Agile Scrum Methodology In Project Management System – Comparison With PMBOK

Project Management Methods

Discuss about the Agile Scrum Methodology In The Project Management System.

Project management is one of the things that ensure what type of project is being delivered and the project that is delivered is right or not. In business management project management delivers real value. Management of project is one of the things that look easy but actually it is not the thing (Schwalbe, 2015). The stakeholders believe that the project management is easy to handle but actually it is not so. The idea behind project management is very surprising. The idea of project management is very prominent for all the organizations that are new and are also very important in organizations that are small. Stakeholders consider project management as a bureaucratic nonsense (Stettina & Hörz, 2015). The project management is done through paperwork for doing all the things right at the right time.

In this report, two of the project management methodologies are discussed elaborately. The methods that are discussed are the scrum agile method and the PMBOK method. The details of the methods are described and a detailed comparison is done between the agile method and PMBOK method. Area of applications which uses the agile method and the PMBOK method is described.

Project management consists of many methodologies which are used by the managers who handle the project for designing, planning, implementing and for achieving the objectives of the projects. There are many project development methodologies that are used in business processes. The Agile method and the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) are described below.

1. Agile Methodology: Scrum is one of the agile frameworks to complete complex projects. For developing the software, scrum framework is needed. Scrum works very well with innovative and complex works. Working of scrum is very easy. Software development is mainly managed by scrum methodology. Scrum mainly depends on cross-functional and self-organizing team. There is no particular team leader in scrum methodology who will decide what work should be allocated to which person.

The main idea of agile method came in 2001 from 17 people. This was the first written form of this methodology that was proposed (Fleming & Koppelman, 2016). For Software Development they proposed an Agile Manifesto to bring a ground breaking mindset on collaborating and delivering value with all the customers in a company. Agile method has main four values. These are:

• Interactions and individuals over tools and processes
• Comprehensive documentation are needed for working with the software
• Collaboration with customers are needed that are done over contract negotiation
• To make some change on the plan that is done previously, response is needed immediately

The process of Agile Project Management is considered as a method of value centered for managing the project that allows accessing all the processes in small cycle or phases. The agile method is much flexible and all the projects that exhibit dynamic traits can get benefit from the agile method (Snyder, 2014). The managers which use the agile method in their projects treat milestones as the goal that is to be changed continuously to abrupt all the changes that are received from the feedback of the client. Agile method is best suitable for projects that are small and the project team must have highly collaborative team or should have a project that has frequent iteration.

1. PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge): In the institute of Project Management, the methodologies that are needed to manage the project in not considered as a methodology. The methodologies are considered as some set of standards which involves five processes of steps in project management (Hornstein, 2015). This is outlined as Project Management Body of Knowledge. There are mainly five steps that are followed in the PMBOK. The steps are to initiate the project, plan the project, execute them, control them and finally thee last step involves in closing the project. The steps are discussed as follows:

Comparison between the Methods

Project Initiation: Project Initiation is the starting of any project. The initiation of the project involves in defining the project in details. Manly in the business case, the phase of initiation begins. In the phase of project initiation, the project manager research if the project that are starting is feasible or not and decide whether they should proceed with the project. The feasibility test of the proposed project is done in this phase.

Project Planning: Project Planning is a key step to compete any type of project successfully. This phase helps to develop a roadmap that will be followed by everyone. Goals are being set in the phase of project planning. Mainly two methods are followed for setting the goals in this phase. The methods are SMART and CLEAR. The SMART method involves specific in which specific goals are set to answer question regarding who, when, which, where and why the project is being held. The measurable in method involves to create the criteria that is used to measure the successful completion of the goal (Kerzner, 2017). The attainable methods include to identify the important goals and what is needed to achieve them. R stands for realistic which includes what the project wills and able to work to achieve a particular goal. The T is timely which creates timeframe for achieving goal of the project. The CLEAR goal is the acronym of collaborative, limited, emotional, appreciable and refinable.

Project Execution: In the execution phase, the deliverables are developed and are completed successfully. Lot pf works are being carried out in the execution process. The status reports are made and meetings are held, updates related with development and performance report are updated in the execution phase (Larson & Gray, 2013). All the team members are involved in completing the project.

Project Monitoring and Performance: In the monitoring phase, the manager ensures that all the process that is planned in the planning phase are executed properly (Turner, 2016). An indicator is used by the project manager which is known as Key Performance Indicator to ensure that the project is on track.

Project Closure: This phase ensures weather the project is completed or not. On completion of the project, the project manager holds meeting that is sometimes referred as the post mortem. This phase shows weather the project is completed successfully and the project manager held meetings regarding the project and to identify any risk that can come from the project.

	PMBOK	Agile
Project Risk Management	The process that are involved are planning of risk management, risk identification, analysis of risk in qualitative way and quantitative way, planning for risk response and control and monitoring method  related to risk.	The processes that are involved in agile method is initial assessment that comes during pregame. Risks are reviewed during the review meetings.
Project Integration Management	For project integration, the PMBOK method develops project charter, preliminary project is developed, and scope of the project developed, plan and management of the project is done, monitor and also control the project, change control and also close the project.	Agile method involves management verification, funding and approval during the planning phase, development of infrastructure and tools are validated, procedure regarded sprint backlog.
Project Time Management	Processes involve activity diagram, activity resources, activity sequencing, and estimation the activity duration and also control the schedule of the project.	Delivery date of the project and the function of all the process are released. The agile method also includes monthly iterations.
Project Scope Management	Scope of planning, scope of definition, creates the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure), scope control and scope verification are involved in this process (Špundak, 2014).	To make the domain model, domain analysis is performed, comprehensive backlog list of the product also developed, all the functions that are included in the each processes are defined properly.
Project Communications Management	Communication planning, performance reporting, manage stakeholders and information distribution is held in this methodology.	In agile method, review meeting are done, meeting related to sprint planning is done, communication standards of project team is determined in this (Marcelino-Sádaba et al., 2014).
Project Human Resource Management	Project team is needed in this method. The project team is managed and developed in done in PMBOK.	Team participation in the sprint meetings and the participation in daily scrums are performed.
Project Quality Management	In PQM, the quality planning is done, quality assurance id given and quality control is performed.	Adjustment, review and standards regarded with the product are confirmed. Sprint planning and sprint review meeting is held (Meredith & Mantel, 2011).
Project Cost Management	Cost control, budgeting and cost control is done in project cost management of PMBOK methodology (Wörösch, Mortensen & Hvam 2014).	The cost that is estimated in the planning phase are released in the agile method.

Agile methodology application: Minaya Learning Global Solutions is a leading telecommunication industry that implements wide enterprise system that uses the agile scrum methodology in its development process. The implementation of Agile methods included a training environment which gave the learners with systems that trains them as a live environment. The implementation of the agile method in MLGS improved the project productivity and resources. MLGS included a project management with development of the agile methodology and training design. Agile methodology makes a fluid relationship between the client and project manager.

Another sector where agile method is applied is by Google which is working on a project that is competing product related to MS Word (Turk, France & Rumpe, 2014). All the feature that are provided by MS Word will be present in the also will contain other features that are requested by the team members of the marketing group. The final product will be coming in next 10 months. The project uses agile methodology in the following ways:

• The project is divided into many parts known as iterations which is done in agile methodology.
• All the iterations are to be completed in the same duration of time that is between 2 to 8 weeks.
• The product should be delivered at the end of each iteration.
• All the processes that are involved in developing the project should be broken up in to 10 releases which are mainly done in the agile approach.
• The team has collected all the core features of the project that are required and also decide all the features that can be developed in first iteration.
• Any of the remaining features which are not delivered in the first iteration can be taken forwarded in the next iteration.

More importance is given to the collaboration of the team, collaboration with customer, respond to all the changes and deliver the working software (Abrahamsson et al., 2017). The Agile methodology is considered as the most common place in the IT industry. Almost 52% of the respondents involve agile methodology in its project.

PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) methodology application: A rapid rate in deterioration in the urban areas is faced by the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. The city is densely populated and is unique in nature. The government is to expedite the renewal work of the urban area to establish the Urban Renewal Authority in the year 2001. This is done to replace the Land Development Corporation of Hong Kong that was established 1988 (Kiznyte, Welker & Dechange, 2016). The new method that was involved in the process operated with public accountability and the transparency that are demanded by the community of that region. To tackle this issue the government involved the PMBOK method. The government also had to complete 225 projects in coming 25 years that involved a cost of 75$ billion. The government wants to make the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong to be a sustainable city that can incorporate the sustainability of the urban population and the quality on the renewal in the urban areas. The Project Management Body of Knowledge is needed in this project to emphasize more on the aspects of integrated approach, multi-disciplinary approach, for sustainability, enables information technology, involves stakeholder, structure of team hierarchical and attributes of team members (Low, 2015). By implementing PMBOK methodology, the government of Hong Kong supports the implementation and policy that are important for the renewal work in the urban areas.

Conclusion

There is importance of project management in business that it brings direction in the projects and also brings leadership. Project management ensures a proper planning to execute the strategic goals that are involved in the process of running a business. Management of project also ensures proper expectation of the project that are to be set around about what is to be delivered, when the project is to be delivered and an average cost of completing the project. The quality of project that is to be delivered is also determined by implementing project management and also ensure their clients that the risk that are related with the project are managed properly and if risks occurs, then there should be some mitigation process involved in the planning of project management so that the issue can be avoided. There is importance of project management because involves right people at right time to do the right work they should do. Proper processes are followed throughout the lifecycle of the project by project management. The processes that are involved in the project can be reported and tracked properly and this process helps to make a success path and also helps to determine other to learn from previous success or some failures that may occur in the past.

References

Abrahamsson, P., Salo, O., Ronkainen, J., & Warsta, J. (2017). Agile software development methods: Review and analysis. arXiv preprint arXiv:1709.08439.

Fleming, Q. W., & Koppelman, J. M. (2016, December). Earned value project management. Project Management Institute.

Hornstein, H.A. (2015). The integration of project management and organizational change management is now a necessity. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), pp.291-298.

Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management metrics, KPIs, and dashboards: a guide to measuring and monitoring project performance. John Wiley & Sons.

Kiznyte, J., Welker, M., & Dechange, A. (2016). Applying Project Management Methods to the Creation of a Start-up Business Plan: The Case of Blendlee. PM World Journal, 5, 1-24.

Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. (2013). Project Management: The Managerial Process with MS Project. McGraw-Hill.

Low, F. S. (2015). Application of Japanese Project Management Methods (P2M/KPM) In Japanese Organisations in Japan and Malaysia (Doctoral dissertation, UTAR).

Marcelino-Sádaba, S., Pérez-Ezcurdia, A., Lazcano, A.M.E. and Villanueva, P., 2014. Project risk management methodology for small firms. International Journal of Project Management, 32(2), pp.327-340.

Meredith, J., & Mantel, S.(2011). Project management: A managerial approach (8th ed.). Indianapolis: Wiley.

Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.

Snyder, C.S. (2014). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK (®) Guide. Project Management Institute.

Špundak, M. (2014). Mixed agile/traditional project management methodology–reality or illusion?. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 119, 939-948.

Stettina, C. J., & Hörz, J. (2015). Agile portfolio management: An empirical perspective on the practice in use. International Journal of Project Management, 33(1), 140-152.

Turk, D., France, R., & Rumpe, B. (2014). Limitations of agile software processes. arXiv preprint arXiv:1409.6600.

Turner, R., 2016. Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.

Wörösch, M., Mortensen, N. H., & Hvam, L. (2014). End-to-end requirements management for multiprojects in the construction industry (Doctoral dissertation, Technical University of DenmarkDanmarks Tekniske Universitet, Department of Management EngineeringInstitut for Systemer, Produktion og Ledelse, Operations ManagementOperations Management).