
This method tends to be more detailed and rigid, and it’s designed to keep teams moving from task to task without looking back. In the Waterfall methodology, each step needs to be completed before moving on to the next. You’ll usually see the waterfall method broken down into five steps: When you put all your projects in order, it cascades down like a waterfall (hence the name). The concept is based on the idea that projects are made up of steps that follow one after the other.
#Waterfall project management vs agile project software#
Winston Royce detailed it as a solution for large software development projects. The Waterfall method has been around since 1970 when Dr.

Promote sustainable development by requiring everyone that touches a project to stay at a constant pace.See the final working project to measure a project’s success.Have face-to-face (or virtual) conversations to pass information to the development team.Build projects around motivated people (provide support, trust, and the right environment).Collaborate throughout the entire process (between developers, managers, and stakeholders).Deliver smaller, working projects with a preference for a shorter timescale.Embrace and adapt to changes that benefit the customer, no matter where you are in your project timeline.Deliver working products frequently and consistently with customer satisfaction as the highest priority.What does the Agile process really mean?Īgile project management follows 12 principles that help teams satisfy their customers and keep their projects on track. The team takes whatever feedback it receives and adapts the project as it works through each sprint. The deliverable is then released into the world to receive feedback.

Each iteration is a small deliverable with a short deadline (usually 1-3 weeks) that a team focuses on and completes. The Agile methodology is a collaborative project management methodology that breaks down larger projects into small tasks that teams tackle collaboratively.Īgile values flexibility and cross-team collaboration, releasing teams from the step-by-step structure of linear methods to adapt a project as it progresses.Īgile project ma nagement works in iterations or sprints. Methodologies come in all shapes and sizes - from detailed and rigid to light and flexible.Ī gile and Waterfall are two popular methodologies you can use while working with a Work OS. Methodologies keep teams on track and set the ground rules for planning, starting, and working on a project.

What are methodologies?Ī project management methodology is a system of processes that guide a project from start to finish. Let’s walk through the details of each methodology and look at some guidelines to consider when choosing between the two. Waterfall is crisp and structured, defining each step from start to finish.Ĭhoosing between Agile and Waterfall depends on your team and your project. The answer may depend on your managing style and what you need out of a management approach.Īgile is lean and flexible with enough ambiguity to make changes to a project no matter how far along you are. This tough question doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. Waterfall - which is the best project management methodology?
