There is a great emphasis on responsiveness and collaboration. For instance, if stakeholders or the product owner see a potential problem, it can be addressed early helping to keep the project on track and customer satisfaction high. 

Understanding Scrum and Agile

People unfamiliar with the terms may find it easy to confuse Scrum and Agile for the same thing, but that’s not accurate. Agile is more of a mindset and Scrum is one manifestation of that mindset.

The Agile Manifesto was created in 2001. Agile was born years before, but a group of software developer practitioners came together in 2001 to create a more cohesive vision for the ideas that had been swirling around for years. It is a brief document that outlines 4 values and 12 principles for Agile software development.

The manifesto was deliberately non-specific when it came to process, procedures, or best practices for Agile. The creators were not looking to develop a particular method, but rather, a mindset for approaching the development of software. Agile is an iterative approach that puts an emphasis on flexibility, collaboration, and the customer. 

To that end, Scrum is one version of a framework for managing projects, but there are others such as Kanban and Lean. 

It might be helpful to think of it this way. If Agile were a Toyota Camry, then Scrum represents one trim level in the Camry line-up, while Kanban represents another. No matter the trim level, the vehicles are all roughly the same. It’s the slight variations that differentiate each one. 

 The Scrum Framework

Scrum divides a project into short, fixed-length timeframes called a sprint, typically lasting two to four weeks. The goal of each sprint is to create a functional piece of the final product. Scrum uses frequent releases and feedback to ensure that the team is delivering usable products for the stakeholders.

Some key elements of the Scrum framework include:

• Product Backlog. A list of all of the tasks that need to be finished in order to complete the overall project. The list is prioritized by the product owner. Team members will pull items from this list to define a sprint. 
• Sprint Backlog. This includes the items from the main backlog to be completed for a particular sprint. 
• Daily Scrum. Also referred to as a “stand up,” this is a brief meeting held each day. The team shares their progress, plans for the day, and anything they see as potentially blocking their progress.  
• Sprint Review. Held at the end of each sprint, the team shows what they achieved during that time frame. They assess whether or not they met their goals and how they might improve.  
• Sprint Retrospective. A meeting held after the sprint review and before the next sprint planning meeting with the goal of increasing quality and effectiveness. The entire team reviews what went well, what could be improved and what they will do differently next time. 

Scrum Roles and Responsibilities

There are three primary roles within Scrum.

• Product Owner. This is a mandatory role in Scrum and an important one. The Product Owner is responsible for defining the product vision, creating, and prioritizing the Product Backlog, and ensuring products are delivered on time and within budget. 
• Scrum Master. The Scrum Master facilitates operation of the team and serves as a liaison between the team and outside entities. The master makes sure the team is following Scrum best practices, and they remove distractions and obstacles that might impede the goals of the sprint.  
• Development Team. A group of people (3-9) with all the skills necessary to develop a product. They are self-organized in the sense there is no team leader. The work is done in a collaborative way without one person being “in charge.” The group shares knowledge and works closely together to ensure a high-quality output.

Scrum Artifacts

To provide transparency and track progress, Scrum uses three main artifacts.

• Product Backlog. The Product Backlog is a prioritized list of all the work items that must be completed in order to finish a project. However, it is considered a “live artifact” and may have items added, removed, or updated based on feedback and priority changes.
• Sprint Backlog. The development team chooses items from the backlog for each of its sprints. It represents the features and work the team is committing to completing for a specified time frame. 
• Increment. The concept behind Scrum is to come out of the gate with a deliverable for the customer (an increment) and build on it through each iteration. So, in the beginning it is a “bare bones” product, but as the team progresses through subsequent sprints, the product becomes more feature- ich. 

Scrum Events

To improve communication, collaboration and the iterative process, Scrum features five events (also known as ceremonies). 

1. Sprint Planning. This is the meeting that will define the upcoming sprint. Team developers will discuss priorities, time estimates for items on the Product Backlog and desired outcome. Based on this, they will select items from the Product Backlog to be complete during their sprint. 
2. Daily Scrum. Also known as the “stand-up meeting,” the Daily Scrum is a brief, 15-minute gathering. Each team member shares their progress, what they’re planning to accomplish that day, and identify any obstacles that could impede their progress. A quick “touch base,” if you will. It improves communication and helps get issues resolved quickly.  
3. Sprint Review. At the end of a sprint, the team holds a Sprint Review to demonstrate the most recent product increment to stakeholders. They use the feedback to update the Product Backlog as needed to ensure that the product remains in keeping with customer’s needs.
4. Sprint Retrospective. The Sprint Retrospective is in keeping with the concept of continuous improvement and optimization of performance within the Scrum framework. It takes place at the completion of a sprint and before the next sprint planning meeting. The entire team will look at what worked and what didn’t and develop a plan for improvement to be implemented into the next sprint. 
5. Backlog Refinement. Backlog Refinement, also known as Backlog Grooming, is the responsibility of the product owner and is ongoing. It updated as new information is available such as items completed, changes based on customer feedback, and market demands. Keeping up with this process ensures the backlog is accurate and ready for future planning.

Implementing Scrum: Tips for Success

The following suggestions provide a few tips if you’re new to Scrum project management.

• Embrace the Agile mindset. Take a little time to study and understand and the principles of Agile management because they form the foundation of Scrum. In fact, it influences every aspect of the framework.
• Invest in training. While Scrum management saves time in the long run, there can be a bit of a learning curve at first. Make sure all of your team members, from the Product Owner to the development team receive training. They will attain a level of competency much quicker when they have a thorough understanding of the Scrum framework and its roles and responsibilities.
• Start small. It’s a good idea to start small. Use a small project to gain experience. As you learn how to work comfortably and effectively with Scrum, you can begin to scale up to larger projects or multiple teams.
• Inspect and adapt. Take time to regularly review your team’s performance. Look at how they are using their tools and processes. Make any changes needed to improve efficiency and collaboration with an eye always focused on product quality.
• Encourage open communication. The best way to foster collaboration and constantly improve is to create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing. Open communication is the key to inspiration and overcoming challenges.
• Stay committed to the process. As mentioned earlier, there can be challenges when transitioning to Scrum. However, if you can stay the course, the Scrum framework will pay off for your team with greater efficiency, adaptability, and product quality.

The Benefits of Scrum

There’s a reason Scrum project management has become the most popular framework in the world of Agile management. It helps organizations deliver high-quality products quickly and efficiently. 

Understanding the basics of Scrum will help you tackle your projects with confidence and increase customer satisfaction.

The post Scrum Project Management for Beginners: A Comprehensive Introduction appeared first on Project Management Docs.

If you spend a year working on a product only to discover the product doesn’t serve the customer’s needs, much of that work is wasted—and so is the time that has been lost.

Agile project management methods work in short time frames and allow users to review what has been produced so far. If the product is not working or if there is a change in the requirements, Agile teams can respond quickly. In this way, they always have their finger on the pulse of what the stakeholders need, and they know they are producing a product that is on target.

In this guide, we’ll look at the best practices of Agile project management, from the core principles to implementing these techniques in your organization.

Understanding the Agile Manifesto and Its Principles

The concept of Agile has been around since the 1990s, but in 2001, a group of software developers came together to solidify the ideas into a more cohesive vision. Hence, the Agile Manifesto was born. 

It was not meant to nail down a concrete method, rather it was deliberately non-specific allowing for the mindset to lead the way, not a list of rules or guidelines. 

The manifesto is a brief document that outlines four values and 12 principles for Agile software development.

The Four Values

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. While having the right tools are important, this value relates to making sure you have the right people on the team. When you get this right, you will get the proper collaboration that is so critical to the Agile method.
2. Working solutions over comprehensive documentation. This value places a priority on getting product into the hands of customer in order to get feedback valuable to the improvement of future releases.
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. The idea behind this value is to focus on continuous development rather than blindly following a contract drawn up at the beginning of a project. Instead, regularly conferring with the customer and getting their feedback will help ensure the final product is what they need and want.
4. Responding to change over following a plan. This value speaks to the ability of the team to be flexible in the face of a changing marketplace.

The 12 Principles of the Agile Manifesto

In addition to the four values, the Agile Manifesto contains 12 principles that guide Agile teams in delivering high-quality products. 

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. The goal is to get a product in the hands of a customer as soon as possible so that the team can receive feedback to use in later iterations. 
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage. Rather than remaining locked into a product development plan, Agile is meant to respond to changing markets, customer needs and competitive threats at whatever point they are identified. This is part of what helps make Agile agile. 
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale. By releasing segments of the product more often, it can actually speed up the overall time for development.
4. Businesspeople and developers must work together daily throughout the project. Regular communication between the business side and the development side helps to ensure the goal remains aligned between the two.
5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need and trust them to get the job done. A key part of Agile is trusting the team to get across the finish line without handholding. If you’ve put the right people together and clearly communicated their roles and goals, there should be no micromanaging.
6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation. The main idea behind this principle is to have real time conversations as opposed to email or Slack interactions. This was once satisfied with the Scrum meeting (or daily stand-up), but since the pandemic some teams may no longer be working in the same place. In that case, a Zoom meeting is preferable to no daily meeting.
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress. Working software takes precedence over documentation. The idea is to not to create bottlenecks by chasing perfection. Instead, build software and get it out for feedback. Do not let “perfect be the enemy of the good.” 
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely. A relentless release schedule can lead to burn out on your team. Keep morale high by setting clear and realistic expectations.
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility. While there is an emphasis on frequency and speed in Agile, it is also important to keep an eye on keeping things tidy on the technical front. This refers to items like allocating resources to refactoring efforts.
10. Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential. This is about prioritizing and making difficult choices. In practice, this looks like refining the backlog to exclude work that isn’t important or streamlining meetings into something shorter and more productive.
11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams. The concept behind this principle is to empower teams to work together in a way that is productive for them. It is a flat management style as opposed to a pyramid style with one manager at the top making all the major decisions.
12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly. The goal of Agile is not to use one process for every project forever. It’s about learning from each sprint and adjusting processes and teams accordingly.

Getting Started With Agile Project Management

Okay, you’ve studied the values and principles of Agile management, it’s time to get started. Use the following list to help guide you through the process.

• First, choose the right Agile framework. Each framework has its pros and cons. Some of the most popular frameworks include Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming (XP), and Lean. Consider the culture and needs of your organization, as well as the project requirements when making a decision. 
• Assemble a Cross-Functional Team. When putting together an Agile team, make sure its members possess all the necessary skills and expertise to complete the project without having to access outside resources. This cross-functional element is what gives a team the ability to keep innovating and progressing without having to wait on external factors. Reducing dependencies is an essential factor for success in Agile management.
• Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities. When specific roles and responsibilities are assigned, it clears up much of the confusion that can happen when a team starts a project. It’s clear to all who is accountable for what and it helps streamline the decision-making process. 
• Embrace Iterative and Incremental Development. One of the main concepts behind Agile project management is frequently releasing small, functional increments of the product to gather feedback. You’ll use that information to improve, then “rinse and repeat” until the goal is reached. When you break a project into smaller pieces like this, you can adapt to changes more quickly and complete the project sooner.  
• Plan and Prioritize Using User Stories and Product Backlogs. User stories are an integral part of Agile project management. They give the team a definition of the product as told from the user’s perspective, which is central to delivering customer satisfaction. The stories are prioritized in the product backlog, which should be updated regularly.  
• Leverage Templates for Efficiency and Consistency. Templates help streamline the project management process, improving consistency, saving time, and reducing errors. Templates can be used for variety of things such as user story creation, sprint planning, tracking tasks, and retrospectives.
  
  Our website, projectmanagementdocs.com, offers a variety of free Agile project management templates designed to help you manage your projects more effectively. These templates cover a wide range of Agile project management components, ensuring that you have the tools you need for each stage of the process.
  
  You’ll find a comprehensive collection of templates tailored for different Agile frameworks, such as Scrum, Kanban, and more. They are all are designed to be customizable, allowing you to adapt them to your team’s specific needs and preferences.

• Implement Timeboxing and Regular Iterations. Timeboxing is the practice of establishing fixed time frames for completing a specific set of tasks. It is referred to an Agile as an iteration or sprint. Timeboxing helps teams focus their attention and helps to drive innovation as new information gained during each iteration can be used constructively for the next. 
• Use Agile Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Metrics help teams identify problem areas and improve their processes with data-driven decisions. Common Agile metrics include things like velocity, sprint burndown, cumulative flow, and lead time.
• Foster a Culture of Collaboration and Communication. Create an atmosphere conducive to the sharing of information and working together. Holding regular meetings like daily stand-ups, sprint planning sessions, and sprint reviews, are essential for keeping everyone on the same page. Team members should feel comfortable discussing problems and proposing solutions. 
• Emphasize Continuous Improvement and Adaptability. In Agile project management, there is always an eye toward adaptation and improvement. You never want to rest on your laurels. One way to do that is to utilize the retrospective meeting. It’s a review that allows you to identify areas for improvement. The goal of Agile is to always be optimizing your performance.
• Focus on Delivering Customer Value. The primary goal of Agile is to deliver value to the customer. The practice of constantly gathering and incorporating customer feedback helps to ensure your product will meet their needs by project’s end.
• Encourage Technical Excellence and Sustainable Development. Technical excellence means maintaining clean and efficient code and ensuring that it is scalable. Additionally, it is also important to manage workloads in such a way as to maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

The Benefits of Agile Project Management

Agile project management helps organizations deliver high-quality products faster and more efficiently. By taking a little time to familiarize yourself with its best practices, you’ll be better able to implement it to your advantage.

Using an Agile-based framework will help to optimize your team’s performance and get better outcomes for your customers and organization.

The post Agile Project Management Best Practices: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Project Management Docs.

Becoming a better project manager is not beyond your reach, but you will have to stretch for it. Let’s look at the best areas for you to put your focus and energy.

Become a Communications Expert.

Mastering communications is perhaps the most important skill to have as a project manager, as you are expected to regularly communicate with both your team and the stakeholders. And when we say communications, we are referring to everything—verbal, written, and visual skills. 

Never underestimate the power of visuals to help convey your message. Things like infographics, schedules, charts, and graphs can be really helpful in communicating important information, especially for visual learners.

But, be mindful of what and how much you’re communicating. There’s a difference between what people need to know and superfluous information. You don’t want to overwhelm them with an overabundance of details and status reports. Keep your messages short and focused on what’s important to that particular entity.

Get a Mentor.

Look for project managers who are exceptional and ask to be mentored. If you’re relatively new to the role, a mentor can help you avoid rookie mistakes. You won’t have to learn everything from the ground up. Their knowledge and skills can help you grow more quickly as a manager.

But no matter what the stage of your career, a mentor can be a good idea. Each person you work with will have a unique perspective on how to approach a job. So, having a mentor will broaden your perspectives and perhaps, open new pathways of thinking.  

It might help to think of mentorship as a toolbox. When you work with a mentor, you are filling your box with tools that will help you meet the challenges of project management. Each mentor will contribute something a little different, and all of them are helping you become a more well-rounded project manager. 

Be Supportive of Your Project Team.

Offering support and positive reinforcement to your team are critically important for great project management. Not all companies can afford to offer financial incentives or rewards, but you can still make a positive impact with your actions.

In addition to making sure your team has the tangible elements they need to succeed, successful project managers go out of their way to acknowledge their team members when they hit important milestones.

We’re not talking about a quick pat on the back and a “way to go.” Successful managers take it a step further. Not only do they congratulate their team members for a job well done, they make sure the team understands how their contribution resonates on a higher level.

When teams are working on segmented pieces of a larger project, their work can begin to feel very abstract and they may feel detached from the larger goal. They need to know why their work is important and that they are valued for it.

Remember, your team is a reflection of you as a manager. When your team is performing well–you are performing well.

Never Stop Learning.

The one way to ensure you don’t succeed as a project manager is to study hard and get your PMP certification and then stop learning.  Project management is a very broad field and is constantly changing.  It’s vital to keep learning and developing your project management skills. 

There’s a reason PMI requires you to continue your education to renew your certification. Professionals who hold this certificate are considered to be among the best in the world. The only way to maintain a high level of expertise and relevancy in an ever-changing environment is through continuing education.

So, always keep a focus on learning. There are many ways to do this such as reading books, taking classes, getting a mentor, and attending conferences, 

Learn to Effectively Chair Meetings.

Want to be known as someone who gets things done? Perfect your role as a meeting chair. 

Being a project manager involves chairing a lot of meetings. If you can learn to run meetings where attendees leave with the feeling of having been productive and happy that they attended – then you have mastered this skill.

Plus, running a bad meeting could mean missed deadlines and deliverables or budget overruns, which will definitely not improve your reputation as a project manager.

• Think ahead. Ideally, send out a meeting invitation and agenda a week in advance. Stakeholders and team members are busy. Only invite those who are necessary to the discussion. Giving them a week’s notice (if possible), gives them a chance to fit it in their busy calendars. And it gives them ample time to prepare, if they are expected to bring something to the meeting.   
  
  If there is a big decision to be made at the meeting, a week gives you time to talk with stakeholders, answering questions and considering options. It should help you get buy-in before the meeting so the process runs more smoothly and you’ll get a decision by the meeting’s end.

• Assign Roles. If there will be a lot of attendees, it’s a good idea to assign roles in advance. Choose someone to take notes, keep track of time, etc.

• Stay on Topic! It’s so easy for a meeting to go off the rails, that you must be vigilant. Distractions are bound to happen, and some are even entertaining. However, if you don’t “keep to the script” it’s much more likely you will miss something important or fail to accomplish the goal of the meeting.
  
  If something comes up that is important, but off-topic, acknowledge the need to deal with it, but defer that discussion to a later date.

• Recap Before Release. Before adjourning the meeting,  hit the highlights and action items discussed. People can participate in the same conversation and hear something different. A recap of the meeting helps to make sure everyone is on the same page.

• Follow-up Quickly. Send meeting notes out for review asap. Make any revisions necessary and send the final meeting notes, ideally within 24 hours. This definitely helps to underscore the idea that you are someone who gets things done in a timely fashion.

We have a good primer about how to run effective meetings at How to Conduct a Successful Meeting – Project Management Docs, and it’s a great place to start your journey. 

Write Everything Down.

Project managers are busy and deal with a lot of moving parts.  Keep a notebook with you and write everything down. This might seem cumbersome, and perhaps unnecessary, but a notebook keeps items from falling through the cracks and serves as a good historical reference.  

For example, if someone asks a follow-up question about a problem they had a few weeks ago, you can flip back through your notes to refresh your memory and share what action you took to address the issue. 

A little spiral notebook you can keep in your pocket is sufficient, but if you want the easiest way to organize your notes and retrieve information without leafing through pages of notes, consider the reMarkable 2. It’s a tablet that allows you to take hand-written notes that can automatically be transformed into typewritten text. Send it to your files or share it with a colleague.

Learn People’s Names.

The sweetest word to anyone is their name.  If you can walk into a room and address people by their names you will automatically earn a bit of good will.

Ron White has a very fun and effective methodology for remembering people’s names. We’ve had team members use his technique quite often. It works!

Working on Your Skills Is Worth the Effort.

As long as you seek out learning opportunities and remain open to what they have to offer, you will no doubt become a better project manager. And remember, the more you incorporate the skills above, the more second nature they will become.

The post How to Be a Better Project Manager appeared first on Project Management Docs.

It might be helpful to think of positive risk as a visit to a new restaurant. Perhaps a friend drags you to a place you are unfamiliar with. There might be some intriguing items on the menu that sound good, but you are reluctant to try them when you know a burger will hit the spot. 

If you decide to order something new, you may be disappointed (and potentially disgusted!), but there’s also the possibility you will find a new favorite food. 

This risk is positive because it has the potential to add a new dish to your list of likes. But not only that, it may open up a whole new culture of food for you to explore and enjoy—and it all would have started with that initial risk or uncertainty. 

The same is true of project management. Embracing the power of positive risk in project management can pay off not just with your current project, but it may add value to other projects well into the future. 

What Is the Difference Between Positive and Negative Risks?

Every project has certain known quantities that will present challenges. Risk, however, represents the unknown quantities that may pop up during the execution of a project. They might happen, but there is no guarantee.

Positive risks are those that provide an opportunity to improve the project outcome. Negative risks are those that pose a threat to the project, potentially causing it to fail.

Examples of Positive Risks.

Here are just a few examples of positive risks you might encounter in project management:

• Early project completion.  An example of positive risk could be the impending release of new software that would boost the productivity of your team. If released sooner than expected, it could speed up the trajectory of your project allowing you to finish early and below budget. 
• Innovative solutions. -Though it can be risky tackling a problem in a new way, it may not only solve an immediate problem, but it might lead to efficiency changes in process that will improve outcomes for projects that follow.
• Enhanced stakeholder engagement. Increased input from stakeholders could be stifling, but if handled properly it might result in a better understanding of the client’s needs, as well as increased support and buy-in for the project overall. 

Positive Risks Management.

Positive risk presents the potential for some type of gain if it materializes. A negative risk does just the opposite. You can use the same tools for managing positive risks that you do in managing negative risks.

To assess the potential impact of positive risk on your project, you’ll want to start with a risk assessment meeting.

Just as you would with the pursuit of negative risk, the project manager will hold a meeting with team members, stakeholders, subject matter experts and potentially the project sponsor (depending on the scope of the project).

During this meeting, the group will identify project risks that could present an opportunity. Then, they will qualify those risks by the likelihood they will occur, and where on the timeline they are most likely to happen. The risk response will also be determined at this time. 

After the meeting, the risks will be logged into a risk register for day-to-day management. This is a critical tool for project managers as it includes information such as risk scores, triggers, responses, and risk owners.

The risk management plan is where the “meat and potatoes” can be found. This is where the team details information such as how risk was assessed, the top three risks that were identified, how risk will be monitored and what the response will look like. 

5 Strategies for Dealing with Positive Risks.

According to the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) Guide, there are five strategies for managing the opportunities that come with positive risk. Which approach you plan to take in regard to each identified risk should be noted in the risk register.

1. Enhance -This is when a team tries to increase the probability that a particular risk will happen.
2. Exploit – This is a response that seeks to do everything it can to ensure the risk will materialize.
3. Escalate – When the suggested response exceeds the authority of the project manager, and a higher level of management must be involved to take care of it.
4. Share – A strategy where the team shares the opportunity with another group who will benefit from this positive risk, and whose help you need to realize the benefit. 
5. Accept – As with a negative threat, the risk is acknowledged, but there is no proactive plan associated with it.

Don’t Ignore Positive Risks.

A complete risk management plan should include both positive and negative risks. While it is tempting to focus only on the threats to a project, positive opportunities can add a lot of value by saving time, money, and effort. 

The post Embracing the Upside: The Power of Positive Risks in Project Management appeared first on Project Management Docs.

Sprints break projects down into bite-sized chunks that can be more easily digested by the development team. It also gives a team context for their work and allows teams to have input into their workload. 

Working in small segments gives the team opportunities to quickly adjust and use what they are learning to tweak the project in real time, instead of waiting until the very end of the larger project’s completion. This allows for agility and improves the chances that the product will be delivered on time and perform to expectation.

The Importance of Sprint Planning

Sprints typically last one to four weeks so good planning is essential to success. Without it, a sprint can fall apart in a hurry.

Agile sprint planning clearly defines the goal of the sprint, who will be responsible for what, and how success will be measured. It provides a shared focus for everyone involved. And by understanding the context for their work, it can help to make the overarching goal more concrete and improve motivation.

Preparing for a Sprint Planning Meeting

The sprint planning meeting is run by the scrum master (project manager) and will involve the participation of the product owner and development team. Allow two hours of planning for each week of a sprint. If your sprint is two weeks, allow four hours to plan. 

If your sprint runs three-four weeks, you’ll want to break up your sprint planning meeting into at least two meetings to avoid an overly long planning meeting.

Product Owner: 

• Summarize Sprint Review. The product owner should analyze the results of the previous sprint review for stakeholder feedback and lessons learned that can be applied to the new sprint. 
• Sprint Proposal: The product owner takes stock of the overall project to determine the next logical goal to move the project forward? The group may refine the goal, but the owner should come prepared with a suggestion.
• Refine the Product Backlog. The owner will review the list and update by deleting any user stories that may no longer be relevant, adding new stories if needed, and breaking larger stories into smaller tasks that can be more easily accomplished during a sprint.

Scrum Master (or Project Manager):

• Agenda. The scrum master typically facilitates the sprint planning meeting so they will prepare the agenda. It is typically distributed ahead of the meeting, so everyone has a chance to review it before coming together. 
• Schedule. The scrum master will schedule the space and time for the meeting with plenty of advance notice to secure full participation of the group.
• Determine Availability. The scrum master will calculate the total hours the team can devote to this sprint. They will consider the time commitments to other projects team members may have and upcoming time off for holidays, vacations, medical leave, etc.
• Determine Velocity. The scrum master will estimate the volume of work the development team can produce during this sprint based on previous performance and availability of the team members.

Sample Agenda for a Sprint Planning Meeting

1. Product Owner presents the sprint goal in context of the larger goal.
2. Product Owner shares updates, anything impacting the project as a result of the last sprint, and stakeholder feedback.
3. Scrum master will review availability and estimated team velocity for this sprint.
4. Developers will choose user stories (tasks) that align with the sprint goal and those they feel can be achieved during the sprint. 
5. Creation of list. Team members, the product owner, and scrum master will negotiate the work, moving items from the product backlog list to the sprint backlog list as they are decided on.
6. Refinement of list. Tasks will be assigned, and definition of success determined for each.
7. Questions. Time for questions to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Benefits of Sprint Planning

If you’re still wondering if an elaborate sprint planning meeting is really necessary, it might be helpful to think of it as a bit like the preproduction of a play, it includes everything needed to get the actors on stage and performing.

A sprint planning meeting begins with what was learned from “opening night,” the previous sprint. The product owner reviews any changes in processes or project direction as a result of what was learned during the previous sprint. 

The “actors” are assigned their roles and the “director” will outline what to strive for in this performance. The whole team is there for the “read through” so everyone knows everyone else’s role. When the entire cast knows what the play should look and sound like in its final form, you’re much more likely to get the desired result.

In essence, sprint planning meetings help to increase focus, boost performance, and create a shared understanding of what success looks like in regard to a particular sprint. Prepare well and reap the rewards.

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Many a project manager would prefer to keep their head down and plugging ahead, rather than stand before a group of stakeholders and give a project rundown. But sooner or later, you’re bound to get this request and using the following tips will make the process less painful. 

• Know your audience. In order to tailor your message to the needs and interests of your audience, you have to know who they are. Are you giving an accounting to other department heads in order to determine future resources required? Or, are you giving a detailed report to a large group of stakeholders, some of whom may be coming from outside the company? This information not only dictates what you will cover, but how you will present it–think casual versus formal.
• Create a concise agenda. Outline the purpose, scope, and key objectives of your presentation. This forms the basis of your agenda and will give you a framework to follow as you develop your presentation. A concise agenda makes clear to participants the subject parameters for the talk and helps to keep you on track as you speak. 
• Use visuals.  How will you present information? Will you prepare a slide presentation for your laptop or use a white board to write as you go? Be sure to include elements such as charts, graphs, and diagrams to help make complex information more accessible and understandable.
• Brand your presentation. Take a page out of the marketing handbook and be consistent with style and format throughout your presentation. Not only does it make it easier for the audience to follow along, subconsciously, it evokes a feeling of quality and authority. Think about what font(s) you’ll use that are appropriate and easy to read at a distance. Make sure the lettering is large enough to see in the back of the venue. Use the same colors, bullet point criteria, and layouts (if using slides) throughout the presentation. Keep visuals clean and simple.
• Practice. Practice your presentation until you feel comfortable speaking while using your props. Have family or friends listen and give you feedback. Try to anticipate questions your audience may have or additional information they may request so you can respond immediately. Have a prepared response for questions you cannot readily answer. If possible, practice in the room where you’ll be presenting, using the equipment you’ll use that day. 
• Prepare for the worst. Things go wrong sometimes, despite the best laid plans. So, prepare for contingencies, especially if you’re presenting in someone else’s space. For example, have a print-out of your slides, just in case the laptop stops working or there’s problem with the connection. You do not want to waste the valuable time of your stakeholders futzing around with technology issues.
• Watch the clock. Everyone is busy, and some of them might hate taking time out of their day to attend this presentation as much as you might hate giving it. So, stick to your allotted time frame and follow the agenda! Venturing off-topic or including unnecessary information will detract from your main message and frustrate your participants.
• Use storytelling. People are hardwired to remember stories, not stats. To make your presentation more memorable, try to find a way to incorporate storytelling techniques to engage your audience.
• Don’t forget to summarize. You’ll want to provide a summary of your presentation to reinforce the key takeaways. Also, if applicable, listing the next steps at the end encourages action.
• Ask for feedback. Request feedback from your audience so that you can continuously improve your presentation skills, whether that has to do with your speaking style or the physical presentation of the information. 
• Keep an Open Mind. To improve your skills as a presenter, you should be open to learning and adapting your approach. One size doesn’t fit all. To be as effective as possible, learn to adapt your style to fit the situation and audience. Audience feedback is crucial to this process.

Proper preparation is the key to a successful presentation. Use the tips above and you can’t go wrong. 

Some people may need more time than others to be comfortable with the actual presenting, but that will come with time. As long as you’re well prepared, it’s not likely you’ll disappoint. 

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What is a Work Breakdown Structure?

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a process for breaking a larger project into smaller, more manageable elements. It is a tool of project management that helps to organize and define the scope of work for a project.

Each component of the WBS represents a deliverable or a milestone. These are then broken down further until the work is detailed enough to be assigned to a team or an individual.

The 4 Views of Work Breakdown Structures?

There are four main styles of Work Breakdown Structures. Which you choose to use will depend on the complexity of the project and your goals.

1. Outline View. This style follows a basic outlining system. It’s simple to use, and it’s easy to make changes. (The numbering feature in Microsoft Word updates the WBS code automatically.)
2. Hierarchical Structure. This structure is similar to the outline view, but without the indentation. It is a bit more complex, but it can be useful when you have many levels and indenting each one would make the table too large.
3. Tabular View. This is a nicely organized view that some people may find appealing because of the way the information is grouped. It’s a good option for organizations that prefer table formats.
4. Tree Structure View. The WBS is often represented in the form of a tree structure, with the project listed at the top and lower-level components branching out below it. This style offers even more visual clarity because each task has its own box. Each level of the tree represents a different level of detail with the lowest level representing the work packages.

Why Is a Work Breakdown Structure Important?

Organizing the work involved in reaching a goal is critical to the success of any project. The WBS 

helps to make sure that each task has been assigned and all bases have been covered. It’s also instrumental in identifying dependencies between tasks, estimating time and resources, and developing a project schedule and budget.

There are many reasons to use a Work Breakdown Structure:

• Define and organize project scope. Breaking a large project into smaller components helps to clarify the scope of the project. This helps to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. 
• Effective project management. Using a Work Breakdown Structure provides a clear framework for managing a project. It makes it easier to track progress, completion times and the status of the budget. It also helps project managers plan and allocate resources more effectively.
• Facilitates communication and collaboration. The WBS can be shared with the team, as well as stakeholders to ensure everyone is on the same page. It also fosters collaboration and coordination between team members.
• Improves estimation and budgeting. Effectively estimating time and resources required for each task, leads to a more accurate project schedule. This helps keep the budget in check by reducing the risk of cost overruns and project delays.
• Basis for progress tracking and reporting. The WBS provides a framework for tracking progress and reporting project status to stakeholders. This enables project managers to identify issues early and take corrective action before they become major problems.

In a nutshell, the Work Breakdown Structure is an important tool for project management that helps to ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

What are the Common Elements of a WBS?

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) typically contains the following common elements:

• Project Name. The name of the main project.

• Project Number. The unique identifier assigned to the project.

• Deliverables. The tangible outcomes or results that are required for the project to be considered complete.

• Work Packages. These are components small enough to be assigned to a team or an individual for execution. Work packages typically contain a brief description of the task, resources required, and an estimated duration.

• Milestones. Achievements or important events that mark progress. They are typically used for tracking and reporting project status to stakeholders.

• WBS Dictionary.  The dictionary provides additional detail on each task and is seen as a complementary piece to the Work Breakdown Structure.  

These common elements help to ensure that the WBS is comprehensive, detailed, and easy to understand, making it a useful tool for project management and execution.

What is the WBS Dictionary?

Because of its visual nature, the Work Breakdown Structure does not allow space for a great deal of detail related to the tasks. The dictionary is a complementary resource for team members where they can find more information and determine the scope of their particular package. So, it’s important to be clear when writing the definition.

The project manager collects materials from a variety of sources to create the dictionary. It typically includes specific information such as Level of Effort (LoE), Cost Control Numbers, and Responsibility Assignments.

Each component in the structure has a WBS Code, which is a unique number with the purpose of designating elements in hierarchical location within the WBS. The number corresponds to its entry in the dictionary making it easy to find what you’re looking for. 

How to Create a Work Breakdown Structure.

Choose one of the four styles of structure and begin at the top. Start with the larger elements of the project and break them down into work packages that can be handled by an individual or small team.

1. Define the Project Scope. Clearly identify the project objectives, deliverables, and scope. Define the major stages required to achieve the project goals.
2. Create a List of Deliverables. Identify all the deliverables, such as reports and software modules, that are required to complete the project. These should be tangible outcomes. Be sure the list is complete, and no important items have been left out.
3. Determine the Top Tier Components. What high level components are required to achieve the project goals? These may be the major phases of the project, such as Planning, Design, Implementation, Testing, and Deployment.
4. Breakdown the Components. Breakdown each major phase or stage into smaller, more manageable components or work packages until they are small enough to be easily managed by the project team.
5. Identify Tasks. For each work package, identify the specific tasks or activities required to complete it. Make sure the tasks are clearly defined, and their dependencies are identified.
6. Create the WBS Dictionary. This auxiliary piece gives team members more details about each work package.
7. Assign Resources. List the resources needed for each task or work package, including personnel, equipment, and materials.
8. Estimate Time and Costs. Estimate the time and costs required to complete each task or work package. Be realistic with your estimates.
9. Create a WBS Chart. Organize the Work Breakdown Structure into a prioritized chart that reflects the relationships between the project components, work packages, tasks, and milestones.
10. Validate the WBS. Review the breakdown with your project team and stakeholders to be sure that it is both complete and accurate.
11. Use it. Make sure everyone on the team is using the Work Breakdown Structure from beginning to end and be vigilant about updating it throughout the project lifecycle. 

Does Agile Use Work Breakdown Structures?

While both WBS and Agile methods such as Scrum, use a top-down approach to breaking a larger project into smaller tasks, WBS represents a more formal methodology. Agile projects use tools that are better suited to the ever-evolving nature of Agile development. 

However, Agile planning often starts with a high-level product backlog, which contains a prioritized list of features or user stories and breaks it into smaller, tasks. So, while Agile projects may not use a formal WBS, they do use a similar process. This approach helps Agile teams to remain nimble and respond quickly to changes in the project or business environment.

Example of a Work Breakdown Structure.

The Tree Structure featured below is the most popular format for creating a WBS, but it can be a bit of work to design without a special application to create it. Take a look at WBS template to see which might work best for your project.

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This guide provides a closer look at the two types of project functional requirements and outlines the steps a project manager should take to gather, document, and manage them effectively.

Functional versus Non-Functional Project Requirements.

Functional requirements are the software capabilities that the stakeholders or the business expect at the completion of the project. These are considered functional requirements. Sometimes they are referred to as the business requirements because these are the needs of the business or end user.

Once those are established, the technical team can create a list of non-functional requirements.  Sometimes, they are also referred to as the technical requirements because they list what it’s going to take on the technical side to properly execute the functional list.

Both types of requirements are equally important to your success. When you have a complete understanding of what is required on all sides, you reduce financial risk and increase the likelihood your project will be delivered on time and meet stakeholder expectations.

Why Are Functional Requirements Important?

Many project failures can be traced to an incomplete list of requirements. Often, it starts with a lack of communication. A project manager neglects to involve users, or they do not collect a complete list of requirements. That leads to confusion about what should be on the functional list, and that inevitably leads to an incomplete list of what the non-functional requirements should be.

A clear understanding of requirements also avoids scope creep and wasted time. For instance, if you aren’t clear about the mission, you may end up doing things that do not directly relate to the project. Or, if there is a misunderstanding and a portion of the project needs to be redone, your schedule will be interrupted, and your team members may become frustrated.

Requirements serve as the foundation for the design, development, and testing phases of the project, and define what success looks like.

How to Craft a List of Functional Requirements.

Your first step is to meet with the stakeholders and get very clear on what they want and need. Ask lots of questions and record the details. When you’re confident you know what your project’s mission is, create a list of the functional requirements. Run it past stakeholders to be sure you have captured everything.

Hand this list over to your technical team. They will take the functional requirements and figure out what is needed on the backside (technically) to make those functions operational.

Project functional requirements are the specific features and capabilities that the end product must have. For example, a customer hosting a conference will have specific needs such as the ability for attendees to register, pay for their entry, choose break-out sessions, and book a hotel. These specific features are the functionalrequirements of the project.

Using our example above, a list of functional requirements may look like this:

• User registration and login
• Documentation with a confirmation number
• Receipts
• Session Sign-ups
• Mobile access to documents
• Real-time document updates
• Ability to book hotels and transportation from website
• Integration with third-party tools

The Non-Functional Requirements for the above list might look similar to this:

• Performance – response time of less than 3 seconds
• Security – protection against hacking attempts
• Usability – user-friendly interface
• Scalability – ability to support at least 500 concurrent users
• Availability – system must be available 99.9% of the time
• Interoperability – integration with other systems and tools
• Reliability – ability to recover from failures and provide data consistency
• Maintainability – ability to upgrade and update the system easily
• Compliance – adherence to relevant regulations and standards
• Accessibility – ability to use the system by people with disabilities.

Best Practices for Writing Functional Requirements.

First and foremost, your language must be consistent and understandable. Do not use terms that are too technical or that could be interpreted in more than one way. The object is to make sure that everyone is on the same page and understands the project’s goals, regardless of technical expertise.

When a project manager takes the time to define in detail the functional requirements of a project, it’s much more likely the non-functional requirements will support the success of the project. They are two distinct categories, and they are both important to a successful outcome.

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To help you achieve that nimble footing, we’ve put together a list of six tips to maximize performance. These suggestions will help you stand out as a project manager who can quickly respond to changes while maintaining your focus to deliver high-quality results.

Agile management delivers work in increments, which is the mechanism that allows you to quickly respond to issues as they arise. However, the only way for this to be effective is through consistent collaboration and communication among team members. 

Here are six ways to foster this type of environment and deliver the type of results that will bring you positive recognition.

1. Have a Daily Scrum Meeting Every Day – No Exceptions!

You must make the stand-up or scrum meeting a daily habit. Just like brushing your teeth each day without exception, that is how you should think of the scrum meeting. It can be tempting to skip it one day because everyone is busy or some team members are out of the office, but do not do it. It is a slippery slope. 

Once you and your team get accustomed to the format of the meeting and the fact that it is a non-negotiable, it will become like a well-oiled machine that will serve you very well. 

The daily scrum keeps everyone informed about what their colleagues are working on, and it identifies any roadblocks that might cause a problem.

To maximize the productivity of this meeting, hold it every day, at the same time, and in the same place. This eliminates any confusion as to who should attend, where to meet and what time. It will become as much a part of the daily routine as grabbing a morning coffee.

Most teams meet first thing in the morning, but if you have team members in other time zones, you may have to adjust this. 

The meeting should last no more than 15 minutes, so “share time” is quite limited and should be streamlined to fit the format. Team members briefly share their progress and any challenges they are facing. This can help identify potential issues early on and allow the team to quickly adapt and pivot as needed.

Often, attendees literally stand for the meeting, hence the name stand-up. The thought being that it will become uncomfortable to stand for more than 15 minutes, so it will keep everyone alert and comments streamlined.

Daily stand-up meetings also help team members stay focused and accountable. By regularly checking in with each other, they are more likely to stay on track and meet their commitments.

2. Limit Goals in Sprint Planning.

Sprint planning is a key component of the Agile method of project management. A sprint usually encompasses a time frame of two to four weeks. During sprint planning, the team reviews the product backlog and selects items that can be completed during the next sprint.

By focusing on a limited set of goals for each sprint, your team can remain flexible and responsive to changes in priorities or requirements. It allows them to devote more time and resources to completing each goal to a higher level of quality. And that increases the chances of delivering a successful product.

With fewer goals in the mix at any one time, your team can make sure they’re working on the most important tasks first. It improves focus and makes it easier to identify and address obstacles that arise, further maximizing agility in the project.

A narrower focus also helps to avoid scope creep, which can lead to delays and increased costs.

3. Require an All Play for Team Members in a Sprint Review.

At the end of each sprint, the sprint review is held for the team to share their work with the stakeholders. You should involve all team members in this process, encouraging them to present their work and take ownership of it. It is an opportunity for the group to get feedback and make any necessary adjustments.

There are several ways a sprint review can improve your ability to manage a project: 

• Increased motivation and engagement. When team members are encouraged to present their work and take ownership for it, that typically leads to a sense of pride and responsibility. This can lead to better performance and higher-quality work.

• Faster identification and resolution of issues. By involving all team members in the sprint review, you can ensure that all aspects of the work are being reviewed. This will help identify anything that might have fallen through the cracks.

• Better alignment of team members. When everyone is involved in the sprint review, it gives your team members a better understanding of how their work fits into the overall goals of the project and how it contributes to the project’s success. It also helps team members align their efforts for a more efficient and effective use of resources.

• Improved communication. Encouraging all team members to participate creates an environment of open communication, which benefits all aspects of agile project management.

Having all of your team members participate in a sprint review will underscore the value of their work and help them feel more invested in the success of the project. 

4. Have a Sprint Retrospective Meeting at the End of Each Sprint.

Having a sprint retrospective meeting at the end of each sprint is a crucial step in maximizing agility in project management. This meeting is an opportunity to reflect on the previous sprint and identify ways to improve the process and increase efficiency.

While the sprint review focused on the content produced during the sprint, the sprint retrospective focuses on the processes used to create that content.

As the project manager, you will facilitate this meeting and makes sure all team members have an opportunity to share their comments. The team should discuss what went well, what could be improved, and what actions should be taken to make those improvements. 

You should also take time to celebrate the team’s successes during the sprint. This helps to boost morale and improve motivation.

You will ensure that all action items are assigned to a team member and dictate how progress will be tracked during the next sprint.

A sprint retrospective can help in the following ways:

• Allows teams to continuously improve. By regularly reviewing their work processes, teams can continuously find ways to optimize their workflows and become more efficient. This helps your team stay agile and adapt to changes more quickly.

• It helps teams identify and address roadblocks. During a sprint retrospective, teams discuss challenges they encountered and brainstorm solutions for the future. 

• Fosters a culture of continuous learning. A regular review gives the team an opportunity to learn from their successes and failures and apply those lessons to future work. Being open to new ideas and approaches helps a team remain agile.

5. Regularly Update the Product Backlog.

The product backlog is a list of all the work that needs to be done on a project. You will need to meet regularly with your team to review and refine the backlog. Based on the current needs of the project, you may adjust priorities or add new items.

Product backlog refinement helps you better manage your project in several ways:

• It helps teams prioritize their work. By regularly reviewing and prioritizing the product backlog, teams can ensure they are focusing on the most important tasks and avoiding unnecessary work. 

• It allows teams to adapt to changes. Continuously updating the product backlog allows teams to quickly identify and incorporate changes into their work plans. 

• It helps teams stay focused on the end goal. A regular review helps to make sure that the team is focused and making progress toward the end goal of the project.

6. Use a Kansan Board to Visually Track Progress.

A Kanban board is a visual tool that will help your team track the progress of their work. It typically consists of a series of columns that represent the different stages of work such as, To Do, In progress, and Done. Team members move their work items from one column to the next as they complete each stage.

Using a Kanban board can help you maximize agility in several ways:

• Track progress in real-time. By visualizing the progress of their work on a Kanban board, a team can quickly identify which tasks are complete and which tasks are still in progress. 

• Prioritize work. By placing work items in different columns based on their priority, teams can ensure that they are focusing on the most important tasks first. 

•  Make changes. By regularly updating the Kanban board, teams can quickly identify and incorporate changes into their work plans. 

Having your team use a Kanban board will help you stay agile by allowing you to continuously monitor progress, identify and address issues, and adapt as needed.

Follow These Tips for a Successful Project

Most of the advice for improving agility is centered around good communication used on a scheduled, regular basis. That’s because consistently talking with your team members and having them talk to each other, goes a long way toward keeping a project running smoothly. It makes you aware of problems as soon as they arise, giving you a chance to quickly step in and get things back on track.

If you follow the tips above, you will no doubt improve the team’s performance—and that, improves your performance. 

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What Is a Root Cause Analysis?

As the name implies, the goal of Root Cause Analysis is to uncover the root causes of a problem. 

When your project encounters an adverse event, your project team can use RCA as a systematic process for figuring out what went wrong and why. 

When you have a clear understanding of what happened and the contributing factors, you can implement corrective action and add preventive steps to avoid a problem in the future. This approach does a deep dive into the situation to identify the chain of events, conditions, or circumstances that led to the problem.

The investigation is typically conducted by a team of individuals with different backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise. The team will gather information, analyze data, and identify the root causes of the problem. The results are documented and shared with stakeholders, including management and customers. This gives transparency to the process and ensures action is taken to correct and prevent the problem from reoccurring.

What is the Purpose of a Root Cause Analysis?

The purpose of an RCA is to understand the root cause of a problem in a systematic and comprehensive manner, rather than simply addressing its symptoms. In that way, effective solutions can be developed and implemented to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. 

This type of analysis also helps those in project management to improve their processes and procedures, increase their efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction. It is a mechanism for helping businesses and organizations continuously improve.

What Is in a Root Cause Analysis?

The Root Cause Analysis process includes a chronology of events leading up to and following the problem. This timeline includes names, times, and detailed descriptions of all activities. The investigative team and their methods are also described, including data used in the analysis and the clear roles and responsibilities of each team member.

The following sections should be included in a simple Root Cause Analysis.  Although, depending on your project, your RCA may include additional information.

• Introduction. The introduction highlights the purpose and importance of the Root Cause Analysis and serves as a summary of sorts. It includes the how the investigation will be approached, and what actions will be taken to address the root causes of the problem. 

• Event Description. This is a detailed description of the event that triggered the RCA. It’s important that it be well documented in this section.

• Chronology of Events/Timeline. In this section, you will create a timeline of events leading up to and following the problem, including details such as names, times, and descriptions of activities.

• Investigative Team and Method. List who is on the team and what role they play, as well as how data will be gathered and analyzed.

• Root Causes and Supporting Evidence. This is the place to sum up your findings. However, this is not the place to talk about corrective action. That is done in the next section.

• Correction and Prevention Actions. This section will discuss the corrective action that needs to be taken in response to the finding above. These actions may affect the project’s scope, schedule, and cost so it is important that it be shared with the project team. 

This report must be formally communicated to all interested parties because corrective action will likely involve the change management process.

What Are the Steps of a Root Cause Analysis?

There should be an introduction and five main steps in developing a Root Cause Analysis report. In our Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Template, we list each section with a description and an example to give you a clear understanding of how that portion should be written. 

Use our written copy as a guide and after you’ve written your version, you simply delete our example. Creating your final report couldn’t be easier. By downloading and following our template, you can feel confident nothing has fallen through the cracks. 

Or, you can write a report from scratch, following the steps we’ve outlined below.

Introduction

The introduction outlines the reason the analysis was undertaken (identifies the triggering event), the investigative approach taken (broadly, who is involved), and how the follow-up will be handled to address the root causes that were identified. 

Event Description

In paragraph form, give a detailed description of the problem. It should include date, time, and exactly what happened. Who discovered the problem? Who was affected by it, and what impact does it have on the project and stakeholders? For instance, how might it affect the timeline, deliverables, and budget? This section explains the reason why you’re doing a Root Cause Analysis so make sure you’ve fully covered the bases.

Chronology of Events / Timeline

This section is a list of events organized in chronological order leading up to the event, the event itself, and then after the problem occurred. You start this timeline before the event took place (pick a starting point based on whatever makes sense for the problem you’re investigating) because it may help to shed light on why the problem occurred. 

You’ll also want to document what happened after the fact so the investigation can determine if those actions also had some affect the outcome. This may dictate a change in operating procedure. 

For each entry, document the time and day, which equipment and employees were involved, and what was happening at that time. 

Investigative Team and Method

Since data collection about the event (problem) is a huge part of this process, you’ll need to document how the investigative team was chosen, who is on it, and how they will gather information. Just as it is with any part of project management, it is important to establish clear roles and methodologies so the process can proceed in a controlled manner.

Findings and Root Cause

In this section, you will share the analysis of your data collection. Describe the findings of your investigation including an explanation of the root causes.

Corrective Action

The logical conclusion to a report of this nature is to provide suggestions for corrective action so this problem can be fixed and a similar one avoided in the future. Typically, problems large enough to warrant a RCA, are large enough to affect the scope, schedule, and cost of a project, so it is important that this report be formally shared with all interested parties.

Root Cause Analysis Methods/Tools

There are several root cause analysis methods that can be used to identify the underlying causes of a problem. Some of the most popular methods include:

• Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram: This method uses a visual representation of the potential causes to help identify the root cause. It typically focuses on people, machines, methods, measurements, materials, and environment.

• 5 Whys: This method involves asking cascading “why” questions until the root cause of a problem is identified. This method can work well if the problem does not involve complex math.

• Fault Tree Analysis: This method is typically used at the time of design to predict problems and plan for redundancies.

• Pareto Chart: This is a bar graph that helps to visually depict which situations are most significant.

• Statistical Process Control: This method uses statistical analysis to identify patterns and relationships in data that can indicate root causes.

• Process Mapping: This method involves creating a visual representation of the workflow that led to the problem to identify where it went wrong.

Choosing an analytical method depends on the problem you’re trying to solve and the data available. Whichever route you choose, it’s important to use a systematic and structured approach to ensure the root cause is accurately identified.

Embrace Root Cause Analysis

RCA is most often used to determine the cause of a problem; however, it can be used to troubleshoot for problems ahead. Either way, it is a helpful method for getting answers to specific problems and devising ways to avoid them in the future. 

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