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Project Management Methodology - 19 Methods: Advantages & Disadvantages

Project management

5 min

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4/2/2026

If you are interested in project management, you have probably already been confronted with various debates about project management methodologies. Some are on the rise for a while then others are back in fashion. It is very easy to get lost.

Rather Scrum or Kanban? PMBOK or Prince2? Agile or Waterfall?

What is a project management methodology? How does it help your project team work better? What makes one methodology better than another?

The truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The methods of project management aim to find the best way to plan, organize, and execute a specific project.

Even if you are not an experienced (or certified) project manager, your top management will expect you to perform as such. This practical guide is intended to give you a comprehensive overview of existing project management methodologies so that you can choose the one that will put your team in the best position to complete each project.

List of project management methodologies

Adaptive Project Framework

The APF method is based on learning from past experiences. The project is built around a Requirements Breakdown Structure in order to define the strategic objectives of the project based on the requirements, functions, sub-functions and functionalities of the product.

As they progress, teams consistently build on previous results to improve processes and practices at each stage of the project lifecycle. Customers and stakeholders can change the scope of the project at the beginning of each stage so that the team can create the greatest business value on the final product.

Benefits

It's a good approach if you know your goal and aren't sure how best to reach it.

Disadvantages

Because of its flexibility, APF may cause project delays and/or budget overruns.

Agile

A true chef tastes his food and seasonings all the time. He rectifies immediately if necessary in order to deliver the best possible dish.

The Agile method means tasting the project as it goes and adjusts it accordingly. Planning is based on the description of the final product expected by the customer. It specifies how it will be used and its benefits so that the project team has an optimal understanding of expectations.

Once a project has begun, teams go through a planning, execution, and evaluation process that can change the final deliverable. La Ongoing collaboration is essential between team members and project actors in order to make informed decisions.

Benefits

This approach is beneficial for creative projects with flexible goals that can be changed halfway.

Disadvantages

Timelines and budgets are difficult to define, and stakeholders need to have the time and the desire to be actively involved in daily work.

Benefits Realization

This method redefines the success of the project, not by delivering on time while respecting the budget but by obtaining a desired benefit.

Here's an example: your customer wants to increase their number of qualified leads by 20%. It calls on you to develop new software that will help the marketing team generate the right traffic and better feed new incoming leads in order to move them through the sales funnel. You deliver a solution with the required functionalities on time and on budget. So you did it, didn't you? The number of qualified leads increased by 18%.

With the BR method, your project is not finished until the expected benefits are achieved. In this case, the project will be completed once the number of qualified leads has increased by 20%.

Benefits

This approach ensures that your projects bring real value to the business and deliver the end results that your stakeholders care about.

Disadvantages

The benefits are not always accurate or measurable (as in our example). It can be difficult to know if they have been achieved or if your project has actually contributed to this success. You must think in advance about everything that will allow you to effectively measure the results of your project (ROI, delivery times, customer satisfaction, etc.).

Critical Chain Project Management

Project delays are usually caused by resources that are not available when you need them.

The CCPM method avoids this by establishing a project schedule that first identifies a “critical chain” of tasks and then reserves resources for those tasks. Your project schedule may be longer, but you are more likely to expect realistic timelines.

Benefits

Key tasks are associated with your best resources that are available when you need them.

Disadvantages

This approach may not be effective for projects with short timelines. Indeed, CCPM plans accumulate in additional periods of time along the critical chain.

Critical Path Method

The CPM method allows you to determine the shortest path to complete your project.

You'll start by looking at all the tasks that are absolutely necessary to complete your project, then estimating the lead times for each stage, including task dependencies, milestones, and final deliverables.

Benefits

Specific deadlines are assigned to each task, so that the project manager can compare what should be completed with what is happening on a daily basis. CPM is optimal for projects with a short timeframe.

Disadvantages

The CPM method does not consider the availability of resources in the schedule, which can make your forecasts sometimes too optimistic.

Event Chain Methodology

Most projects don't follow the original plan exactly. Risks are difficult to identify and analyze, and project managers often create optimistic timelines, budgets, or deliverables under pressure from stakeholders.

The ECM method helps to recognize and plan for potential external risks that may impact the project. By using tools like the Monte Carlo method and the event chain diagram, project managers can see how external events affect project tasks and determine the likelihood that certain risks will occur.

Benefits

By visualizing the relationship between external events and tasks, project managers can create more realistic project schedules.

Disadvantages

It's easy to forget that external events are not only threats to your project, but also opportunities. Be careful not to “stigmatize” all potential risks.

Extreme Programming

This method allows the development of software with short development cycles, frequent releases, and constant collaboration with customers.

Productivity is high and the approach is well suited to complex or undefined projects. Teams can make changes during their sprints. If work has not started on a particular feature, a similar task may be assigned to replace it.

Teams focus on writing the simplest code possible to produce the desired functionality.

Benefits

EP is effective and focuses on simplicity. The teams work at a sustainable pace, which allows them to maintain an optimal level of quality.

Disadvantages

The strength of Extreme Programming is based on the ingenuity and abilities of the project members but not really on the process itself. Attention to human choice!

Extreme Project Management

As its name suggests, Extreme Project Management allows you to manage extreme projects carried out in complex environments making it difficult to estimate the duration of the project and the obstacles you will encounter.

With these types of projects, things are unpredictable, the schedule is chaotic and done just in time, and the entire project is messy.

Presented in this way, these projects seem doomed to failure. However, thanks to this method, you can manage the unknown and the unexpected by correcting the project as it progresses.

Benefits

It makes it possible to manage the unknown and to take into account the variables that change or emerge during a project.

Disadvantages

Project requirements and tasks are chaotic and unpredictable. The team has to rely on uncertainty and it is almost impossible to completely control these types of projects.

kanban

If continuous workflow and slow but steady delivery are your top priorities, Kanban is a good fit.

The project manager creates visual representations of the team's workflow (often using a whiteboard and post-its) to uncover process issues and prevent tasks from ending up in an endless “work in progress” state.

Post-it notes move across the board to tangibly represent the progress of the project.

Benefits

Kanban helps teams understand where their time is really being spent so you can improve efficiency.

Disadvantages

Variations in customer demand can make Kanban ineffective, as it is designed to deliver low but steady production.

Lean

The Lean method allows you to get the results you want by optimizing the efforts needed to get there.

Start by defining your current work processes to find and eliminate bottlenecks, delays, or other barriers (called mura, muri, and muda). The teams focus on the true customer value of the project and on the continuous improvement of processes.

The aim is to do more with less—to provide high-quality work with less labour, less money, and less time.

Benefits

This approach is especially useful if you need to cut your budget, meet fast deadlines, or achieve big results with a small team.

Disadvantages

Since the ultimate goal is to get things done in a faster and less expensive way, stakeholders need to make quick decisions and be prepared to respect those decisions. Any wait in decision making interrupts the Lean process.

PERT

Developed by the US Navy in the 1950s, the PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) methodology uses graphs to delineate the individual phases of a project in a logical order, showing relationships between activities. These charts also use critical path analysis that helps you create plans that will make it easier for your project to progress.

Benefits

This method makes it easy to visualize project activities and timelines.

Disadvantages

Because of the emphasis placed on the duration of activities in its operation, this method becomes flawed when it is impossible to make a reasonable estimate on each phase.

PMBOK

The PMBOK documents the fundamentals and best practices of project management.

From the start of a project to its closure, including the planning, execution and control of tasks, this guide details the different stages of the life of a project. He supports project teams giving the methodology to be followed in order to estimate the workload, the means to be implemented and the costs generated for optimal implementation.

Benefits

The main advantage of PMBOK is that it is a knowledge and best practices guide created by project management professionals who update it regularly.

Disadvantages

There are no major disadvantages, except that it must be adapted to the size and sector of the project for which you are responsible. Finally, know that it is important to respect all PMBOK processes to ensure the success of your project.

Prince2

This methodology is also known as “ProjectS IN Controlled Environments”.

The first step is to identify an obvious need, a target customer, realistic benefits, and a comprehensive cost assessment. A project committee is responsible for its success, while a project manager oversees daily activities.

Benefits

The extensive documentation involved in PRINCE2 projects can be very useful for planning and monitoring performance.

Disadvantages

Adapting to project changes can be difficult because creating and updating documentation at every stage of the process requires a lot of effort.

PrisM

PRiSM (ProProjects integrating Sustainable Methods) combines project planning with environmental sustainability measures.

The objective is to carry out projects efficiently while reducing the environmental footprint of your organization.

Benefits

Aligning corporate strategy with social responsibility and sustainability goals can strengthen reputation. This approach reduces your energy expenses, improves waste management and reduces distribution costs.

Disadvantages

Environmental responsibility must be a priority at all levels of the company to hope for real success.

Process-Based Project Management

Each project is defined by the mission or vision of your company.

Before the project is launched, the schedule is analyzed to see if it fits your business vision. If this is not the case, all strategies are adjusted to achieve this goal.

Benefits

This approach ensures that each project corresponds to and values the strategic vision of the organization.

Disadvantages

Adjusting each team's projects and processes to fit the vision can take a long time. And that doesn't allow for side projects, so if your business wants to take on tasks that are unrelated to your values, you'll need to review your company's mission statement first.

Scrum

Teams are mentored by a Scrum Master whose job is to remove obstacles. The work is usually done in a series of two-week sprints, and team members are in constant communication through daily meetings.

Within the team, members are given distinct roles. Some are responsible for completing a specific task. Others may be involved in the task but are not ultimately responsible.

Benefits

New developments can be tested quickly and errors are corrected right away.

Disadvantages

Scrum projects are prone to goal-drifting issues. The departure of a member can disrupt the entire project.

Six Sigma

Six Sigma is a quality improvement process based on the aim of reducing the number of defects (in the industrial sector) or bugs (in software development).

A “Six Sigma” rating indicates that 99.99966% of what is produced is free of defects.

Benefits

Six Sigma is a very proactive methodology, and it looks at the entire production process to identify improvements before defects even appear.

Disadvantages

This holistic approach can also lead to less flexibility in the planning process, which could limit your team's creativity.

Lean Six Sigma

This method combines Lean efficiency with process improvement based on Six Sigma statistics.

It addresses workflow issues and eliminates waste by helping you understand how work is done and identify which aspects of your project are most valuable to the customer.

Benefits

In addition to making your projects more efficient and profitable, Lean Six Sigma keeps employees actively engaged in process improvement, leading to a sense of ownership and responsibility.

Disadvantages

Lean Six Sigma usually involves a major change in the way work is done. Ensure that stakeholders are prepared for success with this method.

Waterfall

Imagine the path of a waterfall. The river starts at the top and flows downwards, following its course perfectly no matter what. This method is based on the same logic.

With clearly defined goals and timelines, teams work through sequenced tasks, completing one task before moving on to the next.

Benefits

Extensive planning is inspired by this approach, and this rigor often results in more precise timelines and budgets.

Disadvantages

It is difficult to adapt to any change in project (water does not circulate against the current). You will therefore need to be proactive to anticipate problems before they can affect your flow. Communication is important.

Managing a project without a clear methodology is like building a house without a plan. You can have the best ideas in the world, it will be difficult to be effective while staying on time and on budget.

Choosing the right project management methodology is therefore an essential step for the success of your project. For optimal management, opt for a method that values the objectives of your project and the strengths of your team.

You can also create a hybrid methodology that brings together elements from different methodologies. There are a lot of tool combinations. It's up to you to establish the one that will facilitate your piloting.

Traditional, agile, or otherwise, the key is for you and your team to find the work method that best suits you, according to your needs. All you have to do is choose from the tools of online project management available on the market.