Waterfall methodology

Waterfall project management is the most straightforward way to manage a project.

Waterfall project management maps out a project into distinct, sequential phases, with
each new phase beginning only when the previous one has been completed. The
Waterfall system is the most traditional method for managing a project, with team
members working linearly towards a set end goal. Each participant has a clearly defined
role, and none of the phases or goals are expected to change.

The typical stages of Waterfall project management:

• Requirements: The manager analyzes and gathers all the requirements and
documentation for the project.
• System design: The manager designs the project’s workflow model.
• Implementation: The system is put into practice, and your team begins the work.
• Testing: Each element is tested to ensure it works as expected and fulfills the
requirements.
• Deployment (service) or delivery (product): The service or product is officially
launched.
• Maintenance: In this final, ongoing stage, the team performs upkeep and
maintenance on the resulting product or service.

Progress flows in one direction, like a real waterfall.

Also like a real waterfall, though, this can quickly get dangerous. Since everything is
mapped out at the beginning, there’s a lot of room for error if expectations don’t match
up with reality. And there’s no going back to a previous stage once it’s completed.

Try this project management methodology if:

• The end goal of your project is clearly defined — and isn’t going to change.
• The stakeholders know exactly what they want (and it isn’t going to change).
• Your project is consistent and predictable (i.e. isn’t going to change).
• You’re working in a regulated industry that needs extensive project tracking or
documentation.
 • You might need to bring new people into the project midway through and get them
up to speed quickly.

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

• Your project is liable to change.
• You don’t have a full picture of all the requirements before you start.
• You need to do continuous testing or adapt to feedback during the process.

Here are the three basic principles the waterfall project management methodology
goes by.
• Sequential structure: The waterfall model divides your operations into
sequential phases. You can only move to the next stage in your project once
the current one is complete. This also means there’s no space for changing
course or revisiting a phase after its completion. The only way to go back is to
start all over again.
• Minimal customer involvement: A waterfall project involves minimal customer
interaction. This is primarily due to the fact that operations only start after the
customer’s requirements and objectives are clearly defined. The first meeting
takes place before operations begin and the next when the project is in its final
stages.
• Robust documentation: This methodology also involves in-detail
documentation of all requirements, the development process, and the final
outcome. This includes everything from the timeline to the precise route you will
take to solve the client’s problems. Since there’s minimal to no customer
communication during the development process, every essential detail needs
to be documented upfront.
Advantages of the Waterfall Method
• In-depth analysis and design phases make sure the implementation follows the
correct route. This helps your team take all the right steps and finish the
implementation phase quickly.
• The waterfall method gives an accurate estimate of the total cost and time
required for a project.
• It’s easier to evaluate progress since the model has a highly structured approach
and defined milestones.
• The new team members can easily get familiarized with the project as everything
they need to know is already documented.
• Limited customer involvement means customers aren’t adding new suggestions
or requirements. This helps you avoid delays and reach completion according to
the set timeline.

Disadvantages of the Waterfall Method

• The waterfall management model assumes all requirements can be enlisted at
once, but this is not always the case. This incurs higher costs if a client requests
an additional requirement midway through the development process.
• Since requirements and design planning take up a lot of time, projects can take
longer to reach completion.
• Limited communication with the clients during design and implementation.
• If one stage gets delayed, all subsequent stages are delayed.
• Doesn’t allow processes to overlap, hence reducing efficiency.
• A working deliverable isn’t available until the final stages.