2. WATERFALL METHODOLOGY
WHAT IS THE WATERFALL MODEL?
THE WATERFALL MODEL IS A LINEAR PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH, WHERE STAKEHOLDER AND
CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS ARE GATHERED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT, AND THEN A
SEQUENTIAL PROJECT PLAN IS CREATED TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE REQUIREMENTS. THE WATERFALL
MODEL IS SO NAMED BECAUSE EACH PHASE OF THE PROJECT CASCADES INTO THE NEXT, FOLLOWING
STEADILY DOWN LIKE A WATERFALL.
IT’S A THOROUGH, STRUCTURED METHODOLOGY AND ONE THAT’S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME,
BECAUSE IT WORKS. SOME OF THE INDUSTRIES THAT REGULARLY USE THE WATERFALL MODEL INCLUDE
CONSTRUCTION, IT AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, THE TERM “WATERFALL” IS USUALLY
USED IN A SOFTWARE CONTEXT.
GANTT CHARTS ARE THE PREFERRED TOOL FOR PROJECT MANAGERS WORKING IN WATERFALL. USING A
GANTT CHART ALLOWS YOU TO MAP SUBTASKS, DEPENDENCIES AND EACH PHASE OF THE PROJECT AS IT
MOVES THROUGH THE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE. PROJECTMANAGER.COM’S WATERFALL SOFTWARE OFFERS
THESE FEATURES AND MORE.
3. AGILE METHODOLOGY
AGILE METHODOLOGIES ARE APPROACHES TO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT THAT ARE
ALIGNED WITH THE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES DESCRIBED IN THE AGILE MANIFESTO FOR
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT. AGILE METHODOLOGIES AIM TO DELIVER THE RIGHT
PRODUCT, WITH INCREMENTAL AND FREQUENT DELIVERY OF SMALL CHUNKS OF
FUNCTIONALITY, THROUGH SMALL CROSS-FUNCTIONAL SELF-ORGANIZING TEAMS,
ENABLING FREQUENT CUSTOMER FEEDBACK AND COURSE CORRECTION AS NEEDED.
IN DOING SO, AGILE AIMS TO RIGHT THE CHALLENGES FACED BY THE TRADITIONAL
“WATERFALL” APPROACHES OF DELIVERING LARGE PRODUCTS IN LONG PERIODS OF
TIME, DURING WHICH CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS FREQUENTLY CHANGED, RESULTING
IN THE WRONG PRODUCTS BEING
4. WHICH DESIGN METHODOLOGY IS MOSTLY
IS FLEXIBLE TO CHANGES BY CUSTOMERS:
WATERFALL
METHODOLOGY
AGILE
METHODOLOGY