Top 18 Project Management Methodologies

Udn Webber

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Have you considered how a project management methodology can help you and your team achieve long-term success?

If you’re thinking, “I don’t work in industries like technology or construction, so this doesn’t apply to us,” think back to the last project you worked on. Did the team feel motivated? Productive from start to finish? Or did every day feel like this? ⬇️

We understand. As a project manager, it’s hard to deliver projects with often unclear direction from clients and stakeholders, let alone manage the process in between.

Project management methods establish a system of principles, standard processes, and control to manage multifaceted projects that come in all shapes and requirements— across all industries.

By the end of this article, you’ll learn:

We invite you to ditch the messy, complicated, and inflexible processes for proven methodologies to leverage tools and various techniques for success. ⚙️⚖️🚀

The 5 Phases of a Project Lifecycle

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Whether you’re a new or seasoned project manager, let’s refresh our minds on the five fundamental project lifecycle phases you need to know to run successful projects. This will help you in your decision to choose the right project management methodology.

A project always begins with a conversation. When you come out of the first meeting with a client or stakeholder , you should fully understand the project purpose, SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals, communication expectations, and budget.

The planning phase goes more in-depth than determining the project scope and schedule (which is only the beginning). If you’re using a timeline or Gantt chart tool , it’s critical also to disclose these key project details in a project charter :

Dependencies are an absolute necessity for controlled project execution. If you’re a coffee person and you skip your morning cup and head straight to work, chances are, you make your day a little more difficult than it should be.

As you’re on the path to assigning individual tasks, have an open discussion with the project team about what can or can’t be started until a specific task is completed. You’ll save time and money with transparency and set everyone up for success from start to finish.

Data is your north star metric to manage people, resources, budgets, and risks during the execution phase. Make sure you’re using a powerful productivity tool like UDN Task Manager to know what project contributors are working on and what they need to do next.

Even more, track project goals and communicate with stakeholders and clients within UDN Task Manager .

After you turn in the final deliverables and wrap up loose ends, it’s advantageous to assess the performance of team members and resources. This reflection period will help improve the next project.

Have all deliverables been completed, validated, and archived?

Were issues and risks effectively managed?

Which processes were easy/challenging, and what would they change?

Finally, don’t forget to celebrate all the hard work! 🎉

Top 18 Project Management Methodologies

Welcome to your pocket encyclopedia of the top 18 project management methodologies! 📘

Adaptive Project Framework (APF)

A nod to agile project management methodology, the adaptive project framework is an iterative approach to satisfy a project’s goals and outcomes. Meaning, a project’s plan is broken into short iterations (or cycles) of tasks. This helps structure task dependencies and establishes clear deadlines.

The five steps in the adaptive project framework are:

Agifall/Hybrid

The hybrid model is the best of both Agile and Waterfall methods . Commonly used in product development companies, the planning phase uses waterfall method techniques but applies agile practices during execution .

Agile

Today, one of the most popular project management methodologies, the agile methodology , is an incremental and iterative approach to managing projects in phases . Each iteration has a fixed scope (between 1-3 weeks) to maintain product release consistency, stability, and on-time delivery.

At its core, release management minimizes risks, tracks and audits requirements, and secures consistent implementation—in the least disruptive approach .

The five steps in the Agile methodology are:

Critical Path Method

Project managers use the Critical Path Method to define the critical and non-critical tasks for timely delivery. After listing every activity and task required for completion, they will note dependencies and write a sequence of times for each.

Planning with the Critical Path Method allows teams to pinpoint opportunities to shorten task times and flag potential shifts when changes can affect critical tasks.

Note : Critical Chain Project Management, a related project management methodology, focuses on managing resources and buffer duration between task chains and improving upon the Critical Path Method.

eXtreme Programming (XP)

The eXtreme Programming methodology takes elements of traditional software engineering practices to, well, extreme levels. However, it’s familiar to the agile framework like specific planning approach, on-site customer participation, and continuous testing.

Standard software development practices found in the eXtreme Programming method are:

Get Things Done (GTD)

The GTD (Get Things Done) method is a project management methodology less concerned with technical activities such as coding and testing. Instead, it emphasizes personal productivity to create the best systems for approaching life and work.

The five simple steps in the GTD method are:

If you’re looking for a productivity tool to help gather your thoughts, tasks, schedule, and workflow in one place, learn how to use UDN Task Manager with the GTD project management methodology. ⬇️

Integrated Project Management (IPM)

The Integrated Project Management (IPM) project management methodology oversees the cross-functional communication and hand-off during all project phases . Since cross-functional teams have different processes and workflows, IPM helps resolve schedule conflicts, bottlenecks, and team bandwidths.

👉 Check out these project management communication resources to assist with Integrated Project Management planning:

Lean

The Lean project management methodology focuses on tools and practices heavily centered on product value for customers . The commitment to constantly improve the reliability and quality of products helps businesses deliver faster . In addition, understanding the specific tasks and activities that need to be completed at a given time minimizes the chances of wasting time and resources.

The five principles of lean methodology are:

Bonus: Lean vs. Agile Project Management 💜

New Product Introduction (NPI)

The New Product Introduction methodology is used by companies that continuously release new products . NPI streamlines time and efforts to achieve desired results by carefully vetting new ideas and surveying customers .

The six phases of New Product Introduction are:

Outcome Mapping

The Outcome Mapping methodology is an approach for planning, monitoring, and evaluation developed by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) , a Canadian grant-making organization. It’s distinct from all other methodologies mentioned in this list because it focuses on behavior changes of people and groups the project or program works with directly . (Organizations within policy development and research communication typically use this method.)

Outcome Mapping blends social learning, self-assessment, and adaptive management within an organization. The process allows organizations to gather data and encourage reflection about development impacts.

The three stages of Outcome Mapping are:

Package Enabled Reengineering (PER)

The Package Enabled Reengineering methodology focuses on the original functionality of software packages as a framework for rethinking the design. It requires an analysis of challenges within the current process, management, people, and design to shape new systems.

Check out how to jumpstart your management and design workflows in UDN Task Manager so you can organize your planning with the PER project management methodology. ⬇️

Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMI’s PMBOK)

Written by the Project Management Institute, a global “for-purpose” organization , the Project Management Body of Knowledge is a collection of tools, techniques , and best practices for a project manager to align with the evolving changes of project management.

Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2)

The PRINCE2 project management methodology is globally adopted because of its practical and adaptive framework to divide projects into controllable stages . It focuses on an orderly approach in a project’s lifespan from beginning to end. The PRINCE2 methodology directly impacts day-to-day routines to deliver successful projects, from construction development projects to launching social campaigns.

Rational Unified Process (RUP)

The Rational Unified Process methodology is built on well-documented software processes focusing on an iterative approach throughout development. This allows for quick changes on high-risks throughout every stage . As a result, RUP’s structure lends itself to assembling high-quality software production .

The four project phases are:

Scrum

Scrum project management adds to the agile approach by including a prominent role called the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master conducts a sprint planning meeting with the Product Owner and Development team. Then, they select the high-priority items from the Product Backlog —a list of collected feedback from customers and stakeholders—to release in one sprint. These high-priority items become a Sprint Backlog for the development team to build, test, and release.

Throughout the sprint cycle, a daily scrum meeting is held (typically at the start of the workday) for each project contributor to share: what they did yesterday, what they will do today, and any blockers in the way.

At the end of the sprint, a Sprint Review meeting is held with the Scrum Master, Product Owner, stakeholders, and development team to walk through accomplishments and changes. This review helps improve the performance of future sprints .

Scrumban

Scrumban is the combination of Scrum and Kanban. Kanban adds metric visuals and process improvements to the Scrum methodology. For example, a distinct feature of the Scrumban method is the WIP (work in progress) board to help visualize all tasks from start to finish .

This board, divided into three sections—product backlog, work in progress, and completed—shows the collective work in a given section . With this data, the Scrum team can make adjustments to monitor workloads.

Six Sigma

Motorola introduced the Six Sigma methodology in the 1980s to bring down the defects in its manufacturing process. However, it’s suitable for all industries . It emphasizes a data-driven approach for continuous business transformation . Six means six standard deviations (a statistical benchmark), and the sigma symbol represents a standard deviation.

There are two models of the six sigma methodology:

Six Sigma DMAIC

Six Sigma DMADV

The DMAIC and DMADV models in the six sigma methodology ensure each step is followed to achieve the best results.

Waterfall

The Waterfall methodology is one of the traditional project management methods. It has two main attributes: thorough initial planning and fixed-end requirements . Waterfall project management is predictive , meaning each stage starts when its predecessor ends. After a project has begun, it’s nearly impossible to make changes. (This characteristic of Waterfall is off-putting for organizations that experience altering project requirements while in progress.)

On the flip side, for businesses that need predicted outcomes , such as construction and manufacturing, this rigid framework is the best approach for their needs.

The stages of the Waterfall methodology are:

Check out our Waterfall Management Template !

100+ Powerful Tools in UDN Task Manager For Any Project Type

Now that you know your best project methodologies options, where can you keep your people, processes, and projects organized? 🤔

One of the best ways to add value to your work and optimize your time is to use a software tool. Our recommendation? UDN Task Manager ! ✨

UDN Task Manager is the ultimate productivity platform allowing teams to manage projects, collaborate smarter, and bring all work under one tool. Here are a few UDN Task Manager features among the hundreds available that can be customized to any team size for consistent collaboration:

📊 Dashboards

UDN Task Manager Dashboards are a time-saving resource to share high-level views with project stakeholders or project progress with anyone in their Workspace! Track sprints, task progress, portfolio management, and more with customizable widgets.