Project Management Office - Unified Methodologies

Most organizations leverage several different project management methodologies, therefore creating a collaboration structure is essential in optimizing workflows and maximizing productivity.  In this installment of our Project Management Briefings series, we will focus on working with Unified Methodologies, the key benefits, business impact & use cases.

Overview:

Almost all organizations utilize several different methodologies for managing projects, this can cause complications when teams using different methodologies need to work together or have dependencies on each other. For teams to effectively work together with these ununified methodologies the organization needs to create a “collaboration structure”, which is essentially a set of playbooks/ workflows that defines how teams working with each methodology can effectively work with one another. It is important to point out that this is different than a Hybrid method which is when a team takes the premier elements of multiple methodologies to create an entirely new methodology.

The collaboration structure should detail things such as how reporting is handled, how planning/ scheduling is handled, how teams request deliverables from one another, etc. Additionally, the collaboration structure should provide separate playbooks for how a team using one methodology should interact with every other methodology within the organization. For example, if an organization has teams working in Waterfall, Agile, and Hybrid, there should be a playbook describing how the Waterfall team should work with the Agile team, how the Waterfall team should work with the Hybrid team, and how the Agile team should work with the Hybrid team.

When situations occur where teams need to work together with ununified methodologies, the teams will most commonly be using a Predictive approach (such as Waterfall), an Adaptive approach (such as Agile), or a Hybrid approach (a mix of Predictive and Adaptive approaches). The markedly different structures of each methodology (which we discussed in our previous articles) each provide their own benefits but do not naturally blend with one another. For example, Waterfall teams rely on advanced planning and documentation, whereas Agile teams choose the next workload at the start of each sprint (typically every 2-3 weeks) and only create the minimum required documentation (reference the figure below). This can cause an array of issues, such as Agile teams having to wait on deliverables from a Waterfall team, or a Waterfall team needing detailed documentation from an Agile team that doesn’t exist. Furthermore, while Hybrid methodologies cherry-pick parts of each methodology, it doesn’t naturally align with either approach as its structure is completely different. As teams working with ununified methodologies try to collaborate, the conflicting processes can cause longer lead times, delays, communication issues, inefficiencies, and more. However, by implementing a comprehensive collaboration structure, teams can effectively work together without any conjecture on how each process should be handled, reducing risk while boosting efficiency.

To reduce the need for creating a detailed collaboration structure, some organizations are moving toward Hybrid methodologies, but it is important to note that most Hybrid solutions will still require some type of collaboration structure to run efficiently. According to a study by PMI (Project Management Institute), Hybrid methodologies are used for 23% of all projects and are becoming increasingly popular[2]. However, a very small portion of the organizations employing these methods use them across the board, but rather optimize the methodology for specific projects. This means that different teams will likely still have variations in the processes and frameworks being utilized, which can cause many of the same issues as working with other ununified methodologies. Nevertheless, if done correctly, utilizing a Hybrid methodology can reduce the complexity of a collaboration structure by aligning certain processes ahead of time. See our previous article on Hybrid methodologies for additional insights on Hybrid’s key benefits, business impact, and use cases

Key Benefits:

When working with Ununified mythologies, clearly defining a collaboration structure offers a variety of benefits by ensuring each methodology can function without conflicting with the others. While the benefits can vary widely based on the methodologies being used and how the collaboration structure is defined, some of the most common benefits include:

Increased efficiency: By outlining a global structure for teams to follow, any confusion or miscommunication is eliminated. Furthermore, the various teams will be able to more accurately plan for dependencies on each other, reducing lead times and delays.

Improved collaboration: When working with ununified methodologies, following an outlined structure can improve collaboration between teams by providing common language and frameworks, which can mitigate any issues that may occur when working with conflicting methodologies (such as Waterfall and Agile). Additionally, playbooks defining certain interactions between teams help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that productivity is maximized.

Reduced Risk: By making sure everyone is aligned and that there are clear workflows in place, projects have significantly less risk of delays due to issues with planning or communication; subsequently reducing the risk of project failure.

Increased flexibility: Having a collaboration structure helps teams working in different methodologies better plan for new or changing requirements. For example, if an operations team is running Waterfall and a development team is running Agile, the operations team can account for requirements that are needed on short notice, and the development team can take extra care to submit requests ASAP or account for longer lead times. This ensures that each team can adapt to the other’s needs in a timely fashion.

Enhanced quality: By ensuring that various interdependent teams/ departments within the organization have a clear understanding of how to work with one another, any issues caused by miscommunication, inadequate collaboration, or delays are eliminated, improving the quality of deliverables.

Use Cases:

While many organizations utilize multiple methodologies, there are industries and use cases where having a collaboration structure is essential. Larger organizations have more teams/ departments and a larger number of dependencies on one another; therefore defining how they can work together effectively becomes more critical. Additionally, industries such as IT, manufacturing, and marketing are more likely to leverage adaptive methodologies such as Agile, which clash more drastically with traditional methodologies such as Waterfall.

See the table below for use cases and the corresponding impact of collaboration structures within the IT industry:

Implementation Best-Practices:

When creating a collaboration structure for ununified methodologies, certain factors need to be taken into consideration. The team culture needs to be accounted for as each team will have its own (and in many cases conflicting) perspective on how the workflows should be set up. For example, when an Agile team needs something from a Waterfall team, they will not want to wait several weeks, but the Waterfall team likely has work planned out already, so compromises will have to be made. Additionally, obtaining leadership’s support is important as some of the changes necessary to effectively manage the differences between methodologies (especially when one is predictive and the other is adaptive), may affect things like progress and financial reporting.

Another important factor is utilizing the correct tools for the correct use-case; common tools such as Collaboration, Testing, Code Control, and Planning tools are all commonly leveraged, but vary based on what methodology is being used (e.g. a Waterfall project will use different planning tools than an Agile project). In low-complexity projects, each team will likely be able to use their standard tools. However, as the complexity of the project increases, its success with be dependent on a common tool being implemented (which can be entirely separate from the standard tooling for one or both teams) or an automated data-sharing solution being set up (i.e. all data entered in one tool is mirrored in the other). This will not only improve collaboration but will also eliminate duplicated work and the risk of information being lost or fragmented.

Limitations:

While having a comprehensive collaboration structure in place helps teams work effectively when various methodologies are being used, there are some limiting factors. If every team is running a different management methodology, creating a collaboration structure/ playbook that accounts for every method can quickly become challenging. In cases such as this, some alignment may have to be done first in order to create a standard set of methodologies so that there is a common base to build on. 

Collaboration structures are highly dependent on the methodologies it’s designed to unify, and there is often more than one way of defining each workflow. As such, analyzing the various solutions and choosing the right one is critical in order to achieve the best results. BwB’s extensive expertise can help guide you through this process and ensure success.

BwB Advisor’s Methodology for Optimizing Project Management:

As the business world continues to evolve, the approach to project management needs to evolve in parallel. Regardless of your organization’s industry, utilizing the correct best practices and management methodologies can help reduce costs and risk, maximize productivity, and improve the quality of deliverables. Nevertheless, organizations should proceed cautiously in deciding what to adopt — one size does not fit all.

At the BwB Advisors our Project Management Optimization Methodology (PMOM) follows a 6 phase process that provides a comprehensive roadmap from identifying key best practices, tools, and methodologies.  This helps to ensure a successful implementation that leads to improved productivity, reduced costs, and increased project success.

To learn more about our PMOM, click here or reach out to us to see how our PMOM can help you by clicking here.

November 2023   /   Insights   /   By: Michael T. Casarona

References:

[1] Advanced topic - mixing agile and Waterfall Development. Scaled Agile Framework. (2023, March 13). https://scaledagileframework.com/technical-strategies-for-agile-and-waterfall-interoperability-at-scale/
[2] Aksenova, O., & Terentyeva, A. (2021, September 7). Hybrid Project Management Approach: Why and how to use. Azoft. https://www.azoft.com/blog/hybrid-project-management/#:~:text=Although%20Waterfall%20and%20Agile%20sound%20more%20familiar%2C%20a,used%20the%20%E2%80%9Chybrid%E2%80%9D%20method%20in%2023%25%20of%20projects.
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