Hybrid project management: A beginner’s guide
Tempo Team
Some teams enjoy traditional project management’s focus on comprehensive planning and predictable schedules but wish the framework enabled more flexibility. Meanwhile, project managers who adopt Agile at Scale often appreciate a Kanban board’s visibility or Scrum’s iterative approach, but could find scope creep and stakeholder dependency frustrating.
Instead of fighting the limitations of a project management model that doesn’t fully meet team member’s needs, why not develop a system that works for you? By blending the best of waterfall and agile methodologies into a hybrid project management system, you get a customized process that’s suited to your team.
Here’s what you need to know about hybrid project management so you can have your cake and eat it, too.
What is hybrid project management?
A hybrid project management methodology, sometimes called a blended methodology, combines the properties of two frameworks to create a personalized approach. Given the variety of project management types, there are plenty of options to draw inspiration from, such as:
Waterfall methodology
Critical path method (CPM)
Kanban
Scrum
Six Sigma
Outcome mapping
For example,
Agile + waterfall = Agilefall or Wagile project management
Scrum + Kanban = Scrumban or Kanban-scrum hybrid project management
You could choose any practice, but the most popular hybrids combine Scrum, Kanban, or both with the Waterfall model. These hybridized project management methodologies provide the adaptability, speed, and visibility of agile’s approach while leveraging waterfall’s structured planning and defined workflows.
Types of project management
A project manager needs a functional understanding of both frameworks they want to combine for a successful blend. Different approaches cater to specific circumstances, such as strict deadlines or evolving requirements. Your unique team and project portfolio will determine which elements you borrow from waterfall, agile, or other methodologies.
Consider this outline of the waterfall and agile project management approaches to find the right balance for your organization:
Waterfall project management
The waterfall project management methodology takes a linear approach to development. Each new project phase launches after the completion of the previous one. Phases require extensive documentation and successive execution.
Waterfall project management emphasizes precise plans, strict resource allocation, and budget control. Project managers often opt for a traditional project management methodology like waterfall when the outcome is predictable and well-defined. However, the framework’s rigidity makes it challenging to adjust to scope changes or evolving priorities.
Agile project management
Where the waterfall method is strict, agile project management is dynamic and adaptable.
Project managers who adopt the agile approach divide work into independent phases called sprints. From there, they organize team members into cross-functional groups supported by project management artifacts like Kanban boards or Scrum stand-up meetings. Per the Agile Manifesto, the agile method frees individual team members and groups to manage their work as they see fit, provided they deliver assigned outcomes by the end of the sprint.
An agile team collaborates on plans, evaluations, and execution, advancing project outcomes with each iterative sprint. Agile methodology encourages close collaboration with stakeholders to provide customers with an ongoing stream of valuable product launches and updates. It accounts for evolving requirements and rapidly changing markets.
How to blend agile and traditional project management
Collaboration is the only hard and fast requirement of developing a hybrid of agile, waterfall, and other project management approaches. It’s time to gather your project team and start brainstorming ideas. Here are a few pointers to get you started:
1. Select two methodologies
Review all the project management methodologies to identify which features deliver the most benefit. Then, choose two models with the most desirable features that fit your project management style.
2. Identify pros and cons
Dive deep into the two approaches. Ask team members which features they like and which they don’t.
For example, if you’re developing an agile/waterfall hybrid, your team may favor Scrum’s focus on adaptability but find that shorter sprint iterations obscure the big picture. Conversely, your team may appreciate that the waterfall methodology provides a high level of project plan detail but dislike its sequential approach, which delays course corrections and costs time and money.
Identifying each method’s strengths helps you leverage them within the hybrid framework, so they compensate for each other’s weaknesses.
3. Discuss implementation
Next, decide how to implement the hybridized methodology. Will you pick and choose elements of each project management system as you plan and execute the initiative, or will you implement them according to the project phase?
You could use waterfall methodologies to create a project plan during the initiation phase. Once the project group moves into execution, they could switch to agile to leverage Scrum sprints and backlogs, allowing them to adapt as they move forward.
4. Review and adjust
Your project team is unlikely to execute this custom framework perfectly on the first try. Don’t be afraid to adapt whenever the group encounters a challenge. After delivery, conduct a retrospective meeting to document lessons learned and identify what the team should do differently next time.
Benefits of hybrid project management methodology
Combining waterfall and agile methodologies offers many significant advantages. Here’s how the combination levels up project team operations:
Multidisciplinary
A hybrid project management approach bridges the gap between industries, bringing the benefits of agile software development to manufacturing, engineering, and others while maintaining the advantages of the waterfall method. It allows project managers to customize and apply the framework to any size team in any industry, addressing various project types.
Explicit
An agilefall hybrid project management approach maps out the project from beginning to end, allowing team members and stakeholders to quickly evaluate progress. It also clearly identifies dependencies and expectations so there are no surprises.
Detailed
Waterfall methodology’s emphasis on detail improves the accuracy of project plans and estimates. Each project phase and predefined sprint produces deliverables that undergo a review process, resulting in more predictable feature development.
Adaptable
A hybrid framework is inherently flexible. It allows project teams to reassess development, pivot, and adapt to emergent conditions and changing priorities.
Challenges of hybrid project management
Although hybrid project management has many advantages, it also presents complexities. Here’s what to watch out for:
Differing timelines
Combining waterfall’s linear approach with agile’s iterative approach requires careful, in-depth planning. Project management must ensure deliverables arrive according to milestones and deadlines and maintain adequate resource levels throughout the timeline. Initially, project schedules may require adaptation to accommodate the learning curve.
Stakeholder buy-in
In some industries, the prevailing attitude regarding project management is: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Upper management and project sponsors may be reluctant to “fix” the process by switching to a hybrid model. As the project manager, you’ll have to build support by explaining the new framework and its advantages.
Integration
Waterfall and agile approaches have distinct tools, so you may need to review your project management software to ensure it provides the necessary functionality and applications to support the new framework.
Communication
A new framework will raise questions from stakeholders and team members. Study up on both approaches so you can provide concrete answers to their queries.
Documentation
An in-depth documentation process allows you to benchmark future hybrid projects, learn from mistakes, and improve with each new initiative.
Implement hybrid project management methodology with Tempo
Whether you prefer the waterfall methodology, the agile approach, or a combination of the two, you need project management software with the flexibility and visibility to accommodate any model.
Tempo’s Strategic Roadmaps is an excellent tool for mapping and prioritizing work to build alignment within your cross-functional project team. Its boardroom-ready outputs help align stakeholders behind your project’s vision and give them insight into progress.
