We’re all about those top 10 lists! Whether it’s the travel destination or the latest must-watch movies, we love to search for the top 10.
Now this year we are flipping the script and crafting a top 10 list of our personal favorites
We’re excited to unveil the top 10 project management techniques for 2023—what they are, why they work, and how you can implement them.
No matter if you’re just dipping your toes into project management or if you’re a seasoned pro, we’ve got something for you.
From planning to execution, these techniques are versatile enough to be applied across any industry and project size. So get ready to discover some game-changing strategies that’ll challenge you to step up your project management game.
Let’s dive in and start mastering these techniques with KiteSuite!
Project management
According to PMI Project management Institute, “project management is the practice of using knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to complete a series of tasks to deliver value and achieve a desired outcome”
In the realm of project management, the journey begins with identifying the project’s necessity and defining its objectives.
From there, it’s all about diving into the nitty-gritty details—meticulously planning each step, executing the plan with precision, and keeping a close eye on progress. Along the way, project managers play a pivotal role, ensuring tasks stay on track and navigating any unexpected twists that may arise. Ultimately, their aim is to shepherd the project to successful completion, delivering the desired outcomes. It’s a journey marked by dedication, attention to detail, and unwavering commitment to achieving results.
Best Project Management techniques
Before diving into a project, it’s important to assess which project management techniques and methodologies align best with your project and team dynamics. It is proven that best practices maximize your chances of success.
In this article, we delve into the top ten project management techniques tailored to your needs.
Scrum
As we all accepted that every project is unique in nature and breaking the project into different phases to deliver continued value to its customers. You can create a scrum duration between two-to-four weeks and your team picks high priority tasks (eating dessert first) from the product backlog. Scrum aids in planning, scheduling, and budgeting. It facilitates tracking progress and communicating needs effectively.
Scrum tools such as the KiteSuite Scrum project management board which includes Epic, Backlog, Sprints, release, provide a user-friendly interface for implementing the extreme project management approach.
The collaborative nature of the Kitesuite allows your team members to contribute in real-time, ensuring that every detail is meticulously covered before project commencement. This interactive environment fosters comprehensive planning and promotes team alignment, ultimately enhancing project success.
To get started, check out KiteSuite Scrum Project
Kanban Board
Kanban, a versatile agile method, finds application across various industries, owing to its straightforward board layout facilitating the visualization of project tasks and their statuses. Typically, a Kanban board comprises three columns.
Unlike Scrum, Kanban does not enforce strict timelines for task completion. However, implementing a work-in-progress (WIP) limit for each column helps prevent team overwhelm.
Utilizing KiteSuite’s digital Kanban view to streamline workflow management by enabling easy creation, updating, and monitoring of the board online and across devices. Customizable columns with labels, along with the ability to set WIP limits and effortless task movement via drag-and-drop functionality, enhance project management efficiency.
This methodology proves ideal for handling ongoing work scenarios where priorities may shift dynamically, such as managing live applications, handling support tickets, or managing blog and social media publications.
Waterfall
Waterfall, one of the oldest project management techniques, follows a linear and sequential approach to project completion. Tasks are grouped into distinct stages, and each stage is completed before the next one begins. These stages typically include:
Requirements: Gathering product details.
Design: Planning how to build the product.
Implementation: Taking action on the planned design.
Testing: Checking if the product meets the initial requirements.
Deployment: Delivering the product to the client or end user.
Maintenance: Addressing any issues that arise while the product is in use.
Unlike agile methodology, Waterfall assumes that project requirements are well-defined and unlikely to change. This approach is well-suited for projects such as event planning, construction, manufacturing, and book publishing.
Work Breakdown Structure
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a strategy employed by smart project managers to tackle overwhelming projects by breaking them down into more manageable tasks.
It is quite straightfor, rather than simply dividing a complex project into smaller parts for the sake of simplicity, the WBS technique enables the organization of these smaller tasks into a structured workflow.
WBS, break down projects into smaller components allows teams to identify task dependencies and prioritize their completion. Additionally, it facilitates more accurate estimation of time and resources required for each task, leading to smoother resource planning and better management of stakeholder expectations.
To kickstart your WBS implementation, explore KiteSuite’s comprehensive Work Breakdown Structure template.
Unlike agile methodology, Waterfall assumes that project requirements are well-defined and unlikely to change. This approach is well-suited for projects such as event planning, construction, manufacturing, and book publishing.
Utilizing KiteSuite’s digital Kanban view to streamline workflow management by enabling easy creation, updating, and monitoring of the board online and across devices. Customizable columns with labels, along with the ability to set WIP limits and effortless task movement via drag-and-drop functionality, enhance project management efficiency.
This methodology proves ideal for handling ongoing work scenarios where priorities may shift dynamically, such as managing live applications, handling support tickets, or managing blog and social media publications.
SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
Unlike agile methodology, Waterfall assumes that project requirements are well-defined and unlikely to change. This approach is well-suited for projects such as event planning, construction, manufacturing, and book publishing.
SAFe empowers organizations to implement Agile project management at scale, catering to varying sizes and requirements through four distinct levels: Essential, Large Solution, Portfolio, and Full.
Operationalizing SAFe involves leveraging Agile practices to support business growth, enabling teams to develop and deliver products to market within three-month cycles. The effectiveness of the platform lies in its ability to foster improved collaboration among teams and enhance overall efficiency, as evidenced by research conducted in 2020.
For an insightful evaluation of the SAFe framework by users, refer to the accompanying screenshot.
Stakeholder Management
Stakeholder management is integral to every project, involving individuals with varying levels of influence or interest in project deliverables. To streamline this process, stakeholder mapping templates are invaluable for identifying these key individuals before project initiation.
Once stakeholders are identified, understanding their expectations and identifying communication methods are essential. Throughout the project lifecycle, providing regular updates and organizing feedback sessions on critical issues are crucial for stakeholder engagement.
With KiteSuite’s calendar and real time chat features, managing stakeholder communication and engagement activities becomes effortless. You can conveniently schedule and track all interactions in one centralized space, ensuring no details are overlooked. Additionally, syncing with Google Calendar helps prevent scheduling conflicts, while reminders for upcoming meetings ensure timely engagement. Experience seamless stakeholder management with KiteSuite’s intuitive features.
Earned Value Management (EVM)
EVM is a powerful technique for assessing a project’s overall performance concerning budget and schedule. To gauge your project’s progress accurately, you rely on three crucial values:
Planned Value (PV): Represents what you initially planned to achieve by the current point in the project timeline.
Actual Cost (AC): Signifies the total expenditures incurred up to the current point in time.
These values serve as the foundation for calculating essential metrics such as the Cost Performance Index (CPI) and Schedule Performance Index (SPI). A CPI below one indicates a budget overrun, while an SPI below one signifies a delay in the project schedule.
Utilizing these metrics enables data-driven adjustments, such as optimizing project costs, securing additional funding, or reallocating resources to accelerate workflows.
In KiteSuite, streamline EVM computations effortlessly using number reports. Additionally, create custom dashboards to visually represent these metrics and track project goals. This intuitive approach ensures that you and other stakeholders can quickly grasp key insights without navigating through extensive project details.
Risk management
Risk management is the art of mitigating potential threats to minimize their impact on your project’s success. It begins by identifying conceivable risks, ranging from budgetary constraints and schedule fluctuations to scope alterations and, in more extreme scenarios, market fluctuations or natural disasters.
Leverage KiteSuitre’s Project Management Risk integrative reports to meticulously analyze these risks and devise appropriate response plans. Throughout the project lifecycle, it’s essential to maintain vigilant oversight of these risks using risk registers, thereby averting unforeseen obstacles.
In need of brainstorming solutions? Harness the power of KiteSuites document to prepare notes. These tools facilitate the visualization of your ideas, enabling the creation of robust strategies to counter any risks that may arise.
Critical Chain Project Management
CCPM is a bit different from the traditional Critical Path Method (CPM) by considering resource availability and constraints when determining the critical path, resulting in the identification of the critical chain.
The primary objective of CCPM is to safeguard the critical chain by strategically allocating resources, adjusting task schedules to accommodate limited resources concurrently, and incorporating buffers to mitigate delays.
This technique is particularly advantageous for projects characterized by constrained resources, such as specialized team members or equipment, where timely delivery is imperative. By implementing CCPM, organizations can optimize resource utilization and enhance project delivery efficiency, ensuring successful outcomes even under challenging circumstances.
Prience
Prience2 which stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments 2, is a widely-used project management framework consisting of 7 principles, 7 themes, and 7 processes.
The 7 principles serve as the foundation of Prince2, providing clear guidelines for project justification and decision-making at each stage.
The 7 themes delineate how projects are governed and managed on a day-to-day basis, emphasizing the importance of documentation and delineating team responsibilities.
The 7 processes outline the management of each stage of the project life cycle, ensuring a structured approach to project execution.
Prince2 is particularly suited for complex and high-risk projects, such as government procurement and construction, where clarity of purpose and meticulous management are paramount.
At KiteSuite, we facilitate the articulation of project goals and alignment with business objectives through customizable project proposal templates. Continuous monitoring ensures that projects remain aligned with strategic objectives and deliver tangible value.
Effortlessly Manage your project with KiteSuite
Prience2 which stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments 2, is a widely-used project management framework consisting of 7 principles, 7 themes, and 7 processes.
As a comprehensive project management software, KiteSuite streamlines the process, allowing you to focus on strategic planning and achieving your project management objectives. Impress your stakeholders and clients with seamless project execution and superior results.
Sign up with KiteSuite today and experience the ease and efficiency of our platform for yourself. Start your free trial now!
