Plan, Do, Review vs SDLC

Last week I was speaking with a Project Manager about the methodology that he currently applies when working with his technology teams. He explained that the current approach that he applies is Agile. He continued to add that Agile is currently the perceived latest and greatest whereas Waterfall was the best thing that ever happened to technology development only a few years back.

Then I was speaking with another Project Manager who explained that Agile and Waterfall are more about reducing costs. According to his point of view Waterfall methodology is more expensive because you build and build until you complete the project, then you go back and fix things that need to be fixed, whereas with Agile you build and fix along the way, ultimately reducing costs in the long run.

This got me to thinking about the Software Development Life-cycle versus a Plan, Do, Review process. Managing the development life-cycle of software is about having a plan for creating, reviewing and implementing, but isn’t that the same thing as having a plan to run a business, construct a home or take on almost any project? Isn’t the SDLC a Plan, Do and Review process? It’s interesting to hear the variations of project managers who have been in the industry for several decades and comparing their perspective to others. The vocabulary and descriptions of the SDLC are different, but the end goal is the same (Make a Plan, Execute the Plan, Review the Outcome of the Plan).

So when did project management change? Is it just the evolution of marketing and a play on words, or did the psychology of management and styles change to keep up with changes in technology? Did the Plan, Do, Review change to SDLC in the same way that we change the plates on a table to match the holiday spirit?

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Author: Dr. Eduardo Diaz, helping you exceed expectations.