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As with many things, there are a number of ways to approach the project management process. These five techniques are tried-and-true and cover many types of projects. There’s no one-size-fits-all, so each method brings something unique to your project.
Project management techniques take raw project management skills and apply them to a system to make completion easier, achievable, and more realistic. Think of them as your roadmap or game plan. You have an end goal, and project management techniques are how you're going to get there.
Just like any map or strategy, there is always more than one way to do things. Because of that, there are multiple project planning tools that can be applied to different projects.
To determine which method is right for your project, you should first establish your project's goal and variables. This can include the end date, industry, budget, project timeline, number of teams, project life cycle, etc. After that's decided, you can assess different methodologies to see how well your existing variables fit into a method.
These five methods are diverse and can be applied to various circumstances, some being better fits in some cases than others. No matter the specifications, though, these five project management techniques are used time and again for a reason.
The PERT technique is widely favored because of its visualization component.
The charts are used to represent a project’s timeline in a graphical fashion and provide at-a-glance understandability. The PERT method lets you create a detailed plan and then track milestones and progress visually in a chart form.
The PERT method is best suited for long-term projects, where seeing a physical timeline is helpful, or for larger projects that have unique challenges. These charts allow you to more easily evaluate time, resources, and plans as a project progresses.
PERT charts, since they're detailed and specific, have some rules you should follow to ensure accuracy.
The Waterfall technique is an offshoot of classic, straightforward planning with project management basics, but takes it to a new level. A project is split up in sequential stages where each stage depends on the completion of a prior one. It’s linear, meaning it’s intended as “1, 2, then 3…” and doesn’t allow much room for unexpected changes.
This project management methodology is ideal for straightforward work breakdown structures or projects where you anticipate a few obstacles.
You plan out the entire lifecycle of a project, step by step, and follow it through. Waterfall is similar to Agile in its linear nature but differs in being a complete plan, rather than a shorter time frame to revisit.
The Waterfall technique keeps project planning simple and allows you to easily show progress, though it’s not the best choice for more complex projects or ones with many outside variables.
To implement the Waterfall project management technique, you should put yourself in a “this then that” mindset. It’s a relatively straightforward practice, but can be best applied with some simple steps.
Developed by a Toyota engineer to improve the manufacturing process, the Kanban project management technique is rooted in teamwork and basic project management principles. It’s a visual workflow, like PERT, but is set up as a series of task cards, unlike the graphical nature of PERT.
Kanban is an ideal project management technique for overarching management, as it encourages continuous delivery and less stress for individual members. It places emphasis on working together efficiently as a team and is designed as a visual project board, perfect for plans requiring many steps with many teammates.
You can manage projects with Kanban efficiently with individual action items.
The Critical Path method has been a cornerstone project management plan since the 1940s. It involves first mapping out the most important tasks and then using those to estimate the total amount of time the project will take to complete. Because an end date is influenced by each task, this project management methodology requires listing all tasks needed, how long they will take, and any outside factors that may affect each milestone.
This concept lets you determine the “critical path” in easy steps. First, you determine the longest stretch of activities that are linked dependent upon each other and use that to project the length of completion time for the project.
Critical Path is a rather straightforward project management technique, but it should still be executed with exacting standards.
This project management technique sounds more intense than it is. Despite its hardcore name, it emphasizes planning flexibility, openness, and collaboration. Extreme puts the focus back on the human element and potential for change over rigid methods or stages, making it ideal for larger and more complex projects, especially where there are many outside factors and uncertainty.
Before you dive into Extreme project management, you should shore up a few things first.
Often, a project is simply too complex to keep track of on your own. That’s where project management software can be a blessing, depending on the needs of your work.
Throughout your career, you’ll surely have a number of different projects to manage. Mastering a few of these techniques means you’ll be able to adjust and conquer any challenge.
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