Lesson 9: Hybrid Methods & Choosing a Methodology
After about 20 years, the Agile approach promises a lot but doesn't always keep its promises — and there is no universal management solution. In this lesson (the last in the hybrid module) we'll understand why Agile is imperfect in practice, meet the Hybrid approach that combines conventional (water
In brief: no single management method fits everything. A hybrid blend of classic planning with agile execution, plus methods like Scrumban and Kanban-XP, lets you match the management to the project type — and that fit is the right choice.
- Hybrid Management
- An approach that combines the best of two ways — conventional (waterfall) and agile: e.g., classic planning and control in Initiate/Plan/Close, with Execute/Release done agile.
- Conventional (Waterfall) PM
- An established linear approach emphasizing planning, documentation, and control; ideal for clear scope, defined requirements, and fixed timeline/budget — but rigid to change.
- Transition points
- Milestones in the hybrid approach where the agile phase's outputs are reviewed and refined before moving to the next waterfall phase.
- Scrumban
- A method blending Scrum and Kanban (originally created to ease the move from Scrum to Kanban): short iterations (often around two weeks) for planning and review, pulling work and WIP limits, members self-select tasks, and no hierarchy (no Scrum Master).
- Kanban-XP
- Combines Kanban's visual management and flow with XP (Extreme Programming) quality practices: TDD, Continuous Integration (CI), pair programming, and refactoring.
- PMM (Project Management Methodology)
- The management framework chosen for a project. The choice should follow the project type (not personal bias); sometimes several methodologies are combined in one project.
- Lean
- A methodology to optimize resources and create customer value; key principle — eliminate the seven wastes (overproduction, inventory, motion, defects, over-processing, waiting, transport); originating at Toyota.
- DMAIC (of Six Sigma)
- The stepwise approach in Six Sigma's data-driven quality management to reduce defects: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.
