Project & Process Management Methodologies. PMBOK. Problem Solving. Part 1. Overview

Part one of this article offers an overview of project and process management methodologies and problem-solving methods. In part two, we examine managing a sample project and how it can leverage the existing methods.

Managing a Project Through Its Life Cycle

If you expect a project to go smoothly, you have to manage all its aspects efficiently. And if you’re going to manage a project efficiently, you should rely on a project management methodology. There are plenty of them. Some teams strictly follow the rules set by the methodology of their choice, while others develop their modifications to align with the objectives of their projects better. In any case, it’s essential to have a good understanding of existing methodologies to apply available well-proven methods.

It’s easy to get lost in a variety of existing methodologies and techniques and understand the pros and cons. Let’s start with a simple arrangement that at least allows defining a direction of further research a project manager should do to choose a methodology for his projects.

The classification of project management methodologies you can find online is a bit ambiguous. There are plenty of articles about the top 5, 10, 15, and so on project methodologies. Although these sometimes rather long lists lack structuring, that can help to catch the essentials. Project and process management methodologies, PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) Guide, PRINCE2, and problem-solving methods often are in the same list of project management methodologies. That’s not entirely correct.

Usually, they define the waterfall (sequential or cascade) and agile project management as two main types of project management. Each includes many methodologies and techniques. However, just saying “waterfall” or “agile” methodology is also valid since there are the same principles shared between various approaches within each class. Plus, frankly speaking, it’s not always easy to tell whether a particular approach is a methodology or just a technique.

It happens the waterfall methods are referred to as classical (old), while the agile ones are considered to be modern. But in fact, it depends on a project what suits it better. Often a combination of different approaches (a hybrid methodology) is the best choice.

In addition to project management, there is process management. These terms sound alike, but they are different. Process management helps with the standard operational procedures of a business, while project management helps to reach specific objectives. Of course, project and process management frequently overlap.

At some stage of a project, they often use problem-solving methods that help to cultivate numerous ideas and then develop and execute the best of them. These methods are frequently applied within the framework of design thinking, which defines the process of problem-solving. Some problem-solving methods may require specific knowledge and be beyond the expertise of a project manager; however, design thinking is a useful and relatively simple concept for all project participants.

Waterfall Project Management

The main principle of the waterfall (sequential) project management is that a project is planned in advance and then executed as a sequence of predefined non-overlapping phases. Every new one cannot begin until the previous one has been completed.

They define the following phases typical for the waterfall approach:

The waterfall approach works best for projects with settled requirements and comprehensive functional specifications, an established timeline, and well-understood technology.

There are several popular methods and techniques used in waterfall project management. Some refer to them as project management methodologies, and some believe they are mostly algorithms.

Earned Value Technique (Earned Value Method)

The Earned Value Technique focuses on measuring performance and progress. It allows a project manager to measure the amount of work performed on a project, understand how the project is progressing compared to its initial planning, and predict the future schedule and costs. This method implies that a project manager should carry out such an evaluation of a project periodically.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

The main idea of this method is finding dependant tasks you cannot start before other tasks have been completed. By identifying such a sequence (the critical path), it is possible to allocate resources for the most critical work and reschedule lower priority tasks to optimize the team’s overall performance and avoid delays.

Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)

The Critical Chain Project Management is the further development of the Critical Path Method. This approach takes into account the resources required to execute the critical path tasks successfully (people, equipment, physical space needed for production). CCPM uses several types of buffers to protect a project from uncertainties that can influence its critical path. When a task runs out, it can use additional time from a buffer. It’s worth pointing out that if resources are available in unlimited quantities, the critical chain of a project is equal to its critical path.

PERT (Program Evaluation & Review Technique)

PERT is a visual tool that uses a flowchart (somewhat similar to Gantt charts) to identify project start and end dates, milestones, required sequences of tasks, anticipated total completion time, and the probability of finishing a project by a specific date. A PERT chart uses numbered circles representing milestones and straight lines with arrows to show sequences of tasks between the milestones. The longest series of tasks in a project (the critical path) shows the estimated completion time.

Agile Project Management

In Agile projects are developed in small iterations that are usually called sprints. Every iteration includes planning, analysis, design, development, monitoring, and testing (evaluating results). Such an evolutionary approach to development furthers continual improvement and encourages rapid and flexible response to change.

According to the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, this approach values:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan

There are many agile methodologies developed to set rules and standards, helping to apply the agile principles in daily project management.

Scrum

Scrum is an agile methodology trendy among software developers. Scrum is highly structured, and it may require time to master it. It describes a set of rules, artifacts, roles, and events that help teams organize their work within the Agile development concept.

Scrum teams have to deliver working software through small fixed-length iterations (sprints). They use specific roles, create special artifacts, and hold regular ceremonies to keep things moving forward. A set of stories (backlog entries) are determined for every sprint before it starts and cannot be changed until it finishes.

Kanban

The main objectives of Kanban are controlling the amount of work in progress and improving work efficiency. Kanban focuses on visualizing the work on the so-called Kanban board. The board consists of visual signals (cards/stickies/tickets), columns each representing a specific activity in the workflow (for instance, “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Complete”), work in progress (WIP) limits (maximum number of cards per column), commitment points (initial ideas backlog), and delivery points (completed tasks passed to the client).

Lean Software Development

Briefly, Lean Development means removing everything that is not necessary. Its core idea is to understand the objectives through the customer’s eyes and deliver a minimum viable product as soon as possible without overtasking, unrealistic timelines, and waste. Later on, considering the feedback, more features are added in small iterations. Lean is somewhat a philosophical umbrella applicable to many other agile methods.

Extreme Programming (XP)

Extreme Programming is a software development centric methodology. It offers a set of engineering practices that assist in producing high-quality software. Many of these practices are a de facto standard in the industry and used daily by almost all software developers — for example, refactoring, continuous integration, test-first programming, pair programming, and others. In XP, the same as in other agile methods, development happens in small iterations. Each includes planning, coding, testing, and addressing feedback.

XP puts more emphasis on technical processes rather than the usual project management. Thus it is typically not entirely suitable for project managers who are not software developers and not always accepted by people making business decisions when things they don’t understand increase development costs.

Crystal

Crystal project management is a family of lightweight people-centric software development methods. This approach affirms that people’s skills, talents, and the way they communicate have a more significant impact on a project compared to the processes and tools they use. Crystal project management centers on frequent delivery, close communication, and reflective improvement.

Depending on the criticality of a project and the number of people involved (complexity), the Crystal methodology offers various methods (Crystal Clear, Crystal Yellow, Crystal Orange, and others). Each is a set of policies, practices, and processes to meet the project’s unique characteristics.

Rapid Application Development (RAD)

RAD focuses on rapid prototyping of relatively small software products where customers (end users) are willing to be involved throughout the entire project development cycle. Like many other agile project management methodologies, it’s iterative and bases on such steps as defining the requirements, prototyping, receiving feedback, finalizing. However, the critical element is development speed. RAD prefers a single small team that can quickly produce many prototypes before the product is finished.

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)

Dynamic Systems Development Method is an agile method that covers the entire lifecycle of product development. It was inspired by Rapid Application Development, but unlike RAD, it imposes more governance and discipline. The best way to explain DSDM is by listing its eight fundamental principles:

• Focus on business needs
• Deliver on time
• Collaborate (development teams should involve stakeholders throughout the project, and each member should make decisions)
• Ensure high quality
• Build incrementally from firm foundations (plan and design before developing)
• Develop iteratively (plan, develop, test, use feedback to improve with every small iteration)
• Communicate (stand-up sessions, informal communication, workshops, prototyping)
• Demonstrate control (plans, progress, and decisions made should be visible and clear to all)

Feature Driven Development (FDD)

Feature Driven Development is one of the most popular agile methodologies created for large-scale and long-term projects. FDD is an iterative and incremental process that relies on the following sequence:

• Develop an overall model
• Build a list of features
• Plan by feature
• Design by feature
• Build by feature

The first two phases create a global model, including a prioritized list of features, and occur at the beginning of every project. The next three phases are then iterated for each feature.

Hybrid Methodologies

In reality, most projects require a combination of various methodologies. They often mix planning strategies from the traditional waterfall project management with the agile approach.

For instance, if you are going to create a new electronic device, the waterfall methods would work well for planning, developing hardware specifications, manufacturing, and acceptance testing. Meanwhile, the agile approach would suit the software development part of the project.

Process Management Methodologies

Unlike projects, processes are ongoing with no clearly defined beginning and end states; they consist of a series of repetitive tasks and require continuous management to meet quality and other requirements. You can view a process as a car journey. Regardless of where you’re going (the project objectives), while you’re driving, you should fill up the car with petrol on time, ensure the tires aren’t flat, and the speed is within the allowed limits. Controlling those things is process management.

There are many process management methodologies used to administer and improve processes in business, manufacturing, engineering and construction, finance, supply chain, healthcare, and other areas.

Six Sigma

Six Sigma (6σ) methodology has been developed to measure quality and eliminate defects. Sigma (σ), or the standard deviation, in statistics is a measure of the variation or dispersion of a set of values. A low standard deviation (σ) indicates that the set’s values tend to be close to the mean (the expected value). If we set expected values and acceptable limits for various process quality metrics, it is possible to measure the probable amount of defects with the help of the standard deviation. The lower the sigma value, the better — fewer defects. Thus, the objective is to reduce the sigma value for a particular quality metric. This also means that more sigmas will fit between the expected value and the limit. It is believed that a 6σ-process is good enough in most cases, and this is why the methodology is called Six Sigma — 6 standard deviations between an expected value and acceptable limits. It is worth noting that 6σ means that a process should not produce more than 3.4 defects per one million opportunities (DPMO).

The Six Sigma methodology is based on two processes:

• DMAIC (an acronym for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) — a method that helps to improve existing processes
• DMADV (an acronym for Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify) — a method to create new processes

Lean Manufacturing (Lean Production)

Lean Manufacturing, also known as Lean Production, focuses on minimizing waste and maximizing productivity within manufacturing processes. Waste is anything that does not bring any added value to customers. It includes unnecessary transportation, excess inventory, the unnecessary motion of people or equipment, waiting, overproduction and overprocessing, defects.

The main principles of Lean Manufacturing are:

• Understand the value desired by customers
• Identify the value stream — the value-added steps for every product without any waste steps
• Establish continuous product flow without barriers through the value-added steps
• Set up a pull system — start new work only when there is a demand for it
• Strive for perfection with constant process improvement — pursue high quality of eliminating waste across the value stream

Lean Six Sigma

Lean Six Sigma is a combination of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma that aims to improve performance by removing waste and reducing variation.

PMBOK

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide is a set of standard terminology and guidelines for project management published by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

It’s a broadly accepted standard in project management; however, it’s not a project management methodology. PMBOK explains how to apply management knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to enhance the chance of success of a project. It defines standards for well-validated and widely accepted project management practices. There you will not find all trending methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, or eXtreme Programming. However, the latest 6th edition finally includes an “Agile Practice Guide,” but it only describes general principles and doesn’t refer to any existing popular agile methodology.

Problem Solving

Design Thinking

Design Thinking is an innovative problem-solving process and an ideology. At a high level, the stages involved are rather simple and similar to the steps suggested in many other iterative methods already mentioned above: understand the problem, think about a solution, loop through prototyping and testing, implement. However, Design Thinking is different. It bases on the methods and processes designers use, and it is a highly creative and very human-centric process. Everything in Design Thinking is viewed from the end-user perspective. By focusing heavily on empathy, it inspires organizations to consider the real people who use their products and services continuously. Another great benefit of Design Thinking is that it encourages to challenge existing solutions and keep looking for new non-standard ways. It is one of the reasons why Design Thinking is famous for its ability to tackle ill-defined or unknown problems (“wicked problems”) and find innovative solutions.

Generating Ideas

A tricky part of a problem-solving process is generating ideas. There are many techniques to do it efficiently. Everybody most likely heard about traditional brainstorming sessions, although there are more fascinating methods that are worth attention. Round-robin brainstorming, Six Thinking Hats, The Five Why’s, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, Walk away, or the Wanderer technique, and others. Adopting one of these techniques will help a lot. They all have pros and cons, and it’s better not to stick to one of them because they can be more or less effective depending on the context. Mix and match the techniques, zoom out from a particular issue to get the whole picture, and explore various options.

In part two of this article (coming soon), we will review a sample project and how to manage it using the described methodologies and techniques.

Originally published at https://trackabi.com.