The same tool for every job?
A new technician always uses a Gantt chart, whatever the job. For a fixed date room refit it works well. For a help desk that gets new requests every hour, it is out of date by lunch.
Good support staff pick the method and the diagram to suit the project.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can judge which method and which diagram suit a project, and give reasons.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Methodology | a set way of organising a project |
| Waterfall | each stage is finished before the next one starts |
| Agile | short cycles with regular feedback |
| Fixed requirements | needs that are known and will not change |
| Changing requirements | needs that may change as the project goes on |
| Suitable | a good fit for the job, given its needs and limits |
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Methods and diagrams go together
The method decides how the work is organised. The diagram helps you see or manage it.
Waterfall has fixed stages and a long plan, so it pairs with a precedence table, PERT, critical path analysis and a Gantt chart. Agile has short cycles and changing work, so it pairs with a Kanban board and a backlog.
How they fit together
| Project is... | Method that suits | Diagrams that help |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed needs, fixed date, many linked tasks | Waterfall | Precedence table, PERT, critical path, Gantt chart |
| Needs may change, early feedback wanted | Agile | Kanban board, backlog |
| A steady stream of small jobs | Agile (Kanban style) | Kanban board |
| A one-off with a tight deadline and costs fixed | Waterfall | Gantt chart and critical path |
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3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.