IT Project Management Methodologies - A Guide to Choosing the Right Approach

As technology advances, IT project managers require a combination of technical knowledge and the ability to keep up with the industry to make sure ever-changing projects are smoothly brought to fruition. An IT project manager’s main responsibilities are to ensure the team is productive, stays on budget, and solves any issues that may arise. Managers rely on the effectiveness of project management techniques. Explore various IT project management methodologies in more detail to determine the best options for your next project.

What are IT project management methodologies?

IT project management methodologies ensure a project runs efficiently by giving you a structured way to manage, track, and budget for projects. Businesses can choose to combine several methodologies that work for a specific project or just use one strategy

Popular IT project management methodologies

Many IT project managers find methodologies key to completing a successful project. While many methodologies are available, it is important to research which methodology fits your project's needs. Each methodology has its advantages and challenges.

Waterfall methodology

The Waterfall methodology focuses on a linear sequence of project steps. When a team completes a specific task, the methodology directs them to start on the next phase in a predetermined sequence. The project goes through a series of phases, each relying on the one before, leading to completion. This ensures that any challenges or issues that arise can be found and fixed. 

Best for: The Waterfall methodology works best for small teams with smaller projects that have a defined, rigid set of steps to follow before completing the project.

Agile methodology

Agile methodology is an updated version of the Waterfall methodology, using a step-by-step technique instead of a linear process. This enables teams to break their work into small, flexible increments, known as sprints, before completing an entire project. By the end of each sprint, the completed step undergoes an evaluation and has customer feedback incorporated before moving on to the next sprint.

Best for: This methodology works well on large projects that are constantly evolving or don’t yet have defined requirements from the start. It is also an ideal method for companies that want to build a prototype before completing the project because it requires evaluation and feedback after each step. 

Scrum

Scrum is a type of Agile methodology that serves as a framework for a system that measures progress by actual observations, not hopeful outcomes. Scrum provides only the structure for the project as opposed to Agile, which assigns processes and procedures. Scrum takes into account the unpredictability of the project’s development and places emphasis on inspecting, fixing, and prioritizing sprints. This is the responsibility of the Scrum team, which comprises the product owner, whose responsibilities include ensuring the quality of the project; the Scrum master, who makes sure the project team is following the methodology; and other team members, who are responsible for completing sprints. 

Best for: Originally developed for use in software development, many companies and project managers in a variety of fields now rely on this method. It’s especially beneficial for smaller teams who are working on a project that may need to undergo many changes or have unknown factors, as well as projects that require frequent updates and correspondence with clients. 

Kanban

Kanban is a project management framework that uses the principles of Agile, but it also allows teams to visualize the process of how tasks are flowing. To track the progress of each step leading up to the completion of the project, the framework uses a Kanban board that features three columns labeled “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.” Kanban encourages the work to move throughout the system instead of giving team members an allotted amount of time to complete their tasks. Kanban allows teams the opportunity to see where issues or hold-ups are occurring visually.

Best for: This framework is best for projects that have the flexibility to submit when each step is ready instead of waiting on other steps. For example, a marketing campaign that incorporates different ads relies more on pieces being in place than waiting to submit the project in its entirety. 

Lean

The Lean methodology offers a way to streamline processes while focusing on reducing waste during each step. Some examples of waste include overproduction, waiting, unused talent, transportation, and inventory. Lean’s main focus is on customer satisfaction, so every decision centers around customer experience and satisfaction while eliminating waste. The Lean methodology relies on five fundamental concepts: 

1. Value: By aligning your company with your customers, you avoid wasting time and resources on things that don’t benefit the customer’s needs.

2. Value stream mapping: A map of the processes and steps to complete the project allows the team to visualize the processes and see where bottlenecks occur.

3. Workflow: It is imperative to ensure that your team’s workflow runs smoothly and that all involved teams collaborate well. Creating a good workflow includes eliminating any waste so the process runs efficiently.

4. Pull system: Work focuses on customer demand, not schedules or anticipated demand. This not only creates shorter delivery times and contributes to the quality of the project, but it also reduces waste by eliminating the amount of extraneous inventory and resources.

5. Continuous improvement: In this methodology, improvement is an ongoing process, and all employees involve themselves in improving the process. Each employee should review the current processes, recognize any problem areas, and suggest any changes that can help the process run more smoothly.

Best for: The Lean method benefits any company wanting to increase efficiency, keep costs low, and satisfy customers while reducing waste. 

DevOps 

This methodology combines development and operations, two teams that collaborate on a project from development to completion. It helps projects run smoother by automating processes and eliminating manual work to save time. This method also implements software that meets customers' needs using the latest features and performance tools. 

Best for: Software development and IT operations are ideal industries for DevOps because it requires collaboration between each department. It is also a good option for industries that need to stay on top of the latest innovations, such as security, compliance, and governance. 

Hybrid methodologies

Depending on your goals, you can choose aspects of different methodologies that work best for your project. For this approach, consider starting by combining two methodologies to see how efficient it is to implement the combination. After working with two methodologies, adding the strengths from additional approaches is easier. The most common hybrid methodology combines the Waterfall methodology, which allows teams to plan all projects, with Agile, putting the plan into action.

Best for: Companies with unclear requirements benefit from a more flexible methodology, which can include several approaches. When combined successfully, a hybrid methodology is best suited to handle unexpected issues and adapt to changes. Smaller, less complex projects may not need a hybrid methodology, while projects with complicated requirements can gain an advantage from the combination of approaches.

Tools and resources to support IT project management methodologies

With so many project management tools available to support various methodologies, choosing one can be daunting. Some popular software management tools to help implement your methodology include Trello, a simple, easy-to-use software management tool with an intuitive interface that works well with Agile Kanban; Jira, a popular tool that tracks Agile software; Microsoft Project, a management tool with a variety of features best suited for large corporations to allocate resources and track the project's progress; and many more. Look for tools that easily adapt to your industry and work well with other systems. 

Building IT project management skills with Coursera

When working in IT project management, it is imperative to know the goals of the project you are implementing. If you want to learn more about how IT project management works, check out the IBM IT Project Manager Professional Certificate, which discusses the most current skills and tools for project managers.