Classic, agile or hybrid? How does project management work today?

Today's work environment is project-based, and this trend is continuing to grow. Formalized project management is generally essential. There is a wide variety of methods to choose from. At the 11th IMS Breakfast, two approaches were presented: classical project management using PRINCE II by Hartmut Paetzold and agile project management using Scrum by Markus Will. Following both presentations, discussions took place among company representatives as well as staff and students from the “integrated management systems” program. It quickly became clear that, in practice, agile methods have found their way into traditional projects—such as the handling of work packages using so-called “sprints,” to respond more flexibly to customer requests; the establishment of fixed teams for project work, which are shielded from disruptions; or the discussion of work status during daily or weekly stand-up meetings. The planning of project phases and milestones, as well as reporting, often continues to be carried out in the traditional manner. Modern project management is hybrid. The co-organizer of the breakfast event, TÜV Rheinland Akademie GmbH, also presented a correspondingly diverse range of continuing education opportunities in the field of “project management.”

For the participating students in the Master's degree programmes “Integrated Management Systems” and “Integrated management," project management is not only a compulsory module; in the upcoming winter semester, they will independently lead, work on, and defend a project—for example, to prepare a company for certification according to ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety management systems) at regional companies.