Traditional and Agile Software Development Project Management Methodologies

This chapter focuses on the management approaches of information technology (IT) projects and how they fit into the context, priorities, and constraints of IT projects. The increased competition and velocity of change have encouraged software companies to utilize sound project management techniques to release new technology to the market quickly. New-school thinking recognizes that each IT project is unique and that there are no one-size-fits-all management solutions. This recognition was especially true for IT projects in which the technology evolves over time. A project environment that supports flexibility and proactively responds to change is crucial to improve value delivery. This chapter describes the interaction between project management and software development processes. It provides an overview of the different software delivery life cycle (SDLC) models such as waterfall, agile, scrum, v-model, and spiral. The core principles of advanced project management approaches are discussed and compared with generic project management methods. Managing a meaningful IT project requires an understanding of the organizational and technological environment. The main emphasis is to provide a primer on how these life cycle models work and how to select the techniques to manage IT projects effectively. Selecting the right processes also helps the team to meet the needs of the stakeholders within a specified time frame and budget.