'>4 Frameworks to Guide Project Management
/in Project Management/by CreativarianOne of the most crucial project management decisions you’ll make is choosing a framework because it dictates how you structure your team and how you plan and monitor your projects.
As promised, here are high-level descriptions of the leading project management frameworks (with links to even more comprehensive deep-dives):
1. Waterfall project management
Waterfall or traditional project management is focused on “perfect planning.” Before you even get started, you break down and schedule the entire project from start to finish.
If you’re working with physical products with lots of dependencies or services where your SLA demands perfection, consistency, and set-in-stone deadlines, there’s no better alternative.
Check out our complete guide to Waterfall project management here.
2. Kanban project management
Unlike the Waterfall framework, Kanban project management focuses on continuous improvement. Using a Kanban board like the one above, your team plans how to improve products, campaigns, or processes.
Who should use Kanban? Kanban helps you visualize your work to limit work-in-progress (WIP) and quickly move work from “Doing” to “Done.” Kanban is great for teams that have many incoming requests.
To learn more about Kanban project management, check out our guide.
3. Scrum project management
The Scrum framework is the most popular way to implement Agile project management. It divides larger projects into shorter, 1–4 week sprints that adapt to demands as the project evolves.
It also lays out rules for team size, team roles, planning, meetings, deliverables, and more. While popular among software developers, it’s also great for teams that seek to deliver functioning increments of their work during a project. For example, you could use it for marketing campaigns, product design, or other creative projects.
Read our post on the Scrum methodology to learn more.
4. Agile project management
Agile is a project management buzzword and is often prescribed as a catch-all solution to inefficient companies. However, it has its own unique shortcomings, like the ones below.
Agile frameworks, like Scrum, are designed to leave room for mistakes, trial and error, and unanticipated changes. In other words, if you employ an Agile approach, don’t expect your operations to run perfectly. They can also be hard to scale beyond a smaller team level. On the other hand, for many teams, having the flexibility to amend project plans as time goes on is integral to ensuring they can finish the project at all.
To learn more about running your next project using an agile framework, check out our walkthrough.
We also have a great blog on top project management methodologies to further help you understand your options.
We’ve covered the project management phases, its frameworks, and tips for success, but what about the key players who will take the project from A-Z? We’re talking of course about your team. Here’s how to ensure you choose the right people for the project.