Key Project Management Methods for software development

The success of any serious project depends on the methods used to manage it. All projects are unique, and there is no universal project management methodology yet. Each software development team has its own approach to project management. And there are no methods that are suitable for any team. However, over a long time that project management has existed, specialists have created quite a few standards and approaches, and we will introduce you to some of them. By comparing key project management methodologies we will help you decide which of them are most suitable for your needs and how you can organize your software development process.

Project management methodologies overview:

Scrum

A very flexible method. It is recognized by the Agile family as the most structured one. According to Agile principles, in Scrum, the project is divided into parts. It is suitable for instant use by the customer in order to get backlogs of products. Subsequently, the received parts are assigned according to their priority.

The most important parts are first selected for execution in the sprint (sprints in Scrum are iterations, that last from 2 to 4 weeks). As a result of the sprint, the customer receives the working increment of the product, i.e. ready to use parts. Once one sprint is completed, the project team starts the next sprint. The duration of sprints is always the same, but the team always sets it itself, evaluating its performance and project features.

Advantages of Scrum:

  • Suitable for projects, that require quick results;
  • Easily adapts to changes;
  • Suitable for use by teams, where there are employees with little experience since all team members actively interact with each other;
  • Allows you to make “quick mistakes”, i.e. receive almost instant feedback from ongoing actions thanks to sprints;
  • It allows you to quickly correct errors and improve the efficiency of your software.

Disadvantages of Scrum:

  • High demands on the project team (it requires a team of 5-9 people, and all team members must have needed competencies. This will secure a smooth software development process);
  • All employees must be able and willing to work in a team, be capable of self-organization and actively take responsibility;
  • Not suitable for all organizations and teams.

Lean

According to Agile, the project should be broken down into small sub-projects and work packages, but it’s not clear how to develop these sub-projects and work packages. The Lean method complements the principles of Agile with its workflow scheme for the high-quality execution of each iteration.

At Lean, work is broken down into small work packages, which are then implemented independently of each other. But unlike Scrum, each package has its workflow with stages. Such stages are planning, supply, testing, development. The main thing is that these stages are important for the high-quality implementation of the project.

Advantages of Lean:

  • Suitable for projects requiring clear execution and even quality, since it has all the appropriate tools;
  • Combines structuredness and flexibility.

Disadvantages of Lean:

  • It involves a detailed and rigorous study of all the tasks and stages of the project. This includes head-to-toe guidelines from the customer.
  • There is no clear workflow for the implementation of individual parts of the project, which negatively affects the speed of the entire project (this problem can be solved thanks to clear communications management within the team).
  • Like Agile, Lean is not so much a method as a way of thinking and a concept with which you can independently create a project management system that will satisfy all your requirements.

Kanban

If the “Lean” method seems somewhat abstract, combined with Kanban, it becomes an excellent tool for building an effective project management system. The Kanban method involves transferring the product increment from stage to stage, as a result of which the finished product appears at the output.

Kanban allows you to suspend the execution of one task at any stage if other urgent tasks have appeared or the priority of the current one has changed. Incomplete edition, suspended dates, indefinite part of the function – for the Kanban method this is the norm.

Advantages of Kanban:

  • Ideal for cohesive teams with established communication;
  • Missing Deadlines;
  • Significantly saves resources and allows you to comply with the budget and deadlines, because involves an accurate calculation of the burden on the performers, the correct placement of restrictions and focus on continuous improvement.

Disadvantages of Kanban

  • It is more suitable for teams, whose members have overlapping skills, otherwise, the effectiveness of the method will significantly decrease;
  • Not very suitable for implementing projects with hard deadlines;
  • In cases where you have to deal with clearly defined deadlines, it is best to use the Scrum method.

Conclusion

Project management is a science, but not the most accurate one. There are no universal solutions in this area. If you manage to find a method, ideally suited to your project – you can consider yourself lucky, because less successful managers have to make efforts to create and configure their project management systems. Here in Artecha we can easily adapt to your needs and offer you the best project management approach. Being business-oriented, we are interested in the successful completion of any software development project we deal with.

Let us know what is your idea to grow your business and we will bring it to life using the best approach.

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