There are multiple forms of Project Management. Depending on the task or goal, one form may be better suited to use over another. I wanted to take a moment to look at what a Project Management is and some of the more known types.
What is Project Management
Before we provide a definition, let’s consider a couple of things.
Generally, there are Five phases in Project Management.
A project is temporary. What I mean is, a project should have a start and finish or beginning and end. You do not want a non-ending project to exist. There should be specific goals. Normally this is referred to as a Scope. What is the outcome to call a project completed? That is the question. Before you even begin, you should have a clear picture of the end goal.
A project should contain specific operations or tasks to accomplish the end goal. Once you have a clear picture of the end goal, the project should have a set of tasks to accomplish the overall objective. You will need to use some critical thinking to identify these tasks. This can be initially a large set of tasks, then broken down to smaller in order to have an overall list of to-dos.
With this in mind, we can now say project management is the application of knowledge, skills, and/or techniques to provide in order to acquire an end goal through project requirements.
Types of Project Management
There are many types of Project Management, but I wanted to cover briefly some of the more known.
Waterfall Method
One of the older methods is the Waterfall method. This method is used when no surprises are expected. One step is dependent on the other, and to move forward you use a sequence of events.
Agile
Agile was created to replace the Waterfall, making it more versatile and having the ability to pivot, when necessary. This method is used to work in small chunks of tasks, allowing more freedom to change.
Scrum
A smaller method is the Scrum, allowing for ease of pivot (more-so than Agile) when issues or changes arise. This is normally used if the project is expected to only take one month or less to complete.
Kanban
The Kanban, similar to Agile, focuses on time-based tasks. This method takes in the overall number of tasks and attempts to streamline those tasks into a reduced time frame. You will see the Kaban method used in factory like settings, due to the reduction of time.
Lean
Similar to Kanban, the Lean Method also uses the process extensively. Focusing on trimming down the time more-so, the Lean Method reduces any possible time in order to provide a quick turnaround. This is used to reduce time, thus cost for the customer.
Six Sigma
Rather than focusing on time, Six Sigma Method focuses on quality. A lean type of style, the Six Sigma method emphasis on a more quality for the outcome and customer. Some of may incorporate Six Sigma into other Project Management syles in order to have a higher quality than the Lean Method.
Summary for Project Management
At the end of the day, you can utilize a certain Project Management type. However, one may be better to use over another. Regardless, the agenda is to complete the project the most efficient cost-effective method. Overall, the Scope (outcome), Cost (less is more), and Time will be factors toward the quality. You can also check out my article involving the four quadrants of time-management.
You can also check out my video on Project Management types. Also consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel: Subscribe!
Matt Cole has high regard for knowledge share. He has a desire to share critical thinking and information. With a Masters in Information Technology and a wide array of certifications, while not working full-time, he wishes to knowledge share through providing insight, information organization, and critical thinking skills.
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