They could be building a couple of flats, office buildings, industrial space, and so on. Most organizations do repeated projects for different clients.Ĭonstruction companies, for example, carry out construction projects all the time. With every waterfall system project you complete, your processes become refined, and you discover better ways to complete the same kind of project. This will save the project many resources like time and money because there is little room for error. The waterfall project management allows project managers to take time early in the project to create and plan for the project’s requirements. Obviously, some aspects of this methodology help project managers execute their projects the proper way the first time. The next sprint usually depends on the outcome of its predecessor, but today is not about Agile or Scrum, so let’s focus on the phases in a waterfall project. It will also provide project milestones and make determining progress a simple matter.Įveryone on the team is updated throughout the project.Īgile and Scrum, on the other hand, work in sprints – whereby the project is broken into several smaller bite-sized projects that are worked on in a short timeframe. When followed closely, it will offer the right guidance in the creation process. Remember, documentation is very important in the waterfall project methodology. The documentation you provide will guide members throughout the process. Your team can understand and do references at a glance. Outlining the information on a flowchart is easier because it shows how the team is progressing in a single glance. Once a building project begins from the ground, all systems go, and no turning back, which is why every phase must be done correctly.įor the project to run successfully by this methodology, proper planning must be carried out, and the project’s requirements must be clear from the beginning.Įveryone who is part of the project must be informed of the requirements, understand their role, and do their bit.ĭocumentation of the information must occur and proper distribution to everyone on the project.

It is also impossible to go back and redo the foundation once you have begun building the walls. In such industries, the project phases occur sequentially.įor example, there is no way you can begin raising the walls of a building if the foundation hasn’t been set firmly in construction. However, the waterfall project management approach is popular with non-software industries such as manufacturing and construction, where the system was naturally born out of necessity. Most people want to compare waterfall vs agile methodology, but the fact remains that both are good depending on the type of project. The Waterfall method might sound extreme, but the system’s history requires it. The only way to carry out amendments or revisit any phase is to return to the starting point at phase one and begin again. Just like a real waterfall, once it is all systems go, it goes on and on with no room for turning back.

Waterfall project management phases