Methodologies

The iterative approach to software development built around a few core ideas:

• Sprints: fixed timeboxes (usually 1-4 weeks) for completing a chunk of work
• Backlog management: a prioritized list of features and tasks
• Continuous delivery: working increments ship at the end of each iteration
• Adaptive planning: responding to change rather than locking a fixed plan

Scrum adds formal structure to Agile through defined roles, ceremonies and artifacts. The key principle is cross-functional teams with clear ownership per discipline.

The Stage-Gate method divides a project into gates, between these gates are stages where the work gets done. Each stage is undertaken by an team. At each gate, the project either continues, pivots or stops.

• Stages: work periods with defined deliverables
• Gates: go/no-go decisions with explicit evaluation criteria
• Kill points: permission to stop a failing project before it consumes more resources

The normal process for managing uncertainties on a project. A risk register documents identified risks, their owners, and what actions are planned.

1. Identification: what could go wrong
2. Probability/Impact (PI factor): likelihood versus impact
3. Mitigation: actions to reduce probability or impact before the risk occurs
4. Next Steps: how to tackle the risk when it escalated to a issue