A Systematic Comparison between Traditional and Agile Methods - Report Example

Running head: Project Management A Systematic Comparison between Traditional and Agile Methods Insert Insert Grade Insert 18March 2012 A Systematic Comparison between Traditional and Agile Methods Introduction Project management is the process through which the components of an undertaking are organized and guided through stages from the beginning to the end. There are several approaches to project management. The traditional approach to project management involves following a sequence of stages that include initiation, planning and design, execution and construction, monitoring and controlling and closure. These steps vary from one project to another. Some do not go through all the stages while others may pass through one stage more than once. The Traditional approach involves designing a detailed plan before the start of the project and strictly adhering to it. Therefore, the whole project is clear to the developers before it is started. Agile project management is a collaborative approach in which all the team members are involved in the project. It involves an iterative process in which managers facilitate the working of the team and it requires regular adaptation to changing situations. The project plan is flexible and is not developed at the beginning of the project. Instead, it is developed throughout the project. The end result of the project is not predictable. This discussion explores the comparison between traditional and agile project management approaches. Traditional Project Management Approaches The traditional approach to project management consists of five components namely initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, closure. Some traditional project management methods include linear and incremental project management lifecycle. Linear project management lifecycle does not allow any changes in the project plan. Each step must be completed before going on to the next and the project manager cannot go back to revise previous steps. This method is best suited to projects that are not affected by external factors, for instance, infrastructure projects. It involves predictable and repetitive activities and it makes use of templates that have already been established. This approach has several advantages. Scheduling the whole project before starting it gives the team a clear picture of what is expected to be done and who is responsible for each task. Moreover, details about the resources necessary for the completion of the project are known from the beginning. This approach does not require people with a lot of skills and supervision is not necessary as all the project details are written down. Co-location of team members is not necessary as each person has details of the part he/she is expected to play. It also has disadvantages. This model does not allow for changes. It is also very costly. It does not produce deliverables until in the late stages of the project. In addition, preparing a complete plan beforehand is time wasting. The process is rigid and there is no going back to make changes. This model is focused on the timely completion of the project within the available budget but not on client value (Wysocki 2011). Incremental project management life cycle consists of several dependent increments, each with the lifecycle components of execution, monitoring, and project closure. These increments are accomplished in a prearranged sequence. The characteristics of the incremental project management lifecycle method are similar to those of the linear approach. The deliverables in this model are released against a schedule that is more aggressive. Advantages include the following: The business value is produced early and not at the end of the project like in linear approach. This model can allow for some changes in the scope of the project. It focuses on the client value more than the linear approach. It also facilitates the scheduling of few resources better. Some disadvantages include the following: Team members can be lost in between increments. It is also not easy to divide the functions of the project. Handoff documents are required between increments. It requires more involvement of the client than in linear. It also takes a longer time to complete project than linear approach. Moreover, prearranged processes must be followed (Schwalbe 2009). Agile Project Management Approaches Types of agile project management methods include iterative and adaptive. In iterative approach, several processes are repeated in iteration. These iterations have a feedback loop. This approach is suitable when parts of the solution are missing, when it is likely that there will be many scope change requests and when there is a need to increase the involvement of the clients. Examples of iterative methodologies include prototyping and Rational Unified Process (RUP). There are several advantages of iterative approach. Scope change requests can be processed between iterations. This approach also accommodates changing business situations. Clients can test the suggested solution and suggest improvements before the completion of the projects Disadvantages include the following: Clients are more actively involved than in traditional approaches and this is demanding to the developers. Team co-location is necessary for the success of the project. It is not possible to determine what the end solution will be at the beginning of the project. The outcome may be unsatisfactory. Moreover, problems can arise when implementing the partial solutions (Cobb 2011). Adaptive methodologies have an iterative structure. Solutions are not planned for in advance but planning is restricted to the subsequent iteration. It is best suited for highly critical projects because this method is complex and involves a lot of uncertainty. The client is highly involved in the project and therefore, there is learning and discovery. Types of adaptive approaches include Adaptive Software Development (ASD), Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM) and scrum. ASD is suitable for high-speed projects whose scope is constantly changing and it focuses on three phases namely speculation, collaboration, and learning. DSDM focuses on fixing resources and time required for a certain project first and then adjusting the product functionality. Scrum focuses on team coordination in order to produce flexibility which is needed in changing business environments (Schuh 2004). The adaptive approach has several advantages. It does not require the development of a complete plan before commencing the project; therefore, it saves time. Processing requests to change the scope of the project is avoided since there is no prearranged plan. Time is saved as this approach does not allow for future planning. Moreover, business value is achieved in this approach. There are some disadvantages. It involves active participation of the client and this pressurizes the developers. Moreover, the clients have no idea what the end result of the project will be (Haugan 2011). Comparison between Traditional and Agile Project Management Approaches The traditional approach is predictive while agile project management is adaptive. Agile approach accommodates changes in all stages of the project because the business environment is dynamic. Accommodating change helps in ensuring customer satisfaction. In agile approach the end result is unknown and there is no planning for the future. There is room for change and previous activities can be reviewed and changed. In agile approach, the scope is flexible and is defined throughout the project. On the other hand, traditional approach is not flexible and changes cannot be made. A detailed plan is drawn at the start and is strictly adhered to throughout the project. Traditional approaches involve developing complete plans working to achieve expected results. The schedule, scope and budget of the project are determined beforehand and changes are minimized throughout the project. The project scope in traditional approach is defined from the beginning and does not allow for change (Awad 2005). Management in agile approach is decentralized while it is autocratic in traditional methods. The role of a project manager in the agile approach is to guide the team members through the project in a participative style of management. On the other hand, project managers in the traditional approach adopt a dictatorial style of management where they make project decisions and design project plans. In agile approach, co-location of team members is necessary to increase communication and coordination as the project undergoes many changes. In traditional approach, team co-location is unnecessary as the project plan is developed from the start and there is no room for change. Each member is aware of the part they will play in the project. Moreover, in agile project management, there is collaboration with the clients and this ensures the success of the project. Traditional project management does not involve the client till the end of the project (Highsmith and Highsmith 2009). In traditional approach a lot of time is wasted in developing a detailed plan before the project is started. But these projects take a shorter time to complete as a predetermined schedule is adhered to and there is no going back to change previous decisions. However, projects done in this way can end up wasting a lot of time and money in redoing the whole project if a project does not meet the client requirements. This could have been avoided if the traditional approach accommodated changes and revisions. On the other hand, time is not wasted at the beginning of projects done through the agile approach as the project plan is developed throughout the project and not at the beginning. These projects take a longer time because of changes in scope and implementation of the changes. Most projects done using this approach meet customer requirements because of involving the clients and implementing changes throughout the project (Wysocki 2011). In the traditional approach success is measured by the ability to conform to the plan while in agile, it is through business value. A successful project in the traditional approach is one which does not deviate from the predetermined plan. In agile methods, sticking to the plan is not important and the success of the project is gauged by business value achieved through flexibility and accommodation for change. Moreover, the traditional approach emphasizes on comprehensive documentation of the project while little documentation is done in agile methods. Moreover, traditional approach is process-oriented. It focuses on well-defined processes and procedures that must be performed by the team. On the other hand, agile methodologies are people-oriented. More emphasis is placed on people such as clients, stakeholders, developers and ends users. People factors such as skills and communication are emphasized on. In addition, return on investment in agile methods is realized early while in traditional methods it occurs at the end of project (Awad 2005). In traditional methods, more expense is spent on new developments in the project while less expense is incurred in revision of the project. This is because traditional methods follow a strict plan and there is no room for revising the project to make changes. In agile approach, fewer expenses are incurred in new developments while revision of the project costs more. In agile approach, the project scope is constantly changing and the project goes through constant revision and implementation of changes throughout. A lot of expenses go into these revisions (Boehm 2002). Projects suitable for agile approach include those whose client is flexible and a project whose scope keeps changing. Agile approach is suitable for projects that are uncertain, complex, flexible, urgent, innovative and experimental such as new software development and development of new products like electronics. On the other hand, traditional approach is suitable for projects with a fixed scope and whose client is not flexible. It is suited to industries that are highly regulated and prefer bureaucracies and documenting process in detail such as construction and engineering (Chin 2004). Conclusion Agile project development approach has several benefits. The team has a flexible plan and can adapt to changing situations. In addition, involving the client and revising the project helps in meeting customer requirements and avoids wastage of time and money in redoing an unsatisfactory project. However, it has some shortcomings. It is difficult to determine the end result of the project at the beginning. Active involvement of the client is very demanding on the project management team. Continuous testing throughout the project causes additional costs. The traditional approach has several advantages. Team co-location is unnecessary as each member has specific tasks. The whole project is planned beforehand and therefore each member knows what is expected and the results are predictable. However, there are some disadvantages. The approach is rigid and does not allow deviation from the set plan to accommodate changes. Time and money can be wasted in redoing an unsatisfactory project. A lot of time is also wasted while developing a detailed plan before embarking on the project. Both approaches have benefits and shortcomings but each is suited to specific business situations. The agile approach is suited to business situations that are unpredictable and exploratory while the traditional approach is suited to predictable situations. Reference List Awad, MA 2005, A Comparison between Agile and Traditional Software Development Methodologies, Viewed March 18, 2012, http://pds10.egloos.com/pds/200808/13/85/A_comparision_between_Agile_and_Traditional_SW_development_methodologies.pdf. Boehm, B 2002, Get Ready for Agile Methods, with Care, IEEE Software Development, Vol.35, no. 1, pp.64-69. Chin, G 2004, Agile Project Management: How To Succeed In The Face Of Changing Project Requirements, AMACOM Division of American Management Association, New York. Cobb, CG 2011, Making Sense of Agile Project Management: Balancing Control and Agility, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey. Haugan, GT 2011, Project Management Fundamentals: Key Concepts and Methodology, 2nd ed., Management Concepts. Highsmith, J A and Highsmith, J 2009, Agile Project Management: Creating Innovative Products, 2nd Ed, Addison-Wesley, New York. Schuh, P 2004, Integrating Agile Development in the Real World, Cengage Learning, OH. Schwalbe, K 2009, Information Technology Project Management, 6th ed., Cengage Learning, OH. Wysocki, R K 2011, Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme 6th Ed. John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey. Read More