waterfall assignment

• Contact sales
• Start free trial

The Ultimate Guide…

Waterfall Model

Brought to you by projectmanager, the online project planning tool used by over 35,000 users worldwide..

What Is the Waterfall Methodology in Project Management?

The phases of the waterfall model, waterfall software development life cycle.

• What Is Waterfall Software?
• Desktop vs Online Waterfall Software

Must-Have Features of Waterfall Software

• The Waterfall Model & ProjectManager.com

Waterfall vs. Agile

• Pros & Cons of the Waterfall Model

Benefits of Project Management Software for Waterfall Projects

Waterfall methodology resources.

The waterfall methodology is a linear project management approach, where stakeholder and customer requirements are gathered at the beginning of the project, and then a sequential project plan is created to accommodate those requirements. The waterfall model is so named because each phase of the project cascades into the next, following steadily down like a waterfall.

It’s a thorough, structured methodology and one that’s been around for a long time, because it works. Some of the industries that regularly use the waterfall model include construction, IT and software development. As an example, the waterfall software development life cycle, or waterfall SDLC, is widely used to manage software engineering projects.

Related: 15 Free IT Project Management Templates for Excel & Word

Gantt charts are the preferred tool for project managers working in waterfall method. Using a Gantt chart allows you to map subtasks, dependencies and each phase of the project as it moves through the waterfall lifecycle. ProjectManager’s waterfall software offers these features and more.

Manage waterfall projects in minutes with ProjectManager— learn more .

The waterfall approach has, at least, five to seven phases that follow in strict linear order, where a phase can’t begin until the previous phase has been completed. The specific names of the waterfall steps vary, but they were originally defined by its inventor, Winston W. Royce, in the following way:

Requirements: The key aspect of the waterfall methodology is that all customer requirements are gathered at the beginning of the project, allowing every other phase to be planned without further customer correspondence until the product is complete. It is assumed that all requirements can be gathered at this waterfall management phase.

Design: The design phase of the waterfall process is best broken up into two subphases: logical design and physical design. The logical design subphase is when possible solutions are brainstormed and theorized. The physical design subphase is when those theoretical ideas and schemas are made into concrete specifications.

Implementation: The implementation phase is when programmers assimilate the requirements and specifications from the previous phases and produce actual code.

Verification: This phase is when the customer reviews the product to make sure that it meets the requirements laid out at the beginning of the waterfall project. This is done by releasing the completed product to the customer.

Maintenance: The customer is regularly using the product during the maintenance phase, discovering bugs, inadequate features and other errors that occurred during production. The production team applies these fixes as necessary until the customer is satisfied.

Related: Free Gantt Chart Template for Excel

Let’s hypothesize a simple project, then plan and execute it with the waterfall approach phases that you just learned. For our waterfall software development life cycle example, we’ll say that you’re building an app for a client. The following are the steps you’d take to reach the final deliverable.

Requirements & Documents

First, you must gather all the requirements and documentation you need to get started on the app.

• Project Scope: This is one of the most important documents in your project, where you determine what the goals associated with building your app are: functional requirements, deliverables, features, deadlines, costs, and so on.
• Stakeholder Expectations: In order to align the project scope with the expectations of your stakeholders—the people who have a vested interest in the development of the app—you want to conduct interviews and get a clear idea of exactly what they want.
• Research: To better serve your plan, do some market research about competing apps, the current market, customer needs and anything else that will help you find the unserved niche your app can serve.
• Assemble Team: Now, you need to get the people and resources together who will create the app, from programmers to designers.
• Kickoff: The kickoff meeting is the first meeting with your team and stakeholders where you cover the information you’ve gathered and set expectations.

System Design

Next, you can begin planning the project proper. You’ve done the research, and you know what’s expected from your stakeholders . Now, you have to figure out how you’re going to get to the final deliverable by creating a system design. Based on the information you gathered during the first phase, you’ll determine hardware and software requirements and the system architecture needed for the project.

• Collect Tasks: Use a work breakdown structure to list all of the tasks that are necessary to get to the final deliverable.
• Create Schedule: With your tasks in place, you now need to estimate the time each task will take. Once you’ve figured that out, map them onto a Gantt chart , and diligently link dependencies. You can also add costs to the Gantt, and start building a budget.

Implementation

Now you’re ready to get started in earnest. This is the phase in which the app will be built and tested. The system from the previous phase is first developed in smaller programs known as units. Then each goes through a unit testing process before being integrated.

• Assign Team Tasks: Team members will own their tasks and be responsible for completing them, and for collaborating with the rest of the team. You can make these tasks from a Gantt chart and add descriptions, priority, etc.
• Monitor & Track: While the team is executing the tasks, you need to monitor and track their progress in order to make sure that the project is moving forward per your schedule.
• Manage Resources & Workload: As you monitor, you’ll discover issues and will need to reallocate resources and balance workload to avoid bottlenecks.
• Report to Stakeholders: Throughout the project, stakeholders need updates to show them progress. Meet with them and discuss a regular schedule for presentations.
• Test: Once the team has delivered the working app, it must go through extensive testing to make sure everything is working as designed.
• Deliver App: After all the bugs have been worked out, you’re ready to give the finished app to the stakeholders.

System Testing and Deployment

During this phase you’ll integrate all the units of your system and conduct an integration testing process to verify that the components of your app work properly together.

Once you verify that your app is working, you’re ready to deploy it.

Verification

Though the app has been delivered, the software development life cycle is not quite over until you’ve done some administrative tasks to tie everything up. This is technically the final step.

• Pay Contracts: Fulfil your contractual obligations to your team and any freelance contractors. This releases them from the project.
• Create Template: In software like ProjectManager, you can create a template from your project, so you have a head start when beginning another, similar one.
• Close Out Paperwork: Make sure all paperwork has been rubber stamped and archived.
• Celebrate: Get everyone together, and enjoy the conclusion of a successful project!

Maintenance

Of course, the nature of any software development project is that, through use by customers, new bugs will arise and must be squashed. So, past the verification stage, it’s typically expected that you will provide maintenance beyond launch. This is an ongoing, post-launch phase that extends for as long as your contract dictates.

What Is Waterfall Project Management Software?

Waterfall project management software is used to help you structure your project processes from start to finish. It allows managers to organize their tasks, sets up clear schedules in Gantt charts and monitor and control the project as it moves through its phases.

A waterfall project is broken up into phases, which can be achieved on a Gantt chart in the waterfall project management software. Managers can set the duration for each task on the Gantt and link tasks that are dependent on one another to start or finish.

While waterfall software can be less flexible and iterative than more agile frameworks, projects do change frequently—and there must be features that can capture these changes in real-time with dashboards and reports, so that the manager can clear up bottlenecks or reallocate resources to keep teams from having their work blocked. Microsoft Project is one of the most commonly used project management software, but it has major drawbacks that make ProjectManager a great alternative .

Desktop vs Online Project Management Waterfall Software

When it comes to waterfall software, you can choose from either a desktop application or online, cloud-based project management software. This might not seem to be a big issue, but there are important distinctions between these two types of offerings.

That’s because there are differences between the two applications, and knowing those differences will help you make an informed decision.

Desktop waterfall software tends to have a more expensive up-front cost, and that cost can rise exponentially if you are required to pay per-user licensing fees for every member of your team.

Online waterfall software, on the other hand, is typically paid for on a subscription basis, and that subscription is usually a tiered payment plan depending on the number of users.

Connectivity

Online software, naturally, must be connected to the internet. This means your speed and reliability can vary depending on your internet service provider. It also means that if you lose connectivity, you can’t work.

Although the difference is minor, desktop waterfall software never has to worry about connection outages.

If security is a concern, rest assured that both options are highly secure. Desktop software that operates on a company intranet is nigh impenetrable, which can provide your company with a greater sense of security.

Strides in web security, like two-factor authentication and single-sign have made online, cloud-based waterfall software far more secure. Also, online tools have their data saved to the cloud, so if you suffer a crash on your desktop that might mean the end of your work.

Accessibility

Desktops are tied to the computers they are installed to or, at best, your office’s infrastructure. That doesn’t help much if you have distributed teams or work off site, in the field, at home and so on.

Online software is accessible anywhere, any time—so long as you have an internet connection. This makes it always accessible, but even more importantly, it delivers real-time data, so you’re always working on the current state of the project.

Waterfall software helps to organize your projects and make them run smoothly. When you’re looking for the right software to match your needs, make sure it has the following features.

Keep Your Project Structured

Managing a project with the waterfall method is all about structure. One phase follows another. To break your project into these stages, you need an online Gantt chart that has a milestone feature. This indicates the date where one phase of the waterfall process stops and another begins.

Control Your Task and Schedule

The Gantt chart is a waterfall’s best friend. It organizes your tasks, sets the duration and links tasks that are dependent to keep work flowing later on. When scheduling, you want a Gantt that can automatically calculate your critical path to help you know how much float you have.

Have Your Files Organized

Waterfall projects, like all projects, collect a lot of paperwork. You want a tool with the storage capacity to hold all your documents and make them easy to find when you need them. Also, attaching files to tasks gives teams direction and helps them collaborate.

Know If You’re on Schedule

Keeping on track means having accurate information. Real-time data makes it timely, but you also need to set your baseline and have dashboard metrics and reporting to compare your actual progress to your planned progress. This makes sure you stay on schedule.

Get an Overview of Performance

Dashboards are designed to collect data and display it over several metrics, such as overall health, workload and more. This high-level view is important, so you want to have a feature that automatically calculates this data and doesn’t require you to manually input it.

Make Data-Based Decisions

Reports dive deeper into data and get more details on a project’s progress and performance. Real-time data makes them accurate. Look for ease of use—it should only take a single click to generate and share. You’ll also want to filter the results to see only what you’re interested in.

The Waterfall Model & ProjectManager

ProjectManager is an award-winning project management software that organizes teams and projects. With features such as online Gantt charts, task lists, reporting tools and more, it’s an ideal tool to control your waterfall project management.

Sign up for a free 30-day trial and follow along to make a waterfall project in just a few easy steps. You’ll have that Gantt chart built in no time!

1. Upload Requirements & Documents

Waterfall project management guarantees one thing: a lot of paperwork. All the documentation and requirements needed to address for the project can quickly become overwhelming.

You can attach all documentation and relevant files to our software, or directly on a task. Now, all of your files are collected in one place and are easy to find. Don’t worry about running out of space—we have unlimited file storage.

2. Use a Work Breakdown Structure to Collect Tasks

Getting to your final deliverable will require many tasks. Planning the waterfall project means knowing every one of those tasks, no matter how small, and how they lead to your final deliverable. A work breakdown structure is a tool to help you figure out all those steps.

To start, use a work breakdown structure (WBS) to collect every task that is necessary to create your final deliverable. You can download a free WBS template here . Then, upload the task list to our software.

3. Open in Gantt Project View

Gantt charts are essential project management tools used for planning and scheduling. They collect your tasks in one place on a timeline . From there, you can link dependencies, set milestones, manage resources and more.

In the software, open the Gantt chart view and add deadlines, descriptions, priorities and tags to each task.

4. Create Phases & Milestones

Milestones are what separates major phases in a waterfall method project. Waterfall methodology is all about structure and moving from one phase to the next, so breaking your project into milestones is key to the waterfall method.

In the Gantt view, create phases and milestones to break up the project. Using the milestone feature, determine when one task ends and a new one begins. Milestones are symbolized by a diamond on the Gantt.

5. Set Dependencies in a Gantt Chart

Dependent tasks are those that cannot start or finish until another starts or finishes. They create complexities in managing any waterfall project.

Link dependent tasks in the Gantt chart. Our software allows you to link all four types of dependencies: start-to-start, start-to-finish, finish-to-finish and finish-to-start. This keeps your waterfall project plan moving forward in a sequential order and prevents bottlenecks.

6. Assign From Gantt Charts

Although you’ve planned and scheduled a project, it’s still just an abstraction until you get your team assigned to execute those tasks. Assigning is a major step in managing your waterfall project and needs to happen efficiently.

Assign team members to tasks right from the Gantt chart. You can also attach any related images or files directly to the task. Collaboration is supported by comments at the task level. Anyone assigned or tagged will get an email alert to notify them of a comment or update.

7. Manage Resources & Workload

Resources are anything you need to complete the project. This means not only your team, but also the materials and tools that they need. The workload represents how many tasks your team is assigned, and balancing that work keeps them productive.

Keep track of project resources on the Workload view. See actual costs, and reallocate as needed to stay on budget. Know how many tasks your team is working on with easy-to-read color-coded charts, and balance their workload right on the page.

8. Track Progress in Dashboard & Gantt

Progress must be monitored to know if you’re meeting the targets you set in your waterfall method plan. The Gantt shows percentage complete, but a dashboard calculates several metrics and shows them in graphs and charts.

Monitor your project in real time and track progress across several metrics with our project dashboard . We automatically calculate project health, costs, tasks and more and then display them in a high-level view of your project. Progress is also tracked by shading on the Gantt’s duration bar.

9. Create Reports

Reporting serves two purposes: it gives project managers greater detail into the inner-workings of their waterfall project to help them make better decisions, and acts as a communication tool to keep stakeholders informed.

Easily generate data-rich reports that show project variance, timesheets , status and more. Get reports on your planned vs. the actual progress. Filter to show just the information you want. Then, share with stakeholders during presentations and keep everyone in the loop.

10. Duplicate Plan for New Projects

Having a means to quickly copy projects is helpful in waterfall methodology, as it jumpstarts the next project by recreating the major steps and allowing you to make tweaks as needed.

Create templates to quickly plan any recurring waterfall projects. If you know exactly what it takes to get the project done, then you can make it into a template. Plus, you can import proven project plans from MSP, and task lists from Excel and Word.

The waterfall methodology is one of two popular methods to tackle software engineering projects; the other method is known as Agile .

It can be easier to understand waterfall when you compare it to Agile. Waterfall and Agile are two very different project management methodologies , but both are equally valid, and can be more or less useful depending on the project.

Waterfall Project Management

If the waterfall model is to be executed properly, each of the phases we outlined earlier must be executed in a linear fashion. Meaning, each phase has to be completed before the next phase can begin, and phases are never repeated—unless there is a massive failure that comes to light in the verification or maintenance phase.

Furthermore, each phase is discrete, and pretty much exists in isolation from stakeholders outside of your team. This is especially true in the requirements phase. Once the customer’s requirements are collected, the customers cease to play any role in the actual waterfall software development life cycle.

Agile Project Management

The agile methodology differs greatly from the waterfall approach in two major ways; namely in regards to linear action and customer involvement. Agile is a nimble and iterative process, where the product is delivered in stages to the customer for them to review and provide feedback.

Instead of having everything planned out by milestones, like in waterfall, the Agile software development method operates in “sprints” where prioritized tasks are completed within a short window, typically around two weeks.

These prioritized tasks are fluid, and appear based on the success of previous sprints and customer feedback, rather than having all tasks prioritized at the onset in the requirements phase.

Understanding the Difference Between Waterfall & Agile

The important difference to remember is that a waterfall project is a fixed, linear plan. Everything is mapped out ahead of time, and customers interact only at the beginning and end of the project. The Agile method, on the other hand, is an iterative process, where new priorities and requirements are injected into the project after sprints and customer feedback sessions.

Pros & Cons of the Waterfall Project Management

There are several reasons why project managers choose to use the waterfall project management methodology. Here are some benefits:

• Project requirements are agreed upon in the first phase, so planning and scheduling is simple and clear.
• With a fully laid out project schedule , you can give accurate estimates for your project cost, resources and deadlines.
• It’s easy to measure progress as you move through the waterfall model phases and hit milestones.
• Customers aren’t perpetually adding new requirements to the project, which can delay production.

Of course, there are drawbacks to using the waterfall method as well. Here are some disadvantages to this approach:

• It can be difficult for customers to articulate all of their needs at the beginning of the project.
• If the customer is dissatisfied with the product in the verification phase, it can be very costly to go back and design the code again.
• A linear project plan is rigid, and lacks flexibility for adapting to unexpected events.

Although it has its drawbacks, a waterfall project management plan is very effective in situations where you are encountering a familiar scenario with several knowns, or in software engineering projects where your customer knows exactly what they want at the onset.

Using a project management software is a great way to get the most out of your waterfall project. You can map out the steps and link dependencies to see exactly what needs to go where.

As illustrated above, ProjectManager is made with waterfall methodology in mind, with a Gantt chart that can structure the project step-by-step. However, we have a full suite of features, including kanban boards that are great for Agile teams that need to manage their sprints.

With multiple project views, both agile and waterfall teams and more traditional ones can work from the same data, delivered in real time, only filtered through the project view most aligned to their work style. We take the waterfall methodology and bring it into the modern world.

Now that you know how to plan a waterfall project, give yourself the best tools for the job. Take a free 30-day trial and see how ProjectManager can help you plan with precision, track with accuracy and deliver your projects on time and under budget.

Start My Free Trial

• Gantt Chart Software
• Project Planning Software
• Project Scheduling Software
• Requirements Gathering Template
• Gantt Chart Template
• Change Request Form
• Project Management Trends (2022)
• SDLC – The Software Development Life Cycle
• IT Project Management: The Ultimate Guide
• Project Management Methodologies – An Overview
• Project Management Framework Types, Key Elements & Best Practices

Start your free 30-day trial

Deliver faster, collaborate better, innovate more effectively — without the high prices and months-long implementation and extensive training required by other products.

• Share on Twitter
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Pinterest
• Share through Email

What Is Waterfall Project Management? Phases, Benefits, & Uses

Marissa Taffer, PMP, A-CSM is the founder and president of M. Taffer Consulting. In her consulting practice, she helps organizations with project management processes and tools. She also serves as a fractional project manager supporting digital agencies, marketing departments, and other consultancies.

The waterfall project management methodology is a structure, sequential approach to getting projects completed. Learn why you’d use it— it’s more helpful than you’d think.

The waterfall project management process is linear and involves completing planning and meetings upfront to determine the scope, requirements, and risks.

For digital project managers, spending weeks or months planning a project that might span years is less common. Most of the time, the digital world moves much faster, but there is still a time and a place for using waterfall project management.

What Is Waterfall Project Management?

Waterfall project management is a linear project management methodology that moves through distinct phases of work. The next phase of work is dependent on the previous phase, so only one project phase can be worked on at a time.

The project plan in a waterfall project is mapped out in great detail, with milestones along the way.

The 5 Phases Of Waterfall Project Management

When you use a waterfall method for managing projects, you take your work through five distinct phases (this is also often known as the project life cycle ).

1. Project Initiation

The project initiation phase consists of gathering all of the project requirements . You’ll work to understand the business value of undertaking this work and map out the goals of the project.

Then, you'll write the project charter . This outlines the deliverables that will be in scope for this particular project. You'll also identify the stakeholders for your project and create a stakeholder register. Stakeholders are anyone who is impacted by the project and/or who will care about the project’s progress and success.

The end result of your project initiation phase should be buy-in from your project stakeholders. Without buy-in, you shouldn’t move into project planning.

Sign up to get weekly insights, tips, and other helpful content from digital project management experts.

• Your email *
• Yes, I want to sign up to receive regular emails filled with tips, expert insights, and more to build my PM practice.
• By submitting you agree to receive occasional emails and acknowledge our Privacy Policy . You can unsubscribe at any time. Protected by reCAPTCHA; Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

2. Project Planning

You’ll put together a plan for each step of your project. If initiation is the what and the why, planning is the how—how all that work will get done and by whom.

• Create your work breakdown structure and put your project scheme into your project management software
• Establish the critical path or the shortest path through your project tasks that need to be completed sequentially (not to be confused with the critical chain ).
• Use a Gantt chart to visualize when the work will be done and where tasks will overlap with each other (i.e. dependencies)
• Assign the work . Each person on the project team should have a clear understanding of their role in the project and what tasks will be in their area of responsibility. 
• Work with the team to put together a timeline and assign due dates . While the project timeline may shift a little over the course of the project, come up with an anticipated completion date for your project.
• Discuss the possible risks the team might encounter over the course of the project and brainstorm ways to mitigate these risks before they become issues that could impact your ability to complete your project. Track risks in your risk management software .

3. Project Execution

The project execution phase is where the rubber hits the road, as they say. This is go time for your project. During project execution, you’ll hold your official project kickoff and start working through your project tasks.

The beginning of the project might be the biggest challenge for the project team, especially if they have not worked together before. Team members will be learning how to work together and figuring out how to execute the project tasks simultaneously.

4. Project Monitoring & Controlling 

As the development team is executing the project work, you will keep a watchful eye on a number of things to ensure the project stays on track . 

These may include:

• If the work is being completed on time
• How much of the budget has been spent, and has anything come in over/under budget?
• Are project goals being attained?
• How is the progress against any metrics we set during project initiation or planning?
• Is the project being completed at an acceptable level of quality?

If things start to get off track, work with the project team and your stakeholders to adjust your project plan. If the budget is being spent too quickly, try to secure additional funds. If new tasks or requests are being added, ensure change orders are written and accepted.

5. Project Closing

During project closing , make sure every part of the project is complete and hold a post-mortem or retrospective to memorialize lessons learned on this project.

Take the time to celebrate everyone’s hard work and think about what went well on the project and what could have been improved or what they would like to do differently in the next project.

Take notes and archive them along with any final deliverables or artifacts (like the work breakdown structure and final budget) that might help when initiating future projects.

3 Use Cases For Waterfall Project Management

Waterfall project management works best for projects that have well-defined deliverables and constraints as well as fixed budgets and timelines. 

If you think your project scope still has a lot of unknowns or is subject to change, waterfall is probably not the project management approach you want to use. Waterfall works best for the following types of projects:

Construction Projects

Construction lends itself well to waterfall because a strict process helps ensure the safety of everyone working on the project or using the finished product. 

This is because plans for buildings need to be signed off on by engineers and often government agencies before they can begin. Plans are not subject to change along the way, and a sequential plan can easily be followed.

Construction projects are sometimes referred to as capital projects. Read more about capital project management here .

Website Design and Build Projects

Website design and build projects might use waterfall or one of many agile methods . Waterfall works well when needs are well-defined. 

If you have an exact sitemap and style guide you need to use, it’s easy to plan out the phases and when each page will be ready for review and approval. You can also select your target launch date with a high level of confidence.

Software with specific functionality

If your team is building software with specific functionality and a well-defined set of requirements, the waterfall model might be the right choice. Examples of this might be a CRM system, HR software, or any type of compliance tool. 

These will have an initial set of requirements, and the work can be scheduled and completed in a linear fashion. A Gantt chart showing the timeline and when stakeholders will receive status updates and/or need to be available for user acceptance testing will get everyone aligned with your plan.

Benefits of Waterfall Project Management

• Scoping and planning happen upfront : In a waterfall project, all of the scoping and planning happen upfront, and there is less room for ambiguity or changes as the project progresses. Team members should have a clear understanding of who is going to do what and when they will do it.
• A clear plan and objectives : The project team and stakeholders have a shared understanding of the plan. If new ideas come up during the project, they can either be held for a new project or another phase of the work, or the project manager can initiate a change order. This keeps the project running smoothly and helps ensure project objectives are met.

Drawbacks of Waterfall Project Management

• Rigid structure makes change complicated : It can be challenging to make changes along the way on waterfall projects. As technology advances quickly or user needs change, the project is not going to be as flexible as it would be if you were using one of the agile methodologies (ex. Scrum or Kanban) or another methodology that allows for scoping work iteratively.
• The work may take longer to get done : Since the waterfall approach means initiation and planning is done upfront, it may take longer to get to a completed project or usable product. With agile, the agile team releases usable work more frequently, whereas, in waterfall project management, the team waits until everything is ready to release work.

Agile Vs Waterfall Project Management

The main difference between agile and waterfall is that agile focuses on iteration and adaptability. You can change your plan to accommodate new requirements and feedback along the way. The waterfall project management methodology, as we've seen, follows a linear plan from project start to finish.

In agile project management , work is spelled out in a backlog and completed in time boxed sprints. The sprints produce a workable product called an increment, and customer feedback is provided each sprint, usually in a demo.

What's Next?

Want to debate the relative merits of waterfall and various agile approaches? Join DPM Membership and get access to the conversation in Slack with 100s of other digital project managers! You'll also get access to 100+ templates for important project documents like project plans, risk registers, and statements of work.

How To Easily Share Digital Assets: 6 Expert Best Practices

Construction resource management: 6 step process & benefits, workflow vs process: 5 key differences & 5 similarities.

Flexible project management

Knowledge, all in one place

Jira Service Management

High-velocity service delivery

Unlock enterprise knowledge

Jira Product Discovery New

Capture & prioritize ideas

Compass New

Optimize software health

Enhanced cloud security

Quick, async video updates

Collaborative code repos

Organized & visualized work

Enterprise strategy alignment

Ship high-quality, innovative software faster

Collaborative strategies for marketing success

Deliver exceptional operations and support services.

Integrations

Connect thousands of apps to your Atlassian products

Case studies & stories powered by teamwork

Compliant solutions for the public sector

Enterprise-grade & highly performant infrastructure

Our deeply integrated, reliable & secure platform

Trust center

Ensure your data’s security, compliance & availability

Customer Support

Ask questions, report bugs & give us feedback

Find Partners

Consulting, training & product customization support

Migration Program

Step-by-step guidance for your Atlassian cloud migration

Learn and expand your skill set for all things Atlassian

• Microservices
• Agile project management
• Waterfall Methodology

Waterfall Methodology: A Comprehensive Guide

Browse topics.

If you've been in project management for a while, you must’ve encountered the Waterfall methodology. It's an old-school software development method from the 1970s.

In a Waterfall process, you must complete each project phase before moving to the next. It's pretty rigid and linear. The method relies heavily on all the requirements and thinking done before you begin.

Don't worry if you haven't heard of it. Let’s break the Waterfall method down and see how it works.

What is the Waterfall methodology?

Waterfall methodology is a well-established project management workflow . Like a waterfall, each process phase cascades downward sequentially through five stages (requirements, design, implementation, verification, and maintenance).

The methodology comes from computer scientist Winston Royce’s 1970 research paper on software development. Although Royce never named this model “waterfall”, he gets credit for creating a linear, rigorous project management system.  

Unlike other methods, such as the Agile methodology, Waterfall doesn't allow flexibility. You must finish one phase before beginning the next. Your team can’t move forward until they resolve any problems. Moreover, as our introduction to project management guide outlines, your team can’t address bugs or technical debt if it’s already moved on to the next project phase.

What are the stages of the Waterfall methodology?

Five phases comprise the Waterfall methodology: requirements, design, implementation, verification, and maintenance. Let's break down the five specific phases of Waterfall development and understand why it’s critical to complete each phase before progressing to the next.

Requirements

The requirements phase states what the system should do. At this stage, you determine the project's scope, from business obligations to user needs. This gives you a 30,000-foot overview of the entire project. The requirements should specify:

resources required for the project.

what each team member will work on and at what stage.

a timeline for the entire project, outlining how long each stage will take. 

details on each stage of the process. 

But these requirements “ may range from very abstract to a detailed mathematical specification ,” writes Steven Zeil , professor of computer science at Old Dominion University. That’s because requirements might not outline an exact implementation, and that’s something development addresses in later stages. 

After gathering all the requirements, it's time to move on to the design stage. Here, designers develop solutions that meet the requirements. In this stage, designers:

create schedules and project milestones.

determine the exact deliverables.  

create designs and/or blueprints for deliverables. 

Deliverables could include software or they could consist of a physical product. For instance, designers determine the system architecture and use cases for software. For a physical product, they figure out its exact specifications for production. 

Implementation

Once the design is finalized and approved, it's time to implement it. Design hands off their specifications to developers to build.

To accomplish this, developers:

create an implementation plan.

collect any data or research needed for the build.

assign specific tasks and allocate resources among the team. 

Here is where you might even find out that parts of the design that can't be implemented. If it's a huge issue, you must step back and re-enter the design phase.

Verification

After the developers code the design, it’s time for quality assurance. It’s important to test for all use cases to ensure a good user experience. That's because you don't want to release a buggy product to customers.

writes test cases.

documents any bugs and errors to be fixed.

tests one aspect at a time.

determines which QA metrics to track.

covers a variety of use case scenarios and environments.

Maintenance

After the product release, devs might have to squash bugs. Customers let your support staff know of any issues that come up. Then, it's up to the team to address those requests and release newer versions of your product.

As you can see, each stage depends on the one that comes before it. It doesn't allow for much error between or within phases.

For example, if a stakeholder wants to add a requirement when you're in the verification phase, you'll have to re-examine the entirety of your project. That could mean tossing the whole thing out and starting over.

Benefits of Waterfall methodology

The benefits of Waterfall methodology have made it a lasting workflow for projects that rely on a fixed outcome. A 2020 survey found that 56% of project professionals had used traditional, or Waterfall, models in the previous year.

A few benefits of Waterfall planning include:

Clear project structure : Waterfall leaves little room for confusion because of rigorous planning. There is a clear end goal in sight that you're working toward.

Set costs : The rigorous planning ensures that the time and cost of the project are known upfront.

Easier tracking : Assessing progress is faster because there is less cross-functional work. You can even manage the entirety of the project in a Gantt chart, which you can find in Jira.

A replicable process : If a project succeeds, you can use the process again for another project with similar requirements.

Comprehensive project documentation : The Waterfall methodology provides you with a blueprint and a historical project record so you can have a comprehensive overview of a project.

Improved risk management : The abundance of upfront planning reduces risk. It allows developers to catch design problems before writing any code.

Enhanced responsibility and accountability : Teams take responsibility within each process phase. Each phase has a clear set of goals, milestones, and timelines.

More precise execution for a non-expert workforce : Waterfall allows less-experienced team members to plug into the process.

Fewer delays because of additional requirements : Since your team knows the needs upfront, there isn't a chance for additional asks from stakeholders or customers.

Limitations of Waterfall methodology

Waterfall isn't without its limitations, which is why many product teams opt for an Agile methodology.

The Waterfall method works wonders for predictable projects but falls apart on a project with many variables and unknowns. Let's look at some other limitations of Waterfall planning:

Longer delivery times : The delivery of the final product could take longer than usual because of the inflexible step-by-step process, unlike in an iterative process like Agile or Lean.

Limited flexibility for innovation : Any unexpected occurrence can spell doom for a project with this model. One issue could move the project two steps back.

Limited opportunities for client feedback : Once the requirement phase is complete, the project is out of the hands of the client.

Tons of feature requests : Because clients have little say during the project's execution, there can be a lot of change requests after launch, such as addition of new features to the existing code. This can create further maintenance issues and prolong the launch.

Deadline creep : If there's a significant issue in one phase, everything grinds to a halt. Nothing can move forward until the team addresses the problem. It may even require you to go back to a previous phase to address the issue.

Below is an illustration of a project using the waterfall approach. As you can see, the project is segmented into rigid blocks of time. This rigidity fosters an environment that encourages developers, product managers, and stakeholders to request the maximum amount of time allotted in each time block, since there may be no opportunity to iterate in the future.

How is the Waterfall method different from Agile project management?

Agile project management and the Waterfall methodology have the same end goal: crystal clear project execution. While Waterfall planning isolates teams into phases, Agile allows for cross-functional work across multiple phases of a project. Instead of rigid steps, teams work in a cycle of planning, executing, and evaluating, iterating as they go. 

The " Agile Manifesto " explains the benefits of Agile over the Waterfall model:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Working software over comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to change by following a plan

If you're looking for tools that support Agile project management and serve the same end goal as Waterfall, consider Jira . It’s best suited for Agile projects, and helps you: 

Track work : With Gantt charts , advanced roadmaps , timelines, and various other tools, you can easily track your progress throughout the project.

Align your team : Tracking allows you to seamlessly plan across business teams, keeping everyone aligned on the same goals.

Manage projects and workflows : With Jira, you can access project management templates that you can use for your Agile workflows .

Plan at every stage : Jira Product Discovery , another product by Atlassian, offers product roadmaps for planning and prioritizing product features at every stage, from discovery to delivery.

Atlassian's Agile tools support the product development lifecycle. There are even Agile metrics for tracking purposes. Jira  lets you drive forward the Agile process. It uses intake forms to track work being done by internal teams and offers a repeatable process for requests.

These Jira products integrate natively within the app, unifying teams so they can work faster.

Use Agile methodology for project management

Waterfall methodology has a long history in project management, but it's often not the right choice for modern software developers. Agile methodology offers greater flexibility.

Here’s why most teams prefer an Agile process:

Adaptability to changes : If something arises, your team will be better able to adjust on the fly. Waterfall’s rigidity makes it difficult to deal with any roadblocks.

Continuous feedback loop : Continuous improvement requires a feedback loop. With Agile, you can gather feedback from stakeholders during the process and iterate accordingly. 

Stronger communication : Teams work collaboratively in an Agile process. Waterfall is a series of handoffs between different teams, which hinders effective communication. 

Here is where a project management tool such as Jira  comes in handy for an Agile methodology. You can also use a project management template for your Agile projects. Your team can plan, collaborate, deliver, and report on projects in one tool. That keeps everyone aligned throughout any project and streamlines project management.

Waterfall methodology: Frequently asked questions

Who is best suited for waterfall methodology.

The Waterfall methodology works best for project managers working on projects that include:

Less complex objectives : Projects that don't have complicated requirements are best suited for Waterfall.

Predictable outcomes : Waterfall works best for those projects that are replicable and proven.

Reduced likelihood of project scope creep : A project where clients aren't likely to come up with last-minute requirements is suitable for Waterfall.

Agile methodology is perfect for nimble teams with an iterative mindset, such as: 

Cross-functional teams : A team of people with different skill sets that allows them to work on various aspects of a project. These are collaborative types who are flexible.

Self-organizing teams : Autonomous teams that don't need a lot of handholding. They embrace ambiguity in a project and are great problem solvers. This mindset also gives them more ownership over outcomes.

Startups and small businesses : These benefit from the mindset of " move fast and break things ". So they can fail fast, learn, and improve.

Finally, Agile works well for customer-centric projects where their input allows you to iterate.

What factors should I consider before implementing a project management approach?

When deciding on the proper methodology to implement in project management, there are four main factors to consider: project complexity, organizational goals, team expertise, and stakeholder involvement.

Let’s break each one down: 

Project complexity : Waterfall can help break down larger, more complex projects into smaller sets of expectations and goals. But its rigidity doesn’t deal well with unknowns or changes. Agile is better for complex projects that have a lot of variables. 

Organizational goals : What does your organization want to achieve? Is it looking to innovate or keep the status quo? An Agile approach is best if your organization wants to break down silos. Teams will work more collaboratively with more autonomy.

Team expertise : Agile is an excellent way to go if your team is cross-functional and can work across skill sets. If your team members rely heavily on a singular skill set, Waterfall may be better. 

Stakeholder involvement : If your stakeholders are going to be more hands-on, Agile will help you best because it allows for continuous feedback and iteration.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on LinkedIn

Get started building an agile workflow

Agile process flows help bring structure to scale your software development process. Learn more about workflow management to support your agile program.

Agile vs. waterfall project management

Agile project management is an incremental and iterative practice, while waterfall is a linear and sequential project management practice

The Waterfall Methodology in Project Management

The Empire State Building, huge websites, and some of the most successful marketing campaigns have been built on this tried-and-true process. But is it right for you?

In this chapter, we’ll cover what the Waterfall methodology is, how the Waterfall process works, and the pros and cons of Waterfall project management.

What is the Waterfall methodology in project management?

The Waterfall method is a traditional project management methodology that takes a well-defined project idea to completion through a sequential series of linear steps, tasks, and hand-offs. This straightforward and somewhat rigid method uses early planning and estimation to define and document project requirements prior to executing on the work.

The Waterfall methodology centers around a visual timeline—or gantt chart —of your project. This makes it easy to see how long every task should take, who should be working on it, and what order work should be done in.

The history of Waterfall: A method with roots in software development

The Waterfall model was first presented in 1970 by American computer scientist Winston W. Royce—though he didn’t actually use that term to describe it—in his article titled, "Managing the development of large software systems.” The first mention of “Waterfall” is often attributed to a paper written by T.E. Bell and T.A. Thayer in 1976.

Since then, the Waterfall approach has made an impact on many projects and project managers. It’s still widely used across industries and has even inspired formalized education around project management.

In Royce’s original article, he expressed his personal views on software development and presented Waterfall as a case of a flawed, non-working software development methodology—a critical view that persists today and has led to the rise of newer methods, including Agile project management .

Industries that use Waterfall project management

Any industry that relies on a well-defined process can use the Waterfall methodology. Those may include, but are certainly not limited to:

• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Software development
• Design and creative

Easy drag and drop features with templates for faster scheduling. Plan a project in minutes, collaborate easily as a team, and switch to calendar and list views in a single click.

How the Waterfall process works

Waterfall project management follows a linear process designed to deliver project quality and cost-efficiency. Each phase of the Waterfall process happens in sequential order, meaning one step must finish before the next one begins. You start at point A, finish that step, move on to step B, and continue that way until your project’s complete.

The Waterfall lifecycle doesn’t allow for a ton of iteration unless it’s planned. So if you’re working with a client, be very clear about how much time is scoped for feedback and iteration on your deliverables. Those steps will be built directly into your project plan. 

The same goes for change! If a client wants to change the direction of your Waterfall project midstream, you’ll face challenges with your project scope , budget, and deadline. That’s because the Waterfall method is grouped by phases and tasks that depend wholly on previous tasks and decisions. The minute you go off track with the plan, things start to fall apart.

Waterfall methodology phases

The Waterfall development process can be broken down into 6 key phases. Let’s take a closer look at the Waterfall methodology phases so you can get familiar with the high-level steps of the process.

Phase 1: Requirements gathering and documentation

The first step of any Waterfall project is to question and analyze business needs and understand project goals with a focus on documenting project requirements . 

This phase is critical to project success because it fully explains what’s needed—in detail—to complete the project both at a high level and as it relates to each requirement, which will be tracked throughout the project.

Phase 2: Planning and design 

The second phase of the Waterfall lifecycle builds on the first step by creating an overall plan for what’s being built. After all, you’ve got to know what you’re designing before setting out to design it.

Here are a few ways this plan might come together, depending on the project you’re working on:

• Architecture plan
• Detailed project brief

In this Waterfall phase, the goal is to come away with a foundational design document everyone agrees on that acts as a true north for your project. Once that plan’s complete, you can hand it to a designer who will bring the plan to life.

That said, it’s important to remember to keep an eye on your project requirements and documentation so the design work can be handed over in the next phase to begin implementation.

Phase 3: Build and development 

The next phase of the Waterfall process involves the actual build or development of a product. 

This is where the documentation you’ve created in the previous 2 steps proves critical, as it will guide your team to implement the design work. Hold your team accountable for checking those requirements—as well as their work in this step—to ease the pain of rework or fixes in the testing phase.

Phase 4: Testing 

Now it’s time to ensure your product meets all the requirements with the utmost quality and precision possible. Here are just a few activities testing might include:

• Review and check of the project requirements and goals
• Design review to ensure the integrity of the look and feel
• Review of usability
• Quality assurance test
• Bug tracking and reporting

The testing step carries the most risk in a Waterfall project because you just don’t know what issues or defects will pop up and how they’ll impact the timeline. That’s why careful planning is so important. Adding a buffer into your testing schedule can help ensure your team has adequate time to make fixes. 

You’re close to completion, so do everything you can to perfect the project in the testing phase before it launches.

Phase 5: Deployment 

At this point, requirements have been met, the product’s fully tested and approved, and everyone’s confident your product is 100% ready to release.

Depending on the type of product you’re launching, you’ll have a plan to ensure your deployment is smooth and drama-free. Be sure to discuss what the deployment or launch will look like far in advance of actually doing it. Working out the details early will enable you to approach your release day with a checklist and some confidence.

It may feel like time to celebrate, but you’re not done yet.

Phase 6: Support and maintenance

Not every project needs this step. But many products require a team to hang on for updates. So while you might have a product out in the wild, there’s a chance you might need to continue to support it after launch.

These 6 phases make up the core of the Waterfall process. What you don’t see here are the tasks, milestones , and hand-offs that occur within each phase. To get a sense for that, check out this Waterfall model and example .

Waterfall model pros and cons

Every method has advantages and disadvantages. So let’s take a look at some of the reasons people choose the Waterfall approach for their projects—and some of the downsides you should be aware of.

Advantages of the Waterfall methodology

We’ll start with the benefits of the Waterfall methodology. Here are some advantages you may find when you use the Waterfall method for your projects:

• Clear and complete documentation paves the way for straightforward feedback and decisions. The fact that Waterfall produces detailed project requirements means every piece of your project will be well-defined and documented. If someone wants to change a requirement , discuss it head-on because scope and budget will always be affected.
• Solid estimates set clear expectations. Most Waterfall practitioners will create a work breakdown structure of all tasks and subtasks. That detailed estimate can then translate to a firm project scope that correlates to a detailed project plan , creating very clear expectations about timing and scope.
• Visual project plans are easy to understand. Creating a Waterfall project plan is fairly straightforward because projects run in a linear manner with defined dependencies and responsibilities. Plus, the division of steps and tasks is simple to interpret. This makes planning your team’s time easier (and expected) and leads to a clear hand-off or end date.  ‍
• It’s easy to measure the impact of project changes. While it’s difficult to make up for changes or missed deadlines, it’s easy to determine the impact of a change and quickly make adjustments (though that does usually mean your deadline will be affected). ‍
• Communicating progress is simple. It’s easy to measure the completeness of your project because all tasks and milestones are mapped out with dependencies . ‍
• Accountability is clear. Each person can see when they’re expected to do their part and what happens if there’s a delay. ‍
• Communications are easier. When everyone can visualize the project, you’re able to easily communicate with bosses, clients, and team members. Everyone can review the project plan together when it’s drafted and spot potential issues or areas that might require special attention.

Waterfall method disadvantages

Of course, Waterfall project management comes with a few limitations too. Consider these important factors before deciding if the Waterfall method is right for you:

• Silos and lack of collaboration : Because team members work on specific tasks in phases and hand work off to someone else, it leaves little room for collaboration. Instead, it’s all about getting work done to documentation and ensuring the next person in line can use what was previously created or documented.
• Speed to launch : When you build one thing at a time, it means you take a considerable amount of time to get just one thing done—even if you could be working on other things at the same time.
• Ideation : If you don’t know what you want to build, Waterfall project management is not for you. The idea here is to receive or create project requirements and act on them—not iterate on them throughout the process.
• Change and documentation : Things change in business, and when documentation is built at the beginning of a project, the project can’t always change with the business without serious impact. (Sometimes that impact might be to start over.) So, while the documentation is strong, it can serve as a risk on longer projects.

Continue your learning

Now that you’ve got the Waterfall basics down, you’re ready to move onto another popular approach to project management! Keep reading to learn all about Agile.

NEXT CHAPTER: Agile Project Management Methodology

Plan your next project in minutes

When you’re a project manager, every minute counts. Our free project management software enables you to stay focused on the tasks that move the needle—no matter which methodology you use. 

Whip up a project plan in minutes, and watch your team cross the finish line faster. It really is that simple.

Get started for free!

• Product overview
• All features
• Latest feature release
• App integrations

CAPABILITIES

• project icon Project management
• Project views
• Custom fields
• Status updates
• goal icon Goals and reporting
• Reporting dashboards
• workflow icon Workflows and automation
• portfolio icon Resource management
• Capacity planning
• Time tracking
• my-task icon Admin and security
• Admin console
• asana-intelligence icon Asana AI
• list icon Starter
• premium icon Advanced
• briefcase icon Enterprise
• Goal management
• Organizational planning
• Campaign management
• Creative production
• Content calendars
• Marketing strategic planning
• Resource planning
• Project intake
• Product launches
• Employee onboarding
• View all uses arrow-right icon
• Project plans
• Team goals & objectives
• Team continuity
• Meeting agenda
• View all templates arrow-right icon
• Work management resources Discover best practices, watch webinars, get insights
• Customer stories See how the world's best organizations drive work innovation with Asana
• Help Center Get lots of tips, tricks, and advice to get the most from Asana
• Asana Academy Sign up for interactive courses and webinars to learn Asana
• Developers Learn more about building apps on the Asana platform
• Community programs Connect with and learn from Asana customers around the world
• Events Find out about upcoming events near you
• Partners Learn more about our partner programs
• Support Need help? Contact the Asana support team
• Asana for nonprofits Get more information on our nonprofit discount program, and apply.

Featured Reads

• Project planning |
• Waterfall project management

Waterfall project management template

Streamline your linear project process with a waterfall project management template. Break down your project into clear, sequential phases and actionable tasks that map to your project’s milestones and end goal.

Sign up to create your own template.

INTEGRATED FEATURES

Recommended apps.

Think about the last time you made a cup of coffee. To brew the best cup, you probably followed a set of sequential steps—measuring your beans, grinding the coffee, putting the coffee in the filter, boiling the water, pouring the water into the coffee maker, and so on. That’s because making coffee is a sequential activity, meaning you have to perform tasks in a certain order to be successful.

In project management, linear projects are projects that have to be completed in sequential order. To successfully complete these projects, you need to take a linear project management approach. One methodology that maps out project phases in sequential order is waterfall project management. 

A waterfall project management template helps you templatize your linear project process, so it’s easy to plug in your information and get started on a new project—without worrying about missing any steps. 

What is waterfall project management?

What’s the difference between waterfall project management and agile project management.

Waterfall project management segments work in consecutive phases. In contrast, the agile methodology of project management is an iterative process that breaks down work into dynamic phases called sprints. Unlike the waterfall methodology, which is rigid and requires work to be completed sequentially, the agile methodology is flexible and useful for projects where tasks can be completed at the same time. If you’re completing a project using the agile methodology, check out our agile project plan template .

What is a waterfall project management template?

A waterfall project management template creates a reusable framework you can use for any linear project. This template breaks down the typical phases of the waterfall approach, which you can customize to complement your project. Since the template is duplicatable, you can use it to create a repeatable process across all linear projects. 

With a digital waterfall project management template, you can: 

Break your projects into sequential steps, mapping a clear path from A to B.

View your project task list in a step-by-step linear timeline or Gantt chart.

Ensure your team meets project milestones, one task at a time. 

Create a reusable framework you can use for all linear projects.

Share the project timeline with stakeholders and keep them up-to-date on project progress. 

See where tasks stand and track which are at risk, so you can spot and mitigate roadblocks before they happen. 

Use custom tags to track essential project information like start and end dates, task status, dependencies, and project milestones.

What should your waterfall project management template include?

A waterfall project management template helps you standardize your linear project processes by providing a basic outline of the project phases. That way, when you have a new project, you can plug in your tasks and get to work, cutting down on upfront effort and ensuring you follow the same steps for every project. 

To start, divide your waterfall project management template into the chronological stages that your linear projects typically follow. While these phases might vary depending on your project type or industry, the phases of the waterfall project management methodology typically include some variation of:

Requirement gathering or analysis: This is the initial planning phase of the project when you compile a detailed project plan and determine essential project information such as project scope and timeline. Tasks in the requirements phase might include assigning team members to different deliverables and building a timeline for each stage. This phase also includes identifying project requirements and specifications. 

Design: The design phase is when the project team builds out the high-level design of the deliverable. In software development, the design phase might include wireframing, making decisions on functionality, and design revisions. In manufacturing, this could include product design. 

Implementation: In the implementation phase, your team begins developing the deliverable. Tasks in the implementation phase can include different development stages and reviews.

Testing: The QA team takes over during the testing phase, performing quality assurance tests to identify errors before the deliverable rolls out. Tasks in the testing phase often include performing different tests and recommending solutions. For software development, this could include running end-user testing and identifying bugs. In manufacturing, this could include testing the product under certain conditions, such as different types of weather.

Delivery or deployment: The deployment or delivery phase happens once your team completes and submits the deliverable. In software development, the deployment phase might include rolling out a software update; whereas in manufacturing, the delivery phase could include delivering the product to a customer.

Maintenance: The maintenance phase follows the deployment phase and involves continually monitoring the final product to identify and fix issues as they arise. In software development, the maintenance phase might involve fixing bugs that occur after deployment. In manufacturing, it might mean making repairs to the product. 

Integrated features and recommended apps to use with your waterfall project management template

Asana’s integrated features and synced business apps level up your waterfall project management template by streamlining cross-team collaboration and simplifying the project monitoring process.

Integrated features

Timeline View . Timeline View is a Gantt-style project view that displays all of your tasks in a horizontal bar chart. Not only can you see each task’s start and end date, but you can also see dependencies between tasks. With Timeline View, you can easily track how the pieces of your plan fit together. Plus, when you can see all of your work in one place, it’s easy to identify and address dependency conflicts before they start, so you can hit all of your goals on schedule. 

Milestones . Milestones represent important project checkpoints. By setting milestones throughout your project, you can let your team members and project stakeholders know how you’re pacing towards your goal. Use milestones as a chance to celebrate the little wins on the path towards the big project goal. 

Custom fields . Custom fields are the best way to tag, sort, and filter work. Create unique custom fields for any information you need to track—from priority and status to email or phone number. Use custom fields to sort and schedule your to-dos so you know what to work on first. Plus, share custom fields across tasks and projects to ensure consistency across your organization. 

Dependencies . Mark a task as waiting on another task with task dependencies. Know when your work is blocking someone else’s work, so you can prioritize accordingly. Teams with collaborative workflows can easily see what tasks they’re waiting on from others, and know when to get started on their portion of work. When the first task is completed, the assignee will be notified that they can get started on their dependent task. Or, if the task your work is dependent on is rescheduled, Asana will notify you—letting you know if you need to adjust your dependent due date as well. 

Dropbox . Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Dropbox file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane.

Microsoft Teams . With the Microsoft Teams + Asana integration, you can search for and share the information you need without leaving Teams. Easily connect your Teams conversations to actionable items in Asana. Plus, create, assign, and view tasks during a Teams Meeting without needing to switch to your browser.

Google Workplace . Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Google Workplace file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.

Gmail . With the Asana for Gmail integration, you can create Asana tasks directly from your Gmail inbox. Any tasks you create from Gmail will automatically include the context from your email, so you never miss a beat. Need to refer to an Asana task while composing an email? Instead of opening Asana, use the Asana for Gmail add-on to simply search for that task directly from your Gmail inbox. 

What is a waterfall project management template? .css-i4fobf{-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 200ms ease-in-out;transition:transform 200ms ease-in-out;-webkit-transform:rotateZ(0);-moz-transform:rotateZ(0);-ms-transform:rotateZ(0);transform:rotateZ(0);}

A waterfall project management template is a templatized version of a sequential project process. It streamlines your linear project processes by providing an outline of the project phases, which you can customize at the start of each project.

What are the benefits of a waterfall project management template?

Using a waterfall project management template standardizes your linear project processes, so you can plug and play every time you have a new project, cutting down on upfront work and ensuring your team follows the same set of steps. 

Who should use a waterfall project management template?

Waterfall project management templates are useful for teams that undertake linear projects. These projects have clearly defined steps and a set end goal. Manufacturing and construction industries originally developed the waterfall process, and it's often used in software development. 

You should break down your waterfall project management template into sections for the typical phases your linear projects follow. In software development and manufacturing, these phases typically include requirement gathering, design, implementation, testing, deployment or delivery, and maintenance.

What’s the difference between a waterfall project management template and an agile project management template?

Project teams use waterfall project management templates when completing projects using the linear, sequential waterfall methodology. In this methodology, tasks are completed in sequential order. In contrast, teams use agile project management templates and sprint planning templates when completing projects using the more flexible agile methodology. In that methodology, tasks can be completed at the same time.   

Related templates

Short-term goals template

Learn how reusable short-term goals templates can take your goals from vision to reality.

Communication plan

Keep everyone on the same page and clearly communicate important information to stakeholders by creating a communication plan template in Asana.

Work log template

See where you're losing time and kickstart your productivity by creating a work log template in Asana.

Risk register template

Create a risk register template to proactively identify and solve potential roadblocks before they become a bigger problem.

A sales plan template can help provide your team with the organized framework they need to establish their sales goals. Learn how you can do that with Asana.

Risk management plan template

Starting a project without considering risks is, well, a big risk to take. Prevent major issues from occurring in your project with a risk management plan template.

Weekly to-do list template

Clarity doesn’t have to be complicated. With a weekly to-do list template, you can create a new task list in seconds every Monday.

Prioritization matrix

Take the guesswork out of task prioritization by creating a prioritization matrix template. Prioritize your work by business impact and needed effort.

Change management plan template

Is your organization starting to make some big changes? Create a change management plan template to make the process easier.

Project premortem

A premortem is a brainstorming tactic your team uses to anticipate different ways a project can fail. Learn how to use a premortem template to minimize project risk.

Bill of materials

Learn how a bill of materials template helps keep you organized by housing all the information needed for the successful completion of your project.

Learn how creating a RAID log template in Asana can help you proactively identify and mitigate project risks.

Status report

Keep track of project status and provide key stakeholders with at-a-glance progress updates with a project status report template.

Project timeline template

Learn how to keep a project on track—and ensure success—by creating a project timeline template.

RFP Process

Use our template to prepare an RFP, then organize and evaluate the responses—all in the same place—so you can pick the best vendor for the job.

Business process management template

Learn how a business process management template can help improve your business processes.

Project estimation

Create a project estimation template to accurately scope project resources and align on project expectations.

Project schedule

Complex work, simplified. Organize project tasks, deliverables, and milestones into one cohesive schedule. Learn how to create a customized project schedule template in Asana.

IT project plan

Organize your IT work in one place. Manage deployments, order equipment, and connect teams—without compromising security.

Daily planner template

Keeping your day organized is more than just writing down a list of daily to-dos. Learn how to create a daily planner template in Asana.

Event promotion plan

Use Asana’s event marketing plan template to increase event awareness, build excitement, and drive audience attendance.

Marketing project plan

Our template guides you through project management best practices for marketing teams so you can get from strategy to tactics to results.

HR project plan

No matter the project, human resources teams can use our template to set priorities, track progress, and streamline recurring work.

Design project plan

What’s the secret to more productive design and creative projects? A smooth creative process.

Project documentation

Looking for documents is a giant time waster for most people—which is where a project documentation process comes in. Learn how to create a project documentation template so that you always know where documents live—for every project, company-wide.

Eisenhower Matrix template

Overwhelmed by your to-do list? Learn how to create an Eisenhower Matrix template in Asana so you can prioritize and sort your tasks based on their urgency and importance.

Project scope management plan

A project’s scope is just as important as its budget or timeline. Prioritize this crucial part of project management by creating a project scope management plan template.

RACI matrix

Team decision-making can be hard—a RACI matrix template makes it easier. Define each project task role to instantly boost clarity for all your stakeholders.

Project initiation document

A project initiation document template is a helpful way to standardize the information you share with your team before a project begins.

Implementation plan

Create an implementation plan template to break down your business goals into manageable, achievable steps.

Project charter template

Want to nail your next project pitch? Create a project charter template and outline everything you need to get your next initiative approved.

Public relations plan

Create focused, targeted, and organized PR campaigns—no matter who’s planning them—with a public relations plan template.

Operations project plan template

Operations teams strive to optimize and gain efficiency across the business, and can do the same for their own projects with our template.

Web production template

Let our template help you coordinate a web production schedule—even if producers and web developers work out of different tools.

Action items template

No matter your best intentions, you need more than motivation to knock out your to-dos. An action item template—where you decide the who, what, and when of every task—can help you organize your workflows and get more done.

Critical path method template

Project delays holding you back? Create a critical path method template to visualize everything that needs to be done in order to reach your end goal.

Milestone chart template

Milestone charts highlight significant moments in your workflow. Learn why this matters and how to create one for yourself.

Create templates with Asana

Learn how to create a customizable template in Asana. Get started today.

Waterfall Project Management: The Ultimate Guide

Waterfall project management can give your projects a more structured approach.

As a discipline, project management is essential to ensuring end products are produced as intended, while also not blowing the budget or running over schedule. Waterfall project management is a longstanding methodology that adds intense rigor and structure to the discipline so processes can be refined and repeated for future projects. For project managers wanting to formalize their project efforts, the chapters below provide an in-depth rundown of virtually everything you need to know about waterfall, including when it's best to use (and avoid) the methodology, and its phases.

Table of contents, chapter 1: what is the waterfall approach to project management, chapter 2: waterfall phases, chapter 3: waterfall advantages, chapter 4: waterfall disadvantages, chapter 5: waterfall project management methodology examples, chapter 6: how to support a waterfall approach with software.

Waterfall project management is a linear methodology that requires a project to be completed in sequential steps. At the beginning of the project, you create a detailed waterfall project plan that includes requirements and expectations, among other aspects. You then proceed through a series of clearly defined phases—which we describe in Chapter 2—until you’ve fully executed on the plan.

Waterfall is documentation-heavy and can be unforgiving at times because you must fully complete each phase before moving on to the next one. It’s often contrasted with other project methodologies , such as agile—a flexible, iterative approach that develops a project in stages, instead of planning it from start to finish before kickoff. To help draw a distinction between the two approaches, consider several agile methodologies:

• Lean. This philosophy emphasizes cutting waste and inefficiencies, such as choosing only the most valuable features for a software system.
• Kanban. A flexible project management approach that promotes continuous collaboration and emphasizes visualization of work, typically through a collection of boards and cards.
• Scrum. An approach involving a small team led by a scrum master, whose main job is to clear away all obstacles to the team completing work. Work is done in short cycles called sprints, and the team meets daily to discuss current tasks and roadblocks that need clearing.

The flexibility of agile methodologies like the above have inspired some organizations to forego the traditional waterfall project management methodology—according to a PMI survey, 37% of organizations use waterfall approaches, while 41% use either agile or a hybrid approach of waterfall and agile. Still, there are certain industries and projects where the sequential approach is necessary; we explore a few examples of these in Chapter 5.

The waterfall method of project management defines five distinct phases you must carefully plan out and execute on, and each phase is a prerequisite for the next. Below we walk through what to expect in each phase.

1. Planning

The first phase is all about preparing for subsequent phases. You gather important setup information and requirements about the project through interviews, questionnaires, brainstorming sessions, and so on. Be sure to include all key stakeholders to address multiple perspectives.

One essential part of the planning phase is identifying the specific deliverables you’ll need throughout the life of the project, and what it will take to produce them. These should be queued up so as you proceed through each phase, your team has a clear idea of which deliverable they’ll need to work on next. Assigning roles is also important—each participant (even less-involved stakeholders) should know the part they’re required to play.

Remember that waterfall project management requires each step to be thought out in the beginning, so put a sizable amount of time and effort in this first phase to ensure you don’t have to go back to the drawing board down the line.

2. Designing

The second phase is intended to establish the project specifics. Here is where you outline all the actions you’ll take to deliver the agreed-upon scope, and the order in which you’ll take them. This is also where you flesh out and document expected timelines, budgets, and so on.

Design is all about solidifying and documenting your decisions from the first phase—think of the planning phase as the what and the designing phase as the how . For example, if you’re managing a software development project, you would document the programming language you’ll be using and any hardware requirements.

3. Implementation

Here you execute on what you’ve planned and documented. The majority of your time will be spent in this phase. If your company creates software, this stage would consist primarily of coding and hitting product development and release milestones. If your company is in construction, this is where your team would be building a home or commercial property.

Like in the previous phase, remember to document your activities. Good recordkeeping for external and internal use is imperative, for example, if clients want evidence of certain tasks, and to give your team something to refer back to for future projects.

Here you look for any problems in deliverables from the implementation phase. Maybe there’s some errant code (for software) or issues with the roof (for construction). The rigor of the waterfall approach typically makes this phase relatively brief, but you should create a process for finding and reporting issues to keep the project moving smoothly. If your original plan was designed well, you may have a little buffer to remediate problems.

5. Maintenance

The focus of the maintenance phase is to tie up any loose strings, such as making minor modifications to the product to improve performance (typically through change requests) or to shore up any issues or defects.

In addition, you want to optimize your process for the next project. You may hold a lessons-learned discussion (sometimes called an after action review) to determine what went well and what didn’t. This helps identify the changes you should make the next time around. Document everything you discuss and make sure it’s saved where you know where to find it when you start your next project.

The sequential nature of waterfall project management may make the approach seem inflexible, but these characteristics also provide the below upsides.

1. It speeds up training time for new team members.

New team members often have to go through the onboarding process, including shadowing with a current team member. The documentation for the waterfall approach comes in handy when getting new members up to speed. While they’ll still need to connect and establish a good relationship with the rest of the team, reviewing project documentation can give new members a solid foundation of knowledge. It can also help answer many questions they might have, meaning they won’t have to wait for a teammate to get answers.

2. It helps retain knowledge within the organization.

Documentation comes in handy with regard to employee turnover. When experienced employees exit the organization, their knowledge is retained in project documents. When you assign someone to the empty role or source new talent to fill it, they’ll have an easier time learning the ins and outs of their responsibilities.

3. It makes projects easier to manage.

Regardless of team size, the waterfall approach is straightforward. After putting in the work upfront to plan all the necessary details for a successful completion, the only thing left is to walk through the steps as directed. At any point during the project, you should know exactly what’s being worked on and by whom, along with any dependent tasks—this leaves little need to figure out what’s next on the agenda, or who to go to if you have questions about work items.

4. It reduces the time needed to complete projects.

Every waterfall-style project you complete helps you refine your project processes, and find new and better ways to complete similar work. Many companies perform the same type of work repeatedly for different clients or contexts. Construction companies are a good example—whether they’re building a home, an office building, or an industrial space, it requires the same repeatable process.

Assuming they’ve documented their processes—and updated that documentation in subsequent engagements—construction companies can achieve faster build times. They are also well aware of potential issues that can cause delays, and how to quickly remedy them. The same sentiment can be applied to other types of companies that employ a repeatable process to achieve similar end products.

5. It makes project progress simple to measure.

The waterfall technique for project management ensures all project elements are clearly defined, which makes measuring progress a simple task. You always know where you are schedule-wise, how many tasks you’ve completed, which deliverables have been submitted, and so on. Then it’s just a matter of doing the math, determining whether you’re on track, and seeing what corrective measures may be needed if you’re behind schedule.

6. It makes project progress easy to visualize.

Stemming from the last advantage, clear measurements make for easy charting and graphing. A straightforward percentage of completion can be shown with a pie chart to quickly communicate status to management. Gantt charts are also frequently used in the waterfall methodology to show the status of the current schedule, including dependency relationships between activities.

There are also several downsides to the waterfall method of project management. While they don’t take away from the efficacy of the methodology, they do demonstrate why waterfall is not suitable for all projects.

1. It’s unadaptable to change.

As we described above, flexibility is the key difference between waterfall and agile methodologies. Waterfall takes a highly structured, step-by-step approach to producing an end product, whether that be a new office building or a new vaccine. In worst-case scenarios, if you miss an important detail, you may be forced to start the entire project over from phase one. This can be quite costly in terms of budget, client satisfaction, and employee morale.

2. It requires lots of planning.

Since waterfall requires that all project details are known upfront, you have to employ extensive, comprehensive planning efforts. From in-depth interviews to multiple brainstorming sessions, you have to get as much information out of as many people as possible to avoid missing any pertinent details that could impact the project in later phases.

Plus, if you’re looking to get a project up and running quickly, you’ll probably be out of luck—unless it’s a similar project that calls for many of the same requirements, which would reduce planning time.

3. It requires intense focus in each phase.

Waterfall can require that a phase be fully completed before proceeding to the next one, and it’s extremely difficult to go back if you miss anything. That means you and your team must check every box before moving on, or there could be a lot of rework needed. This could easily derail your schedule since there are many dependent relationships between tasks—every day of delay is another day added to your overall schedule.

4. It doesn’t permit working on multiple phases at once.

Agile allows you to move between phases as you learn more about what you’re working on. Waterfall is not so forgiving. In most cases, you’re not able to shorten the timeline on projects by working simultaneously on different tasks. Since there are so many dependent relationships between tasks, you’re forced to complete each one individually before starting the next. Rolling up this concept to a higher-level view, you can see why a project schedule would not have much flexibility. There may be a few places where waterfall steps overlap, but there is usually a gating mechanism to make sure each major area is completed before moving on to the next area of the plan.

The effectiveness of waterfall vs. agile is a hotly debated topic. In truth, every project is different, which means you may need to tailor your approach to fit whatever your current project needs. Below are some use cases where the waterfall methodology is a good fit, and others where another methodology would likely work better.

Use Cases Where Waterfall Works Well

In general, traditional waterfall project management is a good fit for projects that:

• Can be planned from beginning to end before they start
• Don’t require work on multiple phases at the same time
• Have a clearly defined product and process

Both the construction and manufacturing industries have long used waterfall project management. In fact, over 25% of manufacturing companies still use the methodology.

Given the sequential operating nature of the two industries, this reality isn’t surprising. Construction companies build houses and commercial spaces literally from the ground up; changes in a construction plan can be extremely costly and, in some cases, not possible after certain points in the project. While there may be room for preparing certain materials in advance, buildings are constructed in a specific order, making it a great match for waterfall.

Manufacturing also calls for orderly operations—personnel and machines work together to turn various components into a cohesive product for additional processing or final product for consumer consumption. The rigid nature of waterfall project management helps ensure process outcomes are consistent, so products turn out the same way every time.

‍ Healthcare is another area that can benefit from using waterfall, specifically pharmaceuticals. Scientific research is naturally an orderly practice, and the end product is clearly defined. To develop a new drug, for example, scientists form a hypothesis and proceed through a rigorous set of steps. Each time they fail, they start over, forming an adjusted hypothesis to explore.

Here’s a brief overview of how a waterfall project might go in a pharma context:

• Planning. Scientists perform research about the disease they’re trying to cure, including studying it in a lab and interviewing patients affected by it. They form a hypothesis on a potential cure.
• Designing. The scientists develop a waterfall project plan as to how they will explore the hypothesis and what resources they need.
• Implementation. The scientists execute on their plan and develop a drug that potentially cures the disease.
• Testing. The scientists perform relevant testing to verify the efficacy of the drug. If it doesn’t work, they start over.
• Maintenance. The scientists reflect on the process, identify lessons learned, make changes to their hypothesis and development process, and document all these aspects to optimize their next drug development project.

The waterfall method of project management also works well for local governments and municipalities that build or reopen any type of public works project. For example, consider the reopening of a seasonal public space such as a park or recreation center. A waterfall project may proceed in this manner:

• Planning. Government staff conduct interviews with maintenance workers and park officials to determine the appropriate steps and resources needed to reopen the space to the public.
• Designing. The staff outlines a plan, assigning people to relevant responsibility areas and creating a work timeline.
• Implementation. The staff oversees the execution of the project, ensuring each task is completed successfully and on time.
• Testing. The staff carries out appropriate tests to ensure the space is safe and operating correctly, and that it will hold up well under public use.
• Maintenance. The staff holds a review discussion to evaluate the reopening process, and make any necessary changes to the process for next year’s reopening.

Use Cases Where Waterfall Isn’t Suitable

In general, traditional waterfall project management would not be a good fit for projects that:

• Necessitate different phases or tasks be worked on simultaneously
• Have an unclear end state, where you’re not exactly sure what a product or outcome will be or even how best to approach creating it
• Require feedback at multiple points throughout the life of the project that impact processes and deliverables

Software development is a great example. Historically, waterfall was used to develop software; it is still sometimes used for prepackaged software products, such as Microsoft Office 2010. However, subscription-based software has become the norm in recent years. This type of software is maintained continuously and typically uses customer feedback to roll out new features frequently. Instead of packaging together a set of features for a given year, then restarting the development process to roll out a new version the next year, customers are continually presented with the latest version every time they log in.

Dubbed software as a service (SaaS), this development and pricing model requires lots of flexibility to accommodate changes based on customer input and updates. That’s why many modern software development companies choose agile over waterfall project management.

Sometimes waterfall doesn’t work because technology is evolving so quickly that you cannot plan out an entire year-long project. It doesn’t allow for you to learn from your clients along the way or include a new innovation in underlying software. That being said, you may take an agile development approach, but still have aspects of waterfall in the release process to make sure that testing is completed and customer communications occur as a product or enhancement is being released.

Whether you decide to follow the traditional waterfall project management methodology or a hybrid approach, you can increase your chances of success by using a solution designed to track and support the progress of your projects. ClearPoint strategy execution software not only keeps your projects running in an orderly fashion, but also ensures they align with your overall goals.

ClearPoint brings together all your project data in one place to help you easily keep your team and management informed about project status. You can also upload all your requirements documents so your whole team can stay on the same page throughout the life of the project.

In keeping with waterfall’s focus on optimizing processes for future projects, you can even save your project data as a template and duplicate it when you start a new project—saving a significant number of hours and money. Other features that help you manage your waterfall projects successfully are:

Project Tracking

You can build and track your entire waterfall project plan in ClearPoint, from planning to maintenance. Use the project management dashboard to maintain a high-level view of progress. Track milestones to see which ones are complete, on track, or falling behind. Assign tasks to users based on their responsibilities, including due dates and notifications alerting you to their completion, and link those tasks to higher-level project phases.

Visualizations

Recall that waterfall makes visualizing project progress easy; ClearPoint has a number of charts and graphs to help you accomplish this. For example, Gantt charts are an essential visual tool for waterfall project management—these are automatically built into ClearPoint as you enter start and end dates for individual tasks. You can see the status of each project through standard colors like red, yellow, and green, making it simple for anyone to quickly gauge project status.

Another important aspect of waterfall is reporting. You have to keep your team, department leaders, and executives in the loop about progress. ClearPoint helps you easily report on KPIs —including adherence to the budget —to each of these audiences by enabling you to quickly build and save reports that show varied levels of data and different visualizations.

The traditional waterfall project management methodology can help add structure and rigor to any project, but it’s not necessarily best suited for every project. Consider whether your project fits the criteria described above, and remember you can always opt to try a hybrid approach of waterfall and agile if you need more flexibility.

Whether you choose to go the traditional route or follow a hybrid model, ClearPoint can help your project make it to the finish line on time and within budget—all while supporting your strategy.

What is waterfall project management?

Waterfall project management is a linear and sequential approach to project management. Each phase of the project must be completed before moving on to the next, following a set order: requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance. This method is characterized by its structured and predictable process.

What are the benefits of using waterfall project management?

The benefits of using waterfall project management include:

- Clear Structure: Each phase has specific deliverables and a review process. - Predictability: The sequential approach makes it easier to predict timelines and budgets. - Documentation: Comprehensive documentation is maintained throughout the project. - Ease of Use: It is straightforward and easy to manage, especially for projects with well-defined requirements. - Control: Provides strong control over project progress and scope.

What are the challenges of using waterfall project management?

The challenges of using waterfall project management include:

- Inflexibility: It is difficult to accommodate changes once a phase is completed. - Risk of Delays: Any delay in one phase can impact the subsequent phases. - Late Testing: Testing is performed late in the process, which can lead to discovering major issues at a later stage. - Overemphasis on Documentation: Excessive focus on documentation can sometimes slow down progress. - Client Feedback : Limited opportunities for client feedback during the project lifecycle.

When is waterfall project management the right choice for a project?

Waterfall project management is the right choice for a project when:

- Requirements are Clear: The project requirements are well-defined and unlikely to change. - Predictable Outcomes: The desired outcomes are predictable, and the process needs a clear structure. - Complexity is Low: The project is simple or similar to past projects where Waterfall has been effective. - Regulated Environments: Projects in highly regulated industries where detailed documentation and compliance are crucial.

How can I get started with waterfall project management?

To get started with waterfall project management:

- Define Requirements: Clearly outline project requirements and objectives. - Create a Plan: Develop a detailed project plan that includes all phases and milestones. - Assign Roles: Assign specific roles and responsibilities to team members for each phase. - Develop a Schedule: Establish a timeline with deadlines for each phase. - Document Everything: Maintain thorough documentation at each stage of the project. - Monitor Progress: Regularly review progress against the plan and make adjustments as needed. - Conduct Reviews: Perform phase reviews and ensure all deliverables meet the required standards before moving to the next phase.

Ryan Wherrity

Ryan serves as a "player-coach" on ClearPoint's sales team, managing major accounts while also overseeing his fellow Account Executives' efforts.

Latest posts

ClearPoint Strategy vs. Envisio: A Comprehensive Comparison 

ClearPoint vs. Cascade: Which Strategy Software is Right for Your Growing Business?

Making the Complex Simpler and the Manual Automated using ClearPoint

What Is the Waterfall Methodology?

The phases of the waterfall methodology provide a systematic structure for aspects such as planning, organization, design and testing. Here’s how it works, plus some alternatives.

The waterfall methodology is an approach used by software and product development teams  manage projects. The methodology separates the different parts of the project into phases specifying the necessary activities and steps. For example, at the beginning of the project, the waterfall methodology focuses on gathering all requirements from stakeholders that project team members will later use to design and implement the product. 

However, waterfall has its, well…downfalls, which I’ll discuss in more detail below. In short, waterfall may not be suitable for every development process and you can find modified or extended versions of the waterfall methodology that try to solve some of these issues. 

One example of an extended version of the waterfall methodology is the V-model . A key distinction of the V-model from the original Waterfall methodology is its emphasis on validation and testing during the entire project duration, as opposed to only testing after an implementation phase.

More From This Expert What Is JSON?

What Is the Waterfall Methodology in Software Engineering?

The waterfall methodology is a software development life cycle (SDLC) model used to build software projects. 

One thing that distinguishes waterfall from other SDLC models (like Agile ) is that phases are performed sequentially. In other words, the project team must complete each phase in a specific order. If you look at the diagram below, you can see the flow is similar to a waterfall.

Working with SDLC models often includes additional software to keep track of planning, tasks and more. So it’s possible to find tools designed to support the waterfall methodology’s specific workflow, for example.

What Are the Different Phases of the Waterfall Methodology? 

The waterfall methodology was one of the first established SDLC models. In fact, waterfall dates back to 1970 when Dr. Winston W. Royce described it in “ Managing the Development of Large Software Systems .” However, we should note that Royce didn’t refer to the methodology as “waterfall” in the paper. The waterfall nomenclature came later. In his original paper, Royce specified the following phases.

7 Stages of the Waterfall Model

• System requirements 
• Software requirements
• Program design

The system and software requirement phase involves gathering and documenting the requirements defining the product. This process typically involves stakeholders such as the customer and project managers. The analysis phase involves steps such as analyzing the requirements to identify risks and documenting strategies.

The design phase focuses on designing architecture, business logic and concepts for the software. The design phase is followed by the coding phase which involves writing the source code for the software based on the planned design.

The testing phase concerns testing the software to ensure it meets expectations. The last phase, operations , involves deploying the application as well as planning support and maintenance.

Advantages of the Waterfall Methdology

Waterfall provides a systematic and predictable framework that helps reconcile expectations, improve planning, increase efficiency and ensure quality control. What’s more, waterfall documentation provides an entry for people outside the project to build on the software without having to rely on its creators, which is helpful if you need to bring in external assistance or implement changes to the project team.

Disadvantages of the Waterfall Methodology

The structural limitations of the waterfall methodology may introduce some problems for projects with many uncertainties. For instance, the methodology’s linear flow requires that each phase be completed before moving on to the next, which means the methodology doesn’t support revisiting and refining data based on new information that may come later in the project life cycle. A specific example of this limitation is the methodology’s focus on defining all requirements at the beginning of the project. After all, stakeholders may not know everything about the project at the very start or they may change their opinion later about what the product should actually do or what customer segment they’re trying to serve. 

On the other hand, a project with well-defined and stable requirements may benefit from waterfall because it ensures the establishment and documentation of the requirements as soon as possible.

Another disadvantage of the waterfall methodology can be the late implementation of the actual software, which may result in a product not correlating with stakeholders’ expectations. For example, if the developers have misunderstood the customer’s idea about a specific feature due to poorly defined requirements, the final product will not behave as expected. Late testing can also lead to finding systemic problems too late in the project’s development when it’s more difficult to correct the design.

More From the Built In Tech Dictionary What Is Agile?

Waterfall Methodology vs. Agile

Another approach to software development is the Agile methodology . Agile is more flexible and open to changes than waterfall, which makes Agile more suitable for projects affected by rapid changes.

A key difference between the two methodologies is the project’s flow. While waterfall is a linear and sequential approach, Agile is an iterative and incremental approach. In practice this means that software created using Agile has development phases we perform several times with smaller chunks of implemented functionality. 

The two methodologies also have different approaches to testing . The waterfall methodology tests implementation very late in the process while Agile integrates tests for each iteration.

Another key difference is the two methodologies’ approach to stakeholders. When we use waterfall, the customer doesn’t see the implemented software until quite late in the project. When we use Agile, customers have the opportunity to follow the progress along the way.

Which methodology you choose will come down to the project’s context. Stable and well-defined projects may benefit more from the waterfall methodology and other projects affected by rapid changes may benefit more from Agile.

Recent Software Engineering Perspectives Articles

What Is Waterfall Project Management?

Reviewed by

Technology Advice is able to offer our services for free because some vendors may pay us for web traffic or other sales opportunities. Our mission is to help technology buyers make better purchasing decisions, so we provide you with information for all vendors — even those that don’t pay us.

Table of contents

Key takeaways

• Waterfall project management is a sequential, structured method ideal for projects with unchanging goals.
• Waterfall is fitting for industries like construction and logistics, where steps are dependent and predefined.
• Other methodologies might be better for projects that require flexibility or are likely to change.

Jan. 29, 2023: Irene Casucian revised the copy for clarity, accuracy, and depth. She also added examples of project management software solutions that offer features suited for waterfall project management.

Waterfall project management definition

Waterfall project management is a methodology characterized by a linear and sequential design process. This approach is akin to a cascading waterfall, hence its name, where each project phase cascades into the next. The methodology is structured so that each project stage must be completed before the next one begins for a systematic and orderly progression through the project lifecycle.

The waterfall model is particularly well-suited for projects where the objectives and deliverables are clearly defined . Each phase in the waterfall process relies heavily on the deliverables and feedback of the preceding phase. This process creates a dependent chain of development stages.

Since the waterfall model is predicated on a foundation of well-defined requirements, any deviation or alteration in the plan requires revisiting and potentially redoing previous work. This can be time-consuming and costly, as it disrupts the project flow and requires a backtrack to earlier stages — a process that the waterfall methodology does not inherently accommodate.

The phases of the waterfall methodology

The waterfall methodology consists of five distinct phases that are linear and rigid: requirements, design, implementation, testing, and deployment and maintenance.

Learn how projects unfold from start to finish across methodologies: The Five Phases of Project Management

Requirements

In the requirements phase of the waterfall methodology, the project’s foundation is laid out with a comprehensive outline of the project’s requirements. This stage is crucial as it involves defining high-level statements of what the project must achieve, which could be implemented in various ways. These requirements may include project scope , stakeholder expectations, and research. 

Smartsheet aids the requirements phase of waterfall project management by providing a collaborative, real-time platform for documenting project specifications. Its customizable templates help in structuring the diverse needs of a project, while the attachment feature makes sure all related files are centrally accessible.

Automated workflows streamline the approval process, and integration capabilities with other tools enhance efficiency. Smartsheet also has strong access controls and reporting tools that give project managers precise control over the requirements documentation process.

Following the establishment of requirements, the design phase involves creating solution strategies that meet the outlined requirements. This phase is pivotal in translating requirements into detailed specifications and plans. It’s where theoretical requirements take a practical shape, whether through architectural diagrams, data models, or detailed design documents. The deliverables from this phase typically include design specifications and potentially prototype models, which are reviewed to confirm they align with the requirements before proceeding to implementation.

In this phase, Microsoft Project can help in meticulous project planning and tracking the design activities through its Gantt charts and scheduling features. These features make sure that each design element is accounted for and completed on time. It allows for allocating resources to specific design tasks, monitoring their progress against the project timeline, and adjusting as necessary to adhere to deadlines.

The software’s critical path feature is particularly beneficial for identifying and managing tasks that could delay the project. At the same time, its centralized platform fosters collaboration among stakeholders.

Implementation

The implementation phase is where the actual construction of the project takes place based on the design documents and specifications. It’s a critical phase where the project starts to materialize through coding, development, and the integration of components.

The importance of this phase lies in its role in turning design concepts into a working product or system. Deliverables include the developed software or completed components of the project, which are reviewed for adherence to design specifications and readiness for the subsequent testing phase.

During the implementation phase of waterfall project management, Jira can act as a central hub for task management . Its features allow for meticulous tracking of development progress. It enables the creation of a detailed workflow for issues, assignment of work to developers, and prioritization of features and bugs.

The ability to integrate with version control systems like Git further enhances Jira’s utility, linking code commits to tasks for better traceability. This, coupled with Jira’s reporting tools, offers project managers a clear view of progress and helps maintain strict adherence to the project timeline.

During the testing phase, the implementation outcomes are rigorously evaluated to make sure they meet the initial requirements and design specifications. This phase is essential for verifying the functionality, performance, and reliability of the project deliverables.

Testing can include various methods, such as unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and user acceptance testing. The deliverables from this phase are test reports, which detail the testing processes and results. These reports are reviewed to confirm that the project is ready for deployment or to identify any issues that need to be addressed.

Deployment and maintenance

Finally, the deployment and maintenance phase sees the project being put into production and maintained over time. This phase is significant as it involves not only the actual launch of the project into a live environment but also the ongoing support and enhancement to guarantee its continued effectiveness.

Deliverables include the final product, release notes, and maintenance plans. Reviews during this phase focus on the project’s performance in the real world and the implementation of any necessary updates or fixes to maintain its viability and efficiency.

During the deployment and maintenance phase of the waterfall methodology, monday.com supports the rollout and ongoing management of the project. It can help in meticulously tracking the deployment process, coordinating release schedules, and managing immediate post-launch tasks.

The platform’s ability to handle task assignments, prioritize maintenance issues, and facilitate team communication makes it an asset for securing the project’s stability and responsiveness to any arising issues.

Who is waterfall project management best for?

The waterfall project management process is best for rigidly structured projects . The clear communication and expectations of the waterfall methodology reduce confusion and keep things relatively on track. But it only works for projects with those clear steps—anything that requires unexpected shifts or new ideas will need a different method.

Construction projects, for example, are almost entirely built around difficult-to-ignore dependencies. Framing must be done before detailing, and electrical wiring should be installed before the drywall goes up. These natural dependencies make it an excellent fit for waterfall’s planning and strict process. The same could be said for the fulfillment and logistics industries.

The waterfall method does create a process that is relatively simple to triage because every task and dependency is already laid out in a readily accessible document. But it can only accommodate minimal changes that are absolutely necessary. Otherwise, the timeline would have to be redone entirely, which could cost the team a lot of time and effort.

So again, if you deal with constant priorities and task shifts, similar to a newsroom, you’ll need something much more flexible than the waterfall methodology.

When is waterfall methodology less successful?

The waterfall methodology may not be the best fit for all project management scenarios. Its rigidity can be a double-edged sword; on one hand, it provides a clear structure and milestones, but on the other, it cannot adapt to changes once the project is underway. As previously mentioned, this can lead to high costs if changes are needed late in the project, as going back to a previous phase is not part of the waterfall ethos.

Additionally, because testing is left until after the completion of all prior phases, any issues discovered late in the process can cause significant delays and increase costs. This makes waterfall unsuitable for projects where requirements are not well understood from the outset or are likely to evolve.

Organizations or projects that demand frequent reassessment, such as tech startups working on innovative software, may find waterfall methodology challenging. This is because it is hard to predict all the needs and requirements, and things can change significantly over time.

For instance, a company developing a new software product in a rapidly evolving market would likely find using the waterfall methodology a hindrance, as its inability to amend changes quickly could result in an outdated product by the time of release.

How is waterfall project management different from other PM methodologies?

Agile and waterfall methodologies sit at opposite ends of the project management spectrum regarding flexibility and client involvement.

Agile is, as its name suggests, a more reactive approach to project development. Agile allows project managers to build loose, iterative plans that team members can customize to their task’s needs.

Agile also values input over process, so projects that are likely to shift based on stakeholder feedback are better served by Agile’s methodology. That’s why it’s ideal for projects in dynamic environments where requirements evolve.

Waterfall, conversely, typically involves clients primarily at the beginning and end of the project, which can lead to a gap between initial requirements and the final product if the client needs change during the project.

Learn more in our video overview:

The scrum methodology segments work into mini timelines called sprints and assigns tasks to team members based on the expected time needed to complete each one. At the end of each sprint, project managers and their teams evaluate what was accomplished during the sprint, assign new tasks based on previous performance, and repeat this process until the deliverables are complete.

Scrum’s iterative approach contrasts with waterfall’s approach, which often locks in requirements and deliverables from the start. The Scrum master guides the team through the Scrum process and removes obstacles. This is quite different from the more directive role of a project manager in waterfall, who typically oversees the project from initiation to completion along a predetermined path.

Lean relies on a just-in-time delivery of resources and is usually deployed when resources are scarce or in flux. We see lean approaches to project management in fast-paced settings like the restaurant industry or in much more mechanical places like the grocery industry.

Lean encourages decentralized decision-making and empowers team members to take action to deliver value with faster responsiveness. This contrasts with waterfall’s top-down approach, where decisions are often made at the outset and followed through strictly, which makes it harder to pivot or incorporate feedback as the project progresses.

Is waterfall project management right for you?

Understanding whether waterfall project management fits your needs is crucial because it can significantly impact the success of your project. Factors such as the project timeline, scope, team expertise, budget, and level of client involvement play vital roles in this determination.

Waterfall is ideal for projects with a well-defined scope and requirements that are unlikely to change. It works well when the timeline and budget are fixed and the team has the expertise to deliver the project without future iterations. Additionally, waterfall can be beneficial when client involvement is limited to the beginning and end of the project, as it doesn’t cater to continuous client engagement.

Assess whether waterfall’s sequential, phased approach aligns with your project’s requirements — particularly its resource constraints and expected outcomes. If your project demands a structured approach with clear documentation and upfront planning that isn’t subject to change, then waterfall could be the right choice.

Intrigued by the various PM approaches beyond waterfall? Learn more about other top innovative project management strategies .

Featured Partners Featured project management partners

Browse all project management software →

8 Common Project Risks & How to Manage Them

What Are Project Milestones & How to Use Them

15 Workflow Automation Examples for 2024

Join 10,000 Project Management Insider readers and start getting the latest on weekly PM industry news, guides, and resources.

What the waterfall project management methodology can (and can’t) do for you

Reading time: about 7 min

If you work in project management, you have probably heard a number of strange terms thrown around as you try to decide what approach will work best for your team: critical path, scrum, PMBOK, Six Sigma, etc. Amongst all these terms, you may have heard about the waterfall project management methodology, even if you’ve never used it.

Curious as to whether this approach would be a good fit for your project management needs? In this guide, learn how the waterfall methodology uses a sequential process to simplify project management and how you might implement aspects of this methodology in your own work.

What is the waterfall project management methodology?

Simply put, traditional waterfall project management is a sequential, linear process of project management. It consists of several discrete phases. No phase begins until the prior phase is complete, and each phase’s completion is terminal—waterfall management does not allow you to return to a previous phase. The only way to revisit a phase is to start over at phase one.

If waterfall methodology sounds strict, that’s because the system’s history demanded it. Waterfall project management has its roots in non-software industries like manufacturing and construction, where the system arose out of necessity. In these fields, project phases must happen sequentially. You can’t put up drywall if you haven’t framed a house. Likewise, it’s impossible to revisit a phase. There’s no good way to un-pour a concrete foundation.  

As you can imagine, proper planning is a must in the waterfall system. A project’s requirements must be clear upfront, and everyone involved in a project must be well aware of those requirements. Each team member should also understand what their role will be in the project and what that role entails.

All of this information must be thoroughly documented and then distributed to everyone on the project. We recommend outlining this information as a flowchart, as shown below, so your team can quickly understand and reference requirements as needed. You may also want to try adding swimlanes to show which tasks go to which team member. 

Team members will refer to the documentation you provide throughout the process. When followed properly, this document makes expectations clear. It will also provide project milestones that will make it simple to determine progress.

Consequently, thorough documentation is a priority in traditional waterfall project management methodology. Documentation should take place throughout every phase of the process, ensuring that everyone involved is on the same page despite the sequential progression of the project.

Phases of waterfall project management

The specific waterfall phases vary somewhat from source to source, but they generally include:

1. Requirement gathering and documentation

In this stage, you should gather comprehensive information about what this project requires. You can gather this information in a variety of ways, from interviews to questionnaires to interactive brainstorming. By the end of this phase, the project requirements should be clear, and you should have a requirements document that has been distributed to your team.

2. System design

Using the established requirements, your team designs the system. No coding takes place during this phase, but the team establishes specs such as programming language or hardware requirements.

3. Implementation

Coding takes place in this phase. Programmers take information from the previous stage and create a functional product. They typically implement code in small pieces, which are integrated at the end of this phase or the beginning of the next.

Once all coding is done, testing of the product can begin. Testers methodically find and report any problems. If serious issues arise, your project may need to return to phase one for reevaluation.

5. Delivery/deployment

In this phase, the product is complete, and your team submits the deliverables to be deployed or released.

6. Maintenance

The product has been delivered to the client and is being used. As issues arise, your team may need to create patches and updates may to address them. Again, big issues may necessitate a return to phase one.

Benefits of waterfall project management

Keeps training simple

This methodology could ensure your project’s success even if there are unanticipated changes in bandwidth. Because waterfall project management emphasizes thorough documentation, you can easily and seamlessly add new team members to any project. There’s no need to intuit what an absent programmer was trying to do, as everything—from the project’s conception to its completion—is recorded. New team members can simply refer to documentation to get quickly up to speed.

Shows progress

Waterfall project management also shows progress simply. The clear milestones delineated in the first phase make it easy to determine if a project is moving forward on schedule. Likewise, the discrete phases indicate how close a project is to overall completion at any given time, as the waterfall system does not allow for revisiting a prior phase. This eliminates much of the guesswork related to a project’s timeline.

Makes the project easy to manage

These benefits, combined with the linear nature of the system, make waterfall projects easy to manage. Because of the sequential system, you’ll know where the project is at any given time and if that’s where it should be. Rather than scrambling to manage a large team, a manager can focus exclusively on team members participating in a given phase. And should there be unexpected outside delays or personnel changes, waterfall documentation allow you to quickly get your team back on track.

Saves time and money

Whether you decide to fully commit to waterfall project management, there’s no question that certain aspects of this methodology—namely, thorough conceptualization and detailed documentation—better prepare you to execute a project the right way the first time. Taking the time early on to discover and plan for requirements can save you time and money down the line.

When to use waterfall methodology

Because of its linear approach, waterfall methodology project management works best for projects that have clear and fixed requirements and/or time constraints. That’s why waterfall steps work well in manufacturing and construction industries, where schedules and plans are clear from the start.

Late-stage testing makes any revision a serious undertaking. In fact, strict adherents to the waterfall timeline would argue that a need for revision means the product requirements were not clear, and therefore the project must return to stage one. This can be a serious problem in many industries, such as the ever-changing world of software.

An agile approach is more likely to suit your project if you suspect that requirements could change during production or that revision will be necessary. Realistically, most software development fits in this category.

Because of its inability to adapt to change, the waterfall methodology is best suited to short projects that are well-defined from the beginning. If you are certain that the project requirements are static, then waterfall project management provides a straightforward way to push a project through a clearly defined process. It’s simple to manage and easy to track.

How Lucidchart can help you document your project

Want to try the waterfall methodology? Now that you’ve seen the importance of documentation within this method, you know the first step is to find a platform to track all the necessary tasks and share them with your team.

Lucidchart can help in every project stage:

• Utilize a mind map as you gather requirements. You can even share your Lucidchart document during a meeting with stakeholders and add suggestions in real time.
• If you work in software development, you might want to create a user flow diagram based on the requirements you’ve received. With this document, developers can see a high-level view of how the software should function.
• Once you finalize requirements and understand the tasks needed to accomplish those requirements, create a workflow for your team. In Lucidchart, your team will be able to see dependencies at a glance. 
• Make documentation available for everyone involved with the project. Sharing is simple since you can access Lucidchart documents from any operating system or embed your diagrams into popular apps  you already use in your workflow.

Try Lucidchart and see how to improve documentation throughout the entire waterfall process.

Explore all the ways Lucidchart can support project management.

About Lucidchart

Lucidchart, a cloud-based intelligent diagramming application, is a core component of Lucid Software's Visual Collaboration Suite. This intuitive, cloud-based solution empowers teams to collaborate in real-time to build flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, customer journey maps, and more. Lucidchart propels teams forward to build the future faster. Lucid is proud to serve top businesses around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft. Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous awards for its products, business, and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucidchart.com.

Related articles

The pros and cons of waterfall methodology.

Learn about the pros and cons of the Waterfall methodology to determine if it's the right fit for your team. 

Agile vs. Waterfall vs. Kanban vs. Scrum: What’s the Difference?

Check out our complete guide to help you understand the different project management methodologies. Understand what really sets Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, and Kanban apart and determine which is the best fit for your team. 

Bring your bright ideas to life.

or continue with

By registering, you agree to our Terms of Service and you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy .

Get started

• Project management
• CRM and Sales
• Work management
• Product development life cycle
• Comparisons
• Construction management
• monday.com updates

Introduction to Waterfall project management

When it comes to the waterfall project management methodology, not everyone is on the same page. Some folks are huge fans, while others prefer other project management methodologies instead.

Just like anything else, waterfall project management has its advantages. The secret is knowing what they are and how to leverage them.

In this post, we’ll cover what waterfall  project management  is, when to use it, and how to utilize a few different best practices.

Try monday.com

What is waterfall project management?

In simple terms, waterfall project management is a sequential project management approach. It is split into different phases, and no phase begins until the prior phase is complete. As such, the waterfall methodology does not allow you to return to a previous phase.

One thing to be mindful of: because this project management style requires the plan for the project to be made upfront and includes the entire scope of the project, it does sometimes mean there is less flexibility possible than if you were using a different management approach like the agile methodology .

However, the waterfall method does present a very clear way to approach projects and to visualize what needs to happen from start to finish, making it very logic-driven and easy to follow.

Benefits of Waterfall Project Management

So, what are the benefits of waterfall project management? Let’s look at a few of its positive features that can help teams execute projects efficiently, effectively, and without ambiguity.

Straightforward planning

Because waterfall project management uses a very simple, linear format with a project scope that maps out the entire process from start to finish, the planning stages of a project can be very straightforward and easy to understand for everyone involved.

There’s not a lot of room for iterations or flexibility related to the project’s different phases, so this format keeps everyone focused on the documented tasks/steps required.

Simple progress tracking

The linear format waterfall uses also lends itself to easy progress tracking as a project progresses over time. Because a next step can’t begin before its predecessor ends, the rigid boundaries can help keep the project scope very concrete (which means it won’t spiral out of control).

All stakeholders can quickly and easily assess where the project is at developmentally because of deliverables and stages that are tied to clear project phases.

Clarity around deliverables

One of the most important benefits of waterfall project management is that it eliminates much of the confusion and ambiguity that can arise from a more flexible project management approach.

5 Best Practices for Waterfall Project Management

When it comes to getting the most out of waterfall project management, a key ingredient is following best practices. Let’s get into those and look at how teams can leverage this style for maximum results.

1. Verifying that the nature of the project suits the methodology

Before you decide on a project methodology, you’ll want to be sure you’re choosing the best option that will accommodate the nature of your project. If you’re following a linear process that doesn’t call for many iterations or much flexibility, waterfall makes sense.

If you need something more fluid and less structured, you may be better suited by a different methodology, like agile project management .

To decide on what’s best for you, study what other teams have used for similar projects in the past and weigh your options based on the reality of what needs to be done and how. This is a great opportunity for a group discussion about different methodologies available wherein different stakeholders can voice their opinions and be heard.

2. Creating comprehensive documentation

If you’ve landed on the waterfall approach, documentation will be essential because it makes clear who’s responsible for what and when in very obvious terms. It also outlines the project from start to finish and states what needs to be done in order to achieve a successful end result.

So what is documentation, anyway? This includes things like a solid project scope that defines clear boundaries as well as a central, documented plan of action that acts as a central hub/point of reference for everyone involved.

Sometimes it’s also helpful to create and post a visual progress meter in a place where team members can see and understand how their efforts are working toward a larger end result. Seeing boxes checked or phases completed in a visual format adds a concrete, tangible element to what can feel like an abstract, far-off end goal.

3. Establish clear, realistic timelines and due dates

Another best practice around waterfall project management is to define the times and phases at which clients will be required to be involved.

Because clients and customers are only involved at specific points in the project with waterfall (rather than all along the way), you can establish clear deadlines for deliverables for both parties and have a frank discussion about how if assets or availability isn’t addressed on time, it will ultimately delay the project, keeping everyone involved from the final result.

Again, this is extremely helpful for keeping all parties involved accountable, on time, and clear about exactly what’s required for the project and when.

4. Defining clear criteria and procedures for the success of each phase

If you define clear criteria and procedures for each stage of your project process, you’ll likely discover that it allows for the establishment of a very simple action plan that everyone involved can follow, monitor, and work on as a collective.

The benefit of following this best practice is that there is no fluctuation around criteria and procedures for the project, which means there are fewer opportunities for confusion and/or changes that could slow up the process. Instead, progress tracking is simplified with stages clearly indicated. This makes it easier to plan launch dates and make future-facing decisions.

5. Aligning expectations with the project’s stakeholders

Large projects often have a reputation for expanding along the way to their original end goal. As more stakeholders bring in their opinions, insights, and requests, tasks and deadlines get stretched well beyond the original scope.

This is why when using the waterfall project management approach it’s important to make sure those in the company who have some interest or power over the project are clear about project expectations from the beginning (and that they agree to not push beyond what was agreed upon during the course of execution.)

Due to its rigidity, it can be difficult to make changes in the middle of the project when practicing waterfall, so it’s incredibly important to have everything well planned in advance.

How to use Waterfall with monday.com, step by step instructions

Running a Waterfall project with monday.com is really easy to get started, as we have a template for that.

1. Start by setting up groups for each step in the Waterfall method and then add in your tasks.

2. Assign each task to a team member and set a due date and status.

3. When you’re ready to set up your waterfall, you can use the project timeline to visualize the time frame for each task and task group so you know all your pieces are in the right order. You can also set up milestones and task dependencies to make sure everyone is aligned and on track in real-time.

Get started with the waterfall method seamlessly

Waterfall project management can be a great way to move a project with many moving parts consistently forward in a clear, structured way. If your project doesn’t need to be all that flexible or to account for changes along the way, it’s a solid option with minimal ambiguity.

Weigh your options and figure out if it’s right for your team and its next big undertaking. It might be just the thing that helps you reach the finish line with minimal hiccups along the way.

Try it now for free on monday.com, no credit card required!

Send this article to someone who’d like it.

Popular Insights:

Best Project Management Software

Mind Mapping Software

Agile vs Waterfall Methodology: Differences & How To Choose

Share this Article:

Our content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click links to our partners. Learn more in our  Editorial & Advertising Policy .

One of the most critical components of project management is understanding various methodologies, their strengths and weaknesses, and knowing when those teachings are best applied. Read on to learn more about the Agile and Waterfall methodologies, their similarities, and differences, and when to apply them in daily project management work.

Featured Partners

{{ POSITION }}. {{ TITLE }}

Agile vs. Waterfall Methodologies: What’s the Difference?

While Agile and Waterfall are both methodologies that exist in project management , their use cases and core rules are extremely different. The main difference between Agile and Waterfall is that the Agile methodology is extremely flexible, whereas the Waterfall methodology is rigid. 

The Agile methodology is team-driven and includes room for quick changes, edits, and room for stakeholder feedback throughout. On the other hand, the Waterfall approach is more traditional, with projects following a sequential approach that only involves feedback at the end of the project.

Read more: Agile, Waterfall, and Hybrid: Managing the Multiple-Methodology Portfolio

Overview: A Quick Comparison of Agile and Waterfall

Read more: What is Agile Project Management?

Key Differences between Agile and Waterfall

Agile methodology.

Key points: High degree of flexibility and continuous evolution 

Requirements: Shorter deadlines, frequent check-ins, and a highly adaptable team with team members that can play various roles as needed

• Adaptability: Agile projects are able to adapt to unexpected changes and edits faster than most other project management methodologies, making them a great choice for software developers, product designers, and other teams dealing with high levels of uncertainty.
• Faster issue detection: Because Agile projects rely on delivering a functional product as quickly as possible, Agile teams can identify product issues faster than non-Agile teams that would only notice issues at the end during product delivery.
• More efficient: Agile teams are often more efficient and faster moving than non-Agile teams, as team members are encouraged to creatively solve problems and continuously improve through feedback and testing.
• Transitional difficulties: Teams migrating to the Agile methodology from more traditional methods, such as Waterfall, may find the transition challenging.
• Lack of documentation: In the Agile methodology, comprehensive project documentation isn’t as prevalent as in the Waterfall methodology, making it difficult to extract exact details, budget, and even communicate if teams aren’t mindful.
• Scope creep: Because the end goal is less definite than in other methodologies, Agile projects can be particularly susceptible to scope creep.

Waterfall Methodology

Key points: Rigid structure and a sequential process

Requirements: Highly structured team, a hands-on project manager, and a well-defined project plan 

• Well documented: The Waterfall methodology relies on thorough documentation, making it easier to track project expenses and even replicate the project, if needed, in the future.
• Precise structure: Waterfall projects are predictable and follow an exact process, eliminating uncertainty and creating highly defined roles for team members.
• High visibility: Especially for teams that are accountable to external stakeholders, the Waterfall method provides a high level of visibility into project work at every phase, making it easy to update stakeholders on project progress.
• Limited client involvement: External clients and stakeholders that want a high level of involvement with project work might feel excluded from Waterfall projects that limit client involvement.
• Inflexible: The Waterfall method leaves little room for revisions or changes. Additionally, Waterfall projects have less capacity to adjust if circumstances suddenly change.
• Time-consuming: Compared to Agile teams, Waterfall projects move more slowly, especially during the project initiation stages, as they require much more in-depth documentation.

Read more: 3 Best Tools for Waterfall Project Management

History of Agile and Waterfall Methodology

History of the agile methodology.

The Agile methodology was created after the tech boom of the late 1990s when software developers realized they needed a more flexible approach to projects. Before the Agile methodology, software developers and technical teams were frustrated by the Waterfall approach’s limited capacity to embrace change throughout the project lifecycle. For example, if there was an error or major flaw in a software product, by the time the product was delivered to stakeholders, there was no room for improvement without kicking off a new project. 

In February of 2001, a group of 17 software developers met in Snowbird, Utah, determined to create a better way of managing projects that could address some of their frustrations. At the conclusion of the trip, the group created the Agile Manifesto that outlines the key principles of modern Agile project management, effectively creating a better method of project management for teams that required a higher level of flexibility than previous methods provided.

Read more: Agile Software Development Methodology & Principles

History of the Waterfall Methodology

The Waterfall methodology is the oldest project management methodology, first documented in a paper titled “Managing the Development of Large Software Systems,” published by Winston W. Royce in 1970. Inspired by the rigid, repetitive process of Henry Ford’s assembly line, the Waterfall method became popular in the 70s and 80s but became less popular in the 90s as technology-focused teams realized the limitations of the method. 

Read more: Waterfall Software Development & Tools

How to Choose Between the Agile and Waterfall Methodology

When to use agile methodology.

The Agile methodology embraces uncertainty, with ambiguous details and adaptability reigning as two core values. Projects with high levels of uncertainty surrounding timeline, budget, and resources are great candidates for the Agile method. In particular, technical teams, such as software engineers, IT support teams, video game developers, and tech startups tend to favor the Agile approach to project management because of the flexibility it grants them when developing new products. 

When to Use Waterfall Methodology

The Waterfall method relies on sequential events and high levels of predictability. A wide variety of projects are good candidates for the Waterfall model, including projects with well-defined requirements, small or highly focused projects, projects that do not have a rigid timeline and repeatable projects that follow similar steps each time. Specifically, industries such as construction and manufacturing benefit from using the Waterfall method. 

Pairing Agile and Waterfall Methodologies with Project Management Tools When incorporating a new methodology into the team’s project strategy, utilizing the power of project management tools such as project management software can help create a unified documentation system for project documents while making essential tasks like assigning deadlines much easier. 

Project Management Software for Agile Teams: ClickUp

ClickUp is a great choice in project management software for Agile teams because it supports the essential features that Agile teams need most, from a variety of collaborative features to 15 project views, and reporting features that can help fill in the gaps where project documentation is concerned. 

Examples of collaborative features within ClickUp, such as instant chat. Source: ClickUp, accessed November 2023.

Key Features

Collaborative options: Compared to most project management solutions, ClickUp offers a host of communication tools, from built-in chat to video calling and tagged commenting features that help Agile teams stay in touch throughout the project lifecycle. 

Flexible views: ClickUp offers 15 view options for Agile teams that require flexibility in task visualization, including dashboard views that enable teams to monitor the analytics of multiple projects at one time, extracting viral information about project work and completion status. 

Client communication: For Agile teams, client and stakeholder communication is paramount. ClickUp makes it easier for Agile teams to update external stakeholders with features such as in-app email sharing, guest viewing, and cloud storage for essential documents. 

Project Management Software for Waterfall Teams: monday.com 

monday.com is a great choice for Waterfall projects because it offers support for achieving well-defined project goals while helping Waterfall teams speed up processes. Features such as workflow automations, templates, and individual task overviews help optimize Waterfall project processes while keeping teams accountable. 

Example of the Waterfall project template in monday.com. Source: monday.com, accessed November 2023.

Project templates: monday.com offers over 100 templates for starting projects easily without the hassle of setup, including a specialized template for Waterfall projects. 

Workflow automations: Waterfall projects can often take longer than other types of projects and monday.com’s customizable workflow automations make it easy to repeat menial tasks, speeding up the project process overall.  Project monitoring: monday.com allows users to monitor the status of projects in a few ways, including multi-project dashboard views and the individual task tracking column, which provides a real-time tracker of how close tasks are to completion.

Read more: 10 Best Project Management Software for 2023

Oftentimes, the terms  “methodology” and “framework” are used interchangeably in project management. However, they are, in fact, very different. 

In project management, methodologies refer to a very rigid set of rules and guidelines that are to be strictly followed when working on a project. Conversely, frameworks are less rigid guidelines that provide adaptable paths for the application of methodological principles.

It might sound counterintuitive because the Agile and Waterfall approaches are so different, but in fact, teams can achieve great success when using a hybrid approach of these two methodologies. 

The most common application of these methodologies is to execute project planning through a Waterfall approach and execute the project using the Agile methodology. 

While only you can decide what the fitting methodology for your project is, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:

• Methodology choices can vary from project to project. Just because the Agile methodology is used for one particular project does not mean the same approach should be followed in all projects moving forward. Different projects require a different approach—and that’s normal in project management. 
• There are numerous project management methodologies to choose from. The world of project management methodologies is not strictly limited to just Agile or Waterfall methodologies. There are numerous options out there outside of these, such as Lean Six Sigma, Critical Path Method, and more. While Agile and Waterfall are two of the most popular methodologies, one should consider other options as well. 
• Consider a hybrid approach. When deciding between Agile and Waterfall or other methodologies proves to be a challenge, consider a hybrid approach to leverage the benefits of two different approaches. 

Join our newsletter

Subscribe to Project Management Insider for best practices, reviews and resources.

By clicking the button you agree of the privacy policy

{{ TITLE }}

You should also read.

Vertical vs Horizontal Project Management

How to Delegate for Project Management: Step-by-Step Guide

Creating Project Timelines: Step-by-Step Guide for 2024

Get the Newsletter

You might also like.

7 Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses

What Is ClickUp API? Functions & Integrations Explained

How to Create a Project Management Plan in 5 Steps + Key Tips

What Is Waterfall Project Management Methodology?

• 1.  Project Management Basics
• 2.  Project Management Methodologies
• 3.  Project Management Life Cycle
• 4.  Best Project Management Software
• 5.  Team Collaboration Tips
• 6.  Agile Methodology Basics
• 7.  Agile Project Management Tools & Techniques
• 8.  Project Management Frameworks
• 9.  Resources
• 10.  Glossary
• Advanced Terminology
• Methodologies
• PM Software Features
• Basic Terminology
• Professional Development
• Agile Project Management
• Project Management Guide

Introduction to Waterfall project management methodology

The Waterfall methodology has long been recognized as a structured and sequential approach to project management. With its roots in traditional project management practices, Waterfall provides a systematic framework for managing projects from initiation to completion. 

In this comprehensive article, we’ll cover the following topics:

What is Waterfall project management?

What are the 6 phases of waterfall project management.

• What is Waterfall vs. Agile?  
• Benefits of Waterfall methodology  
• Downsides of Waterfall project management   
• … and more!

Need a better way to improve your project management approach? Opt for Wrike. With Wrike, you can expand your use of the Waterfall methodology through advanced features like Gantt and workload charts, designed to streamline each phase of your project.

Waterfall project management maps out a project into a sequence of clear, consecutive stages, with each new phase beginning only when the previous one has been completed. This structured methodology means revisiting or altering a phase is not advisable.

It is the most traditional method for managing a project, with team members working linearly towards a set end goal. Each participant has a clearly defined role, and none of the phases or goals are expected to change.

Waterfall project management works best for projects with long, detailed plans that require a single timeline. Changes are often discouraged (and costly). In contrast, Agile project management involves shorter project cycles, constant testing and adaptation, and overlapping work by multiple teams or contributors.

You can also watch the video below to learn more on the topic.

Video transcription

What is the Waterfall model?

Whether you’re managing a short-term project with a fixed deadline or a long-term project with continuous delivery cycles, choosing the right project management approach is vital. 

When considering a more traditional approach to project management, you might turn to the Waterfall model. Named for its cascading “waterfall-like” visual appearance and straightforward process, the Waterfall model breaks projects down into linear, sequential phases where each phase must be completed before the next begins. The Waterfall model was initially conceptualized for software development, but it can be adapted to fit many industries and types of projects. 

Typically, the Waterfall model has between five to seven phases, the names of which can vary slightly depending on the type of project. 

The phases of Waterfall

The requirements phase is where team members plan for the project and produce the requirements document, which details everything that’s needed. 

The design phase turns the requirements document into a foundation and a structure for how the project will be implemented.

In the implementation phase, the specifications from the design phase are executed. 

We’ve reached the testing phase. Is everything working as it should be? This is where all the kinks and issues are ironed out. 

In the deployment phase, the project deliverable has been tested and is ready to be released or presented to the client. 

Finally, we’ve reached the maintenance phase. This phase is all about upkeep, patches, and making sure quality remains — even after the launch. These phases do not overlap, meaning that they cannot run concurrently. 

Think of it as a relay race. The baton must be handed off by one runner before the other can begin their leg of the race. Waterfall is similar in its design. Consider each phase to be a “leg” of the race and its completion as the baton being “handed off.” 

What are the best types of projects for Waterfall? 

So, what are the advantages of Waterfall management, and what types of projects can benefit most from this model? Waterfall works best with projects that have clear requirements from the outset. Waterfall is a highly structured model of project management with documentation built into its phases. If the project is straightforward with clear start and end dates, a Waterfall model is a good option. 

In project management, it is necessary to tailor your approach based on the project in question. After all, there is no one-size-fits-all solution that you can apply to every single project. That’s why you need the right tools at your fingertips. 

With Wrike, you can view your project in a detailed and intuitive Gantt chart view that adjusts dependencies should due dates change. Wrike’s team calendars also allow visibility into deadlines, milestones, and workloads for Waterfall projects. 

When planning your next Waterfall project, deliver it with Wrike. Pave the way to success with Gantt charts, team calendars, dashboards, and many other robust project planning features. 

To continue learning about Agile, Waterfall, and other frameworks, be sure to check out our other videos and resources.

The six phases of Waterfall project management are:

• Requirements: Gather and document all project requirements.
• Design: Develop a comprehensive workflow and design for the project.
• Implementation: Execute the design and implement the project plan.
• Testing: Test the project at every stage to ensure compliance with requirements.
• Deployment: Launch the project or deliver the final product to the customer.
• Maintenance: Provide ongoing support and improvements to ensure the project remains functional and up to date.

Manage your Waterfall projects effortlessly

What is waterfall vs. agile.

The Waterfall model in project management structures projects into distinct phases, ideal for those with a well-defined project scope. Conversely, the Agile approach adapts to changes through iterative cycles, making it suitable for projects expecting adjustments. The debate between Agile vs. Waterfall often centers on their approaches to structure and adaptability.

Benefits of Waterfall methodology

The Waterfall methodology in project management follows a systematic, sequential process, simplifying project planning and execution. Because each phase must be completed before moving on, this ensures thorough attention to detail at each stage. Here are some other benefits:

• Waterfall methodology minimizes the risk of overlapping or incomplete tasks. 
• Comprehensive documentation is created at each phase, which is beneficial for complex projects requiring precise specifications.
• Due to its linear progression, the Waterfall model is easier to manage and measure against the original project scope and timeline.
• The fixed structure allows for better predictability in budget management.
• Problems can be identified during the design phase, allowing for solutions before further development.

Downsides of Waterfall project management

• Changes are difficult to implement once a phase is completed due to the sequential nature of Waterfall management.
• The final product might not meet current needs if project requirements change midway.
• Testing only occurs after the build is complete, which can lead to major revisions if problems are discovered late.
• Making changes after project phases are complete can be costly and time-consuming.
• Team members may work in isolation during project phases, reducing collaboration and innovation.

Balancing the linear and sequential phases in Waterfall projects

By adhering to a linear and sequential path, the Waterfall project management process ensures that each segment of the project lifecycle is thoroughly planned and executed. For instance, the sequential design process in Waterfall development typically progresses from requirements gathering to system design, implementation, testing, deployment, and, finally, maintenance. 

Each stage of the Waterfall methodology may be treated as a component in your design process. This approach to project management can be especially effective in industries where project complexity demands stringent adherence to processes and requirements, and where stakeholders during the process need to see planned progress.

How to use Waterfall and Agile practices in project management

Traditionally, the Waterfall methodology follows a rigid structure. However, modern adaptations might add elements of Agile practices to enhance flexibility. This is known as a hybrid approach.

For example, using Waterfall with Agile tools in the software development process can allow for minor iterations within the confines of a clearly defined phase. This combined approach of Agile and Waterfall allows teams to process and iterate on specific components without disrupting the overall project flow. 

Optimizing the sequential phases of Waterfall projects involves meticulous project management, strategic use of robust tools, and, sometimes, integrating Agile methodologies where flexibility can be infused. An Agile program might be integrated to track Agile metrics, offering insights into team performance.

What is workflow management in Waterfall project management methodology?

In Waterfall project management, workflow management helps maintain the sequential progression of project phases, from inception through to completion. Workflow management within the Waterfall methodology ensures that each project phase follows a strict linear sequence without overlapping.

Effective project planning and management require a comprehensive project management tool that supports workflow management. These tools help ensure that project documentation is maintained correctly, which is important as the project progresses. Moreover, good software like Wrike helps map out the project timeline, facilitating monitoring of each phase to ensure that the project is segmented properly.

Want to learn more about workflow management? Click here to read how you can use Wrike to automate your team’s entire workflows.

Optimize Waterfall project management with Wrike

Have you decided if Waterfall is right for your team? Whatever project management methodology you choose, you need reliable software to implement it . Enter Wrike. 

From Gantt charts with task dependencies to workload charts, Wrike empowers teams to seamlessly navigate the sequential nature of Waterfall, ensuring timely delivery. By integrating Wrike into your Waterfall project management approach, you can maintain project visibility and ensure you follow all the right steps to project completion. 

Are you ready to transform your project management practices with a platform that enhances visibility and workflow throughout your entire project lifecycle?  S tart your two-week trial today.

Further reading:

What Are the Advantages of Waterfall Project Management?

How to Set Up Your Waterfall Workflow

When to Use Agile vs. Waterfall

18 Expert Tips to Get Your Team to Collaborate Effectively

Basic Project Management

• Project Charter
• Project Management Stakeholders
• What is a Project?
• Work Breakdown Structure
• Project Objectives
• Project Baseline
• Project Management Scheduling
• Project Management Work Packages
• Project Management Scope
• Scope Creep

Advanced Project Management

• What is PERT?
• Network Diagram
• Risk Management
• Cost Estimation
• Feasibility Study
• Monte Carlo Analysis
• Project Integration
• Cost Management
• PMI Project Management
• What To Do With Certification
• Certification
• Become Certified
• PMP Certification
• Best Certification

Software Features

• Critical Success Factors
• Capacity Planning
• User Role Access Permissions
• Time Tracking
• Budget Tracking
• Request Forms
• Work Assignments
• Version Control
• Dependency Managements
• Project management Milestones
• Project Management Software
• Project Management Tools
• Project Management System
• Gantt Charts

In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Agile Vs. Waterfall: Which Project Management Methodology Is Best For You?

Updated: May 31, 2024, 8:19pm

Agile and Waterfall are two well-known project management methodologies. Both of them are popular in software development but each is best suited for different types of projects. The main difference is that Waterfall is a linear system of working that requires the team to complete each project phase before moving on to the next one while Agile encourages the team to work simultaneously on different phases of the project.

Featured Partners

From $8 monthly per user

Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more

On monday.com's Website

Yes, for one user and two editors

$9 per user per month

Google Drive, Slack, Tableau, Miro, Zapier and more

On Smartsheet's Website

Yes, for unlimited members

$7 per month

Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more

On ClickUp's Website

$9.80 per user per month

Salesforce, Adobe, Miro, Netsuite, Quickbooks, SAP

On Wrike's Website

Agile vs. Waterfall: At a Glance

Agile methodology.

• Approach: Frequent stakeholder interaction
• Flexibility: High
• Requires: Team initiative and short-term deadlines

Agile methodology was developed as a response to Waterfall’s more rigid structure. As a result, it’s a much more fluid form of project management. A software development project can take years to complete, and technology can change significantly during that time. Agile was developed as a flexible method that welcomes incorporating changes of direction even late in the process, as well as accounting for stakeholders’ feedback throughout the process.

In Agile, the team will work on phases of the project concurrently, often with short-term deadlines. Additionally, the team, rather than a project manager, drives the project’s direction. This can empower the team to be motivated and more productive, but also requires a more self-directed team.

Waterfall Methodology

• Approach: Hands-off; goals and outcome established from the beginning
• Flexibility: Low
• Requires: Completing deliverables to progress to the next phase

Waterfall methodology is a linear form of project management ideal for projects where the end result is clearly established from the beginning of the project. The expectations for the project and the deliverables of each stage are clear and are required in order to progress to the next phase.

Agile and Waterfall Comparison Chart

Waterfall is a linear project progression, so it’s best suited for projects with a defined end goal. If a project owner has a clear and specific vision of an app, for example, and is confident it will not change throughout the project development, Waterfall methodologies could be a good system to follow.

Meanwhile, Agile leaves a lot of room to adapt and change course as the project develops. It’s better suited for projects where the outcome may be dependent on more research or testing.

The budget for projects using Waterfall methodologies tends to be less flexible because the project is mapped out from the beginning. With Agile, there is more room to change direction as the project develops, so the budget is also subject to change. Similarly, the timeline with Waterfall is set from the start, while it’s more flexible with Agile and dependent on how the project develops.

Waterfall vs. Agile: How To Choose the Right Methodology for Your Project

There are several factors to consider when you are choosing between Waterfall and Agile. Here are a few questions to consider:

Does your project require strict regulations or requirements? Waterfall is better suited for projects with regulations or requirements because each phase’s deliverables and strict procedures ensure that they are met. For instance, the Department of Defense and the aerospace industry are a couple of industries that would more likely use Waterfall over Agile, since the requirements are a safety factor. Dr. Chris Mattmann , Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO) at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told Forbes Advisor that “agile methodology is used more for IT companies, [companies] that fail fast and move fast, types of places where you can proceed in parallel in different phases.”

When choosing between Agile and Waterfall, consider how involved the project owners or stakeholders will be in the project. Agile is better suited for projects where stakeholders are closely involved every step of the way. Waterfall is a more structured project management method and does not lend itself to the same type of flexibility.

Bottom Line

To summarize, Agile and Waterfall are two different management methodologies best suited for different types of projects. If you clearly understand the project outcomes from the beginning, Waterfall may be the best fit. Waterfall is a better method when a project must meet strict regulations as it requires deliverables for each phase before proceeding to the next one.

Alternatively, Agile is better suited for teams that plan on moving fast, experimenting with direction and don’t know how the final project will look before they start. Agile is flexible and requires a collaborative and self-motivated team, plus frequent check-ins with business owners and stakeholders about the progress.

• Best Project Management Software
• Best Construction Project Management Software
• Best Project Portfolio Management Software
• Best Gantt Chart Software
• Best Task Management Software
• Best Free Project Management Software
• Best Enterprise Project Management Software
• Best Kanban Software
• Best Scrum Software
• Asana Review
• Trello Review
• monday.com Review
• Smartsheet Review
• Wrike Review
• Todoist Review
• Basecamp Review
• Confluence Review
• Airtable Review
• ClickUp Review
• Monday vs. Asana
• Clickup vs. Asana
• Asana vs. Trello
• Asana vs. Jira
• Trello vs. Jira
• Monday vs. Trello
• Clickup vs. Trello
• Asana vs. Wrike
• What Is Project Management
• Project Management Methodologies
• 10 Essential Project Management Skills
• SMART Goals: Ultimate Guide
• What is a Gantt Chart?
• What is a Kanban Board?
• What is a RACI Chart?
• What is Gap Analysis?
• Work Breakdown Structure Guide
• What is a Stakeholder Analysis
• What Is An OKR?

How To Get A Business License In New Hampshire (2024)

Best Kansas Registered Agent Services Of 2024

Best Indiana Registered Agent Services Of 2024

Best Mississippi Registered Agent Services Of 2024

Tor Vs. VPN: What’s The Difference?

Best Massachusetts Registered Agent Services Of 2024

Leeron is a New York-based writer with experience covering technology and politics. Her work has appeared in publications such as Quartz, the Village Voice, Gothamist, and Slate.

Cassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of directors of two non-profit organizations seeking to revitalize her former railroad town. Prior to joining the team at Forbes Advisor, Cassie was a content operations manager and copywriting manager.

Your current User-Agent string appears to be from an automated process, if this is incorrect, please click this link:

Agile vs. waterfall: 10 key differences between the two methods

The two methodologies are considered opposites, but where do all the differences lie?

Table of contents

Effective project management is essential for meeting customer needs and delivering quality results in today's business world.

Agile and waterfall are popular project management frameworks, each with risks and benefits. As a project manager, it is your responsibility to select the appropriate approach based on your team's needs and the project's characteristics.

Regardless of your chosen methodology, flexibility is critical to adapting to changing work environments.

In this post, we will explore the similarities and differences between agile and waterfall project management, as well as what they each bring to the table in terms of delivering successful outcomes.

What is waterfall?

The waterfall project management method is a linear, step-by-step approach that's ideal for projects with a clear scope and predictable timeline. It involves rigorous planning upfront to ensure that the project stays on track, with progress tracked closely and issues addressed promptly. The Waterfall model usually includes five project management stages (or phases): initiation , planning, execution, monitoring/control, and closing.

While this approach is effective for straightforward projects that require minimal adaptation or creativity, it may not be suitable for more complex initiatives that demand a more flexible and dynamic approach.

<table>

Pros of waterfall | Cons of waterfall ~Supports all planning to be completed up front with a clear roadmap for every stage of the project | Changes require significant replanning and adjustment to long-term plans~Utilizes a clear, structured approach | Challenging to see the value of completed tasks throughout the project if only released at the end~Easy to track progress, identify risks, and manage project budgets | Long delivery timeline, slow time to market~Project manager holds significant authority over the project, plan, and value delivery | Value of projects is low until the very end, meaning any pivots cause high sunk costs vs. delivering value

</table>

What is agile?

Agile project management is a flexible and iterative approach that enables teams to quickly adapt to changing project requirements and deliver high-quality results within shorter timeframes. It’s very often used in software development.

Agile methodologies are about teamwork, customer satisfaction, constant refinement, and breaking big projects into bite-sized pieces. By prioritizing collaboration and communication, agile processes enable teams to pivot and respond to evolving customer needs while maintaining a high level of flexibility. The focus on continuous improvement means that teams are always seeking ways to optimize their processes and deliver the best possible results.

Ultimately, the agile methodology is about producing better outcomes through a more streamlined and adaptive approach.

Pros of agile | Cons of agile ~Can handle changes to requirements along the way, regardless of size | Requires customer involvement to allow teams to identify and analyze customer needs~Shorter feedback loops mean faster ability to pivot | Project management holds little authority; focus on facilitation and process instead~Clear visibility of current/active work items and ability to see progress on tasks over time | Iterative development may lead to engineering refactoring due to changes over time~Support for engineering discipline and upfront testing, improving quality | Allows for additional feature requests which may add cost or time

When implementing an agile methodology in your organization, it's essential to understand the different types of agile methods and workflows (such as scrum*, kanban, extreme programming, lean development, and crystal) and how they work together. The best agile practitioners understand the principles behind each methodology so they can make informed decisions on which agile method to try first.

* Learn more about the differences between scrum and waterfall

10 differences between waterfall and agile

Here are 10 critical differences between the waterfall and agile project management methods:

• Roles: Waterfall strictly assigns roles to project team members, with specific duties and responsibilities defined for each team member. In contrast, the agile model empowers team members to collaborate on different aspects of the project over time, leading to a more self-organizing team structure.
• Planning: In waterfall, planning is a linear process done at the beginning of the project, with all requirements and objectives laid out in detail upfront. In contrast, agile planning is a continuous process throughout the project's life cycle, with adjustments made as new information or requirements emerge.
• Scope: The waterfall methodology generally discourages changes to the project's scope, even with change requests used correctly . This is because the methodology requires an extensive amount of time spent in the beginning trying to get the plan right, which can make changes more costly after the project has begun. On the other hand, agile is more adaptable to changes in scope, with the development team able to adjust quickly as requirements change.
• Time frames: The waterfall method is designed for long-term projects with predetermined timelines . The project is completed linearly, with each phase dependent on the previous one. Agile, however, uses short iterations to deliver value rapidly, allowing teams to adjust plans over time and achieve shorter time frames.
• Speed: Waterfall projects tend to take longer because all requirements must be agreed upon before development can begin. Agile projects, on the other hand, are usually delivered more rapidly than waterfall projects due to the iterative development cycles used in agile.
• Delivery: Agile allows for quick delivery of projects with shorter lifecycles, as each iteration delivers a workable product. Waterfall requires the completion of all tasks before any work can be released.
• Flexibility: Agile encourages teams to respond quickly and adaptively to changes during the development process. Waterfall is less flexible and resistant to change once the project's scope has been defined.
• Testing: Testing is essential to the agile and waterfall methodologies, but the approaches differ significantly. Agile emphasizes incremental testing to identify and resolve issues throughout the development process. In waterfall, testing is usually done at specific milestones, often towards the end of the project.
• Documentation: Agile relies on minimal documentation, focusing on self-organizing teams and collaboration. Waterfall, in contrast, relies heavily on documenting each step in detail to ensure that all team members are on the same page.
• Communication: Agile emphasizes informal communication, with frequent interactions between individuals or small groups of stakeholders. In waterfall, communication is more formal, with detailed communication plans and progress reports shared across multiple stakeholders.

When to use agile vs. waterfall

Waterfall project management best suits well-defined projects with clearly specified requirements, limited complexity, and a definitive timeline. Waterfall works well when the customer's demands are precise and when there are no significant changes in scope or technology during the project.

The waterfall model fits projects with the following characteristics:

• Simple scope and requirement gathering
• Clear and linear sequence of tasks
• Predictable deliverables based on set deadlines
• Structured processes
• Rigid quality control measures
• Long-term commitment from all parties involved

Agile project management is a good fit in cases where the end goal may be unclear or difficult to define, when complex systems require frequent feedback loops, or when timelines and budgets are tight. It is also particularly effective for developing software applications since it allows for quick iteration and testing along the way. Additionally, agile can be helpful when dealing with teams who need to collaborate intensively, such as those located in different locations.

Agile project management can be an excellent fit for many teams and projects, especially those that meet the criteria below:

• Complex deliverables
• Frequent iterations and refinements
• Rapid delivery times
• Emergent requirements
• Collaborative environments
• Multiple stakeholders

5 example scenarios where you can benefit from Agile

Diving further, here are some specific scenarios, types of projects, and environments that often benefit from an agile approach to project delivery:

• Technical projects: Agile provides teams with an organized approach to developing complex software or products. Multiple teams can collaborate orderly, without a 45-person planning or re-planning meeting.
• Creative projects: Projects that involve a lot of creative problem-solving benefit from an agile approach as it allows for more experimentation and innovative thinking.
• Product innovation and development: Organizations that need to stay ahead of their competition by developing new products or improving existing ones will benefit from an agile workflow, as it allows team members to have increased flexibility throughout the process.
• Startups: They often need to deliver products or services with limited resources quickly. Agile methods allow them to develop and implement ideas more rapidly, allowing for rapid prototyping and iteration on the fly.
• Rapid prototyping: Agile can be used to quickly prototype and deliver an end product with high quality without spending too much time on planning, sourcing, approvals, etc.

<cta-box><image-color="yellow">

Allocate work to your project team with Float

Make sure people are working on the right tasks and get a bird's eye view on what each team is focused on, whether on a sprint or a long-term project

<cta-button> Try for free </cta-button>

</cta-box>

When deciding on a project management methodology, it's essential to consider all factors, including the nature of the project, stakeholder needs, timeline, and budget constraints. With its adaptive, flexible approach, agile is ideal for projects with unknowns, high risk, or frequently changing requirements. On the other hand, waterfall's structured, organized approach works best for projects with well-defined requirements and a clear end goal.

By carefully considering the project's needs and choosing the methodology that best fits those needs, teams can optimize their chances of success and deliver high-quality results.

Related reads

Resource utilization: two calculation methods, benefits, and a real-life example.

A project manager’s guide to work planning: steps, tips & a real-life example

Project cost estimation: types and techniques for project success in 2024

Get exclusive updates on

• Async communication
• Remote team culture
• Smart time management

• SDLC Tutorial
• SDLC - Home
• SDLC - Overview

SDLC - Waterfall Model

• SDLC - Iterative Model
• SDLC - Spiral Model
• SDLC - V-Model
• SDLC - Big Bang Model
• SDLC - Agile Model
• SDLC - RAD Model
• SDLC - Software Prototype
• SDLC Useful Resources
• SDLC - Quick Guide
• SDLC - Useful Resources
• SDLC - Discussion
• Selected Reading
• UPSC IAS Exams Notes
• Developer's Best Practices
• Questions and Answers
• Effective Resume Writing
• HR Interview Questions
• Computer Glossary

The Waterfall Model was the first Process Model to be introduced. It is also referred to as a linear-sequential life cycle model . It is very simple to understand and use. In a waterfall model, each phase must be completed before the next phase can begin and there is no overlapping in the phases.

The Waterfall model is the earliest SDLC approach that was used for software development.

The waterfall Model illustrates the software development process in a linear sequential flow. This means that any phase in the development process begins only if the previous phase is complete. In this waterfall model, the phases do not overlap.

Waterfall Model - Design

Waterfall approach was first SDLC Model to be used widely in Software Engineering to ensure success of the project. In "The Waterfall" approach, the whole process of software development is divided into separate phases. In this Waterfall model, typically, the outcome of one phase acts as the input for the next phase sequentially.

The following illustration is a representation of the different phases of the Waterfall Model.

The sequential phases in Waterfall model are −

Requirement Gathering and analysis − All possible requirements of the system to be developed are captured in this phase and documented in a requirement specification document.

System Design − The requirement specifications from first phase are studied in this phase and the system design is prepared. This system design helps in specifying hardware and system requirements and helps in defining the overall system architecture.

Implementation − With inputs from the system design, the system is first developed in small programs called units, which are integrated in the next phase. Each unit is developed and tested for its functionality, which is referred to as Unit Testing.

Integration and Testing − All the units developed in the implementation phase are integrated into a system after testing of each unit. Post integration the entire system is tested for any faults and failures.

Deployment of system − Once the functional and non-functional testing is done; the product is deployed in the customer environment or released into the market.

Maintenance − There are some issues which come up in the client environment. To fix those issues, patches are released. Also to enhance the product some better versions are released. Maintenance is done to deliver these changes in the customer environment.

All these phases are cascaded to each other in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases. The next phase is started only after the defined set of goals are achieved for previous phase and it is signed off, so the name "Waterfall Model". In this model, phases do not overlap.

Waterfall Model - Application

Every software developed is different and requires a suitable SDLC approach to be followed based on the internal and external factors. Some situations where the use of Waterfall model is most appropriate are −

Requirements are very well documented, clear and fixed.

Product definition is stable.

Technology is understood and is not dynamic.

There are no ambiguous requirements.

Ample resources with required expertise are available to support the product.

The project is short.

Waterfall Model - Advantages

The advantages of waterfall development are that it allows for departmentalization and control. A schedule can be set with deadlines for each stage of development and a product can proceed through the development process model phases one by one.

Development moves from concept, through design, implementation, testing, installation, troubleshooting, and ends up at operation and maintenance. Each phase of development proceeds in strict order.

Some of the major advantages of the Waterfall Model are as follows −

Simple and easy to understand and use

Easy to manage due to the rigidity of the model. Each phase has specific deliverables and a review process.

Phases are processed and completed one at a time.

Works well for smaller projects where requirements are very well understood.

Clearly defined stages.

Well understood milestones.

Easy to arrange tasks.

Process and results are well documented.

Waterfall Model - Disadvantages

The disadvantage of waterfall development is that it does not allow much reflection or revision. Once an application is in the testing stage, it is very difficult to go back and change something that was not well-documented or thought upon in the concept stage.

The major disadvantages of the Waterfall Model are as follows −

No working software is produced until late during the life cycle.

High amounts of risk and uncertainty.

Not a good model for complex and object-oriented projects.

Poor model for long and ongoing projects.

Not suitable for the projects where requirements are at a moderate to high risk of changing. So, risk and uncertainty is high with this process model.

It is difficult to measure progress within stages.

Cannot accommodate changing requirements.

Adjusting scope during the life cycle can end a project.

Integration is done as a "big-bang. at the very end, which doesn't allow identifying any technological or business bottleneck or challenges early.

This browser is no longer supported.

Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.

Waterfall charts in Power BI

• 16 contributors

Waterfall charts show a running total as Power BI adds and subtracts values. These charts are useful for understanding how an initial value (like net income) is affected by a series of positive and negative changes.

Each measure of change is a column on the chart. The columns are color coded so you can quickly notice increases and decreases across the data.

The initial and final value columns are often configured to always start from the horizontal axis . The intermediate values are floating columns. A starting point for an intermediate column can be on the horizontal axis or on another axis parallel to the main axis.

The position of the intermediate columns can fluctuate between the initial and final values. The resulting view creates a picture similar to a concave or convex wave or a random waterfall cascade. Waterfall charts are also called bridge charts .

When to use waterfall charts

Waterfall charts are a great choice for many scenarios:

Represent changes for a measure across time, a series, or different categories.

Audit major changes that contribute to a total value.

Plot your company's annual profit by showing various sources of revenue and arrive at the total profit (or loss).

Illustrate the beginning and ending headcount for your company in a year.

Visualize how much money you earn and spend each month, and the running balance for your account.

If you want to share your report with a colleague, you both need to have individual Power BI Pro licenses. If both parties don't have individual Power BI Pro licenses, the report needs to be saved in Premium capacity to enable sharing. For more information, see sharing reports .

When you want to visualize the steps and relationships of business processes.

When you want to monitor and control data quality.

When you want to visualize and track the progress of project steps.

To analyze data defects and identify their causes.

To understand the workings of the organization and the connections between departments.

Prerequisites

Review the following prerequisites for using waterfall charts in Power BI Desktop or the Power BI service.

• Power BI Desktop
• Power BI service

This tutorial uses the Retail Analysis Sample PBIX file.

Download the Retail Analysis Sample PBIX file to your desktop.

In Power BI Desktop, select File > Open report .

Browse to and select the Retail Analysis Sample PBIX file, and then select Open .

This tutorial uses the Retail Analysis Sample in the Power BI service.

Sign in to the Power BI service ( app.powerbi.com ).

Select Learn in the navigation pane.

On the Learning center page, under Sample reports , locate and select the Retail Analysis Sample to download it. The sample opens in report view.

At the top, select Edit to open the Report editor.

Create a waterfall chart

The following steps create a waterfall chart to display sales variance (estimated sales versus actual sales) by month.

On the Data pane, expand Sales and select the Total Sales Variance checkbox. By default, Power BI presents the data as a clustered column chart.

This action configures the Total Sales Variance data as the Y-axis for the chart on the Visualizations pane.

To convert the visualization into a waterfall chart, select Waterfall chart on the Visualizations pane.

This action exposes the Category and Breakdown sections on the Visualizations pane.

On the Data pane, expand Time and select the FiscalMonth checkbox.

Power BI updates the waterfall chart with the data in the FiscalMonth category. The initial view of the category data shows the values in ascending order.

Sort the waterfall chart

When Power BI creates the waterfall chart, the data is displayed in ascending or chronological order for the category. In our example, the data is sorted by month in ascending order, January to August, for the FiscalMonth category.

You can change the sort order to view different perspectives of the data.

On the Total Sales Variance chart, select More options (...) > Sort axis > FiscalMonth .

This action changes the sort order of the FiscalMonth category to descending by month. Notice that August has the largest variance and January has the smallest variance.

Open the More options (...) > Sort axis menu.

Notice the checkmark next to FiscalMonth and Sort descending . A checkmark appears next to options represented in the chart visualization.

On the More options (...) > Sort axis menu, select Total Sales Variance .

This action changes the sort from the FiscalMonth category to the Total Sales Variance. The chart updates to show the Total Sales Variance data in descending order. In this view, the month of March has the largest positive variance and July has the largest negative variance.

On the More options (...) > Sort axis menu, change the sort back to FiscalMonth and Sort ascending .

Explore the waterfall chart

Let's take a closer look at the data to see what's contributing most to the changes from month to month.

On the Data pane, expand Store and select the Territory checkbox.

This action adds a corresponding Breakdown field on the Visualizations pane.

Expand the width of the waterfall chart to see more of the data.

Power BI uses the Territory value in the Breakdown section to add more data to the visualization. The chart now includes the top five contributors to increases or decreases for each fiscal month. Notice the month of February now has six data points instead of only one.

Let's say you're only interested in the top two contributors. You can configure the chart to highlight that information.

On the Visualizations > Format visual pane, select Breakdown , and set the Maximum breakdowns value to 2 .

The updated chart reveals Ohio (OH) and Pennsylvania (PA) as the top two territories that are the largest contributors to increases and decreases.

Related content

• Change how visuals interact in a Power BI report.
• Review visualization types in Power BI .

Was this page helpful?

Coming soon: Throughout 2024 we will be phasing out GitHub Issues as the feedback mechanism for content and replacing it with a new feedback system. For more information see: https://aka.ms/ContentUserFeedback .

Submit and view feedback for

Additional resources

This page can't be displayed. Contact support for additional information. The Session ID is: N/A. 478 IMAGES Waterfall (Summer) 06 Waterfall Facts & Worksheets Waterfall Facts & Worksheets A Complete Guide to the Waterfall Project Method The waterfall model: classic project management explained simply Tutorial: IS446 VIDEO Sudden Water Flow in Waterfall #shorts Mancing Liar Aerial Exploring The Hidden Gem Waterfall : Coban Rondo Waterfall How to make WaterFalls with Newspaper Drawing Waterfall Scenery Youtube Channel Free Video Ideas COMMENTS Waterfall Methodology: The Ultimate Guide to the Waterfall Model The Waterfall Model & ProjectManager. ProjectManager is an award-winning project management software that organizes teams and projects. With features such as online Gantt charts, task lists, reporting tools and more, it's an ideal tool to control your waterfall project management. Guide to waterfall methodology: Free template and examples Team members can manage time effectively. Because the waterfall methodology requires so much upfront planning during the requirement and design phase, it is easy for stakeholders to estimate how much time their specific part of the waterfall process will take. What Is Waterfall Project Management? Phases, Benefits, & Uses Waterfall methodology is a linear project framework divided into specific phases. Learn more about its benefits & drawbacks, and how it differs from agile. Waterfall Methodology for Project Management Waterfall methodology is a well-established project management workflow.Like a waterfall, each process phase cascades downward sequentially through five stages (requirements, design, implementation, verification, and maintenance). Waterfall model The waterfall model is a breakdown of development activities into linear sequential phases, meaning they are passed down onto each other, where each phase depends on the deliverables of the previous one and corresponds to a specialization of tasks. The approach is typical for certain areas of engineering design.In software development, it tends to be among the less iterative and flexible ... Waterfall Project Management Methodology Phase 1: Requirements gathering and documentation. The first step of any Waterfall project is to question and analyze business needs and understand project goals with a focus on documenting project requirements.. This phase is critical to project success because it fully explains what's needed—in detail—to complete the project both at a high level and as it relates to each requirement ... Free Waterfall Project Management Template [2024] • Asana Think about the last time you made a cup of coffee. To brew the best cup, you probably followed a set of sequential steps—measuring your beans, grinding the coffee, putting the coffee in the filter, boiling the water, pouring the water into the coffee maker, and so on. Waterfall Project Management: The Ultimate Guide As a discipline, project management is essential to ensuring end products are produced as intended, while also not blowing the budget or running over schedule. Waterfall project management is a longstanding methodology that adds intense rigor and structure to the discipline so processes can be refined and repeated for future projects. What Is the Waterfall Methodology? (Definition What Are the Different Phases of the Waterfall Methodology? The waterfall methodology was one of the first established SDLC models. In fact, waterfall dates back to 1970 when Dr. Winston W. Royce described it in " Managing the Development of Large Software Systems."However, we should note that Royce didn't refer to the methodology as "waterfall" in the paper. What is Waterfall Project Management? Waterfall project management definition. Waterfall project management is a methodology characterized by a linear and sequential design process. This approach is akin to a cascading waterfall, hence its name, where each project phase cascades into the next. Waterfall Methodology: How to Use It for Your Next Big Project 4. Testing and verification. The next step in the waterfall approach is testing and verifying the project details. Team members start with a quality assurance testing strategy and report any issues or bugs. What the Waterfall Project Management Methodology Can Do for You If you work in project management, you have probably heard a number of strange terms thrown around as you try to decide what approach will work best for your team: critical path, scrum, PMBOK, Six Sigma, etc. Amongst all these terms, you may have heard about the waterfall project management methodology, even if you've never used it. Waterfall Project Management: Introduction What is Waterfall Project Management? Learn our 6 best practices on how to revamp this traditional approach and leverage it to maximize your team's results! Agile vs Waterfall Methodology: Differences & How To Choose Transitional difficulties: Teams migrating to the Agile methodology from more traditional methods, such as Waterfall, may find the transition challenging. Lack of documentation: In the Agile methodology, comprehensive project documentation isn't as prevalent as in the Waterfall methodology, making it difficult to extract exact details, budget, and even communicate if teams aren't mindful. What Is Waterfall Project Management Methodology? Waterfall is a project management framework that favors upfront planning. Learn more about Waterfall, its benefits, and unique challenges. Waterfall Model Definition, Phases, & Example The waterfall model is a model used during the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to create software systems. It consists of various stages that follow one after the other. Agile vs. Waterfall Methodology Waterfall is a linear system that requires the team to complete phases before continuing, while Agile teams work concurrently on different phases of a project. Manage a more efficient waterfall process with Microsoft Project Turn your waterfall project's key data into powerful visualizations with Project's out-of-the-box templates. Help align key stakeholders with intuitive timelines and Gantt charts. Empower instant and effective communication between project team members. Achieve better project outcomes by ... Agile vs. Waterfall: 10 Key Differences Between the Two Methods Effective project management is essential for meeting customer needs and delivering quality results in today's business world. Agile and waterfall are popular project management frameworks, each with risks and benefits. what is a waterfall chart? There are a couple of ways to make waterfalls clearer. Some people prefer to make bars showing increases a different color from bars showing decreases; some people prefer to draw horizontal lines connecting the edges of bars to give your eye a line to follow as you move from left to right through the chart, making the stair-step pattern easier to trace across components. Waterfall Design Model In Instructional Design Summary: Are you looking for a Project Management approach that focuses on in depth analysis and detailed planning to facilitate your Instructional Design process? If so, then the Waterfall approach might be just what you need. In this article, I'll share 4 benefits of the Waterfall approach in Instructional Design, and I'll highlight each of the 6 steps involved. SDLC SDLC - Waterfall Model - The Waterfall Model was the first Process Model to be introduced. It is also referred to as a linear-sequential life cycle model. It is very simple to understand and use. In a waterfall model, each phase must be completed before the next phase can begin and there is no overlapping in the phases. Waterfall charts in Power BI Power BI Desktop; Power BI service; This tutorial uses the Retail Analysis Sample PBIX file. Download the Retail Analysis Sample PBIX file to your desktop.. In Power BI Desktop, select File > Open report.. Browse to and select the Retail Analysis Sample PBIX file, and then select Open.. The Retail Analysis Sample PBIX file opens in report view.. At the bottom, select the green plus symbol to ... PDF 2024 Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) Assignments Title: 2024 CIMT National Rotation Author: Bender, Jessica \(Jesse\);NICC Subject: 2024 CIMT National Rotation Keywords: 2024 Complex Incident Management Team, CIMT National Rotation, Assignments, NMAC, NICC 5388 Waterfall Pl, Grant, FL 32949 Zillow has 36 photos of this $405,775 3 beds, 2 baths, 2,034 Square Feet single family home located at 5388 Waterfall Pl, Grant, FL 32949 built in 2024. MLS #1020967. Marquesas Islands: South Pacific archipelago is now a UNESCO site The Marquesas are a beautiful, remote stretch of the South Pacific. And, as of last weekend, they are also a UNESCO World Heritage site. essay homework paper phd project resume review speech study