Although REM does accept projects that are better suited to a Waterfall methodology, the vast majority of the projects completed at REM follow an Agile methodology and in some cases, a hybrid of both.
There are three primary types of projects that we work on at REM; website design (including our proprietary Content Management System, WebWiz@rd), custom functionality for these said websites and internal tools to make REM more efficient and precise in our day-to-day operations.
Because our websites are designed from scratch, it is important that our clients are involved throughout the duration of the design process to ensure that the design accurately represents them and their company. Along with our client interactions, our team often collaborates internally during different phases of a website project, especially if the scope of the project changes during the design. This is a great example of an Agile procedure that we follow.
On the same hand, WebWiz@rd, that is included with all of our websites, was built using both a Waterfall and Agile approach. Although our developers primarily used their initial architectural plans from start to finish, which would follow a Waterfall approach, they did request insight from the rest of the REM team to get our input on usability and other factors that would directly affect our clients and support staff. Incorporating both of these methods was necessary in the creation of WebWiz@rd and remains important as the tool is maintained.
When we are hired to build a custom solution for our clients we use a Waterfall methodology. We gather all of the requirements from the client and then we design, build, test, (fix any issues) and deliver the tools to the client.
Similar to the way we built WebWiz@rd, when building tools exclusively for REM we follow a hybrid approach. Our developers build the tool based on our requirements and ask for the teams’ feedback on particular pieces of functionality to ensure that our tools meet our needs.
There are pros and cons to both methodologies but I believe that REM has found a great balance and recognizes when one approach is more appropriate than the other, or when to combine the two.
