PMP prep exam free course- Introduction & the environment in which project operate - Life Cycle.
- What is life cycle.
Life cycle is a progression through a series of differing
stages of development.
Life cycles define steps or phases that each product or
project goes over life span and with a help of these common life cycles
expected expenditure activities or general progress of a project can be
estimated.
For example, if we consider generic project it will include 4
major phases. 1st starting the project, 2nd organizing
and preparing, 3rd carrying out the work, and finally closing the
project.
As you see in the below figure, these 4 phases of a common
project life cycle are shown.
Figure also include the major deliveries at the end of each phase life cycle. At the end of the 1st phase “starting the project” the project charter will be produced. At the end of the 2nd phase “organizing and preparing” project management plan will be produced. During the 3rd phase and at the end of the 3rd phase deliverables of the project will be produced. And finally, at the 4th phase “closing the project” the project documents will be archived, and the project will be closed.
This common life cycle also depict how cost and staffing
level changes in the project over life cycle.
As you see, during the starting and planning cost and
staffing level are lowest, expenditure and resources usage are maximum during
the 3rd phase “carrying out the work” and then start to decline in
the 4th phase since the project is closing.
For instance, the below figure show how cost of changes and
risk & uncertainty in the project changes over project time.
Cost changes are lower in the beginning because most of the
work not been done or delivered yet. Therefore, if change something in the project,
it is expected that the cost of this change will be lower compare to changes
will make in future. Because as long you started to deliver project work it
will be harder and more costly to make change in later phases of the project because you have to do a rework and may be
start from the beginning to revise the
work you did to that date.
Similarly, risk and uncertainty of a project is highest in
the beginning because to do not know exactly what you will face and how they might
impact the project. However, as long as the project progresses, risk either ne eliminated
or over come and uncertainty disappear respectively.
- Product life cycle.
Product life cycle start from conception of a new product to
its withdrawal. Product can require many projects over its life.
The below figure show the life cycle of an old version from
I phone product.
As you can see, start with a conception then growth in a growth
phase then it reached to maturity phase where it is expected to make most work.
Then in 4th phase it is market
demand start to decline but still new project such as fixed software issues can
be initiated to support the product and finally, in the 5th phase
product was withdrawn and no more projects planned and initiated once the
project reached to end of life cycle.
- Project life cycle changes.
Project life cycle changes depending on the industry or
organization’s preferences.
For example, project life cycle of a project in construction
industry will differ from a project in IT.
Project life cycle in construction industry will have:
Feasibility, planning, design, production, turnover, and
startup phases, respectively.
However, in IT project, project life cycle will have:
High level design, detailed design, coding, testing, installation,
conversation, and turnover phases, respectively.