Our Project Management Approach

Over the course of the last decade, there has been an increase in available project management methodologies which offer a variety of tools and techniques to ensure that the project runs as smoothly as possible. This is necessary in order to achieve a balance between a satisfied client as well as an accomplished development team.

Most of the projects nowadays can be complex and multifaceted, so to effectively manage them, we focus more on providing flexibility in our approach to account for different types of projects which come in various sizes and bring their own set of requirements. 

We follow the essential steps, familiar processes and leverage our flat hierarchy to create our own customized blend of project management methodologies. It all depends on the project itself, and of course, a mutual consensus on which approach is the best fit for the respective project in order to achieve the best possible customer experience and exceptional value to our clients.

Reasons for blending project management methodologies

So, what made us blend different methodologies? From previous experience, here is a list of the benefits and reasons why we use this approach:

• Successful team – Methodologies don’t deliver projects, people do. A methodology is only a tool in a toolbox, so asking the team to pitch in and combine best practices of various methodologies can ensure a project is successful. 

  Our approach complements a project, and we ensure that methodologies work for our project team, not vice versa. As project teams often vary in size, experience and availability, it is quite normal that flexibility is necessary in order to achieve success.

• Identical projects do not exist – Although it may seem that a project is exactly the same as a previous one, you cannot just blindly replicate everything. 
  As a minimum, the people (project team and shareholders), the risks and project environment will be different, so you cannot use the same methodology over and over again. 

  Instead, we always encourage a review of the previous methods used as part of the initial project planning phase, so that our Project team can then see and decide what can be translated over or what is not so beneficial for their next project.

• Projects are unpredictable – Things do not always go as planned, no matter how prepared you are. Unexpected challenges can throw your project off course, so you will have to adapt and adjust. 

  Using the same methodology is not the best solution. Adopting a different strategy from another methodology can often help you get the project back on track.

• Adaptation is not a waste of time – Projects sometimes use a methodology that simply does not work and if not addressed, the project team may start to scramble or rush some of the necessary steps. 

  Depending on the individual circumstances they may stick with it, or after a review, may choose to move the project in a different direction, which can save precious time. A re-evaluation of the methodology used, or adding a new element from another one, can add a fresh perspective and turn around a potentially failing project.

How to choose the right blend of project management methodologies

After listing the reasons why we choose to blend different methodologies, we want to highlight some key questions we ask before choosing the right blend. 

Blending and implementing multiple methodologies for a project requires time, effort and knowledge. To help you determine which methodology is a good fit for a particular project, here are our suggested keynotes:

• Available methodologies – you need to have a good understanding of various methodologies and what the reasoning is behind using them. 

  Our primary focus is on the value they add to a project, and then we establish which methodology is best suited to a specific team and how they can be utilised before starting a project to ensure project success.

• Shareholder needs – Listen to and focus on shareholders’ needs and wishes. If they are more likely to be making a lot of changes in the specifications or asking for constant updates, we always select a methodology with shorter cycles and an iterative approach, such as Scrum. 

  With shorter sprints and shipping regular finished parts for testing and feedback, it gives a perspective of flexibility. Moreover, it demonstrates quick delivery and continuous value to the shareholders, which helps to keep them happy and prevents our team from feeling overwhelmed or pressured to deliver huge chunks of work.

• Project team needs – Our team is the one delivering projects so we are always trying to be realistic about our projects and listening to the needs of our team. 

  Chosen methodologies must fit well with the skills of our team, strengths and weaknesses, availability and preference. Our blend needs to align with what our team can really do practically, and not so much in the written theory behind it. 

• Project type – if the project is classified and looks more dynamic and you anticipate changes to the requirements, methodologies such as Agile or Scrum will make more sense.

  Similarly, if the project requirements are rigid and already set, traditional methodologies such as Waterfall or PRINCE2 are more sensible to use. You also need to consider any constraints and risks that are crucial to the success of the project. If there is room for more risks, in favour of more flexibility, it would be wise to use some of the strengths of Agile for example. 

  Analysis of those key indicators can be really helpful and shed light on the path for the project team to choose, and what can be most beneficial to them and for the project.

• Available tools – Different clients often use different project management software. It is up to the project team to see which methodologies those software solutions support and what can actually be achieved. 

  There is no point in having Agile in Trello for example, as it is more suited to the Kanban approach. Assessing which tools are accessible and how they match with the needs of the project team, is something that is often neglected.

Our blend of project management methodologies 

Below is a list of some of the methodologies we use, to highlight their advantages and the reasons why we choose to use them. 

As some of these methodologies are quite complex, we are more focused on specific segments of them. The segments that provide the most value to our project teams and ones we find most natural to use, are often incorporated into our project planning.

• Waterfall – Maybe the oldest but most stable and structured approach. The key stages typically include requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. It provides predictable results, and is often used for projects that have fixed requirements, strict budgets and are not flexible to changes.

  The issue with this approach hides in the fact that more often than not, some features might not be adequately explained or the requirements might change at some point which will not be covered by the existing documentation, and will cause issues with the overall project duration.

  In our case, we tend to use it in projects for specific phases where there are deliverables that are needed to follow its natural and strict development processes, but very rarely is it used as a whole.

• Scrum – Scrum is an iterative and incremental methodology where the emphasis is largely on adaptability and collaboration. It divides the project into short iterations called sprints, with the team working in cross-functional units and focusing on delivering small, valuable increments of the project in each sprint. 

  At Simple Code, we often use this methodology in order to achieve faster go to market by focusing on the minimum viable product in the first few sprints. 

• Lean – Although Lean is a methodology that is often neglected because it is perceived as a loose methodology, we are quite fond of it. 

  As it is focused on doing more with less and maximising value through continuous improvement, it is very helpful for the project team, and it helps to clarify what really needs to be done. 

  It can also help to reduce wasteful effort and cut down the cost, which is something that is highly desired by our clients.

• Kanban – Similar to the others, we use this approach to help our project teams visualise work easily and maximise their workflow efficiency. 

  The system uses a Kanban board with columns where each task is represented by a card that moves across the board as it progresses. The main idea is to prevent a large number of tasks from being in progress in order to prevent bottlenecks. Kanban provides transparency and is particularly effective for projects with a high volume of small tasks and a need for real-time tracking.

  We often use this approach when developing websites since usually there is no such thing as a minimum viable product and everything needs to be ready before launching the site. In those cases, Kanban provides a clear picture of the work that is left to be done and ensures that the workload for each member of the team is manageable and can be finished at approximately the same time.