Types of Project Life Cycles

1. Types of Project Life Cycles • Predictive Life Cycle (Fully Plan-Driven) • Iterative & Incremental Life Cycle • Adaptive Life Cycle

2. Predictive Life Cycles (Fully Plan-Driven) • Product & deliverable are defined in beginning, and changes in scope managed • Project/product scope, project plan including time, cost determined early • Series of sequential and overlapping phases, with project management processes in each phase • Work and skills required different in nature in each phase • Changes in scope carefully managed, need re-planning, and formal acceptance • Preferred when product is well defined, adequate base of industry practice • May also use rolling wave planning in which high level plan is available, and detailed planning is carried out at time when work is to be done

3. Predictive Life Cycles (Fully Plan-Driven)

4. Iterative & Incremental Life Cycles

5. Iterative & Incremental Life Cycles

6. Iterative & Incremental Life Cycle Communication Planning Modeling (analysis, design) Construction (code, test) Deployment (delivery, feedback) Increment # 3 Delivery of 3rd increment Software Functionality and Features Increment # 2 Delivery of 2nd increment Increment # 1 Delivery of 1st increment Project Calendar Time 6

7. Iterative & Incremental Life Cycles • High level vision developed, but detailed scope is elaborated later • Changes in scope managed after work begins • Planning for next phase (iteration) is carried out as work progresses on existing phase • Preferred when: • Need to manage changing objectives and scope • Reduce complexity of project • Partial deliverable of a product is beneficial • Large and complex projects to reduce risk by incorporating feedback and lessons learned

8. Iterative & Incremental Life Cycles • When Used • There is a need to get a product to the market early • New technology is being used • Resources with needed skills are not available • High risks involved

9. Adaptive Life Cycles • Also called change-driven or agile methods • Also iterative and incremental, but iterations are very rapid • Product is developed by iterations, and detailed scope is defined for each iteration only. Stakeholder influence is higher, and cost of changes lower, compared to predictive. • Intended to respond to high levels of change and ongoing stakeholder involvement • At end of each iteration, product is ready for customer review • Sponsor & customer continuously engaged to provide deliverable feedback as being created • Preferred when: • Dealing with rapidly changing environment • Advance defining requirements & scope difficult • Possible to define small improvements that will provide value to stakeholders

10. Adaptive Life Cycles

11. Project Life Cycles Here’s a handy table summarizing the differences between the three types of life cycles.