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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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ITU ZES Solar Car Team is a well-established Solar Car project team and with this qualified, professional structure, it has achieved many important successes in our country and in international races since its establishment. One of the most important factors contributing to the team's success is its adoption of successful project management. According to the rules set by our university, our team is defined as a project team. Every year, one or more projects are identified, preparations are made and necessary work is done within the team. If we talk about these project groups, we can count events, trainings and competitions.


We can think of the competitions that our team participates in as a process that includes detailed and gradual work done by our internal teams like a siege of a castle. Each group and team fulfills the tasks necessary for our main goal of winning the competition. These are the Mechanical Group, Production Group, Embedded Systems Group, Power Systems Group, Autonomous Systems Group, Business Development Team, Finance Team and Race & Operations Team. Of these, the Racing and Operations Team is different from other teams and groups with its work and is found in very few project teams. One of the duties of the Racing and Operations Team, which has been part of the Solar Car Team for four years, is project management. At the same time, other tasks include maintaining the dynamics within the team, fulfilling the necessary conditions for them to work together and acting as a link between the engineering team and the office teams. For these to happen, efficient and effective project management is required.



Project management requires technical and practical knowledge. Our team has adopted and implemented different project management methods. There are many project management techniques in the literature, but the most well-known are Waterfall and Agile methodologies.


Waterfall Project Management Technique


Waterfall project management is a traditional project management model in which the stages of a process are completed in a sequential and orderly manner. This method envisages the completion of each stage followed by the next stage and rarely allows for backtracking.


Stages of the Waterfall Model


  1. Requirements Analysis: All requirements related to the project are identified and documented. This phase should be handled in detail to minimize changes in the later stages of the project.

  2. System Design: The overall and detailed design of the system is made in line with the requirements. At this stage, the system architecture and technical requirements are determined.

  3. Implementation (Coding): Software or physical project is developed in line with the designed system.

  4. Testing: The accuracy of the developed system is tested. Errors are detected and corrected.

  5. Integration and Deployment: All components are integrated and the system is prepared for deployment before the system is offered to end users.

  6. Maintenance: After the project is completed, necessary updates and bug fixes are made.


Advantages of the Waterfall Model


  • Provides a Clear Structure: Processes are organized as each stage is completed and the next stage is started.

  • Ease of Documentation: Since detailed documentation is provided at each stage, the project process can be followed well.

  • Clear Time and Budget Management: Budget and time planning can be more precise as requirements are determined from the beginning.

  • Easy Manageability: Easy for project managers to follow as there is a clear distinction between phases.


Disadvantages of the Waterfall Model


  • Closed to Changes: It is difficult and costly to make changes to requirements after the project has started.

  • Difficult to Go Back: Since it is not possible to go back to previous stages, mistakes can lead to major problems in later stages.

  • Customer Feedback is Received Late: Customer feedback is not received until the project reaches the final stages, which can lead to misdirection.


In Which Projects is the Waterfall Model Used?


  • Software Development: It is used in large-scale projects where the requirements are clear from the beginning.

  • Construction Projects: Suitable for engineering projects where step-by-step progress is mandatory.

  • Defense and Aviation Projects: Preferred in projects with precise requirements and where changes are not accepted.

  • Production and Hardware Development: It is used in projects where it is difficult to make changes such as designing production lines.


What is Agile Project Management?

Agile project management is a flexible and iterative approach that is widely used especially in software development processes. Unlike traditional project management methods, it aims to make rapid and continuous improvements by taking into account feedback and changing conditions at every stage of the process. Agile enables teams to work in short cycles (sprints), adapt quickly to changes and keep the best eye on the goal.


Agile Project Management Phases


  1. Concept and Planning: The main objectives of the project are defined, partners are contacted and requirements are analyzed.

  2. Backlog Creation: All business requirements of the project are identified and a prioritized task list is created.

  3. Sprint Planning: The project is divided into short time periods (sprints) and the work to be done in each sprint is planned.

  4. Development and Testing: The team completes the tasks set during the sprint and ensures that quality is ensured through continuous testing.

  5. Review and Feedback: At the end of the sprint, the work done is evaluated and improvements are made in line with team feedback.

  6. Release and Improvement: The project is continuously optimized and new functionalities are added based on user feedback.

Advantages of Agile Project Management


  • Flexibility: Rapid adaptation to changing conditions.

  • Customer Satisfaction: As continuous feedback is received, requirements are better responded to.

  • Fast Results: Working versions of the product or service are delivered faster.

  • Risk Management: Potential errors are reduced by testing and feedback processes at an early stage.

  • Strengthening Teamwork: Continuous communication and collaboration between team members is encouraged.


Disadvantages of Agile Project Management


  • Lack of Documentation: Due to the rapid development process, adequate documentation may not be created.

  • Time and Resource Management Challenges: Time and cost calculations can be difficult as projects are constantly changing.

  • Need for Experienced Team: In order to use Agile methodology efficiently, team members need to be experienced and disciplined.


In Which Projects is Agile Used?


  • Software Development Projects: Agile is one of the most widely used project management methodologies in the software industry.

  • Product Development: Agile is preferred to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions.

  • Start-up and Innovation Projects: Agile is common in start-up projects due to rapid testing and iteration processes.

  • Digital Transformation Projects: In large-scale corporate transformation projects, the phases can be managed more efficiently thanks to Agile.


In ITU ZES GAE team, the Race and Operations team aims to optimize the process of preparing for the race by taking on the role of project management. In our team, we combine Agile and Waterfall methodologies with a hybrid approach to ensure that different technical teams work in harmony and optimize processes. Using the robust structure of the Waterfall methodology, we create our annual plans and clearly define the long-term goals of our projects. However, since change is inevitable in engineering projects, the process needs to be flexible and adaptable. At this point, we use Agile methodology to organize weekly sprints, evaluate progress every week and make necessary improvements. Thanks to this hybrid approach, we quickly identify and resolve incompatibilities between technical teams and make processes more efficient. Through weekly follow-up meetings, we assess the status of planned tasks, analyze the challenges encountered and ensure effective communication between teams. Thus, we make the development process of our project more transparent, dynamic and efficient.


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