3 Types of Project Management Frameworks

Waterfall

Waterfall was first designed for the construction and manufacturing industries, where project steps happen one after another. For example, to build a house, first you must prepare the site, then build the foundation, then the walls, and then the roof, and so on. Each step must happen in order—you can’t build a roof without first raising the walls. Additionally, you must complete each step before starting the next—you can’t start the walls until the foundation is finished.

The construction and manufacturing industries avoid mid-production changes, as they can be difficult and costly. Imagine changing the size of a house after you’ve already built the foundation and walls. That’s why, with the Waterfall framework, it’s crucial to understand all project requirements upfront. You must be able to map each step and avoid any changes.

5 Steps to Apply Waterfall

1. Define Requirements
   Start by identifying and documenting all of a project’s requirements. Analyze the needs of the business or client. What are the tasks or conditions required for the project’s successful completion? For example, if you were managing a project in software development, then this is the stage where you’d identify what the software needs to do. Interview the client or executive management to help you with this phase.
2. Design
   In the design phase, the project manager decides the best way to fulfill the project requirements. They choose or design the systems needed to bring the project to fruition. For example, in software development, this phase may include answering questions such as: What programming language should we use? Should it be in the cloud or offline? And should it be a mobile website or a phone app? Also, does it need a database to store information?
3. Execute
   After design, the project is then executed or implemented. Software developers write the code, and graphic designers create the wireframes. Implementation typically occurs in smaller, incremental steps until the work is finished.
4. Test and Fix Issues
   After the work is finished, it’s time to test it. Software developers will check the code and look for bugs. The project is tested or reviewed, and issues are identified and reported. Identified issues must be resolved before the next phase.
5. Deliver and Maintain
   Finally, the project is delivered or deployed to the client or customer. The team will continue to support and make updates to the project when relevant and necessary.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Waterfall is a tried-and-true approach to planning and executing a project with clear steps in a linear fashion. It is ideal for simple projects in which the requirements are straightforward and fixed. This approach is easy for clients and your project team to understand, and its predictability allows you to schedule time and resources more accurately.

However, Waterfall should not be used for projects that have unclear requirements or are prone to revisions and change. Waterfall projects struggle with handling unexpected problems, mid-stage client feedback, or any other reason for returning to previous stages.

Agile

While Waterfall is opposed to change, Agile frameworks welcome it. Agile is an umbrella term that describes a group of project management frameworks that take an iterative and team-based approach to project management. Examples of Agile frameworks include Scrum and Kanban. For this lesson, we’ll cover Agile frameworks at a high level, rather than explore these individual subsets.

Agile frameworks manage tasks and deliver products through continuous iterations. While Waterfall delivers a project all at once, after the project is complete, the goal of Agile is to get a working product to the customer at the end of each iteration or cycle. Delivering work in rapid, short, and continuous cycles empowers Agile teams to be more responsive to change and feedback.

Consider This

Because Agile is a set of general principles and values, it can be challenging to imagine what it might look like in day-to-day project management. Consider the following example to make these ideas more concrete.

Let’s say you’re leading a development team in creating new software. You decide to use a more traditional approach, like Waterfall. So, you execute all feature requirements, test them, and fix any bugs before delivering the finished product to the customer. As the project manager, you define these requirements, create the schedule, and ensure it’s followed.

Now compare this to an Agile approach. Using Agile, you don’t try to deliver the finalized software all at once at the end of the project. Instead, you build the features incrementally—bit by bit. You break the software down into a list of features the customer wants. You and the team prioritize the work. Then, you start executing features from the top of your list. The team builds a feature, you share it with the customer, get feedback, and iterate. You focus on making this cycle turn around as fast as possible. You and the team update the plan as you go, staying nimble and responsive to shifting priorities or findings from customer feedback.

Key Values of Agile

Agile frameworks are guided by a set of general principles and values. Three of those key values are summarized below:

1. Rapid delivery and continuous learning.
   The Agile framework tries to deliver work faster to allow for rapid feedback, testing, and iteration. You might describe Agile as a “fail faster” approach. The sooner the product is put out in the world and tested, the faster the team can learn, adapt, and innovate.
2. Individuals and interactions.
   Agile teams are often smaller and self-organized. Autonomy and interactive, face-to-face conversations between team members are encouraged over top-down communications.
3. Satisfy the customer.
   Above all, this framework is focused on satisfying the customer and delivering high-quality products. Requirements can change, and work is fluid to take advantage of opportunities that add new value to customers.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Agile is ideal for creating new products and services—or fostering innovation—in highly dynamic or creative team environments. The process is rapid and flexible and allows for multiple rounds of feedback from clients or customers. For that reason, the project often results in higher customer satisfaction.

On the other hand, Agile is not ideal for routine functions or projects in which the market and requirements are stable and predictable. It may be difficult to estimate the total project time and cost when using an Agile approach. For example, going back to our earlier construction metaphor, imagine the impact of allowing a client to change a home design after the walls have already been constructed!

Lean

The Lean framework helps teams maximize value and minimize waste throughout the project management process. It’s most often used in manufacturing, construction, and healthcare industries, among others. Lean is based on a set of five core values and principles. These principles guide project managers in developing and refining their project workflow. They include:

1. Understand Value
2. Map the Value Stream
3. Identify and Eliminate Waste
4. Follow the Customer’s Lead
5. Strive for Continuous Improvement

“Continuous improvement is about removing the things that get in the way of your work. The headaches, the things that slow you down, that’s what continuous improvement is all about.”
— Bruce Hamilton

A Real-World Example

Did you know that the Lean framework was first introduced by Toyota? At the end of World War II, car manufacturing assembly lines provided efficiency but struggled to offer variety. Toyota identified a few simple steps they could implement to refine the manufacturing process to reduce waste and satisfy customer demand for greater variety.

Here are a few steps Toyota took that fostered the ideas for the Lean framework:

• Toyota realized that producing car parts in large batches resulted in surplus inventories. If they adjusted inventory to match demand more closely, they would have less wasted materials.
• They introduced self-monitoring machines, evaluated the most efficient line-up of machines, and set up notification systems so that each process step indicated current material needs.

By reducing waste and optimizing the production process, Toyota could focus on low-cost and high-variety products as a direct response to changing customer needs.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The Lean framework is ideal for projects that have hard deadlines, budgets, or resources. It can help streamline repetitive processes and maximize a company’s resources. However, it is not suitable for projects that require flexibility or innovative, new ideas. The Lean framework can feel rigid or discouraging to employees.