Agile vs. Waterfall
Agile approach to project management has become more and more popular in recent years. Agile framework is different from the traditional waterfall model. It has considerable impact on how projects are planned and executed.
Imagine that you have been assigned as a project manager to manage your company's e-commerce website where customers can browse the company's products, place orders, and interact with the company's customer service representatives. Your project must be completed in three months and you have twelve people on the team. There are three offshore developers in Ireland and two QA testers in Dallas, TX. The rest of the project team and the product owner are in San Diego, CA.
Instructions
Write a 5–6 page paper in which you:
- Compare Agile and Waterfall models of managing a project in the context of building an e-commerce website. Include diagrams or tables through the use of graphical tools in Microsoft Word or Visio, or an open source alternative such as Dia, to show the differences and similarities. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.
- Evaluate the pros and cons of Agile and Waterfall project management in terms of planning and the execution of projects and collaboration among project team members.
- Determine whether you would use an Agile or Waterfall model to manage the project for your company. Support your rationale.
- Identify and analyze the major pitfalls and misconceptions inherited in your chosen approach. Propose key actions that you, as a project manager, could take in order to mitigate the risks associated with the previously identified misconceptions.
- Use at least four quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify as quality resources. You may use the resources above or others of your choosing.
This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards. For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
- Include charts or diagrams created in Visio or one of their equivalents, such as Dia and OpenOffice. The completed diagrams/charts must be imported into the Word document before the paper is submitted.
The specific course outcome associated with this assignment is:
- Produce project results using Agile practices such as high-value increments, continuous improvement, and problem detection and resolution.