New business and tech trends keep coming out every year. But not many project management trends go noticed. However, there are a few exceptions. They start by creating a buzz, and some of them eventually become an accepted standard. As proper project management is vital when it comes to software development, every manager should be aware of those trends that show great potential.

That said, here are a few project management trends that came out on top this year, and will possibly have a much more prominent role next year.
 

Agile will cross over to other fields

 
Software development companies have been practicing Agile development for a long time now, and it’s become quite common nowadays. Apparently, agile is steadily climbing the ladder in parallel. It’s expected that Agile will soon cross over to other fields.

Even marketers use Agile in innovative ways. In addition, UI/UX professionals and graphics designers also use Agile to deliver without compromising quality. It’s particularly noticeable in the finance sector. Finance professionals often use Scrum, and editors use Kanban systems to organize content.

Evidently, Agile methodology is not restricted to the IT domain anymore.
 

Collaboration tools will be adopted more

 
Collaboration tools are vital for coordination between the teams involved in a project and the customer, especially in an Agile ecosystem. Using such tools considerably reduces the delay in projects and ensure proper communication among everyone involved. They can be particularly useful for conferences with customers, and between the teams to achieve a goal specific to the project at hand.

2018 would be seeing more use of collaboration software apps over traditional project management methodologies i.e. apps like Slack and Yammer will grow beyond where they are now. However, collaboration tools are not necessarily designed for project management. Yet they’ve found their place among various businesses.

As the project managers are also responsible for ensuring collaboration for each project, they will have to find ways to effectively adopt collaboration tools in the coming years considering the fact that companies have started showing more interest in such tools.
 

Project portfolio management is advancing

 
Project portfolio management (PPM) software is now a key component when it comes to creating enterprise products. This new product development (NPD) trend resulted in the creation of brands including GenSight, Sopheon etc. all with the use of PPM solutions. The close association between PPM and NPD will only become tighter with the rise of IoT and widespread adoption of Agile.

The present day developments require developers to come up with improved products for their customers, and this can’t be done with conventional PPM solutions. The NPD PPM will most certainly make a mark here, and will likely establish its presence on other fields as well.
 

Certifications may lose their importance

 
PMP and PRINCE2 are two of the most popular project management certifications, and both have been existing for years. But recently, the certifications have been criticized and their values questioned.

Many seem to argue that the accompanying cost is not worth it, adding that the exam content have also not been updated even though business requirements keep changing. Companies now value the skill of managing projects more than certifications. SMBs have started giving less attention to certifications and more to find people who can manage projects efficiently. This could likely mean that certifications may lose their importance, and PMPs won’t be required to have the certifications to prove their worth.
 

Big data is changing things for the better

 
One of the most popular technology trends that’s impacting project management is big data. Essentially comprising of all the data generated by software tools, big data analysis can reveal valuable insights including but not limited to logged risks, the failure rate of the team, and the members who are less productive.

However, to utilize big data for the betterment of the team and to improve project management, the manager will have to make use of effective analysis tools like for example Apache Hadoop, Skytree Server etc. This part of the problem is already being taken care of, which is why we will be provided with better ways to leverage big data next year.
 

Conclusion

 
This article only lists a few of the popular trends that announced their presence this year. The bottom line is that project management is all set to undergo a radical transformation in the coming times, and the best bet is to prepare for it beforehand and work with the best tools 2018 will present us with.

Incorrect planning of a project will result in an end product that’s not in line with customer expectations subsequently impacting the software development company’s reputation. Most project managers would face a similar situation at least once in their career. Add budget overflows and delays into the mix, and the whole project might end up as a disaster.

A bit of flexibility can open doors to solve such project management issues. Agile gives that flexibility you need.

Most agile software development services today make use of SCRUM – an iterative framework that considerably reduces the risks associated with project development. How it requires both the team and the customer to collaborate through the project’s lifecycle, so the plan works out while staying in budget.
 

SCRUM

 
It’s basically a set of procedures to iteratively and incrementally manage software development processes from various tasks. So essentially, each iteration or sprint, based on the customer’s feedback, will refine the product. The customer will be able to guide the project in the right direction, tweaking it along the way if necessary. This reduces the chances of the product failing to meet expectations in the end.

Additionally, the framework also offers a good amount of flexibility for a cyclical estimate of the project. Though not a complete and precise estimate, this will still keep the development company and the customer safe from misleading estimates. Activities for each sprint can be added or removed depending on the customer’s budget.
 

Risk Management with SCRUM

 
Project managers can adopt various SCRUM practices to minimize and effectively manage risks that may occur during development.

Here are a few such practices to give you a better idea.

• Flexibility mitigates business-related risks: As mentioned earlier, SCRUM offers the flexibility to add or modify requirements whenever necessary in the product development lifecycle. This gives the company a window to deal with unforeseen threats or unexpected opportunities from the business ecosystem whenever they show up, and at a comparatively low cost. Traditional project management methodologies won’t be that effective in such scenarios.
• Regular feedback from customers mitigates expectations-related risks: The whole project can be guided by the customer. Expectations can be set after each sprint based on customer feedback. This reduces the likelihood of risks due to miscommunication, and ensures the stakeholders that the project has a better chance of meeting expectations in the end.
• SCRUM team reduces estimation risks: The SCRUM team will take responsibility for the backlogs in each sprint, and will manage accordingly to ensure timely delivery of the product. They will also be providing cyclic estimates. This considerably reduces estimation risks.
• Transparency facilitates early detection of risks: SCRUM framework is designed to be transparent. This transparency helps the team identify the risks early in the initial stage of development itself, and rectify them. Challenges and obstacles for each team will be discussed and logged during Scrum of Scrum meetings after each sprint. This also enables the team to handle the risks without raising the alarm.
• Continuous delivery reduces investment risks: SCRUM is an iterative framework. Unlike traditional project management methodologies, the project won’t be delivered at the end of the development lifecycle. The customer will be able to see how the project is going, and the changes made during each iteration. This reduces investment risks.

Conclusion

 
Risks will always be present regardless of the project management methodology chosen. SCRUM only affects the likelihood and the impact of those risks. To conclude, SCRUM is more like a painkiller instead of an antidote. If pain is the issue and risks are what’s causing it, SCRUM relieves you of that pain but doesn’t neutralize the risks – risk management and not risk elimination.

Prevalent project failure is quite common in the project management industry, and the causes of failure are many – from overly optimistic deadlines to poor management. There are things that a project manager can and cannot control. Outside factors might influence the success of a software development project, and the manager may not be able to do much about that. However, it’s possible to mitigate the effects of such factors on the project.

Basically, apt project management can give the project the best chance for success. And apt project management requires streamlining the management processes. This is where proper project management methodology helps. It essentially makes it easier for project managers to design and implement their projects.

Before understanding how and where a project management methodology should be used, the managers need to be aware of two things.

• Each methodology has their own pros and cons.
• There is no one-size-fits-all. One of the biggest mistakes a project manager can make is to apply the same methodology to every project.

This is why it’s a wise idea to always assess the benefits of a particular methodology against the project’s objectives.

Here are 5 of the most popular project management methodologies that are flexible enough to adapt to projects and the project team.
 

Waterfall Model

 
A traditional project management methodology, this model is about a structure that follows things in a sequential manner, somewhat resembling a waterfall. The ‘flow’ begins with the concepts and inception of the project to its completion. There is a catch though. Once set at the get-go, the project requirements bear no alteration in most cases.

The model is ideal for large software projects when predictability and planning are vital for the projects’ success.
 

Agile Management Methodology

 
You could say that Agile is basically the opposite of Waterfall due to the fact that Agile is all about adaptability and flexibility while waterfall is sequential and predictable. Agile adapts to the feedback from the project team members or from the client, and follows the best course of action for the project’s success.

As such, Agile development is therefore the most effective when the project’s progress relies on input from clients or management. This flexibility makes it a great option for fast-paced project development.
 

PRiSM

 
A sustainable methodology that incorporates a value-maximization model, PRiSM acts as an efficient project structure that considers even environmental factors with a focus on total asset lifecycle. However, it’s unique because of the fact that it demands accreditations. The methodology is mostly used for large scale projects within real estate or construction.
 

Critical Chain Project Management

 
The main merit of this methodology is its focus on rectifying resources, by interpreting a project as a core set of elements so as to create a project timeline. The next phase is ensuring that the critical chain has enough resources within the timeline. In addition, the remaining resources are split up and allocated to various other tasks enabling them to be executed in parallel. The model also keeps enough resources in reserve in case reallocation is necessary.

These should be enough to assert that critical chain project management is the right choice for resource-driven projects.
 

PRINCE2

 
Advertised as a government-endorsed project management methodology, PRINCE2 is widely popular across both public and private sector in the UK. Like PRiSM, PRINCE2 also requires certification, but offers a plethora of courses in return that boosts the project team’s experience while providing the required organization for projects.

PRINCE2 is quite sophisticated and requires the team to thoroughly follow the determined plan and processes involved for the project to be successful. Though process-oriented, the methodology has a broad approach that can help build strong project management skills which essentially makes it useful for almost all kinds of projects of different scales.