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Resources › Project Management Guide

Which project management methodologies

should you use?
With approximately 8,462 project management methodologies to choose
from, how do you know which one is right for you and your team? Find the
best approach for your project with our handy guide to popular PM
methodologies.

Once you’ve decided you want to become a project manager, the next step
is to gure out which project management methodologies are right for you
and your team.

The landscape of project management methodologies can seem a bit

overwhelming.

Whether you have a formal project management certi cation or you’re

learning to become a project manager from experience, there’s an absolute
smorgasbord of project methodologies to choose from. And they o en
come with their own rules, lists, principles, and endless acronyms.

We believe that nding the right project management methodology to

manage your work shouldn’t be rocket science. So we’ve compiled this list
of di erent project management methodologies to help you gure out
which methods, principles and approaches you can use for each team and
project.
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What is a project management

methodology?
A project management methodology is a set of principles and practices that
guide you in organizing your projects to ensure their optimum performance.

Huh?

Basically, it’s a framework that helps you to manage your project in the best
way possible.

Project management is so important to organizations and teams, but in

order for it to be really e ective, you need to make sure you’re correctly
mapping your project management methodology to your team type,
project, organization, and goals.
Why are there so many di erent project
management methodologies?
No two projects are exactly the same (even when you’re using
handy features like project templates to replicate your past successes).

And when you factor in the di erent goals, KPIs and production methods of
not only di erent types of teams but also di erent types of industries, it
makes sense that there’s no one-size- ts-all approach to managing a
project.

What works best for one type of team could be an absolute nightmare for
another.

For example, many so ware developers started to nd that traditional

project management methods were hindering — rather than helping — their
work ows and negatively a ecting their performance and results.

As a result, so ware teams began to develop a new type of project

management methodology, which was designed to address their particular
concerns.

Before long, other teams and industries started to adapt those new project
management methods to t their unique needs and concerns. And on and
on, with di erent project management methodologies being repurposed
and adapted for di erent industries and tweaked to t speci c use cases.

What we’re le with is a ton of di erent project management

methodologies to choose from. So how do you know which project
management method (or methods, plural) is right for you and your team?
How do you choose the right project
management methodology?
There are lots of factors that will impact which project management
methodology is right for your project, team, and organization. Here’s a
quick breakdown of some of the key considerations that can help you
decide:

Cost and budget: On a scale of $ to $$$, what sort of budget are you
working with? Is there room for that to change if necessary, or is it
essential that it stays within these predetermined limits?

Team size: How many people are involved? How many stakeholders?
Is your team relatively compact and self-organizing, or more sprawling,
with a need for more rigorous delegation?

Ability to take risks: Is this a huge project with a big impact that
needs to be carefully managed in order to deliver Very Serious Results?
Or is it a smaller-scale project with a bit more room to play around?

Flexibility: Is there room for the scope of the project to change during
 the process? What about the nished product?

Timeline: How much time is allotted to deliver on the brief? Do you

need a quick turnaround, or is it more important that you have a
beautifully nished result, no matter how long it takes?

Client/stakeholder collaboration: How involved does the

client/stakeholder need — or want — to be in the process? How
involved do you need — or want — them to be?

The project management methodologies

list
We’ve compiled this list of project management methodologies to help you
get to grips with the basics.

While it’s not completely comprehensive, our aim is to provide you with an
overview of some of the di erent methodologies out there, so you can see
what’s out there and gure out which one might be a good t for your
particular projects.

(We’ve also added a quick list at the end of this post with a breakdown of
which project management methods are o en used in which industries, if
you want to cut right to the chase.)

Ready? Okay! Let’s dive right in.

1. Waterfall methodology
The Waterfall method is a traditional approach to project management. In it,
tasks and phases are completed in a linear, sequential manner, and each
stage of the project must be completed before the next begins.

The stages of Waterfall project management generally follow this

sequence:

Requirements

Analysis

Design

Construction

Testing

Deployment & maintenance

Progress ows 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 (just imagine trying to swim against a
waterfall — not fun).
Try this project management methodology if:

The end goal of your project is clearly de ned — 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.
2. Agile methodology
The agile project management methodology came from a growing
dissatisfaction with the linear approach of traditional project management
methodologies.

Frustrated with the limitations of project management methods that

couldn’t adapt with a project as it progressed, the focus began to shi to
more iterative models that allowed teams to revise their project as needed
during the process instead of having to wait until the end to review and
amend.

The concept of agile project management has gone on to spark several

speci c sub-frameworks and methodologies, such as scrum, kanban, and
lean. But what do they all have in common? The key principles of agile
project management methodologies are:

It’s collaborative.

It’s quick.

It’s open to data-driven change.

As such, agile project management methodologies usually involve short

phases of work with frequent testing, reassessment, and adaptation
throughout.

In many agile methods, all of the work to be done is added to a backlog that
teams can work through in each phase or cycle, with project managers or
product owners prioritizing the backlog so teams know what to focus on
rst.

Try this project management methodology if:

 Your project is liable to change.

You’re not sure at the outset what the solution will look like.

You need to work quickly, and it’s more important that you see speedy
progress than perfect results.

Your stakeholders or client needs (or wants) to be involved at every

stage.

This project management methodology isn’t for you if:

You need a lot of documentation (for example, if you’ll be bringing new

people on-board during the project).

You need a predictable deliverable, and you need to be crystal clear

about what that looks like from the outset.

Your project can’t a ord to change during its course.

You don’t have self-motivated people.

You have strict deadlines or deliverables that you need to stay on top of.

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complicates your projects. The best agile project management so ware should go hand-in-hand
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3. Scrum methodology
Scrum is a form of agile project management. You can think of it more like a
framework than as a project management methodology in itself.

With Scrum, work is split into short cycles known as “sprints”, which usually
last about 1-2 weeks. Work is taken from the backlog (see: Agile project
management, above) for each sprint iteration,

Small teams are led by a Scrum Master (who is not the same as the project
manager) for the duration of the sprint, a er which they review their
performance in a “sprint retrospective” and make any necessary changes
before starting the next sprint.

Try this project management methodology if:

You’re striving for continuous improvement.

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You don’t have the full commitment from the team needed to make it
work.
4. Kanban methodology
Kanban is another method within agile project management.

Originating from the manufacturing industry, the term “kanban” has

evolved to denote a framework in which tasks are visually represented as
they progress through columns on a kanban board. Work is pulled from the
prede ned backlog on a continuous basis as the team has capacity and
moved through the columns on the board, with each column representing a
stage of the process.

Kanban is great for giving everyone an immediate visual overview of where

each piece of work stands at any given time. (You can use kanban boards
for everything from your content marketing process to hiring and
recruitment.)

It also helps you to see where bottlenecks are at risk of forming — if you
notice one of your columns getting clogged, for example, you’ll know that
that’s a stage of your process that needs to be examined.

When used as part of an agile project management methodology, it’s also

common to implement work in progress (WIP) limits. Work in progress
limits restrict the amount of tasks in play at any given time, meaning that
you can only have a certain number of tasks in each column (or on the
board overall).

This prevents your team from spreading their energy across too many
tasks, and instead ensures that they can work more productively by
focusing on each task individually.

Try this project management methodology if:

You’re looking for a visual representation of your project’s progress.

 You want at-a-glance status updates.

You want to encourage using WIP limits so your team can stay focused.

You prefer to work on a continuous “pull” basis.

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

Your process is super complex or has tons of stages.

You want a push system instead of a pull system.

Kanban board view

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5. Scrumban methodology
It’s the answer to the age-old question: what if scrum and kanban had a
baby?

Scrumban is a hybrid agile project management methodology that has

scrum’s nose and kanban’s eyes.

The main bene t of scrumban as a method is that instead of deciding which

task from the backlog to work on in each sprint at the outset (like you would
in a “traditional” scrum framework), scrumban allows teams to
continuously “pull” from the backlog based on their capacity (like they
would in a kanban framework).

And using work in progress limits (from kanban) during your sprint cycle
(from scrum), you can keep a continuous ow while still incorporating
project planning, reviews and retrospectives as needed.

Try this project management methodology if:

You’ve ever looked at scrum and kanban and thought “I wish those two
crazy kids would get together”.

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You’ve ever looked wistfully out the window and thought, “Oh, scrum is
scrum, and kanban is kanban, and never the twain shall meet”.

6. eXtreme programming (XP) methodology

The eXtreme Programming (XP) methodology is another form of agile
project management that was designed for so ware development.

It emphasizes teamwork and collaboration across managers, customers,

and developers, with teams self-organizing. It has a de ned set of rules that
teams should follow, which are based on its  ve values: simplicity,
communication (face to face is preferred), feedback, respect, and courage.

Try this project management methodology if:

You want to foster teamwork and collaboration.

You have a small, co-located team.

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You’re a rulebreaker.

Your team is spread across di erent places and time zones.

7. Adaptive project framework (APF) methodology
The adaptive project framework (APF) methodology, also known as
adaptive project management (APM), is a type of agile project management
methodology that was designed with the inevitability of change in mind.

The adaptive project framework knows that, as John Steinbeck might say,
even the best-laid projects of mice and men o en go awry. So the
fundamental attribute of APF is that teams need to be able to adaptively
respond to change.

That means that using adaptive project framework methods, teams must
try to anticipate the risks and prepare for the unexpected in their project.
They need to understand that key components are constantly in ux, and be
able to constantly re-evaluate results and decisions with these moving
parts in mind.

This requires lots of communication with all stakeholders and — like other
agile project management methodologies — be able to work collaboratively.

Try this project management methodology if:

You know your ultimate goals (in project management terms, you’ve
outlined your Conditions of Satisfaction; or, in Beastie Boys terms,
you’re clear about you’re clear about whatcha whatcha whatcha want).

This project management methodology isn’t for you if:

You need predictability.

You don’t have the resources to handle the potential negatives of

adaptability (e.g. scope creep, rework, misuse of time).
8. Lean methodology
Lean is another project management methodology that has its origins in
manufacturing (and speci cally the Toyota Production System). It’s all
about applying lean principles to your project management methods to
maximize value and minimize waste.

While this originally referred to reducing physical waste in the

manufacturing process, it now refers to other wasteful practices in the
project management process. These are known as the 3Ms: muda, mura,
and muri.

Muda (wastefulness) consumes resources without adding value for the

customer.

Mura (unevenness) occurs when you have overproduction in one area that

throws all of your other areas out of whack, leaving you with too much
inventory (wasteful!) or ine cient processes (also wasteful!).

Muri (overburden) occurs when there is too much strain on resources such

as equipment and people, which can o en lead to breakdowns — in both
machines and humans.

Using the key principles of lean, a project manager can reduce these types
of waste to create more e cient work ows.

Try this project management methodology if:

You’re looking for a set of principles that will help you cut the fat and
optimize your ow.

You’re always trying to improve and add value for the customer.

You want to ultimately decrease costs.

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You can’t a ord to run into supply problems (e.g. you don’t have
enough inventory in stock) or lose room for error (e.g. in the case of
essential equipment failure).

You don’t have the budget to invest in it (while lean project

management aims to reduce costs overall, it can be costly to
implement).

You’re a raccoon and you love waste, actually.

9. Critical path method
The critical path method (also known as critical path analysis) is a way of
identifying and scheduling all of the critical tasks that comprise your
project, as well as their dependencies.

That means that you need to:

1. Identify all of the essential tasks you need to do to achieve your project
goal

2. Estimate how much time each of those tasks will take (bearing in mind
that certain tasks will need to be completed before others can be
started)

3. Use all of that information to schedule the “critical path” you’ll need to
take in order to get the project done as quickly as possible without
missing any crucial steps.

The longest sequence of critical tasks becomes your critical path, and will
de ne the timeframe for your project.

Along the path, you’ll have milestones to meet that will signal when one set
of tasks (or phase) is over and you can move on to the next one.

There are lots of ways to visualize the critical path, depending on the
complexity of your project, from ow graphs to Gantt charts.

Try this project management methodology if:

Your project is large-scale and complex.

Your project has a lot of dependencies.

You’re looking for a visual way to map out the sequence of tasks.

You need to identify which tasks are the most important so you can
 better allocate your resources.

You have a strict plan and deadlines, with no room for silly business.

You love algorithms. Love ‘em!

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You don’t need something with a lot of complexity.

You’re unsure about deadlines, timings, or durations.

Your project needs wiggle room to change.

10. Critical chain project management

Critical chain project management (or CCPM) takes the critical path
method (CPM) one step further.

While the critical path method de nes the length of time needed to get
each critical activity done from the beginning of the project to the end, it
can o en be, well, unrealistic when the time comes to actually put it into
practice.

Critical chain project management addresses those issues by allowing a bit

more time for the human elements of your project — like delays and
resourcing issues.

In critical chain project management, you have a few bu ers built in that
your critical chain can use without derailing everything else, so that your
entire project doesn’t have to go o track just because life happens.

Try this project management methodology if:

You like the sound of the critical path method, but you want something
a little more realistic.

You were already overestimating task durations in CPM to allow for a

bu er and you want more accurate data on how long the work is
actually taking compared to your projections.

This project management methodology isn’t for you if:

You think bu ers are just a safety net for people who didn’t plan it right
the rst time.

Nothing could possibly go wrong.

11. New product introduction (NPI)

New product introduction is a great project management methodology for
when you want to, well, introduce a new product.

Also known as new product development (NPD), the new product

introduction process covers everything you need to de ne, develop and
launch a new (or improved) product.

The project follows a single product through the entire development

process. This process involves multiple phases or a stage-gate process,
which can vary from organization to organization, but usually include things
like:

1. De ning the product spec and project scope

2. Evaluating the feasibility

3. Developing the prototype

4. Validating the prototype via testing and analysis

5. Manufacturing the product on a larger scale

6. Evaluating the product’s success in the market a er launch

As the requirements for a successful new product introduction span a

number of departments across an organization, from leadership to product
managers to marketing and more, it requires a lot of cross-functional
collaboration and communication.

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Try this project management methodology if:

You’re bringing a new or improved product to market.

 You’re focusing on a single product.

You want to foster key stakeholder and cross-functional alignment right

from the beginning.

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You’re not bringing a new or improved product to market.

You’re looking for a more agile approach to product development (as

NPI is usually sequential rather than iterative).

12. Package enabled reengineering (PER)

Package enabled reengineering (PER) is a project management
methodology that aims to help organizations redesign products or
processes with fresh eyes. It focuses on facilitating business
transformations quickly and strategically, whether through redesign of
processes or realignment of people.

Try this project management methodology if:

Your organization needs an overhaul.

You need a fresh perspective on your products or processes.

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You’re not trying to improve an existing system.

13. Outcome mapping

Outcome mapping is a project progress measurement system that was
designed by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). It
di ers from the other project management methodologies on this list in
that it doesn’t focus on measurable deliverables; instead, it focuses on
creating lasting behavioural change.
It’s a common project management methodology used in charitable
projects in developing countries. As a project management methodology,
it’s less about the project itself than the long-term impact of the project and
its ability to e ect change in the community. As a result, it measures
in uence rather than other (perhaps more “typical”) measures of project
progress.

Outcome mapping consists of a lengthy design phase followed by a record-

keeping phase to track the results.

Try this project management methodology if:

Your project is aimed at changing behaviour rather than producing

deliverables.

Your project is related to change and social transformation (e.g. in the

elds of international development, charity, communications,
research).

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

Your project is all about nished products rather than behavioural

outcomes.
14. Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a method for improving processes with an emphasis on
ensuring consistency in output and impeccable quality. (And if it’s good
enough for Jack Donaghy…)

There are a few di erent avors available, such as Lean Six Sigma and Agile
Sigma, but ultimately Six Sigma is a business methodology that aims to
eliminate defects and reduce variation by using its de ned methodologies.

Six Sigma methods can be used to optimize and improve existing

processes or create new ones.

To improve business processes, you can use the Six Sigma DMAIC process,
which stands for the phases in the project
methodology: De ne, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.

To create new processes or products, you can use the Six Sigma DMADV
process: De ne, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify.

As a set of principles and techniques (sometimes it’s even described as a

“philosophy”) rather than a project management methodology in itself, Six
Sigma methods can be applied alongside many other project management
methodologies, like Lean and Agile.

Try this project management methodology if:

You’re looking for a set of principles and philosophies you can bring
with you to almost every project and organization.

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You don’t have a lot of budget to invest in training — it can be expensive

to get trained and certi ed.
 You’re looking for a de ned process for a particular project rather than
a set of guiding rules.

15. PMI’s PMBOK

The Project Management Institute’s Project Management Book of
Knowledge (AKA the PMI’s PMBOK) isn’t a project management
methodology in and of itself. However, it is a best practices guide — and it
forms the basis of the PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP)
certi cation, one of the leading project management quali cations.

As such, the PMBOK is an industry-standard set of guiding principles that

you can use to ensure that your projects across multiple types of teams and
organizations meet the PMI’s high standards and comply with best
practices.

Try this project management methodology if:

You have (or want to get) a PMP.

 You want to stay up-to-date with industry standards and best
practices.

You live and work in a place where the PMP is the standard project
management quali cation (such as the US).

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You need a solid project management methodology to map your

project, rather than general (albeit helpful) project management
knowledge.

16. PRINCE2 methodology

PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a project management
methodology and certi cation that aims to equip project managers with
knowledge of best practices and processes.

Unlike the PMP certi cation, it doesn’t require a number of prerequisites,

making it a good choice for project managers looking to get both a
methodological grounding and a quali cation.

Also unlike the PMP, PRINCE2 is a methodology in itself. It’s guided by

seven principles, which in turn dictate the seven processes a project
manager needs to use in each project when using PRINCE2.

Try this project management methodology if:

You’re looking for a certi cation to give you an edge.

You live and work in a place where PRINCE2 is the standard project
management quali cation (such as the UK).

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You don’t want to commit to full certi cation.

The seven-step process doesn’t map to your projects.

 You nd yourself tailoring (or outright ignoring) the process stages so
much that it becomes PINO — “PRINCE in name only”.

17. Rapid application development (RAD)

methodology
Rapid application development (RAD) is a type of agile project management
methodology that aims to facilitate faster so ware development.

It uses rapid prototype releases and iterations to gather feedback in a short

period of time, and values that user feedback over strict planning and
requirements recording.

Try this project management methodology if:

You want to be able to give customers/clients/stakeholders a working

model much sooner (even if it’s not perfect).

You want to create multiple prototypes and work with stakeholders to

choose the best one.

Speed is of the essence.

You want to encourage code reuse.

This project management methodology might not be for you if:

You don’t have an experienced team.

Your clients or stakeholders don’t have the time to commit to such a

collaborative process or can’t give feedback within the necessary
timeframes.

You have a large team.

You prefer to have a detailed spec that outlines all functional and non-
functional requirements.
Choosing the right project management
methodology
The right project management methodology can elevate your project and
help the project manager to get the best out of each team.

Whether you prefer the agile methods favored in IT project management or

the more traditional waterfall project management and critical path
methodology used in construction and manufacturing, there’s a project
management methodology for every team.

But no matter which methodology you go for, you need a collaborative,

exible, and easy-to-use project management tool to support you every
step of the way.

Choosing a team management so ware that supports multiple

methodologies — i.e. that doesn’t lock you into one methodology or way of
using it — like Teamwork means that every team in your organization has
the freedom to work the way that works for them without sacri cing on
features or complexity.

No matter how you like to work, Teamwork helps your team to replicate their
best practices, ensure compliance and consistency, and constantly improve
their processes.

CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 5

How to become a project manager: Everything you need to know about

the 2021 guide agile project management

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