Project Management Life Cycle Methodologies

- Project life cycle
	- Initiate
	- Plan
	- Execute
	- Close

- Project management methodology
	- Type
		- Linear
		- Iterative
    - Common methodologies
    	- Waterfall
    	- Agile
    		- Scrum
    		- Kanban
        - Lean
        - Six Sigma
        - Lean Six Sigma

Project Life Cycle

Analyzing Different Project Phases

Initiate the project

• Defining project goals makes the details of your project clear
• Determine resources, people, and other project details. Record all of these details in project proposal
• Get project approval

Planning

• Create a budget
• Set the schedule
• Establish your team
• Determine roles and responsibilities
• Plan for risk and change

Execute tasks

• Manage the progress

​ Remember, it’s NOT your job to actually do all the tasks. Your primary job as the project manager is to manage the progress of the project as a whole.

• Communicate

  • Communicate with your team, and anyone else involved in your project through meetings
  • Written communications like memos, emails or internal chat tools, and other working documents like task reports.

• Make adjustments to the schedule, budget, and allocation of resources

• Monitor your project team as they complete project tasks.

• Break down any barriers that would slow or stop the team from completing tasks.

• Help keep the team aware of schedule and deliverable expectations.

• Address weaknesses in your process or examine places where your team may need additional training to meet the project’s goals.

Close the project

• Ensure all tasks have been completed

• Confirm acceptance of the project outcome

• Reflect on lessons learned (also called retrospective)

• Communicate results with stakeholders

• Celebrate completing the project

Comparing Project Management Methodologies and Approaches

A project management methodology is a set of guiding principles and processes for owning a project through its life cycle.

• Help guide project managers throughout a project with steps to take, tasks to complete, and principles for managing the project overall.

• Two types

  • Linear

    • The previous phase or task has to be completed before the next can start
    • Completing each step in order and sticking to the agreed upon specific results and being able to deliver just what the client ordered
    • E.g.: building house

  • Iterative

    • Some of the phases in tasks will overlap or happen at the same time that other tasks are being worked on

Waterfall and agile

Waterfall: sequential ordering of phases

• When to apply?
  • when the phases of the project are clearly defined, or
  • when there are tasks to complete before another can begin, or
  • when changes to the project are very expensive to implement once it’s started

Agile

• Able to move quickly and easily
• Flexibility: willing to change and adapt
• Often have many tasks being worked on at the same time, or in various stages of completion which makes it an iterative approach
• When to apply?
  • Client has an idea of what they want but doesn’t have a concrete picture in mind, or they have a set of qualities they’d like to see in the end result, but aren’t as concerned with exactly what it looks like.
• Example: building a website

Comparing waterfall and Agile

Lean and Six Sigma

💡 Idea: when your team feels valued, motivation and productivity increases and the whole process functions more smoothly.

Lean methodology is often referred to as Lean Manufacturing because it originated in the manufacturing world.

• Main principle: removal of waste within an operation. By optimizing process steps and eliminating waste, only value is added at each phase of production.
• Use case: when you want to use limited resources, reduce waste, and streamline processes to gain maximum benefits.
• Tool
  • Lean 5S quality tool
    • Sort: Remove all items not needed for current production operations and leave only the bare essentials.
    • Set in order: Arrange needed items so that they are easy to use. Label items so that anyone can find them or put them away.
    • Shine: Keep everything in the correct place. Clean your workspace every day.
    • Standardize: Perform the process in the same way every time.
    • Sustain: Make a habit of maintaining correct procedures and instill this discipline in your team.
  • Kanban
    • The Kanban scheduling system, or Kanban board, is a visualization tool that enables you to optimize the flow of your team’s work.
    • It gives the team a visual display to identify what needs to be done and when.
    • The Kanban board uses cards that are moved from left to right to show progress and help your team coordinate the work.

Six Sigma

• A methodology used to reduce variations by ensuring that quality processes are followed every time
• Seven key principles
  • Always focus on the customer.
  • Identify and understand how the work gets done. Understand how work really happens.
  • Make your processes flow smoothly.
  • Reduce waste and concentrate on value.
  • Stop defects by removing variation.
  • Involve and collaborate with your team.
  • Approach improvement activity in a systematic way.
• Use this methodology to find aspects of the product or process that are measurable like time, cost, or quantity. Then inspect that measurable item and reject any products that do not meet the Six Sigma standard. Any process that created unacceptable products has to be improved upon.

Lean Six Sigma = Lean + Six Sigma

• Products developed using Lean methods are then inspected or tested using Six Sigma standards. The products that do not meet these standards are rejected.

Phases of Six Sigma: DAMIC

Advantages 👍

• Prevents the likelihood of skipping important steps
• Increases the chances of a successful project

When to apply?

When the project goal includes improving the current process to fix complex or high risk problems like improving sales, conversions, or eliminating a bottleneck, which is when things get backed up during a process.