The Phased development Approach For Project Management

Haleema Qayyum

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Haleema Qayyum

The Phased development Approach For Project Management

Table of Contents

A phased development process contains various phases, and each phase ends up with a definite output. The performance of these phases depends on the process model.

In addition, the main reason for using a phased development approach for project management is that the phases simplify the complex processes. The software development problem becomes easy with the help of breaking the process into phases.

Phased development FI

In addition, each phase handles a different concern of project development. So, it also ensures that the overall cost of development becomes less than dealing with the complete project together.

Why Is the Phased Development Approach Important?

A phased development process helps properly check progress and quality in the project management and development. Without this approach, the managers have to wait until the end of the project to see what the final output will be? What the developed software or project will produce?

Moreover, if you deal with large developmental projects, you need to divide the project into various phases. Thus, for project tracking, managing the complexity, and maintaining the quality, the development process should consist of various phases. Here, a phased development approach is central to dealing with complex projects.

Various process models are designed to develop software and manage various projects. In addition, most organizations have their software versions. So, if you want to enter a problem into the software, the software must clearly understand the problem, design the solutions, and test the various programs.

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Phases of Development Project Management

Phased development project management implementation consists of various phases. These phases are:

Phases of development project
Initiation Phase

In the initiation phase, project managers use pilot projects to establish process momentum and manage natural resistance to change. In addition, they get first-hand knowledge of your project and your organization.

Furthermore, the main goal of this phase is to successfully activate your organization, provide solutions to at-risk projects, and set the base for the upcoming installation phases.

Moreover, the initiation phase deals with the project management methodology and software training of the employees who are members of the pilot project team. Throughout this phase, the plans for project installation and key tools are created that will be utilized in the next installation phase.

Installation Phase (Project Level)

The second phase of project management implementation uses information gathered from the first phases of initiation. So, the second phase uses this information to roll out the control processes and project planning for all remaining projects.

In addition, this phase also formally creates the project management office. This phase also deals with creating a job description for PMO, project control/planning formal guidelines, a project website, and a system for web activity.

Finally, the installation phase also covers the basic infrastructure to support project techniques’ successful, consistent application.

Also, Project Management Training is an essential task in this phase that ensures the proper training and knowledge of the project management team.

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Installation Phase (Enterprise-Level)

This phase covers the tools that manage the entire portfolio of the organizations’ project. Some examples of these tools are:

  • a management “dashboard.”
  • enterprise performance metrics,
  • project scheduling

The dashboard tool helps to get the visibility of the project status summary, and the project schedule depends on the project priority and resources available. These tools are helpful because they:

  1. Provide management with accurate and timely information about the project status
  2. Support decision-making of the business that impacts the positive completion of projects.

The organization’s decision-making includes changes in funding, staff, workload, and project prioritization.

In this development phase, the project management staff knows what their day-to-day responsibilities are and how to manage them. In addition, they know how to develop and maintain ongoing projects.

Maintenance Phase

In this phased development stage, the project management staff moves from office to organization. The staff provides the essential information about the enterprise level to the management. In addition, they support the day-to-day responsibilities for controlling and planning individual projects.

Furthermore, at this phase of the project development, all the essential tasks have been completed, such as staff training, communication, virtual development of all projects, and formal project planning and process control.

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What To Expect From The Phased Development Approach?

Project management consulting companies use the phased development approach. You can expect the following deliverable by this approach:

Phase 1 Deliverables
  • Initial communication with the management for the identification of pilot projects
  • Software training and project management methodology for pilot team members
  • Formal project plans and control processes in place for all pilot projects
  • A collection of templates” for use in the project installation phases
  • Standard coding structures and report formats for projects
  • Final a plan and requirements for the installation phase (project-level)
Phase 2 Deliverables
  • Formal control process, structured and network-based project plans for all targeted projects
  • The rollout of software or project management training to all team members and project leaders
  • Implementation of the initial project management infrastructure
  • Mentoring and training of PMO personnel
  • Final a plan and requirements for the installation phase (entrepreneur-level)
Phase 3 Deliverables
  • Enterprise-level implementation of the PMO infrastructure
  • Turnover to the staff  the responsibility for creating and maintaining project plans
  • Also, final a plan and requirements for the maintenance phase
Phase 4 Deliverables
  • Turnover to PMO staff the duty for assisting all of the PM requirements of the organization
  • Recommendations to project management for incentives and policies

Benefits Of Phased Development In Project Management

The phased development approach in software can bring numerous advantages in terms of development strategy, budget, proof of concept, and finally roll out implementation.

A phased software development project and mobile app can take many days, months, or even years. The time of these projects depends on the nature and scale of the platform you are going to build, or it also depends on the preferences set by the client.

Moreover, the financial advantages of the phased development process are also significant. So, this feature makes this process of developing a very attractive option for organizations and businesses.

It is also the best option for organizations searching for ways to reduce the cost of short-term development projects. In addition, the development of projects in phases also offers the financial advantage without adversely affecting the project’s quality.

Phased Development Benefits in Cost Management

Reducing the cost of software development without compromising the quality of the project is a challenging situation for many organizations and companies.

But software and mobile app development industry follows the principle of “you get what you pay for.” As a result, many clients have faced problems in their development projects when they cut the cost to save some.

As a result, they end up partially built up and useless, causing a total loss in the initial investment. Phased development projects help you set aside these kinds of issues. In addition, it is because of the reason that you can observe your project in phases.

Also, this process aligns with your budget. Thus, you can easily examine the phase that has been developed before moving towards the next phase.

Furthermore, this development option also helps you in the phased implementation and roll-out of your project. So, it means that your project will get ROI a bit sooner, and you can enjoy it easily.

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Phased Development Benefits In Implementation

The roll-out and implementation of phased development projects can be less jarring. It is particularly for those platforms that demand employees to use software to fulfill their duties. Thus, the reasons for adopting the phased approach for software development are numerous.

A few of these reasons are:

Arranging the features confirms that the first version you have created is useful for your users. The software doesn’t have to be useful for all. In addition, it might be useful for the sufficient public that you want to target.

The approach of phased development makes your budget easy to cope with it. It is particularly helpful when you have not done the same project before. Also, when you have no idea how extensive the project will be.

When people first start to use this software, their priorities for the project will change. Through this approach, you and your developer can easily analyze and adjust the features you want to add next. Thus, you can put your most energy, time, and attention into those things that are the priority.

Moreover, the approach of phased development can reduce “scope creep.” You only add one thing to fulfill the project requirements. Here you do not face any change in the completion time, budget, and delivery time.

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Top 5 Frequently Asked Questions


What is the phased approach?

Two typical strategies are used for ERP system solution implementation. Among these two strategies, one is the phased approach. Through this approach, you introduce the system’s functionalities in a specific sequence. In addition, you replace old methodologies and systems gradually.


What are the phases of the phased development approach?

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), there are five phases of project management and development. These phases are:

• Conception and initiation
• Planning
• Execution
• Performance/monitoring
• Project close


Why is a phased approach important?

A phased approach for development is important because it offers numerous benefits for project implementation. Among these benefits, you can consider better planning, sufficient control, and testing to conduct the right rolling out of the solution towards the end-users.


What is a phased approach in project management?


A phased approach in project management is based on a principle. The principle states that you can break down projects into a series of various stages. Typically there are four stages of the phased approach. These stages are:

• Initiation
• Project-level installation
• Enterprise-level installation
• Maintenance


Where can you use phased implementation?

Phased implementation is a System Changeover method that changes an existing system into a new one. In addition, the changes take place in various stages. As an example, consider the supermarket. The system of checkout is being upgraded, and a newer version was created in this supermarket.

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