24 ‐ Agile(jira confluence kanban) vs waterfall - SanjeevOCI/Azure GitHub Wiki
Agile (Jira/Confluence/Kanban) vs Waterfall: A Comparison
1. Overview
| Aspect | Agile | Waterfall |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Iterative and incremental approach to project management and development. | Linear and sequential approach to project management and development. |
| Flexibility | Highly flexible; changes can be made at any stage. | Rigid; changes are difficult once the project starts. |
| Delivery | Continuous delivery of small, functional increments. | Delivered as a complete product at the end of the project. |
2. Key Features
| Aspect | Agile | Waterfall |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | Minimal upfront planning; evolves throughout the project. | Detailed upfront planning with fixed scope and timeline. |
| Team Collaboration | High collaboration; uses tools like Jira, Confluence, and Kanban boards. | Limited collaboration; follows a top-down approach. |
| Customer Involvement | Continuous customer feedback throughout the project. | Customer involvement mainly at the beginning and end of the project. |
| Testing | Testing is integrated into each iteration (continuous testing). | Testing is done after the development phase (end of the lifecycle). |
| Risk Management | Risks are identified and mitigated early due to iterative cycles. | Risks are identified late, often during testing or deployment. |
3. Tools Used
| Agile | Waterfall |
|---|---|
| Jira: For sprint planning, backlog management, and tracking progress. | Gantt Charts: For tracking project timelines and milestones. |
| Confluence: For documentation and team collaboration. | MS Project: For detailed project planning and tracking. |
| Kanban Boards: For visualizing workflows and managing tasks. | Excel/Word: For static documentation and reporting. |
4. Advantages and Disadvantages
| Aspect | Agile | Waterfall |
|---|---|---|
| Advantages | - Flexible to changes. | - Clear structure and well-defined phases. |
| - Faster delivery of functional increments. | - Easy to manage for projects with fixed requirements. | |
| - Encourages collaboration and customer feedback. | - Suitable for projects with predictable outcomes. | |
| Disadvantages | - Requires experienced teams and active customer involvement. | - Inflexible to changes once the project starts. |
| - Difficult to predict timelines and costs upfront. | - Testing and feedback occur late, increasing risk of failure. |
5. When to Use
| Agile | Waterfall |
|---|---|
| - Projects with evolving requirements or high uncertainty. | - Projects with well-defined, fixed requirements. |
| - Teams that value collaboration and iterative development. | - Projects with strict timelines and budgets. |
| - Software development, startups, and innovation-driven projects. | - Construction, manufacturing, or projects with regulatory constraints. |
6. Agile Frameworks
| Framework | Description |
|---|---|
| Scrum | Focuses on sprints (time-boxed iterations) and daily stand-ups. |
| Kanban | Visualizes workflows using boards to manage tasks and improve efficiency. |
| SAFe (Scaled Agile) | Scales Agile practices for large enterprises. |
Conclusion
- Agile is ideal for dynamic, fast-paced projects requiring flexibility and collaboration, supported by tools like Jira, Confluence, and Kanban boards.
- Waterfall is better suited for projects with fixed requirements and a predictable workflow.
Choose the methodology based on the project type, team expertise, and customer requirements.