PM 346,The Practice of Project Management.

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Template for Comparing Predictive versus Agile Project Management

Areas of Comparison	Predictive Project Management	Agile Project Management
Approach (Linear, iterative, incremental etc.)
How are projects divided?
Project Lifecycle
Requirement Management
Project mindset Focus?
Response to Change
How is testing done?
Teams Role
Project Management Role
Key Benefits
Limitations
Best fit projects?
Examples

Areas of Comparison Approach (Linear, iterative, incremental etc.) How are projects Predictive Project Management Agile Project Management Predictive project management, often associated On the other hand, Agile project management is an iterative and with traditional Waterfall methodologies, follows a exible approach that emphasizes adaptability and customer linear and sequential process. It is characterized by collaboration. Agile divides the project into smaller, manageable a strict sequence of phases, such as initiation, chunks known as sprints or iterations, typically lasting 24 weeks. planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. Each Teams work on prioritized features ordeliverables, allowing for phase must be completed before the next one can continuous feedback and adjustments. Agile is ideal for projects begin. This approach is wellsuited for projects with with evolving or unclear requirements, as it accommodates welldened requirements and little uncertainty, as it changes throughoutthe project's lifecycle. allows for detailed planning upfront. Predictive projects. often associated with traditional In contrast. Agile projects embrace an adaptive project lifecycle divided\"? methodologies like Waterfall. follow a welldefined that can evolve as the project progresses. The Agile lifecycle and sequential project lifecycle with distinct start consists of iterative cycles or sprints. each lasting a few weeks. and end dates. This lifecycle typically includes where teams work on a prioritized set of features or deliverables. phases such as initiation. planning. execution. Agile allows for flexibility and continuous feedback. enabling monitoring. and closure. Each phase has predefined adjustments and refinements throughout the project. This objectives and deliverables. and progress moves adaptability is particularly useful in environments where linearly from one phase to the next. Changes to requirements are dynamic or not fully understood upfront. requirements or scope can be challenging to accommodate once the project has started. as the focus is on following the predetermined plan. PFOJEC'E LleCYClE In predictive project management. requirements are Conversely, in agile project management, requirements are meticulously collected and documented gathered and documented iteratively as the project unfolds. Teams regularly collaborate with stakeholders to rene and adjust requirements, allowing forflexibility and responsiveness to evolving needs. This iterative approach fosters continuous improvement and ensures that the project remains aligned with changing goals and during EXECUTE\"- Oering Stability bUT Pmenally priorities, even though it may entail some uncertainty during the limiting adaptability. project's progression. comprehensively upfront. often in a detailed project scope document. This approach aims to establish a clear project roadmap and minimize changes Requirement In predictive project management, a comprehensive | Conversely, in agile project management, requirements evolve Management gathering and documentation of requirements iteratively throughout the project's lifecycle. Agile teams start with a occurs before project initiation. This approach aims high-level vision and continuously gather and refine requirements to establish a detailed project scope, outlining all as they gain insights and user feedback. This flexible approach accommodates changing priorities and encourages adaptability to deliverables and specifications in advance to emerging project needs, fostering a dynamic and responsive minimize scope changes during execution. project environment. Project mindset Predictive project management places its primary Conversely, agile project management prioritizes flexibility and Focus? emphasis on meticulous planning and the pursuit of adaptability. It recognizes that project requirements and priorities predictability. It aims to establish a comprehensive |may evolve over time. Agile teams collaborate closely with project roadmap with detailed requirements and stakeholders, iterate on requirements, and adjust project scope as necessary. The focus is on responding to change and delivering schedules, minimizing changes during execution. value incrementally, enabling the project to adapt to shifting needs This approach prioritizes stability and aims to and seize opportunities as they arise. deliver on pre-defined objectives with minimal deviation. Response to Change |Predictive project management tends to struggle On the other hand, agile project management is inherently with change, as it relies on detailed upfront planning. adaptable to change. It embraces change as a natural part of the Any alterations to requirements or scope often result | process and is designed to accommodate it gracefully. Agile in significant disruptions, causing delays and budget teams expect and welcome changes, utilizing iterative cycles to overruns. The rigid structure and resistance to incorporate new requirements or adjust priorities, ensuring that the change can hinder the project's ability to respond to project remains aligned with evolving goals. This flexibility enables evolving circumstances or stakeholder needs. agile projects to respond quickly to shifting circumstances, enhancing their chances of success in dynamic environments. How is testing done? In predictive project management, testing is usually Conversely, agile project management integrates testing deferred until the end of the project, often in a throughout the project's lifecycle, with each sprint incorporating dedicated phase following development. This testing activities. This continuous testing process allows for early approach aims to ensure that all project components detection and resolution of issues, promoting higher product are completed before assessing their functionality, quality. Agile teams prioritize delivering functional increments potentially leading to the discovery of numerous enabling stakeholders to provide feedback and make necessary issues late in the process. This can result in time- adjustments, resulting in a more efficient and responsive approach consuming and costly rework. to testing and quality assurance.Teams Role In predictive project management, teams are In contrast, agile project management structures teams around commonly structured along functional lines, each features or product components, encouraging cross-functional team specializing in a specific aspect of the collaboration. These teams, often referred to as cross-functional project, such as development, testing, or or self-organizing teams, encompass various skills needed to deployment. This division of labor is efficient for complete a feature or product increment. They work specialized tasks but can lead to silos, collaboratively, take collective ownership, and have the autonomy communication challenges, and slower response to make decisions, which fosters flexibility, adaptability, and a to change, as teams may operate independently. holistic approach to problem-solving, ultimately enhancing project efficiency and responsiveness. Project Management In predictive project management, the project Conversely, in agile project management, the project manager Role manager plays a central role in planning, assumes a more facilitative role. They act as a servant-leader, organizing, and controlling all aspects of the empowering the self-organizing project team. Agile project project. They are responsible for defining project managers foster collaboration, remove impediments, and scope, setting schedules, allocating resources, facilitate communication among team members and and closely monitoring progress. Their role is stakeholders. Their focus is on enabling the team to make directive, involving top-down decision-making and a decisions collectively, respond to change, and deliver value focus on adhering to the predefined plan and iteratively, promoting adaptability and autonomy within the minimizing deviations project team. Key Benefits Predictive project management offers efficiency On the other hand, agile project management excels in projects and effectiveness when dealing with projects marked by complexity or uncertain requirements. Its iterative and characterized by well-defined requirements and flexible nature allows for continuous adaptation to evolving predictable timelines. Its meticulous planning and circumstances. Agile empowers teams to respond swiftly to upfront documentation help maintain a structured changing priorities, making it an ideal choice for dynamic approach, minimizing surprises and ensuring environments where requirements may shift or emerge during the adherence to set schedules. This approach suits project. This adaptability enhances the project's ability to deliver projects where the scope is stable and well- value even in unpredictable situations. understood Limitations Predictive project management, while offering On the other hand, agile project management's flexibility and structure, can become inflexible when confronted adaptability come at a potential cost. The iterative nature of agile with changing project conditions or evolving can extend project timelines due to frequent feedback loops and requirements. Its rigid planning and resistance to adjustments. Additionally, continuous collaboration and alterations may lead to delays and increased communication can demand more resources and time from team costs when modifications are necessary, and it members. While agile excels in responsiveness, it may require can struggle to accommodate unexpected more effort and resources, making it perceived as more time- challenges consuming and potentially more expensive than predictive project management, particularly in certain contexts Best fit projects? Predictive project management is ideally suited for Conversely, agile project management shines in projects marked projects with clear, stable requirements, by complexity, evolving requirements, or a dynamic environment. predictable timelines, and fixed budgets. It excels It is well-suited for software development, innovation-driven when the project scope is well-understood, making initiatives, or industries where customer feedback and market it possible to create a detailed plan and adhere to shifts necessitate rapid adaptation. Agile's flexibility and iterative it. This approach is particularly effective in approach empower teams to navigate uncertainty, accommodate industries like construction or manufacturing, change, and deliver value incrementally, making it an excellent where precision and adherence to budget and choice for dynamic and unpredictable contexts. schedule are paramount.Examples In contrast, agile projects, like developing a new website, creating product Predictive projects, such as building a bridge, developing a features, or resolving software bugs, thrive in environments characterized by new software product, or launching a marketing campaign, evolving requirements and the need for rapid adaptation. Agile allows teams typically involve wellestablished plans and specifications. T0 respond promptly T0 Changing customer needs and market dvnamics, They require detailed upfront documentation, adherence to emphasizing collaboration and incremental progress. These projects predefined schedules, and strict budget control. These prioritize flexibility, continuous improvement, and customer feedback, endeavors benefit from a structured approach, where risks making agile methodologies highly effective for software development and are minimized through extensive planning and adherence to dynamic product enhancement. predetermined objectives