ITC505 - Project Management: Comparing PMBOK and Waterfall Models

This report defines project management methodology and compares the Waterfall methodology with the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). It highlights the role of project methodologies in simplifying business processes and improving strategic planning. The comparison identifies similarities such as their iterative nature and process orientation, and differences including the complexity and adaptability of each method. The report also discusses how the Waterfall methodology relates to the project life cycle, particularly in the stages of planning, initiation, execution, and closure, emphasizing the importance of methodology choice and resource availability in project success. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and past papers for students.

Running Head: Project Management Methodologies
Project Management Methodologies
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Running Head: Project Management Methodologies
Table of Contents
1. Define what a project methodology is giving few definitions from various authors and the
role it serves in project management..........................................................................................3
2. Choose 1 methodology from this list to compare and contrast with methodology outlined
by Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), analyzing the similarities and
differences between them both...................................................................................................4
Similarities:................................................................................................................................5
Differences:................................................................................................................................5
3. Finally, identify how your chosen methodology and processes relate to the project life
cycle (PLC):...............................................................................................................................6
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Running Head: Project Management Methodologies
1. Define what a project methodology is giving few definitions from various authors and
the role it serves in project management.
Project management methodology can be defined as the process of making the overall
business process in a simplified ways to gain the ultimate profit from an investment. This
term has been used from the earlier 1960 by the renowned business organization in search for
effective ways that can minimize the business risks and to improve the strategic planning’s.
The main criteria that was created form this agenda is the communication and collaboration
in business to establish the ultimate production among the different sectors of an
organization.
The main motto of using the project methodology is to identify the best possible decision and
solution making strategies for an organizational culture (Aydanet al. 2017). This comprises
the specific strategies, innovative ideas and the approaches taken by a particular organization
to overcome the issues faced and to precede the business further. In broader sense, research
methodology provides a skeleton of the business strategies and the processes taken step by
step in depth. Therefore, by implementing the research methodologies, the project manager
gets an idea about the processes going to be happen and to find out the possible solutions of
the probable risks that may appear during any circumstances.
Figure 1: Project Management Framework
(Source: Patwardhan et al. 2016)
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Running Head: Project Management Methodologies
Project management provides the framework of the ongoing planning, implementation and
delivery of the project according to the size and the nature of the job. Basically, project
management is done to identify the possible changes that can be incorporated in a business
planning to develop from the present condition. Managing changes means the best possible
changes that can be implemented and described in the ongoing project to meet the project
demand at the same time achieving the desired target.
2. Choose 1 methodology from this list to compare and contrast with methodology
outlined by Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), analyzing the
similarities and differences between them both.
The chosen project methodology is Waterfall technique. Waterfall management process is
basically a sequential, linear working process that is again subdivided in to several stages
shown in below:
Figure 2: Waterfall Project Management process
(Source: Vijayasarathy & Butler, 2016)
There are seven steps involved in the waterfall model that is basically used in the software
development life cycle. This is the simplest method of the project management process that is
entirely dependent upon the previous stage involved in the process. The main advantage of
doing this is to be confident about the job that is already done. Waterfall method finds its
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Running Head: Project Management Methodologies
application in the non-software basis industrial sectors that needs the mega constructions and
the IT skill development services (Verzuh, 2015). Basically, this waterfall process starts
when the entire project is thoroughly implemented and all the necessary documentations have
been considered.
Similarities:
The main similarities that can be identified between the two project management processes
are as follows:
 Both are the iterative and most useful model, whichis followed by most of the
construction basis companies that fulfills the global standards (Conforto&Amaral,
2016).
 Both of this project management process comes under the repeated trial and error
process of the experienced project managers for long run
 PMBOK and the Waterfall model is process oriented and is unidirectional.
 These are the most simplified methods and any kind of project methodologies can be
converted in PMBOK techniques.
 A good management technology can be implemented by any one of this process as the
stages are clearly identified and the inputs, parameters, tools techniques are
mentioned in this process. Hence, there is less chance that the project may get
diverted from its original track.
Differences:
 PMBOK is a very hectic process to be implemented for the small constructional
projects as the limitation incorporated are more. On the other hand, waterfall method
provides the best solutions as it is simplest method to implement.
 According to the time, nature and the size of the project, the PMBOK process is
complicated to be rearranged but the waterfall methods every stages need not to be
changed (Menzies et al. 2017).
 As the size of the project gets enlarged for the PMBOK method, the team working
behind the project gets scattered and there are several conclusions derived from the
process. This probability is not faced in the waterfall model.
3. Finally, identify how your chosen methodology and processes relate to the project life
cycle (PLC):
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Running Head: Project Management Methodologies
Figure 3: Project Life Cycle Diagram
(Source: Wiesner et al. 2017)
In this particular context, waterfall methodology can be implemented in the project life cycle.
The main idea of the project methodology is to find out the solutions that are all the projects
are similar keeping their uniqueness in the field of timeframes, human resources and in terms
of business environment (Wiesner et al. 2015). Thje above figure describes the stages
involved in the process of the project life cycle. Basically, all the project that folows the
waterfall methodology passes through the four basic stages of- Planning, initiation, closure,
and execution. Depending upon this stage the managers involved to occupy the project
works, designs the overall project cycle and identifies the key issues, project variables the
project can deliver. Besides this, the main aim of the research or project methodology is to
find out the key deliverables that is helping the project to overcome the pervious
shortcomings of the project. Project management techniques are associated with the probable
causes and the solution that the particular organization can follow in their working process.
The entire project life cycle completely depends upon how the project methodology has been
chosen and the resources available for the project (Kazim, 2017). Besides the entire project,
models are being unique there are common life cycle methodologies that helps to identify the
deliverables in similar ways. As an example, a waterfall model the very first stage begins
with the understanding of requirement of solutions, implementing the steps taken and the
facilities that the customers can avail from this project.
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Running Head: Project Management Methodologies
Reference list:
Aydan, U., Yilmaz, M., Clarke, P. M., & O’Connor, R. V. (2017). Teaching ISO/IEC 12207
software lifecycle processes: a serious game approach. Computer Standards &
Interfaces, 54, 129-138.
Conforto, E. C., &Amaral, D. C. (2016). Agile project management and stage-gate model—A
hybrid framework for technology-based companies. Journal of Engineering and
Technology Management, 40, 1-14.
Kazim, A. (2017). A Study of Software Development Life Cycle Process
Models. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science, 8(1).
Menzies, T., Nichols, W., Shull, F., & Layman, L. (2017). Are delayed issues harder to
resolve? Revisiting cost-to-fix of defects throughout the lifecycle. Empirical Software
Engineering, 22(4), 1903-1935.
Patwardhan, A., Kidd, J., Urena, T., &Rajgopalan, A. (2016). Embracing Agile methodology
during DevOps Developer Internship Program. arXiv preprint arXiv:1607.01893.
Verzuh, E. (2015). The fast forward MBA in project management.John Wiley & Sons.
Vijayasarathy, L. R., & Butler, C. W. (2016). Choice of software development
methodologies: Do organizational, project, and team characteristics matter?. IEEE
Software, 33(5), 86-94.
Wiesner, S., Freitag, M., Westphal, I., &Thoben, K. D. (2015).Interactions between service
and product lifecycle management. Procedia CIRP, 30, 36-41.
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