SPM

SOFTWARE PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Waterfall or Agile

JDD.MUNEZERO
• Waterfall or Agile?
• Agile or waterfall?
• Which one should I use?
• Which one is the best?
• This is the million dollar question nowadays in the project management galaxy.
• Agile methodologies are considered particularly useful for complex work, and note that complex should not be
confused with something just difficult or complicated.
• Instead, it intends work that involves many interrelated factors and many unknowns at the same time.
• Complex problems can be analyzed from many different perspectives.
• Waterfall focuses on defining the best plan in advance and then guarantee it is followed effectively and efficiently,
the so-called predictive planning. Agile, on the other hand, does not require a detailed plan to move to execution
activities.
• The so-called adaptive planning is promoted, where the plan evolves together with the project execution and it can
be updated or changed if that would benefit the end goal.
• The agile philosophy is positioned differently here too.
• It is expected that at least part of the requirements can only be defined during execution when the project team
will have a more realistic understanding of the product.
• Then the project structure should be flexible to respond to changes and easily implement them.
• we can observe a difference in the main objective that the two approaches promote.
• We have the goal of delivering a project within time and budget in the traditional waterfall case versus customer
centricity in agile.
• This, of course, does not mean any of them underestimates the scope, time, and cost, but it is often visible how agile
principles often refer to customer satisfaction and the development of a product that meets the client needs, while
Waterfall pursues the balance in the triple constraint.
• Which one is better? Well, we need to admit that it is the wrong question to ask.
• The right answer will always be different depending on the specific project.
• Waterfall and Agile are different approaches aimed at delivering the same thing, a successful project.
• They are different tools in the project manager's tool box and they need to choose according to the specific case at hand.
• That's why the question should be, what kind of projects would be better managed in a waterfall structure and what kind
of projects will be better managed in an agile one?
Agile vs Waterfall - Analysis
The first point is uncertainty.

This degree, however, can make a big difference.

Let's imagine it's represented by this cone.
The only sure thing is the actual moment. Today.
• In some cases, the scenarios may be well known in advance and predictable to a good extent.
• In these cases, we can build an effective plan and Waterfall would be a more efficient solution.
• We analyze, confirm the best plan, and go for it in the most time and resource efficient way possible.
• In other cases, however, the uncertainty can be quite significant.
• The possibilities can be countless and no matter how much you plan you will not know well enough how things will
go before you start moving and unveiling these uncertainties.
• Methodologies based on the Agile principles are truly beneficial in such circumstances.
• The product is created and tested gradually.
• Work evolves step by step.
• The team is flexible to adapt to the actual situation using the knowledge and information gathered during execution.
• So if uncertainty is significant, look for Agile solutions as the product will be developed and tested gradually,
leaving room for changing and adapting it.
• Can the scope be defined in detail before we start execution?
• In the cases when the sponsor, client, and other relevant stakeholders can define the detailed requirements at
the beginning, Waterfall methodologies would provide a more efficient framework.
• It will lock the scope and optimize the time and resources needed to realize the defined scope.
• The project management triple constraint laws.
• In these cases the scope can be fully agreed before execution, identifying in advance all dependencies between the
project activities.
• Public projects or construction projects in general are a classic example as there is a strict sequence.
• The architectural engineering and design plans have to be locked and then strict standards will be applied during the
construction work. It will be quite hard to change the architectural plan of a building and add two extra floors when it is
halfway through.
• Note that even if you can physically make such a change, often you are forced to comply with the plan due to regulatory
requirements and laws.
• Hence, projects in highly regulated business also lean towards Waterfall-like methodologies.
• If on the other hand, the activities in the project scope cannot be clearly ordered in a linear way and
the detailed requirements cannot be set in stone, Agile would provide better solutions.
• The project will be structured in a way to absorb changes and updates to the requirement as the work evolves and
uncertainties are revealed.
• As time passes, uncertainty decreases, more things become known and product characteristics, functionalities, and
features can be better defined.
• The project team can add valuable new work and avoid work that is no longer relevant.
• In this way, the utility or usefulness of the final product can be maximized and the customer and users satisfied.
• As mentioned in the previous lessons, a good example are projects involving complex work such as product
development, especially software development as a classic one.
• In these cases, the product is often unique as it includes design functionalities or features which are heavily customized
for the needs of a specific company or organization or if the product will be used by the market.
• You can imagine how complex the requirements definition process can be in the case of a software product which will be
used by millions of users.
• if the stakeholders can agree on the scope from the beginning, Waterfall may give you a more efficient way of achieving it.
• If not, you would need the flexibility of an Agile structure.
• Another good question you can ask yourself is how strong the time and cost constraints are. Projects in which
time and cost, no delay, or extra spend allowed. Projects in which the utility of the final product is the most
important thing, customer satisfaction.
• In the case that the constraint is significant on either time or cost, you will need to do your best to define the
requirements and ensure the limited resources will be enough.
• If time and cost fluctuations are tolerable for the sake of creating a better product for the customer, it will be
sensible to look for Agile solutions.
As a recap, Waterfall can be more efficient in the utilization of project resources, time and cost, while Agile will help you
satisfy a more specific and complex customer problem.
 Agile vs Waterfall - Conclusion

From the analysis we made, it appears that methodologies based on Agile, are customized for specific project cases,
where uncertainty is high, due to technology, innovation, diverse expectations, competition, or other factors.
Comprehensive and detailed planning in advanced will not be so effective. Scope is complex, and the detailed
requirements will most probably evolve during execution. The most important thing, is that the end product meets a
specific customer needs, even if more time and resources are invested to achieve that.
As mentioned throughout the course, good examples for initiatives with such characteristics include :
Waterfall methodologies, on the other hand, seem to be more universal.
From a purely project management perspective, they are also more comprehensive as they emphasize on the
importance of considering many aspects, not only scope, time, and cost but also risks, roles and responsibilities,
quality, communication, change management, and procurement. Furthermore, Waterfall sets clear standards
on the project lifecycle, highlighting the importance of each phase and providing best practices. PMI standards, for
example, Agile instead, aims at performing projects in a lighter structure, with less documentation possible.
 The black and white of project management?

• No. So can they be somehow used together? Yes, both approaches aim at helping project management
be better, more efficient, and more successful.
• Very often, you can borrow aspects from both, depending on the project.
More and more, the project manager community talks about mixed approaches where aspects from both Waterfall and
Agile are combined, to grasp the benefits of both, why don't we have parts of the execution delivered in sprints, while
other parts move in a sequential and uninterrupted way, e.g. Have a project stream performed in sprints like developing a
new system as part of a bigger project, then roll out this new system to the the users in a sequential way, e.g, demo to all
users, train the users in a few sessions and then release for business use?
Or have a sequential project which is allowed to change its plan and direction on a few critical points, or have the
client closely involved in a Waterfall project, and respect the customer centricity principle from Agile and so on.
And that will also be our advice to you, project manager.
Now that you are knowledgeable about the two
philosophies, you are well equipped to use the best ones
for your next project.
Good luck.
 Congratulations.
You have successfully completed this course and all of its phases. Like a true project manager. You should be proud,
as you have gained the invaluable project management knowledge and have built a solid understanding of the key
concepts, tools and techniques and terminology. Furthermore, you have witnessed numerous real life examples to help
you link theory and practice, and have filled your project management toolbox with the key templates and documents
a project manager may need. You have now built a strong basis, which will help you manage projects on your own and
as you go out into the world of project management to learn more and more, on top of all we have done together,
we wish you the best of luck with any and all projects you help to succeed. So, project manager, be brave. Do not
hesitate to put your knowledge into practice from this very moment. Combine your project management knowledge,
tools and techniques, tips and tricks you have mastered with your ever-growing experience. Experiment and create
new project structures that fit the specific environment you are in. And leave your mark on the Project Management
Hall of Fame. Thank you for watching and taking your first steps towards a fulfilling project management career with us.
PS, if you liked our course, we will be extremely grateful if you leave a review, if you haven't done so already, of course.
This will mean a lot to us and will help other students know that this course is worth taking.

From JDD.Munezero,
Thank you.
 Congratulation!
Waterfall or Agile is completed