Project Management
Project Management
At Smart Hands Africa we understand the importance of Project Management for your organization. In order for you to be truly effective, we will ensure that our Project Management Methodology maps correctly to your team type, project, organization, and goals.
Project Management Methodology: it is a set of principles and practices that guide you in organizing your projects to ensure their optimum performance. It is the framework that helps customers’ to manage their projects in the best way possible.
The “double triangle” diagram of project constraints sometimes measures “client satisfaction” as well as “team satisfaction”, as two of the three other prongs on the new triangle, along with “processes”. This notation can be especially helpful when delivering a software solution for a client.
When factoring in your different goals, KPIs and production methods, of not only different types of teams but also different types of industries, it makes sense that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing a project.
The appropriate methodology will elevate the project and help to get the best out of each team. Whether the customer prefers the Agile methods favoured in IT Project Management or the more traditional Waterfall Project Management and Critical Path Methodology used in construction and manufacturing, there is a project management methodology for every team.
No matter which methodology the customer goes for, it needs to be a collaborative, flexible, and easy-to-use Project Management Tool, to support the process every step of the way. A Tool that supports multiple methodologies (does not lock you into one methodology or way of using it) means that every team in the organization has the freedom to work the way that works for them without sacrificing on features or complexity. It should however replicate best practices, ensure compliance and consistency, and constantly improve processes.
Hybrid Life Cycle
This methodology combines elements to create a new model or approach. For example, utilizing iterative or agile methods for early requirements gathering, where the uncertainty is greatest, and following it up with incremental or sequential processes to formalize deployment.
Agile-Waterfall Hybrid
This allows teams developing software, to work within the Agile methodology, while hardware development teams and product managers stick to the Waterfall approach. A single methodology cannot be the only hammer to nail all the solutions. The Agile-Waterfall Hybrid is often considered a smart approach for adopting both methodologies without compromising too much, essentially utilizing the best of both worlds.
Waterfall methodology
What: This is the traditional approach to project management. Tasks and phases are completed in a linear, sequential manner and each stage of the project must be completed before the next begins.
Since everything is mapped out at the beginning of the project, there is a lot of room for error if expectations do not match up with reality. One cannot rollback to a previous stage once it is completed.
When: The client’s end goal of the project is clearly defined and is not going to change; stakeholders know exactly what they want; the project is consistent and predictable; or working in a regulated industry that needs extensive project tracking or documentation.
The below stages generally followed:
- Requirements
- Analysis
- Design
- Construction
- Testing
- Deployment and Maintenance
Agile methodology
What: This methodology evolved from dissatisfaction with the linear approach of traditional project management methodologies. Agile is iterative to allow teams to revise their project during the process instead of having to wait until the end to review and amend.
Key principles – This methodology s collaborative, quick and open to data-driven change. It involves short phases of work with frequent testing, reassessment, and adaptation throughout.
When: The client’s project is liable to change; if they are not sure at the outset what the solution will look like; and if they need to work quickly and that it is more important for them to see speedy progress than perfect results.
Lean methodology
What: Applying lean principles to project management methods to maximize value and minimize waste. While this methodology originally referred to reducing physical waste in the manufacturing process, it now refers to other wasteful practices in the project management process. These are known as the 3 M’s:
- Muda (wastefulness) consumes resources without adding value for the customer
- Mura (unevenness) occurs when having overproduction in one area that throws all other areas out, leaving the customer with too much inventory (wasteful) or inefficient processes (also wasteful).
- Muri (overburden) this occurs when there is too much strain on resources such as equipment and people, which can often lead to breakdowns — in both machines and humans.
When: clients are looking for a set of principles that will help them cut the fat and optimize their flow; trying to improve and add value to their customers; and ultimately decrease their costs.