Phases of Traditional Project Life Cycle

Phases of the Traditional Project Life Cycle

• Products have life cycles, and a systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a framework for describing the phases involved in developing information systems.
• Systems development projects can follow two types of life cycles: predictive and adaptive.

Predictive Life Cycle Models

• Waterfall model: has well-defined, linear stages of systems development and support.
• Spiral model: shows that software is developed using an iterative or spiral approach rather than a linear approach.
• Incremental build model: provides for progressive development of operational software.
• Prototyping model: used for developing prototypes to clarify user requirements.
• Rapid Application Development (RAD) model: used to produce systems quickly without sacrificing quality.

Adaptive Life Cycle Models

• Extreme programming (XP): developers program in pairs and must write the tests for their own code.
• Scrum: iterative development in which repetitions are referred to as sprints, which normally last thirty days.
• Having a Chief Information Officer (CIO) at a high level in the organization helps IT projects.
• Assigning non-IT people to IT projects also encourages more commitment.

Need for Organizational Standards

• Standards and guidelines help project managers be more effective.
• Senior management can encourage the use of standard forms and software for project management.
• The development and use of guidelines for writing project plans or providing status information.
• The creation of a project management office or center of excellence.

Project Phases and the Project Life Cycle

• A project life cycle is a collection of project phases that defines what work will be performed, deliverables, who is involved, and how management will control and approve work.
• A deliverable is a product or service produced or provided as part of a project.

More on Project Phases

• In the early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually lowest, and the level of uncertainty (risk) is highest.
• In the middle phases, the certainty of completing a project increases, and more resources are needed.
• In the final phase, the focus is on ensuring that project requirements were met, and the sponsor approves completion of the project.

The Importance of Project Phases and Management Reviews

• A project should successfully pass through each of the project phases in order to continue on to the next.
• Management reviews, also called phase exits or kill points, should occur after each phase to evaluate the project’s progress.

The Context of IT Projects

• IT projects can be very diverse in terms of size, complexity, products produced, application area, and resource requirements.
• IT project team members often have diverse backgrounds and skill sets.
• IT projects use diverse technologies that change rapidly, and people must be highly specialized.

Chapter Summary

• Project managers need to take a systems approach when working on projects.
• Organizations have four different frames: structural, human resources, political, and symbolic.
• The structure and culture of an organization have strong implications for project managers.
• Projects should successfully pass through each phase of the project life cycle.
• Project managers need to consider several factors due to the unique context of information technology projects.