Waterfall Project Management

Analysis Paper
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Waterfall project management.
For an individual working in project management, there is constant pressure to find the best approach which works for the team. The decision is made even harder considering the numerous different approaches available such as; critical path, scrum, PMBOK, Six Sigma, and waterfall. To be fair every project is unique therefore, the different approaches can meet the needs for simple and complex assignments. Waterfall project management is an efficient methodology that uses sequential processes to simplify the project and manage teams. It develops phases in which the next development begins once the previous phase is complete and outcomes are known. The following are the phases of the waterfall project management methodology.
Requirement gathering and documentation.
This is the first phase of the waterfall project management approach which entails the process of gathering enough information on what the project requires. The first mistake an individual can make is ignoring or underperforming during this phase. There is obvious evidence on the impact of poor requirements gathering on the end product of a project. Requirements act as the blueprint for the entire project which everyone involved will refer to and gain a sense of direction. Poor requirements also lead to poor designs that will delay and cause confusion during the execution of the project. It is therefore advisable to take time and thoroughly conduct research and pay attention not to overlook vital requirements.
There are two approaches to look at requirements, functional and non-functional requirements. Functional requirements refer to the processes, interactions, and information regarding the project. These requirements address the system to be undertaken for the project and how the approach is influenced by the environment. Non-functional requirements address the operational and technical aspects of the approach with factors such as security, encryption, environment, business, and disaster recovery. CITATION Mam15 \l 1033 (Eid, 2015) Gathering the needed data before starting the operation means that the important factors and probabilities will be addressed and the project runs smoothly.
The most common technique of gathering requirements is through interviews. Again, planning skills are called into action for this phase as an interview requires well thought out and crafted questions. The interviewee needs to be an individual familiar with new or current systems of management. Questionnaires and surveys are also another technique to collect information from large populations in a short amount of time. Observation and analyzing past documents can give the project requirements a new way of thinking and spark inspiration among the group.
System design
As stated, the waterfall project management approach hinges on the completion of the previous phase. Therefore, system design is the second phase, and its success is dependent on the efficiency in the execution of the first phase. With established requirements, it is easier to formulate a plan of action for the project. The complexity of projects is increasing every day therefore collaboration is encouraged during the design of the system. This is because the basic human procedure is not enough to accommodate and detect problems early on that may hinder the execution of the designs. Design circles are therefore reduced to the smallest probability to flush out possible errors in a bid to avoid jeopardizing the entire project.
This phase welcomes proposals and techniques on how to go about the project. It also defines project activities, identification of durations, scheduling, and assigning of roles and duties. With the use of the requirements, this phase can be used to judge the feasibility of the systems o products put in place for the project. No coding takes place in this phase but the team gets to establish the coding details, programming language, and hardware requirements.
Implementation.
This phase involves putting the developed plan into action as its name suggests. Since everyone involved in the project has a role, the project manager is thus ready to coordinate and direct project resources to meet the final goal. It is in this phase that the leadership qualities of a project manager are needed to ensure that everyone stays in track and works towards the completion of their roles. After directing the working process, the leader also has to keep track of problems that will come up and ensure they are dealt with before moving onto the next phase.
The team consequently works towards developing the deliverables which will act as the guiding light for the next phase. Coding occurs during this phase where programmers use the project requirements and system design to come up with a functional final product. The success of this is down to the monitoring of the team’s performance and making sure the final deliverable meets the needed quality criteria. Changes can be done during this phase by looking at the performance and quality control data. The change will hinge on time, cost, and scope therefore, the manager needs to decide whether potential errors are worth fixing or not.
Integration and Testing
This testing phase focus on the investigation of results forms previous phases to determine the quality of the system. This phase reduces potential risks, schedule delays, or cost overruns as a result of incomplete or under par components from previous phases. It also allows communication between the management, stakeholders, and team members where the teams’ efforts are analyzed. CITATION Int201 \l 1033 (Integration and test phase, 2020) This communication brings everyone involved on the same page and creates a common understanding of the next phase of action. Stakeholders are therefore kept in the know on potential risks if the project moved forward to prevent future conflicts. This phase pro...