The project management triangle
Despite the fact that there are many project constraints, the three main constraints of time, scope, and cost should not be barriers to the successful execution of a project and the effective decision-making process. The triangle focuses on the quality of the project, which is mainly referred to as the ambition level of the project (Wysocki, 2019). For this to be achieved, the three pillars so cost, time, and schedule should be considered. It is also essential to agree with the other members of the project on which are the most critical factors and where compromises can be made if the project does not go according to the plan. This is mainly because one pillar is always considered a priority, and the increase or decrease in the amount of focus on each pillar leads to a compromise that can create a balance in the project. For instance, if a customer is very strict with the project schedule, it can increase costs, increase the program team resources to speed up the project schedule to meet customer demand. The most direct impact of these three factors is product quality to save production costs. If the scope, schedule, and cost form a triangle, the quality is the area of the triangle, and therefore even with compromises, each aspect needs to be considered significantly.
The project management triangle is also considered a source of change, especially when it comes to the corresponding assessments that are conducted with time. These tend to either have a positive or negative impact on the project. However, despite the need to adjust the different aspects of the triangle, quality should remain the same at all times. It should be able to guide the direction that the other aspects take and also ensure that there is an adherence to the need to maintain impeccable outcomes. An example is when a company wants to reduce costs, improve production time and maintain the same quality, they might result in increasing the machinery, adding more people to work in the company, and even trying to outsource a section of their manufacturing process.
PART THREE
Traditional project management usually adopts the waterfall and partial iterative development mode, whose requirements are clear enough, and the documents are standardized enough during the project construction. Other changes take place as the project is being implemented, and these tend to have a significant impact on the project, which in turn affects the delivery quality or could lead to project termination. Every link must be strictly planned, and any changes outside the plan must be approved before they can be implemented. Traditional project management focuses on the development of a linear sequence through the use of a well-defined activity requiring designs, coding, implementing, and testing. In many cases, such examples include hardware development or any traditional developments that need to be upgraded.
The new project management model, which is referred to as the agile project management, simplifies the complicated process and documentation of traditional project management. It is an approach that uses different methodologies based on collaboration, people, and shared values. It uses a unique rolling planning wave, incremental and repetitive delivery, flexible and rapid responses to observed and perceived changes, and open communication that takes place between customers, teams, and stakeholders. Agile project management focuses on adapting to changes that are related to the project needs by giving the project more influence over changing, removing, or adding requirements. Benefits of agile project management include the management of project complexities and uncertainties through prior recognition., using dramatically shorter frameworks for execution and planning and creative and learning methods that can help make sense of the environment.
Project cost in the traditional project management compared to the way in an agile project management approach is different as the conventional approach looks into the upfront costs through estimate conformation. However, if the early stage of the project scope, a schedule is unable to predict costs accurately, and project cost change is not recommended frequently. Instead, it advocated for lighter estimation models in the generation of a high-level and fast forecast of the labor-related costs. These can be adjusted easily when there are any changes, and the detailed estimates are often research for any short-term plans. Additionally, when looking into costs, unlike a fixed budget, agile is considered more flexible with consideration to the scope. This is advantageous; it allows the project to start earlier and with lower costs. Agile is not focused on paying with uncertainty; it is only based on paying what is needed.
Given the case of a, say C Company that is looking for D Company to research and design a takeaway application to meet the demands of young people and their fast lifestyles, an agile project management approach is the best fit. Under this, there is the frequent development that requires the involvement of multiple parties, sharing similar values or objectives. In this case, it is to develop an application that fits young people and their busy lifestyles and, most importantly, the collaboration of different parties, which is required in agile project management. The number of team members can be controlled at about ten people, and each member relatively independent and completes tasks independently.
E company is a traditional manufacturing enterprise that plans to launch a product based on the original product by making some design changes. In this kind of a project, the schedule is ample, and there are large team members who include project coordinators, project managers, and team members. Therefore, with clear project scope, the team members significantly high and are involved in processes such as quality control processes of the project, and industrial production, hence making it more applicable under the traditional approach of project management. For example, in manufacturing computer hardware, especially through upgrades, this is one approach that can be used to improve or modify the existing models.
The traditional project management and agile project management have their advantages. For instance, to take in the process of using a suitable management method for the project to use. Agile project management is widely used in the main focus on new product development based on Internet development, software development, and other industries that change rapidly, and have high risk, high uncertainty of the project. Traditional projects can also use agile project management, where teams are broken up into smaller teams. These teams then make corresponding plans for different teams, complete the goal within the planned time, and make appropriate adjustments, depending on each team. Agile projects focus on a collective effort that ensures that the end goal is achieved for the quality of the good or service. This way, there is full ownership of the project and also effective approaches that show the contribution of the entire team in delivering the final product or service.
Conclusion
In the actual process of project management, it is not only necessary to make a correct plan for the scope, cost, and schedule at the early stage, but also to monitor its development, because unknown or known risks may appear at any time. At this time, it is necessary to judge whether corresponding changes are needed to meet the final project objectives according to the original plan. A successful project should not only meet the project management plan but also meet the needs of customers and bring innovation and development or profit to the company. In the future, agile project management will be a new trend for enterprise projects. Because the market demand for products changes very quickly, project team members not only rely on the project manager to complete the assigned tasks, but also need to think independently, put forward their own opinions, and cooperate and communicate more efficiently. It is, therefore, necessary for every member of the team to focus on adding value to the project and making significant contributions that will minimize costs and at the highest quality standards.
