Crucial decisions such as the choice of project management methodology will not be an easy one under any circumstances. However, we would like to make this decision at least a little easier for you.
There are five key indicators that you should analyze and take into consideration before making this choice:
- the scale of the project
- project duration
- its complexity
- various organizational factors
- stakeholders and clients
Waterfall fits those simple, small-scale projects that are not expected to require many changes. These projects can be called unchangeable. Besides, Waterfall methodology allows you to create detailed in-depth documentation and, due to its inherent simplicity, is easy for newcomers and/or junior developers to adopt.
As it is strict and encourages discipline, Waterfall is a good option for projects that involve other organizations or remote employees. Besides, unlike the Agile methodology, this methodology fits the situation where the client cannot be heavily involved in project implementation. If your project has fixed time and budget constraints, as well as a fixed scope, Waterfall may be just what you need.
Agile methodology is suitable for those large-scale projects that have flexible time frames and budget restrictions. If the scope of a project is bit hard to define clearly at the very beginning, but it is going to be complex. If you are certain there will be some adjustments that will need to be made on the behalf of the client or stakeholders, Agile is surely your option. As the client is supposed to be engaged in the whole development process, you need to be sure that he or she is willing to do this before making the final decision on the methodology to be used for the project.
Besides that, you need to be sure that the team members are ready to be fully dedicated to the project as it is quite time-consuming and needs their 24/7 attention. Your team should also be proficient in their line of work to be able to work according to this methodology.
THE BOTTOM LINE
No methodology is flawless. It is up to you to weigh the pros and cons of each methodology, assess your project, and see for yourself which methodology would fit your project the best.
