Hybrid Project Management Methods for Implementing Complex Off-The-Shelf Software
- Sergio Tonello
- Mar 22, 2022
- 2 min read
What are the advantages of hybrid management methods in the deployment of "Off-the-Shelf" Software?
There are many advantages in acquiring an off-the-shelf software solution for a particular business and they usually go through agility, implementation speed, reliability, among others.
The process of implementing more complex solutions, however, has its drawbacks and it is the project manager's role to ensure that they do not impact the success of the final result of the solution.
For this, there are different ways of approaching a project of this size in a way that meets the specific needs of each client and each solution.
A thorough analysis of these factors contributes to the decision making of which methodology to follow in this path, mainly impacting the scope, cost and time of the project.
The traditional methodology of project management, called Waterfall, is predominant in software development where the scope and deadlines are well defined.
For off-the-shelf software, this methodology is widely used, as the final result of the solution is known very well and there are many examples of previous implementations, which serve as parameters to estimate deadlines more precisely.
However, as the complexity and features offered by the solution increase, the variety of parameterizations and customizations of the solution becomes a challenge for the traditional methodology, since neither the scope nor the deadline can be easily defined.
On the other hand, adopting a fully Agile approach, where implementation time and scope can vary significantly, can conflict with the decision to purchase a "turnkey" solution, as it implies maintaining a flexible budget and deadline, which is more compatible with developing a "homemade" software.
The proposal to use a "mix" of methodologies is relatively new and called "Hybrid".
Although we can extend at length the analysis of the use of the tools for each methodology in the composition of the hybrid structure, for this article we will focus on the project planning stage, which is the one that has the most impact on this proposed hybrid model.
The idea of separating functionality delivery cycles, makes planning each release very important. This is where agile tools are most effective.
The intention of this article was not to delve into each available tool for each methodology, but to show that there are several possibilities to be explored within a hybrid project.
Among the main agile tools of the planning phase we can mention the use of Backlogs, Release Planning, Kanban, Sprints, Run Charts, among others.
The image above shows an overview of the deployment project cycle highlighting the impact of planning on the execution cycles and delivery of solution functionality.
The use of some of these agile tools in strategic points of the waterfall process can guarantee a better delivery of functionality requirements and keep the schedule under control.
Ideal Business aims to meet the customer's needs in the best possible way and, therefore, uses a careful analysis of several factors to make the decision of which methodology to use in each project.
In future articles we will go into details of some of the management tools applied to solutions in specific areas.
Until then !!!
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