Organisations and Projects: Life Cycle

Life Cycle: Linear

Early, detailed planning. You deliver each element step by step and check it before moving to the next, may not have a usable product until the end, a good approach when the product output is very predictable (low risk) but where changing would be expensi

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Life Cycle: Incremental

Similar to linear as you plan detail up front, but each step creates a product that you can use, delivers quick wins which gain buy-in and excitement from the customer

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Life cycle: iterative

Start with overall understanding of what you are producing, then each step in the delivery feeds back more info into the project. This lets you adapt future iterations, referred to as an agile approach

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Life cycle: evolutionary

Used when you don't visualise the final product, similar to iterative as future steps are informed by previous steps, but the final product will only be understood at the end of the project

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Benefits of dividing a project into distinct phases (as in linear life cycles)

Decisions are made regularly, iteratively authorising funding and continuation of the project enhances control and mitigates risk, define deliverables for each stage, assign resources for each stage which aids planning and cost control, aligning key proje

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What is the concept phase in a linear life cycle?

Develop the initial idea into a concrete proposition, usually in the form of a business case

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What is the definition phase in a linear life cycle?

You design and plan the proposition in more detail with analysis of the risks involved, the costs and timescales.

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What is the deployment phase in a linear life cycle?

You build the product itself, following the plan and designs put together in definition. This phase can be subject to change control, where you consider a suggested change to the project and accept or reject the change.

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What is the transition phase in a linear life cycle?

You hand over the product that you've built to those who will use it, and they formally give acceptance for it.

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What is the distinction in the phases between a linear and incremental life cycle?

Broadly the same except the deployment phase can have specific points in it where you hand over a version of the product to those who will use it, culminating in a final transition at the end.

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What are the two additional phases in an extended project life cycle?

Adoption - the client uses the product, Benefit realisation - You measure the benefits from the adoption of the project outputs to make sure they have been delivered effectively

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What are the two additional phases in the product life cycle (in addition to the extended project life cycle)?

Operation - you use the outputs of the project, this use becomes more efficient once you've completed the adoption phase, Termination - close down, demolish etc. the output, this could be the project in itself

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What are some of the benefits of an agile approach?

Faster time to market, increased collaboration, fewer defects and quicker delivery of value and benefits to the customer.

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What is iteration planning?

Answering the questions - what can be delivered during this iteration? How will the required work be achieved?

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What is a daily stand up (scrum)?

15 min meeting held every day, previous days progress is evaluated and imminent iteration items are reviewed and agreed

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What is a value demo phase?

The increment that has just ended is evaluated and the product is adapted as required

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What is the retrospective phase?

The team reviews its own performance and develops a plan for improvements that will be implemented in the next iteration

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What is a hybrid life cycle?

Adapting tools from different approaches that best meet the needs of a specific project

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How and why does an unplanned project ending come about?

When external or internal circumstances change a premature ending may be best to allow the diversion of resources to other initiatives, a decision gate is used to review previous performance, assess external factors and forecast the achievement of the pro

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Organisations and Projects: Life Cycle

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