Concept of Project Management Methodology-Myassignmenthlep.cm

Question: Discuss about the Concept of Project Management. Answer: Introduction The main objective of the literature review is To understand the concept of project management methodology for software development project. It will allow the reader to gain deeper understanding about the project management methodologies. The benefits and limitations of the methods can be studied and the most appropriate method for the software development project should be selected. The information has been collected from various sources such as books, articles, journals, online publications and previous research papers. As per Glaiel, Moulton and Madnick, 2014, Software development project consist of many integrated and functionally dependent activities which combines to form a new product. Software projects develop a product which has never been tested. The scope of the project changes many times which leads to delays and extended budgets. Furthermore, lack of communication between the management and software developers affects the deliverables and final outcome of the project (Heagney, 2016). The literature will be useful in selecting the framework which will provide a structured approach to achieve all the objectives of the project. The methodologies which can be used are: Agile methodology Agile is commonly used for software and IT projects. According to Glaiel, Moulton and Madnick, 2014, More than 35% of project manager have adopted agile in IT related projects due to its incremental model. There are four values which are included in Agile: interactions of individuals, working software, collaboration of customer and adapting to the change. As per to Moniruzzaman and Hossain, 2013, Agile methodology should be used is projects which are not well defined. It is suitable for projects which b involves human interactions and collection of data. It allows the manager to develop self managed teams which performs their task in an effective manner. The main benefits of adoption of Agile method is that it allows the manger to make changes as per the requirements of the project. The inputs and feedback is taken from the stakeholders and it is included in the process. Azim, et.al, 2016 suggests that Agile is useful where there is need for drastic shifts or change in the assignme nts of the team. It also ensures that each process is reviewed and tested before its launch. On the contrary, Morley, 2016 believes that It becomes difficult to assess the requirements and efforts in lager IT projects and its deliverables. It can be used only with smaller IT projects. Similarly, Nelson and Morris, 2014 pints out that, Agile lacks effective designing and documentation stages which can affect the performance of the project. Project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) Project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) is a traditional method which is generic in nature. It focuses on estimations of work, risk identification, dependencies, time scales and handling of different activities. It has various best practice principles which can be used to successfully complete the project. It includes 39 groups with 9 knowledge aspects (Banihashemi, Hosseini, and Sankaran, 2017). The areas of knowledge include time, cost, integration, scope, communication, quality risk, human resources and procurement. Along with this, The process of PMBOK consists of initiation, creation of plans, implementation, reviewing and monitoring, controlling and project closure. It provides resources to the manager which helps him to gain understanding about the requirements of the project. According to Nelson and Morris, 2014, PMBOK uses iterative environment and it is completely based on the requirements of the customers. On the contrary, Rahmanian, 2014 believes that PMBOK can incr ease rigidity in IT projects as it encompasses extra when applied. It considers the entire project as a single identity which increases complexities for the manger. Furthermore, it uses descriptive approach including governance thorough project sponsor and stakeholder which may not be suitable for the IT related projects (Bresnen, 2016). Software development project can be benefitted Due To This Approach Because It Allows Error Free Updating. Prince 2 PRINCE 2 provides a systematic and structured approach which allows the project manager to organize and control different activities in the project. It has 44 process groups which helps interaction between various activities. It can be easily integrated with different models such as ITIL, managing successful programs, OGC gateway and CMMI. Furthermore, it identifies the key risk areas in the project which can be used to reduce complexities in the entire project. As per the Turner, 2016, PRINCE 2 differentiates the roles of project manager and workers which helps in managing all the activities. It is completely a process driven methodology which can be useful for software development project. On the contrary, Banihashemi, Hosseini, and Sankaran, 2017 believes that PRINCE 2 is not appropriate for the iterative approach of development. It is completely different from PMBOK as it does not contain knowledge areas and processes. IPMA Competence baseline According to Leach, 2014, IPMA Competence baseline is a model which uses competencies, qualification, knowledge and experience of the project manager to attain the objectives. The project manager can develop his own practices which can be applied to the project. It can be useful in defining competencies such as contextual, technical and behavioral. Moniruzzaman and Hossain, 2013 states that ICB method is completely different from other methodologies because it allows the person to develop appropriate methods and techniques. It can be useful for the project because the project manager has through knowledge about the concerned project. But Glaiel, Moulton and Madnick, 2014 argues that ICB does not provide any specific approach or methods which should be applied to the project. Waterfall methodology Waterfall methodology is known for its linear sequential and life cycle based model. It require through analysis and planning at each stage. The requirements are defined in the initial stages which help in planning and creation of standards. It has many steps which consist of planning, development, quality assurance, monitoring and project completion. It follows a sequential process which ensures that all the deliverables are produced with high quality. Only after the analysis the next phase is started. As pe Rahmanian, 2014, Waterfall method should be used for software testing due to its systematic approach. It should be applied to those projects which has clear and well defined requirements. Banihashemi, Hosseini, and Sankaran, 2017 states that Waterfall method allows the manger to follow the schedules which does not overlapping of activities. But it does not allow customer interaction which is needed is software projects. Morley, 2016 argues that It is not possible to back and mak e changes in the plan which increases rigidity in the project. Software projects range from moderate to high risk. Waterfall method will not be suitable for this. It is successful where technology is clearly understood and less ambiguity is there. Apart from this, the cost of fixing the errors can be very costly for the manger which can cause delays. Scrum methodology Scrum methodology provides a framework to the manager which makes it easy to manage complex activities involved in the project. It was developed as a software development project. But now it is also used in new product development and innovative projects. It can be useful in quick development and testing of codes. According to Glaiel, Moulton and Madnick, 2014Scrum considers the feedback of the customers which allows it to make changes as per the requirements. Changes can be easily made which improves the performance of the project. Apart from this, it can be used with different technologies, systems and programming language. It not only improves the quality of the deliverables but also allows the manger to follow the schedules. But Walker, 2015 believes that Scrum can lead to scope creep situation because it does not have end date. It will encourage the stakeholders to demand more improvement and development is the existing system. It may not be possible for the manager to achieve this aspect of the project. Similarly, lack of commitment and support of the workers will result in failure of the entire project (Gollenia, 2016). IT should be only used when trust and collaboration exist between team members and the project manager. Conclusion The most appropriate method which should be applied to Software development project is Agile methodology. It will allow the project manager to bring relevant changes at very low cost. Agile model uses incremental approach which is produced at regular intervals. It does not require through planning which is needed in Waterfall method in the initial stages. The project manager of the Software development project can customize the process as per his requirement. It is not possible in PMBOK which increases rigidity in the process. Along with this, it does not rely on the knowledge and experience of the project manager which is used by IPMA Competence baseline method. Therefore, it will be beneficial for the project manager to use Agile methodology in the Software development project. It will have long term benefits which will improve the performance of the project. References Azim, N., et.al, 2016. People Factors in Agile Software Development and Project Management.International Journal of Emerging Technology in Computer Science Electronics (IJETCSE) ISSN, 0976-1353. Banihashemi, S., Hosseini, M.R., Golizadeh, H. and Sankaran, S., 2017. Critical success factors (CSFs) for integration of sustainability into construction project management practices in developing countries. International Journal of Project Management. Bresnen, M. (2016). Institutional development, divergence and change in the discipline of project management.International journal of project management,34(2), 328-338. Glaiel, F.S., Moulton, A. and Madnick, S.E., 2014. Agile project dynamics: A system dynamics investigation of agile software development methods. Gollenia, L.A., 2016. Business Transformation Management Methodology. Routledge. Heagney, J., 2016. Fundamentals of project management. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Heagney, J., 2016. Fundamentals of project management. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Konstantinou, E. and Mller, R., 2016. The role of philosophy in project management. Project Management Journal, 47(3), pp.3-11 Leach, L.P., 2014. Critical chain project management. Artech House Moniruzzaman, A.B.M. and Hossain, D.S.A., 2013. Comparative study on agile software development methodologies. arXiv preprint arXiv:1307.3356. Morley, C., 2016. Management d'un projet systme d'Information-8e d.: Principes, techniques, mise en oeuvre et outils. Dunod. Nelson, R.R. and Morris, M.G., 2014. IT Project Estimation: Contemporary Practices and Management Guidelines. MIS Quarterly Executive, 13(1). Rahmanian, M., 2014. A comparative study on hybrid IT project management. International Journal of Computer and Information Technology, 3(05), pp.1096-1099. Turner, R., 2016. Gower handbook of project management. Routledge. Walker, A., 2015. Project management in construction. John Wiley Sons.