12 PM Methodologies Flashcards
What is a project management methodology?
a set of rules and processes that define how you manage a project
What is the best methodology?
there isn’t one best option—the best methodology is the one (or combination) that best fits your project, team, and company
What is Waterfall methodology?
a project flows through a series of steps or phases. Generally, each must be completed before the next can begin.
Stages of the waterfall model
- Requirements
- Design
- Implementation
- Verification
- Maintenance
When to use waterfall?
- for short, predictable projects
- where you have a clear vision of the finished product and fixed requirements that are not likely to change.
- It’s best suited for teams and PMs that excel at planning and documentation.
What approach to PM does Agile take?
Agile takes an iterative approach to project management.
Is Agile a full methodology?
While not technically a full methodology — it won’t give you a comprehensive plan for how to manage your projects — Agile does offer a series of values and principles to promote agility and efficiency in the development process.
Four foundational values of Agile
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
When to use agile?
- works well on creative projects where requirements might change along the way and the final details of the product are not yet established
- for projects where clients or stakeholders prefer to offer feedback regularly, rather than only when the final product is delivered.
What is Scrum?
Scrum is a lightweight Agile framework designed to help self-organizing teams develop more complex projects.
What is Sprint?
Short (usually one month or less) development cycle where a team creates a useable and (hopefully) releasable product increment
Who is Scrum master?
Team leader responsible for coaching the team in the Scrum method, organizing Scrum meetings and events, and ensuring team members have the support they need to succeed
What is Daily Scrum?
15-minute stand-up meeting held each day of a sprint where the team plans work for the next 24 hours
What is Product backlog?
Prioritized list of work still to be done on a product
What is Product owner?
Person responsible for maximizing the value of the product by managing the product backlog
What is Development team?
Roles responsible for the actual development work of a project
What is Sprint review?
Informal session where the development team presents their finished iterations to stakeholders for feedback
When to use Scrum?
- best for self-managing teams and a culture open to innovation
- can help bring products to market more quickly
- The short development cycles and frequent stakeholder involvement can often lead to a better-quality product.
What is Kanban?
Kanban is an Agile method of project management that helps visualize workflow to improve efficiency.
When and where kanban was developed?
The word ‘kanban’ means ‘billboard’ in Japanese. The method was developed by Toyota in the 1940s.
What is Kanban board?
At the center of the Kanban method is a Kanban board—a physical or digital tool that divides workflow into columns organized by development stage, such as to-do, in-progress, and completed tasks.
Six kanban practices
- Visualize the workflow. The Kanban board visualizes a team’s workload in a way that’s easy to understand and execute.
- Limit work in progress. Restricting the number of tasks a team is working on at any given time helps maintain focus.
- Manage flow. This method switches the focus from managing people to managing a smooth flow of work.
- Make policies explicit. Keep them simple, visible, and easy to understand.
- Use feedback loops. Revisiting project goals regularly helps the team respond to changes and take advantage of new opportunities.
- Improve collaboratively. Teams with a shared vision can work together to achieve continuous improvement. These evolutions should be based on metrics and experimentation.