Don’t Go Chasing Waterfall: Why you should use Scrum for your next project
Are you struggling to find a project management methodology that works? You’re probably familiar with the now-famous debate of waterfall vs. agile, and might know that we land squarely on ‘Team Scrum’ (aka agile). Why? We’ve found that Waterfall simply doesn’t work as well for clients who want to be engaged throughout the project lifecycle. In an agile deployment, the client is part of an iterative process. If you’re looking for a better way to manage complex projects and know you’ll want to be involved in the process, you should probably be looking at Scrum as an option.
To Scrum or not to Scrum
Based on the Rugby term for everyone packing together to re-start play, Scrum calls to mind a team gathering together to gain ground by pushing through adversity. While a Rugby scrum may appear disordered and chaotic, it is in fact a well coordinated team effort to achieve a common goal. The same goes for the Scrum method in an agile development.
There are a number of established project management methodologies, but Scrum and Waterfall are the best-known and happen to be distinctly different in their approach. If, for example, you were putting together a model airplane using a Waterfall methodology, you’d first need to write up a detailed project plan with commonly used frameworks such as timeline, budget, and roles/responsibilities. You’d better be spot on, because you’re only going to get one chance on the requirements gathering, and the build and testing phases. If it doesn’t fly, you’ve already wasted all your allocated hours, and your model airplane is going to be a bust.
Whereas with Scrum, you’d develop a sprint plan, then build the cockpit, test it, and get feedback. If all systems are go, you might move on to the wings, then the tail. Rather than build everything in one fell swoop, you take little steps with lots of opportunities for testing and communication. There’s less risk within the project because opportunities for failure are built into the process. Making room for mistakes means they won’t ruin the entire project. Obviously, this may not be the best methodology for getting real planes off the ground, but for software development or a technology implementation, the iterative nature of Scrum affords more opportunities to test, exchange feedback, and make adaptive changes.
PMP or CSM? What it all means
Whether you’re looking for a Project Manager professional (PMP) or are interested in becoming one, you’ll probably want to consider ScrumMaster certification. The Certified ScrumMaster, or CSM, is a skilled professional project manager who’s well-versed in leading a team and has training in completing technology projects quickly and efficiently. We recommend having both! Scrum certification brings a valuable perspective to project management, but ideally a project manager should be experienced as well as a certified PMP. With a Scrum certification in your project manager’s back pocket, they’re even better positioned to help your technology project run successfully.
Advice from a CSM
As a Certified Scrum Master and Project Manager Professional, I’ve overseen a number of technology projects. Now that I manage a portfolio of projects for Idealist Consulting, I’m regularly confronted with unique challenges, ranging from tight timelines and budgets to complex implementations. Agile and Scrum methods have repeatedly enabled us to get client input on multiple phases of the project, while providing a desirable product in efficient fashion. To learn more about how Scrum and Agile can help with your next project, reach out to us.
To learn more about agile methodology, click the link below:
