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Advantages and disadvantages of the two types of project management

Both types of project management have strengths and weaknesses. For example, classical project management shows its strengths in projects in which there are few changes to the goals in the foreseeable future and therefore hardly any adjustments are necessary; also in projects in which tasks are repeated and which last a manageable time.

These are often projects

• where it is important to comply with laws and regulations, and

• where comprehensive documentation is necessary (such as in the pharmaceutical industry).

These framework conditions, however, are not present in most software projects, for example. The situation is similar for almost all larger change and transformation projects in companies. The complexity of the requirements and the interactions within the system usually do not allow for long-term planning. Instead, the project must always be realigned in the course of the project due to new findings and influences.

Agile project management, which has its roots in software development and was developed on the basis of the following realisation, unfolds its strengths in such projects:

• Many (software and IT) projects today are very complex and are subject to permanent change during the course of the project. And:

• At the beginning of these projects, the specifications and requirements are often still unclear.

Practical experience shows, however, that an agile approach is no guarantee for success. One weakness of many agile projects is that the developers are too optimistic about what can be done or achieved in a sprint. This is why the sprint goals are often not achieved. This makes it difficult for the project management to plan and budget for a longer period. In addition, agile project management requires not only a different organisational structure, but also a different culture than classic project management. Both factors are not present in many companies, or only in individual departments.

Hybrid project management: An attempt to unify the best of two worlds

In the meantime, many companies have recognised this: Both classic and agile project management have their specific advantages. Moreover: In project management, you can't flip a switch to move to an agile project approach. Rather, a transitional period is normal in which parallel worlds exist in project management, so to speak, and these must be managed - especially if the decision-makers in IT or management are rather critical or hesitant about agile project management.

Therefore, companies are increasingly asking themselves: Which projects are better served by the classic approach and which by agile project management? They are also asking themselves: How can the strengths of classic and agile project management be combined in actual project work? In other words, they strive for hybrid project management. An important prerequisite for this is: In the organisation - and especially at the management level - there must be an understanding of this "both, and" so that it can be decided without bias which principle applies to which project. The overarching goal is to create an optimal working environment for the teams. Therefore, methods and tools from both worlds are used in hybrid projects.

Hybrid project management also requires a change

The interplay of agile and conventional project management methods represents a natural development step in an effort to gradually increase the agility of companies. This goes hand in hand with a cultural and structural change in the organisation. Therefore, this process should be steered by professional change management experts. The task of management here is to enable the coexistence of new and conventional ways of working in projects and to create the necessary framework conditions.

For many "followers" of agile or classic project management, it has become a question of faith which approach deserves preference in projects. This current situation in many companies needs to be overcome - by creating a culture of impartiality towards the respective other way of managing projects across departments, functions and hierarchies. Only then can an undogmatic decision be made as to which principle applies to which project and hybrid project management can be practised.

* Alexander Pifczyk is a Senior Consultant and Partner at Kraus & Partner with a focus on change and project management.

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