Agile vs Waterfall Work

CNM Cyber suites

Agile vs Waterfall Work (hereinafter, the Lectio) is the lesson part of Project Work Essentials lesson that introduces its participants to project management concepts. This lesson belongs to the CNMCT Entrance section of the CNM Cyber Placement.

Content

The predecessor lectio is Stages of Project Work.

Script

Any project can be managed in several ways. One of the key decisions is when to start the project executing stage -- when the project planning stage is completed or earlier.

Delaying the executing until the scope baseline is approved suggests the Waterfall model. Starting the executing without the approved scope constitutes an Agile project.

Every project can be either Agile or Waterfall. Which is the best depends on several factors, the primary of which is a decision of the project customer. All in all, the customer decides when to start spending money on the executing.

If the customer asks for your piece of advice or you are the customer, here are some considerations.

First of all, work products define project scope.

Scripted-work products are those work products that development process is structured and known in details. They would include constructions, non-designer clothing, and foods prepared according to recipes.

Unscripted-work products are those work products that development process is unstructured or unknown. They would include first ever radio, first ever airplane, and first ever computer. If developers have no instructions for developing something, development of this something is unscripted.

Another consideration should be given to the question how controllable the project environment is.

If a scripted-work product is going to be developed in a controllable environment, the customer has a choice. The dilemma is (a) to get the deliverable faster, but, possibly, spending more money or (b) to spend less money and get the deliverable later. The Waterfall model can be perfectly executed under these circumstances and will save money, but Agile would get results faster. These projects can be called predictable.

On the opposite side, development of an unscripted-work product in an uncontrollable environment can be called an unpredictable project. If the project staff selects the Waterfall, they will have to guess how the development would look like. Most of the guesses may not survive the reality when the staff starts executing or, as they say, "rubber meets the road."

Then, the project coordinator would have to issue change requests; if the customer approves, disapproves, or modifies these requests fast, the Waterfall can possibly gain the speed of the Agile. The Waterfall model needs data to save money and to shorten the timeline. Without data, the Waterfall advantage is useless. In conditions of complete uncertainty, project work may be the only source of data.

At the same time, many projects don't need to be either Agile or Waterfall. Let's take development of the CNMCyber.com website as an example. This project can be divided into several sub-projects, among which some like front-end and back-end can be Waterfall and the others like design, content, and SEO can be Agile.

Creative works such as content development and design always include both scripted and unscripted aspects. Extremely-exclusive web-design can take a few years and more than a million dollars to develop. It can also take few hours and peanuts to clone or modify some existing design. Since schedules for creative works cannot be really calculated, the customer usually simply sets up their costs and/or timelines, so developers would manage their effort.

Closing

The successor lectio is What Project Work Is.