8 a] Explain traditional v/s project management practices.
Comparing traditional and modern (often agile) project management practices can highlight significant differences in how projects are planned, executed, and managed. Here’s an explanation of these practices in the context of various management aspects:
1. Planning Increment Delivery
Traditional Practices:
- Waterfall Approach: Planning is done upfront for the entire project. A detailed plan is created with specific phases like requirements gathering, design, implementation, testing, and deployment. Each phase is completed before moving on to the next.
- Fixed Milestones: The project is divided into large phases with fixed deadlines and deliverables.
Modern Practices (Agile):
- Incremental and Iterative Delivery: Work is broken down into smaller, manageable chunks called iterations or sprints (typically 2-4 weeks). Each sprint results in a potentially shippable product increment.
- Adaptive Planning: Plans are continuously updated based on feedback from previous iterations, allowing for flexibility and adjustments.
2. Quality Management
Traditional Practices:
- Quality Control (QC): Emphasizes inspection and testing at the end of the development cycle to ensure the product meets the requirements.
- Quality Assurance (QA): Involves predefined processes and standards to ensure quality during the development process.
Modern Practices (Agile):
- Continuous Integration and Testing: Quality is built into every stage of development. Code is continuously integrated and tested, allowing for early detection and correction of defects.
- Test-Driven Development (TDD): Writing tests before code to ensure that the software meets the requirements from the outset.
3. Change Management
Traditional Practices:
- Formal Change Control: Changes are managed through a formal process, with change requests reviewed and approved by a change control board (CCB).
- Rigidity: Changes are often seen as disruptions and are difficult to incorporate once the project plan is set.
Modern Practices (Agile):
- Embracing Change: Changes are expected and welcomed, with a focus on responding to changing requirements even late in the development process.
- Continuous Feedback: Regular feedback from stakeholders and customers is used to adapt and refine the product.
4. Requirement Management
Traditional Practices:
- Comprehensive Requirements Upfront: All requirements are gathered and documented in detail before development begins.
- Fixed Scope: Once requirements are set, changes are difficult to implement without a formal change process.
Modern Practices (Agile):
- User Stories and Backlogs: Requirements are captured as user stories in a product backlog, which is continuously prioritized and refined.
- Evolutionary Requirements: Requirements evolve based on feedback and changing business needs, allowing for flexibility and adaptability.
5. Release Management
Traditional Practices:
- Single Release: The product is released once all development and testing phases are complete, often resulting in a single, large release.
- Scheduled Releases: Release dates are fixed and planned well in advance.
Modern Practices (Agile):
- Frequent Releases: Smaller, more frequent releases (often called continuous delivery) allow for rapid deployment of new features and updates.
- Rolling Releases: Releases are based on the completion of each iteration or sprint, ensuring timely delivery of value to the customer.
6. Risk Management
Traditional Practices:
- Risk Assessment and Mitigation Planning: Risks are identified, assessed, and documented at the beginning of the project. Mitigation strategies are developed for each identified risk.
- Periodic Reviews: Risks are periodically reviewed, and the risk management plan is updated accordingly.
Modern Practices (Agile):
- Risk Reduction through Iteration: Short iterations allow for continuous assessment and mitigation of risks, reducing the impact of potential issues.
- Adaptive Risk Management: Risks are managed dynamically, with immediate actions taken to address risks as they arise during each sprint.
7. Scope Management
Traditional Practices:
- Scope Definition: The project scope is defined upfront, with detailed documentation of all deliverables and work required.
- Scope Creep Prevention: Strict control processes are in place to prevent scope creep (uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in project scope).
Modern Practices (Agile):
- Flexible Scope: The scope is continuously refined based on feedback and changing priorities. The focus is on delivering the highest value features first.
- Prioritized Backlog: The product backlog is prioritized, and only the most important features are developed in each iteration, allowing for scope adjustments as needed.