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Selecting Your Methodology

Every company currently without a project management framework needs to identify, select, tailor, or build one before managing a project. Some structure is necessary. If management wants their company to be successful in a project-based world, they should start moving. They should think about the following objectives before deciding on a project management methodology:

The overall company strategy how competitive are we as a company?

The size of the project team and/or scope to be managed.

The priority of the project.

How critical the project is to the company.

How flexible the methodology and its components are.

Best Project Methodology Practices

To ensure a projects success throughout the entire methodology, project managers and project office managers should adhere to the following recommended best practices when selecting, building, or tailoring a project management methodology:

Use standard-proven processes and techniques. Draw on best industry practices and trends. Use best practices to reduce common pitfalls.

Look at implementation time and cost reduction.

Minimize excess templates and administration.

Consult industry leaders and subject matter experts (SMEs).

Acknowledge the best path for project implementation.

Recognize what should and should not be implemented.

The following summarizes four key principles in methodology design that should be reinforced: 1.

Use larger methodologies for larger teams.

Use denser methodologies for more critical projects.

Weight is costly.

Interactive, face-to-face communication is most effective.

Methodology Utilization

When using any project framework methodology, ensure that it doesnt become bureaucratic and so administrative in detail that it actually stifles any sense of creativity or overrides common sense. For example, you have a project that must be completed within four months. You have to design and deploy a new product. As project manager, you understand that you cannot spend all your time creating elaborate documentation and hold meetings to create new processes. Time is against you; therefore, it would be wise to first adopt the correct methodology. Developing the organizations project management framework is one of the core foundations of any business to ensure project success. This framework should include:

A total project management approach from start to finish.

The key phases that the company would possibly use.

Inclusion of quality gates or checkpoints during each phase.

Necessary review points between each phase.

Preproject and postproject phases (e.g., sales, operations).

Project templates.

Project processes per phase (i.e., change control, risk).

Using a proven project framework based on industry best practices and tailoring that approach to fit your organizations culture and practices are the keys to success. In the following section of this chapter, we review different types of methodology frameworks used by industry today.

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