Project Management: Magic Computers

1.Evaluation of relationship between Waterfall Project Management and Agile Project

Management

Waterfall and Agile project management are project methodologies and are generally blueprint

of a project, guiding the team to build a successful project. In other words, the two are the

methods to manage the project in an organisation. The waterfall project management method

is a conventional approach that usually works in successive stages to define, build, test, and at

the end release the final outputs or expectations. Each stage is finished and affirmed before the

project group proceeds onward to the following stage. The task cannot move back to stages

that are already passed by. While the Agile project management is a new approach in the project

management industry. The method is an iterative task where the project is to be on the same

stage until and unless it is completed with client’s feedbacks, working and testing. Both the

methods follow the same stages as shown in the figure 1 below.

Fig.1: Waterfall and Agile Method; Source: https://study.com/academy/lesson/agile-vs-

waterfall-project-management.html

The major difference between the two methods is the customer satisfaction in two different

ways. Waterfall method tends to deliver the best solution within a premised cost and timeline

while Agile method tends to provide quick release of the project, further involving customer at
each phase. In Waterfall model, the client’s expectations are considered at the earliest stage, at

the very initial stage the project cost and the time within which the project must be completed

is previously depicted and told to the client, further the project’s progress continues by moving

from one model to another following the basic steps that are used in the two management

approaches i.e. Define, Build, Test and Release. While in the Agile model of project

management, the project begins with the involvement of the customer at each step, at each and

every step the customer requirements are considered and the progress of the project depends

on the client itself. The Agile project development method is the model that proposes a

consecutive, direct and iterative methodology. The method is comparatively time consuming

and usually operates over a higher budget plan.

The company Magic computer’s uses both the methodologies, Waterfall as well as Agile.

The two models can be used together but for the success, a great planning is required as the

Agile methodology must be used in design phases while the Waterfall methodology should be

used in initial phases which will also help the project in cost reduction and time management.

Although both the methods used similar software while project development. The customer

involvement is also must in both the approaches, the only difference is waterfall involves the

clients in the beginning while agile involves the clients continuously, all over the project. As a

Project planning officer, it is a necessary job to understand the project requirements and

propose a model for the same further.

2. Steps taken to improve product responsiveness at Magic computers

The company Magic Computer provide robust and reliable Field management software. In spite

of the fact that the company holds a successful portfolio in the field, the company is facing

communication issues which is leading to friction, further affecting the company’s efficiency

in delivering the software to the clients. Two of the major teams that are, software development

team and the implementation team with the best of their knowledge and understanding are
using two different project management approaches. The software development team uses the

Agile methodology while the Customer Installation and Implementation team is using the

waterfall methodology. The steps that should necessarily be taken to improve the

responsiveness of the products that are developed and delivered by Magic Computers is to in-

cooperate ways to enhance communication between the teams as well as conduct an analysis

on the project management approach each team is implementing.

The two teams, the software development and implementation team have to work together at a

point in the project. Moreover, both the teams are using different methods while working on

the project, thus communication is necessary so as to deliver quality products to the customer.

Various methods can be implemented in order to improve the communication between the team

member and the teams. Open door policies can be in-cooperated so that the employees can

make a direct contact and discussion with their managers, directors and other higher authorities.

Regular conferences and meetings can be initiated for the teams so that all the important

strategies and plans can be understood and implemented together. Meetings for evaluating and

discussing daily status should be considered so that the teams can discuss the progress of the

project, also the strategies and methods that are being used. Using office chat tools is a good

practice as all the members of the teams stay well connected and can discuss all the issues and

share knowledge. According to Kannan (2014), to enhance the communication methods such

as desktop videoconferencing can be utilised for the remote employees. CRM platform is also

considered as a useful platform for enhancing conversations. As the software team uses the

Agile methodology which involves the customers, CRM platform provides a communication

platform where team members and the client can coordinate together. This platform will help

the member to communicate on the same platform with each and every team member either

they belong to the software team or to the implementation team. The use of office chat tools,

social intranet software and various kinds of platform can help the team member from both the
teams to discuss about the different strategies used in the project with further providing

platform to discuss about the progressing of the tasks. The figure 2 shows various methods

other than the ones discussed above that can improve the communication between the teams

and the team members at Magic Computers.

Fig2: Communication Methods; Source: https://www.loganconsulting.com/blog/7-ways-to-

improve-communication-in-the-workplace/
3. Key Strengths of Agile
References

Kannan, M., 2014. Communication strategies for successful virtual team projects in IT sector

(Doctoral dissertation, Dublin Business School).