The Agile methodology was developed out of a need to address common inefficiencies of more traditional project management approaches, like the Waterfall method, in the software development industry. But some types of projects might actually be burdened by Agile techniques.
There’s no rule that says you can only pick one and stick with it. So let’s break down the basic differences between Agile and Waterfall processes and walk through how to combine the best of both methods using a gantt chart.
Agile project management focuses on iterations in which planning, design, implementation, and testing occur in short periods of time. Because planning happens throughout the Agile project lifecycle, decisions can be more reactive.
In software development projects, bugs can be caught early and remediated before they grow to become bigger problems. The premise of this approach is to continuously plan around the inevitable change requests as the product evolves.
It’s not hard to see how Agile vs. Waterfall processes differ from each other.
When I first learned about Agile, I was hot to try it out. I was even lucky enough to work with someone who was a certified Scrum Master. I picked up the basics quickly, but I found that a pure Agile approach wasn’t working for most of the projects I was working on.
Turns out, gantt charts are still beneficial for things like meeting deadlines, managing workloads, and providing project status reports to clients and stakeholders—especially if your organization isn’t 100% Agile.
Some of the Agile drawbacks I've experienced are common ones you and your team may encounter while using a hybrid Agile approach in a traditional organization:
As project managers, it’s our job to steer the project from inception through completion. We make decisions that affect the finished product every day. Selecting the right approach for your project is no different. Don’t get stuck thinking you have to use one project management method or another. When I first made this realization, I noticed my projects ran more smoothly.
I no longer approach two projects the same way, but I do begin with the same step. I take all background information available on the project and study it. From this information, I determine which components from both methodologies would work best. This can be based on the attitudes of stakeholders, critical dates we must meet, technical complexity, and team composition.
The most common challenge I come across is stakeholders’ focus on timing. Even if a project lends itself to naturally assume more Agile-based techniques, not having milestone dates worries most of my stakeholders. That's why I create a modified version of an Agile sprint backlog using gantt charts.
An Agile gantt chart is a project planning tool that applies a Waterfall model to an Agile project by mapping sprint tasks and dependencies out on a visual timeline. Using a gantt chart for an Agile project makes it easy to track progress, manage workloads, and keep stakeholders up-to-date on the work.
Lay a clear path to success with a visual plan that’s easy to understand, and keep everyone in sync with flexible workflows and team collaboration.
Once I’ve decided which Agile techniques I’m going to use in my day-to-day project management, here are the steps I follow to set up a basic Agile project with a gantt chart timeline.
Under each anticipated iteration, I create one task item per feature. The key deviation from a typical gantt chart for a Waterfall-based project is that this chart relies heavily on dependencies. For instance, your QA team can’t test new features and functionality if you don’t set up a staging environment first. So add a finish-to-start dependency to connect those 2 tasks on your Agile gantt chart.
Throughout the iteration, I hold daily stand-ups as well as planning and review meetings. From these meetings, I can determine which features to move to later iterations. When these items are moved around in my gantt chart, the dates move automatically too.
In the gantt chart example below, the highlighted item is a task that needs to be moved to a later sprint.
Below, you can see that I’ve moved the task down and rearranged the dependencies. From my daily stand-ups, I’ve determined that my two resources can work on their assigned tasks simultaneously, but some of the other tasks that are also assigned will have to move back to accommodate this new addition.
So now, the gantt chart for this Agile sprint looks something like this:
It's crucial to have online gantt chart software that's flexible and super-easy to use. In TeamGantt, you can use drag and drop scheduling to make these changes on the fly in just a matter of minutes.
If your team doesn’t want to work in a gantt chart, TeamGantt gives you the option to view and manage tasks in a kanban board without having to juggle multiple tools to tackle the project.
In Board view, cards are tied directly to tasks on your gantt chart. Team members can update and move cards across columns on your board as work progresses—and you can rest easier knowing your Agile timeline always reflects the current status of the project.
Here’s what it would look like if we track our sprint tasks in Board view based on the Agile gantt chart example above:
You can customize your project board columns to fit your team or organization’s process. Or even create your own custom board, which allows you to manage tasks across multiple projects. See how boards work in TeamGantt.
Now that we’ve shown you an example of how to use gantt charts to manage your Agile projects, let’s talk about the advantages.
Clients and stakeholders really need the comfort of a plan. Here are some benefits of using gantt charts with clients:
My team members have also benefited from using gantt charts to manage our Agile projects. Here are just a few advantages your project team might see too:
I’m proud to be a project manager that isn’t defined with a specific project management methodology. It took me a while to get here and even more time to accept it. But since then, I’ve been able to enjoy greater project success.
TeamGantt makes it easy to create customized project plans that fit every project just right. Our free 30-day Premium trial gives you access to all the features you need to ensure projects finish on time and under budget, such as:
Best of all, it’s wrapped up in a simple and intuitive interface your team and stakeholders can easily navigate.