What is a project's lifecycle, what are project phases, and why are projects phased?

A key idea in project management is the project lifecycle. Any task that yields original leads within a particular period is considered a project. To improve leadership and oversight, this work can be done in stages. For instance, a lengthy project might be divided into smaller, shorter-term tasks. Consider a metro rail convey in a city. A single path inside the city may be considered in the first stage, a different within the subsequent one, and so forth. A project may have multiple phases from the beginning to the end. The project's life cycle refers to the set of stages that a project traverses from start to finish.

A project does not always need to have more than one phase; it can have just one. The process of phasing our train example was carried out according to deadlines and interim outcomes or partial functional goals. One may also think of the same instance as milestone-based phasing. The phrasing is occasionally carried out for financial motives.

Phase connections

It was presumed in our instance that eliminating was ordered, i.e., that the second phase started only after the first had finished. We call this ordered phasing. By taking one task at a time, this method lowers unpredictability, but it also limits the ways in which the duration of the endeavor can be shortened.

Planning and even the start of the second phase may occur concurrently with the first's execution. This, of course, saves time. Phase overlap is the term for this. This contributes to a shorter project duration. Rapid progress is another term for working in this manner—parallel, full overlap. However, because work on the subsequent phase is begun before receiving complete information from the previously unfinished phase, this method is vulnerable to hazards and duplication.

Keep in mind that tasks within a stage will make sense in relation to one another, resulting in the production of specific deliverables or outcomes through well-coordinated work. In order to deliver phase 1's output, or route 1, the rapid transit project's first phase will comprise a number of associated operations. Each phase and its associated activities have a time constraint. If not, the project won't move forward as a whole. Several stages will employ the same procedures. For instance, planning procedures will be applied at all project stages.

Structure of the project lifecycle

According to PMBOKv5.0*, a project's lifecycle (or stages) generally look like this:

Getting a project underway
Planning and arranging
completing the project's tasks
Finishing the project

Therefore, the mass transit project that we used earlier will go through these stages. Moreover, all phases may involve the same beginning, planning, carrying out, and ending procedures. The project will start either in Phase 1 or before Phase 1. A review of the project constitution, which contains the phase 2 high-level objectives, will be part of phase 2 initiation. Phase 2 objectives may need to be changed throughout phase 2 initiation. The phase 2 charter is going to be created prior to phase 2 implementation starting.

The general lifecycle architecture mentioned above is mapped to five process groups (also known as process fields or project stages) by the PMBOK (initiating, preparing, tracking & controlling, and closing). Because of this lifecycle framework, it is normal for some procedures and activities to be replicated at different stages. Project objectives, organizational policies, and program size and complexity all play a role in all of this. A company might view a feasibility investigation as pre-project work, the beginning of a project, or the endeavor itself.

Every stage addresses a distinct aspect of the job and may involve a variety of organizations, settings, and skill sets. Specific measures are put in place to oversee each stage. Deliverables are given to interested parties at the conclusion of a phase or removed from the project. The next phase of the project is started, modifications are made, or the project is ended after an assessment. Phase closing occurs in accordance with authorization. Other names for the current phase point's finish include kill point, phasing gate, and stage entrance.

Product life cycle

The lifecycle of a product differs from that of another product. The term "product lifecycle" refers to an item's development from conception to delivery, additional market expansion, maturity, and, finally, retirement or end of life. The project life cycle thus includes both the development and lifecycle stages.

Predictive and adaptable lifecycle types are the two primary types.

Project lifecycles can be classified as change-driven (adaptive) or plan-driven (predictive). Predictive lifespans handle changes mindfully and establish limits at project inception. Adaptive lifecycles involve the development of products through several iterations, with a clear definition of the extent of each one at the outset. In both kinds of lifecycles, risk is greatest at the beginning, and costs and levels of staffing are typically lowest. Though it is lowest at the beginning of predicting lifecycles, the cost of adjustments and corrections for errors is low through adaptive lifecycles. Conversely, the capacity to modify the product without affecting the cost is greatest at the beginning of the predictive lifecycle and continues to be so during the adaptive cycle.

A number of factors, including business, technology, and other considerations, determine an organization's lifecycle type.

Examining the lifecycles in greater detail, particularly the gradual and recurrent lifecycle

Now that we have a better understanding of predicting and adaptive lifespans let's talk about gradual and iteration lifecycles.

Lifecycles that are predictive

This project establishes project parameters such as budget, timetable, and scope as early in the project as is practically possible. Similar to any lifecycle, the project's phases can overlap or follow a specific order, and each phase requires a different set of skills and work. The scope is carefully planned and carried out after it is initially established. Any modification to the scope will require new planning. When clients desire a finished product or outcome that arrives in full and at 100%, this method is preferred. The preparation and execution can start once the product is thoroughly understood. Predicting lifecycles had their start in government projects with strict regulations, difficult-to-permit deviations, and lengthy, complex work. It should be noted that roller wave planned is still possible; however, it requires extensive preparation for the work that is immediately ahead of schedule, with future work being organized in detail if and when adequate planning data becomes available.

While this does not diminish the benefits of this method, there were some drawbacks because of the nature of the tasks to which it was applied. To mention a few:

Once created, the project plan could remain the same.
Restrictions took a lot of work to change.
Project and company interaction breakdowns that cause disappointment at the project's conclusion
gradual and iterative lifecycles

Iteration is the process of repeating actions to produce a deliverable or output. It is possible to develop multiple deliverables through multiple iterations. These discrete results comprise a broader product. Every iteration's output might or might not be capable of supporting itself. A work of art is an evolution at every stage. Each iteration will use an identical set of processes or process groups. It's possible to incorporate suggestions from a previous iteration into this one.

A raise adds new features. For instance, building a single working lane on a highway. After that, add one more functional lane, and so forth. Since each lane is built using the same procedures, the process is iterative.

Every iteration may or may not add capabilities if there are no increments. Without iteration, a distinct set of procedures might be used for each increase.

While the specific extent is determined during individual iterations, the general vision and high-level range of future iterations are created at first together. A current iteration's scope should only be altered cautiously.

Iterations can occur consecutively or partially overlap. There may be an overlap between the current iteration work and planning for the next iteration. As the nature of the work changes across iterations, teammates may also change.

When size and goals are subject to change, this strategy is recommended. Big, intricate projects increase and iterate in order to lower risk and make it easier to apply feedback based on learning gained from subsequent iterations, additionally when interim phase goods are beneficial.

Adaptive life cycles

There is a lot of transformation and involvement of stakeholders in these lifecycles. These are also continuous and iterative, but the time and cost of the rounds are fixed, and they typically last two to four weeks. Throughout the endeavor, an outcome backlog will be established and preserved, wherein the scope is broken down into particular specifications and tasks. Each revision or phase involves a thorough definition of the scope, organizing, and execution, even though the initial preparation is heavier in the preceding iterations. The customer provides an evaluation of the assigned deliverable(s) for each iteration.

Each iteration begins with a set of goals or those with the greatest importance backlogged tasks that can be completed within that iteration. The product functionality that has been created up to that point is prepared for customer review at the conclusion of an iteration. The backlog is revised to reflect present requirements according to input from sponsors and customers.

This method works best in environments that change quickly, when scope and expectations are unclear from the beginning, or when PMP training helps even tiny improvements yield benefits.

Conclusion

Project lifecycles assist in organizing a project and, if necessary, divide it into phases. Phases can occur consecutively or overlap. Project lifespans are not the same as product lifecycles. Program lifecycles can be described as adaptive (driven by change), sequential and iterative, or indicator (driven by plans). Company variables and the characteristics of projects influence the lifecycles.