Defining a project’s life cycle serves multiple purposes including, but not limited to:

1.        It serves as a roadmap for the team to chart progress from project initiation through project closure;

2.        It can serve as the highest level of the project’s Work Breakdown Structure;

3.        It provides a convenient vehicle from which to determine the project’s milestones – and possibly the projects review dates.

4.        It can be a very simple, but meaningful, communication tool.

 

There are many perspectives that can be used in the development of a project’s life cycle.  The life cycle below reflects the large segments of work to be done in accomplishing the project [a.k.a. major deliverables].  Another way to look at the life cycle might be from the perspective of how the project is managed, such as in phases like: Initiate, Plan, Execute and Control, Close Out.    Additionally, the life cycle for this project could be defined in terms of sub-processes being streamlined, as in Simple Get-its, Complex Get-its, Individual Installations, Renovation Installations, New Building Installations, etc.    For the sake of simplicity and speed, the life cycle below is defined in terms of anticipated major project deliverables.   Later in the project, this life cycle might be refined to include the specific sub-processes being redesigned.   The life cycle below is an unedited DRAFT awaiting approval from the project’s key stakeholders.

 

 

 

 


Draft V 1.0 of the Network and Telephone Installation Project

 

 


Preliminary                            Current Process                    Future Process                     New Business Policy,                          Pilot NTIP;           

Charter and                           Document and                      Document and                      Practices Documented.                       Audit and             

Scope Statements                Detailed Scope                     Transition Plan                     Training Completed                             Evaluation            

                                                Completed                             Completed                                                                                             Completed            

 

 

 

 


Job Descriptions,                                                 Document New NTIP                          Achieve Pass Rating                           Archived Project Plan

Process Metrics and                            Process.  Audit Procedures                                on Customer Satisfaction

Organizational Boundaries                 and Process Controls in                      Survey for new NTIP.                          Project Close Out

Operationalized                                    Place and Operational.                                       

 

 

NOTE:   A number of the above deliverables might be iterative, for example: if the Pilot fails Audit/Evaluation, the project might need to redefine and reimplement parts of the Future Process Document, the Transition Plan, the Business Policies and Practices, then Retrain before it can continue forward.