What is the difference between traditional project management and Agile?

Have you ever wondered about the best approach to tackle your projects? In the dynamic realm of project management, the terms "Agile" and "traditional project management" frequently come up, each offering distinct advantages and methodologies.

But what really is the difference between traditional project management and Agile? Whether you're a project management veteran considering a new approach or a newcomer eager to learn the ropes, understanding these differences is crucial. So, grab a comfy seat and let's delve into the fascinating distinctions between Agile and traditional project management together!

What are Agile and traditional project management approaches?

Agile and traditional project management are methodologies to handle planning, execution, and stakeholder involvement. Here's an overview:

Agile project management

Agile project management is based on flexibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement. It prioritizes clear communication and teamwork over rigid processes and documentation. It offers different frameworks, like Scrum and Kanban, and is an approach suited for projects that need to adapt to constant changes and customer feedback.

Examples of projects that are a good fit for the Agile approach:

• Software development, especially those with evolving requirements or a need for quick feedback
• Marketing campaigns that allow for course correction based on real-time data
• Product development where there is a need to test and iterate on prototypes
• Content creation, such as developing and launching a new website or blog
• Event planning, allowing for adjustments to the schedule and logistics

Related: How Mural supports Agile, from learning to development

Traditional project management

A common mistake is to consider traditional project management as a single approach. In fact, it's more like an umbrella, as it covers a set of methodologies that prioritize upfront planning, structured execution, and more predictable outcomes. Let's look at three examples:

• Waterfall: From planning to deployment, each stage of this traditional project management methodology ends before moving on to the next — like a cascading waterfall. This linear approach is ideal for projects with well-defined requirements, such as translating an existing website into a new language.
• Critical chain project management (CCPM): This methodology identifies priorities and dependencies between tasks to optimize resources and eliminate bottlenecks. CCPM is an option for projects with budget constraints and tight deadlines, such as increasing production speed for a high-demand product.
• PRINCE2: This approach to project management focuses on control over processes, roles, and responsibilities. It's an option for projects with zero tolerance for failure, such as a healthcare system upgrade, or a new financial product implementation.

Related: Understanding the 5 phases of project management

7 differences between Agile and traditional project management

Agile or not Agile? And it's not that easy to decide by a single project management approach. A report by KPMG shows that 60% of organizations adopted a mix of Agile and Waterfall.

Before choosing your methodology, let’s explore seven differences between traditional project management and Agile.

1. Agile has cycles, and other methods have phases

Traditional projects have a phased life cycle with a defined beginning, middle, and end. Imagine building a house for the first time. You create the foundation, install the electricity and plumbing, and leave the finishing touches for the end.

Agile breaks down a project into smaller chunks called sprints, typically lasting one to four weeks. Using this methodology, you build your house in stages — like a sprint for the walls, another for the roof, and so on. You likely don't need Agile to build a house, but its approach is ideal when you need course correction throughout the cycles. You can use a set of ceremonies to facilitate alignment and feedback, including:

• Daily meetings: Agile teams track progress, identify roadblocks, and plan for the upcoming day
• Sprint planning: This collaborative session defines the goals and tasks for the upcoming cycle
• Sprint reviews: In these meetings, the team evaluates the work of a sprint and gathers feedback to guide future iterations
• Retrospectives: After completing a sprint, the team identifies areas for improvement and plans adjustments for the next cycle

Related: A guide to the Agile development lifecycle

2. Traditional methods plan upfront, while Agile employs continuous planning

Planning a traditional project is like preparing for a long trip: you think about every detail upfront and make adjustments only if necessary. Agile is more like setting off on a journey with a general destination in mind but planning each day's travel the night before.

Choosing a traditional approach involves defining your requirements, scope, timelines, and budgets in advance. Mid-project changes can be challenging, so projects with evolving timelines often adopt Agile. In such cases, use a PI planning template to create a clear roadmap visible to everyone on the project.

Related: How to master Agile anywhere, anytime

3. Agile is more flexible and adaptable than traditional methods

When it comes to project changes, the winner of traditional project management vs Agile becomes clear. Need flexibility? Agile FTW! Its iterative approach enables teams to adapt to changes in scope, budget, or project priorities with minimal disruption.

Businesses drive results by adopting this methodology. A strong Agile culture can increase commercial performance by 277%, according to the State of Agile Culture Report. Remember that traditional methods excel when you establish detailed requirements upfront.

4. Traditional methodologies suit more structured teams, while Agile supports self-organizing groups

Imagine you're a project manager juggling two upcoming marketing campaigns:

• For the first one, your team only needs the product team's approval. Here, your Agile team thrives — collaborating closely, swiftly adapting to feedback, and wearing multiple hats to hit goals and meet deadlines efficiently.
• The other campaign demands that legal, branding, and compliance teams approve the marketing materials. Here, a methodology like Waterfall follows a clear sequence with formal approvals at each stage. This structured approach minimizes risks of non-compliance with regulations, brand inconsistency, and any legal violations.

Keep in mind that this kind of situation happens in many industries. Understanding when to use Agile vs traditional project management (or perhaps a bit of both) is crucial for your project's success.

Related: 13 best Agile project management tools

5. Agile emphasizes ongoing collaboration, while traditional methods focus on structured communication

Mural’s 2024 Teamwork Research Report reveals that 38% of non-management employees thought about quitting their jobs due to poor teamwork. We've all been there: remember those team meetings that just drained you? Efficient Agile meetings prioritize alignment and collaboration to address this very issue.

Traditional methodologies keep a more structured communication approach, often relying on project documentation and status reports. They are suitable for projects requiring strict adherence to regulations, such as the development of new medication or government infrastructure projects.

Related: 4 best practices for collaborative project management

6. Project documentation is extensive on traditional approaches, while Agile prioritizes working solutions

While traditional project management emphasizes comprehensive documentation, Agile prioritizes deliverables rather than extensive paperwork. Not sure which one is right for you? Check out the differences:

• Traditional project documentation: By covering complex project details, extensive manuals, design specifications, and reference materials, reduce ambiguity in product features, workflows, timelines, and responsibilities.
• Agile documentation: This methodology prioritizes just-in-time information, typically in the form of meeting notes, product backlogs, and user stories. It focuses on capturing enough detail to guide development while allowing adjustments in response to user feedback.

7. Agile methodologies rely on different visual tools

Visual tools represent a critical difference between Agile and traditional project management approaches. As traditional methods rely on documentation, their tools are usually limited to charts like Gantt and PERT. These charts give a good overview of project timelines and dependencies.

Agile methods use more visual tools to help teams work together. These tools let teams see how their work is going, track how they are doing it, and find problems.

The most popular Agile visual tools include:

• Scrum framework: The team visualizes the workflow for a specific sprint. It's easy to highlight potential bottlenecks and keep everyone accountable for completing sprint tasks on time.
• Burn-down charts: This tool tracks the remaining work in a sprint, typically measuring in effort units. As work progresses, the remaining work is "burned down," providing a visual indicator of progress toward the sprint goal.
• Kanban boards: This option is great for managing projects with continuous workflows, such as product development and content creation. Cards represent tasks and typically move through three stages, "to do," "in progress," and "done."
• User story map: This visual tool organizes brief descriptions of product features on a map based on personas, goals, and dependencies. It helps you prioritize work and improve communication within development teams.
• Roadmaps: This is a visual representation of your product vision and development. It shows major features, estimated timelines, and dependencies. A roadmap allows you to plan resource allocation and adapt your plan to changing priorities.

Related: Scrum vs. kanban board: which to use?

Traditional project management vs Agile: Choose the right fit with Mural

Now you know the difference between traditional project management and Agile, it's time to decide which approach best suits your needs.

Whether you go Agile, use traditional methodologies, or find a hybrid approach, Mural helps you hit your goals with project collaboration software. Empower great teamwork from everywhere with visual tools, a user-friendly interface, and features to make every project more interactive (and even fun!).

If Agile is your focus, we've got the tools to keep you on track! With Mural's Agile project management software, you work together in real time to finish your tasks. You can change workspaces and connect your workflow with tools like Jira, Azure DevOps, Asana, and more. Use our library of Agile templates to save time and make the most of your projects.

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