New needs, new profiles and new methodologies arise with the evolution of the business environment. The motives? The digital transformation, the rise of competition in all sectors, the new CSR values demanded by society, globalization… All this causes the level to rise and, to be competent, great organization and specialization in the work teams.
In this post, we want to talk to you about the four most innovative project management methodologies with which to significantly improve the efficiency of any department. Discover them with us!
Before delving into the types of project management methodologies, we have to know who the Project manager is, because he is the person who will choose the most convenient one for each job and on whom it will depend that the task flow works as expected.
The profile of the project manager is essential in the successful management of projects. This professional must have a wide range of skills that include leadership skills, effective communication, decision-making, time management and conflict resolution. Additionally, he must be organized, pay attention to details and be able to plan and coordinate team tasks efficiently.
On the other hand, among the main tasks of the Project manager are: defining objectives, developing a project plan, assigning resources, monitoring progress, identifying and mitigating risks, and constantly communicating with stakeholders to ensure that the project progresses as planned.
For the project manager to perform his or her duties optimally and guarantee quality results in a timely manner, he or she must know different project management methodologies and know which one best suits each project according to its characteristics: how many employees participate. , the size of the project, the scope to be achieved, the necessary resources, the staff’s own needs, whether external services or professionals are needed, the estimated time it will take to address each task, etc.
Furthermore, the person in charge of leading the project must have the basic digital skills to maintain fluid communication with everyone involved, especially when people are working remotely, who will have to keep the group cohesive and well-informed. the progress. Likewise, mastering a project management tool such as Trello, Asana, Teams, etc., will be essential to organize and distribute the workload.
Taking all these details into account is of vital importance to apply the correct methodology.
There are many methodologies for work management, but, as technology advances, companies evolve and human resources innovate, these processes also change to adapt. Let’s look at the most used ones today.
Maintains a project management approach that is characterized as linear and sequential. In this methodology, the development process is divided into well-defined stages and each stage must be completed before moving on to the next, because once closed, there is no turning back. These stages are usually: requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment and maintenance.
In the waterfall methodology, once a stage is started, returning to previous stages is not permitted, meaning that significant changes to requirements or design may result in delays or additional costs. This approach is especially suitable for projects where the requirements are stable and well-understood from the beginning.
Time is the protagonist in this methodology, based on its management and the management of the resources necessary to guarantee the successful completion of the project. It differs from other methods by identifying the “critical chains” in a project, which are the sequences of tasks that, if delayed, would affect the completion date of the project as a whole. The methodology prioritizes these critical chains and allocates resources effectively to protect them, avoiding wasted time on non-critical tasks. Additionally, “buffers” are built into the schedule to deal with variability and risks, helping to increase the likelihood that the project will be completed on time.
Perhaps this is the most famous and, surely, even if you are not a project manager, you have heard of it. It emerged in software development but has already spread beyond the technological field. It is characterized by its flexibility and collaborative approach that, unlike traditional methods, such as the waterfall methodology, which are linear and sequential, in the agile methodology, tasks are delivered progressively. This allows the results to be rectified and polished.
With agile methodology, instead of planning the entire project, it is divided into shorter iterations, called “sprints.” During each sprint, the team works on a set of previously prioritized tasks. At the end of the sprint, a functional increment of the product is delivered.
Agile principles promote constant communication between the team and stakeholders, collaboration, rapid response to changing requirements, and continuous delivery of value to the customer. Examples of agile methodologies include Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming (XP).
The hybrid methodology has become increasingly popular as it allows organizations to adapt to changing project dynamics, while also providing structure and control when necessary. This combines elements of traditional methodologies, such as the waterfall methodology, with agile approaches. The original idea of a hybrid methodology is to adapt to the specific needs of each project, allowing greater flexibility without sacrificing structure and planning. In this way, the advantages of each methodology are taken advantage of, which gives even more flexibility and room for manoeuvre.
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