Every scientist knows: reliable Methods are essential for an excellent result. And project management is a science in itself. The right method for planning and controlling can make or break a project's success ? simply because it is the only way to measure it. Only those who use targeted procedures documentedcan make the right decisions for the project on the basis of the data. Therefore, even the best method is no substitute for thinking for oneself.
Methods do not always fit
The right methods will help you keep control of the relevant phases, activities, roles and outcomes of your project. As there are different methods, they of course also contain different 'tools'. If you do not find a suitable method for your project among the methods listed below, a mixture of different working tools can also result in your own, new method to successfully complete your project. In case of doubt, it is always advisable to seek professional support for a (software) project.
More from us on the topic of project management.
Guide to the PMBoK
The Guide to the Project Management of Knowledge is probably the most widely used type among project management methods. A kind of standard work. The Guide lists generally applicable practices that have been proven in their application many times. This approach divides project management into Processeswhich are divided into five groups: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring/Control and Closure. Furthermore, these processes are divided into four elements (input, output, tools and procedures), as well as assigned to specific knowledge areas (e.g. risk management or human resource management).
ICB 3.0
In contrast to the Guide to the PMBoK, the ICB 3.0 is less about how and more about who. These 'guidelines' define which competences a project manager should have in order to successfully master a project. The examination procedure developed by IPMA certified using these guidelines. If one has the ICB 3.0 reference, this includes three areas of competence: technical competence, behavioural competence and contextual competence. To fulfil these competences, a knowledge of common project management methods is essential. Read more
PRINCE2
The process whose name leads to the noble title is called PRojects IN Controlled Environments. This translates roughly as 'projects in controlled environments'. This method has already been tested outside of IT and in government environments and consists of four building blocks: the seven basic principles of the method, seven themes of the method, seven processes and adaptation of these three to the project environment. The four building blocks are also subdivided into seven knowledge areas. What sounds complicated is here still explained in detail.
HERMES
Especially for IT projects, HERMES, or meanwhile HERMES 5.1, is an important standard method for project management in IT (also mostly covered here on the blog). HERMES stands for 'Manual of the Federal Electronic Data Centres, a method for the development of systems'. The approach describes itself as an open project management method and serves as a common guideline for service providers and service buyers. Special roles are played here by the client, the project manager and the employee. The method is divided into four phases: Initialisation, concept, realisation and introduction. Each phase has a fixed goal (milestone), the achievement of which can be used to measure the success of the project. More about this here.
Scrum
Dynamism and flexibility: these are characteristics that this method seeks to secure. This makes it particularly at home in software development projects. The basic idea is that the project is not planned through precisely from start to finish, and thus does not focus on too many management activities. This is to ensure that all project participants can develop creatively and productively to the greatest possible extent. This is based on four principles. The principle of self-organisation, the pull principle (input is controlled by the team), the time-box principle (time-limited work steps) and the principle of usable business functionality (project result must meet the specifications). More about Scrum is available here.
V-Modell XT
The V-Modell was developed in the public framework for project management of IT system development projects in Germany. The XT was added later and still stands for eXtreme Tailoring today, as the method simplifies project-specific adjustments wants to ensure. The V, in turn, is meant to visualise the idea of juxtaposing two different dimensions: Specification + Decomposition and Realisation + Integration. In the process, only activities and results of a project are defined in the model itself. There is no precise time schedule. The classic phase model is also omitted. How this works is here described.
