A predictive approach (in some places referred to as a plan-driven approach) is an approach that plans upfront with maximum control what the expected implementation would be. The waterfall project methodology supports a predictive approach to planning.

A real-world example of when a predictive approach might be the most suitable planning approach would be in a project or initiative where a lot of certainties exists, such as an infrastructure project or a system upgrade initiative.

Both of these examples include a high degree of certainty in terms of what exactly is involved to make the change (do the upgrade) and it is clear what the expected outcome would be. This can, therefore, be planned upfront with a high degree of certainty of what is to come and what it would take to complete.

Another good example of when a predictive approach is a relevant approach is when an "off-the-shelf" solution (such as a new timesheet solution) is being implemented with a minimal or no option of customization.

This example also has a very clearly defined set of steps that must be executed in order for the solution to be implemented successfully. Therefore, a predictive approach can work very effectively in this case. It is important to understand with this example that the scope doesn’t allow for any special changes or customization of the software, or if it does, this will be minimal. If this is not the case and the stakeholders have the freedom to introduce a lot of change, then an adaptive approach may be more suitable.