Choosing a methodology that suits your project, your company and customer’s requirements can be challenging.
Every person has differently shaped feet. Some people have shoes custom made while others buy the best fit from the shelf. This principle is how you should approach project management methodology.
Clinton in’t Veld, national general manager of Scope Training which trains people in project management, says the “golden three” to approaching any project are scope and time management, cost management and risk management.
The methodology you use depends on the project that you’re dealing with and how much flexibility you want in managing it.
Whatever you choose, it needs to match the priority areas for your project.
So, you could choose a framework and a methodology within that, or you can blend your favourite parts of various methodologies.
“If I was holding new products or if I was responding to innovations, I would want to use a more Agile approach because that allows me to still deliver a project but also accommodate changes,” Veld says.
The methodologies tend to match certain industries. For example:
- Agile is more suited to software
- Prince 2 is good for anyone working in an industry that requires lots of documentation
- Waterfall can be good for large construction projects
- Kanban is good for projects with lots of stages, such as a factory line.
But it’s important to remember none of them are custom made for you and so it’s likely not one will be absolutely perfect for your needs.
With this in mind, Kellie Dobbie the director of renovation company Transformations Australia, has developed a simple project management system.
It is in keeping with the size of the company, the small number of projects it takes on each year and is easily understood by clients.
“The system we use today has developed over time,” she says.
“It has adopted elements of some methodologies we feel are compatible, some that have been recommended by others and then it’s been shaped by trial and error.”
Transformations prides itself on a personalised project management service and each renovation project moves through a series of stages including:
- determining project scope
- pricing project labour and selections
- developing the project schedule
- executing the scope in conjunction with a team of tradespeople and experts
- working to completion.
Each project offers an opportunity to review and improve the company systems which makes for a better outcome and customer experience moving forward.
Regardless of which methodology you choose, at the end of the day, what is important is that you manage your projects, you have structure to keep them moving forward, you can predict and solve potential problems and keep all stakeholders satisfied.
