Beyond the universal tools, organizations choose a methodology, or overall approach, that shapes how phases are sequenced and how teams collaborate. The Waterfall methodology is a linear, sequential approach in which phases such as requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance are completed one after another. Waterfall works well when requirements are fixed and well understood upfront, because its structure rewards thorough planning and clear handoffs between phases. In contrast, Agile project management is iterative and flexible, emphasizing collaboration, customer feedback, and the delivery of working outputs in short cycles. Agile values responding to change over following a rigid plan, and it welcomes evolving requirements even late in the project.
The philosophy behind Agile is captured in the four core values of the Agile Manifesto. The first places individuals and interactions over processes and tools, recognizing that people ultimately deliver value. The second values working software, or working outputs more generally, over comprehensive documentation, because tangible results provide the clearest evidence of progress. The third prioritizes customer collaboration over contract negotiation, encouraging ongoing dialogue with the people the project serves. The fourth favors responding to change over following a plan, since markets, needs, and discoveries shift over time.
Scrum is the most widely used Agile framework. It defines three roles: the Product Owner, who manages the Product Backlog, prioritizes features based on value, and represents stakeholders and customers; the Scrum Master, who facilitates Scrum processes, removes impediments, coaches the team on Agile practices, and safeguards adherence to Scrum rules without acting as a traditional manager; and the Development Team, which does the work of delivering increments. Scrum also defines events such as the Sprint, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective, and artifacts such as the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment. A Sprint is a time-boxed iteration, typically two to four weeks long, during which the team builds a potentially shippable product increment, beginning with planning and ending with a review and a retrospective for continuous improvement.
Two practical tools support Scrum teams. Story points estimate the relative effort of user stories using a Fibonacci-like scale such as 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8, taking into account complexity, risk, and effort rather than hours. Velocity, the sum of story points a team completes in a Sprint, is then used to forecast future Sprints and plan releases, helping teams steadily improve predictability. Outside Scrum, Kanban offers a visual workflow management method based on a board with columns such as To Do, In Progress, and Done. By limiting work in progress, Kanban improves flow and enables continuous delivery. Closely related is Lean project management, which focuses on maximizing value by eliminating waste such as overproduction, waiting, and defects, using techniques like value stream mapping, just-in-time delivery, and continuous improvement, or Kaizen.