototype releases and iterations to gather feedback in a short period of time, and values that user feedback over strict planning and requirements recording. Six Sigma methods can be used to optimize and improve existing processes or create new ones. Since everything is mapped out at the beginning, there’s a lot of room for error if expectations don’t match up with reality. And there’s no going back to a previous stage once it’s completed (just imagine trying to swim against a waterfall — not fun).

Another project management tool that is especially popular in agile project management are Mind Maps. They help organize complex information and promote creativity and collaboration within the team. Originally, the Agile project management methodology was designed in 2001 by 13 industry leaders as part of the Agile Manifesto for software development.

Why are there so many different types of project management methodologies?

Project managers should be familiar with the common project management methods and tools, including agile and waterfall. You should also have necessary soft skills needed for leadership, communication, time management, adaptation and critical thinking on projects. Critical chain project management (CCPM) methodology is similar to the critical path method. However, CCPM focuses on the resources required to complete a project rather than time. It assumes that resources are the project’s limiting factor and therefore stresses efficient resource utilization. Arguably the most common project management methodologies are the waterfall, Agile and lean methods.

We’ll garnish the whole thing with a small dictionary that explains the most important terms within this topic, lots of tips and project management software recommendations. This approach works to help teams become more agile when dealing with change. Teams are encouraged to remain in a state of continuous learning in order to improve development. ASD requires a significant amount of resourcing and higher costs making it more suitable for larger organizations. Kanban focuses on ongoing collaboration and fosters an environment of continuous learning and improvement.

Critical Chain Project Management Methodology

The team works in short cycles of two weeks called “sprints,” though the team members meet daily to discuss their work and any roadblocks that need clearing. This methodology allows for rapid development and testing, especially within small teams. Scrum is the most popular Agile development framework because it is relatively simple to implement. It also solves many problems that software developers struggled with in the past, such as convoluted development cycles, inflexible project plans, and shifting production schedules. It’s important to map the value stream for the entire cycle of the project starting from the required materials to delivery to the customer.

While this may be the simplest method to implement initially, any changes in stakeholders’ needs or priorities will disrupt the series of tasks, making it very difficult to manage. Here, we look at some of the top project management methodologies, grouped by similarity and popularity. Your choice of project methodology will have a profound impact on your approach to work and how you communicate with your teams.

Benefits of using the Kanban framework

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when choosing a project management methodology. It may be a good idea to test a few out or even blend a few together to find an approach that best suits your needs. The critical path method (CPM) is a methodology that identifies the critical tasks within a project, including the dependencies and timelines to completion. It then outlines the longest sequence of critical activities that must be completed to deliver the project on time. The right project management methodology can elevate your project and help the project manager to get the best out of each team.

The two main guiding concepts in Lean are respect for people and continuous improvement. A project team or an organization uses a management framework to execute a project. Recording the information is essential as it will help others understand the project requirements and responsibilities. Wrike offers an extensive range of features that cater to different project methodology needs and objectives, from Agile to Waterfall.

What should every project manager know?

It clearly states how every step should look like, clarifies deliveries in great detail, defines roles and responsibilities perfectly, and more. Critical chain project management uses buffers as a safety margin to ensure that all tasks are completed within the project schedule. These individual differences require tailored approaches in project management. A one-size-fits-all solution is not capable of meeting the specific requirements and challenges of each project. And as the name suggests, it is less about unpredictable factors or the soft skills of the project managers.