People, Performance, Portfolios, Processes, Products and Projects

Process

Systems Delivery Lifecycle Phases

What

The Systems Delivery Lifecycle provides a full "cradle to grave" Process with clearly defined outcomes and deliverables for both projects and Application Systems.

Process Diagram

Lifecycle Management consists of the following major Procedures:

The dark green boxes represent phases in their own right. The light green boxes (Analysis and Acquisition) represent stages which consist of multiple phases (the names of which are listed below them).

The blue arrows indicate phase-to-phase sequencing.

The yellow arrows indicate Infrastructure drivers and synchronisation points. These are explained in the description of the Infrastructure project lifecycle phase.

The brown arrow indicates parallel, interdependent Activities.

Each of the Systems Delivery Lifecycle phases is described briefly below.

Request

The Request project lifecycle phase formalises a request to initiate all work. This may be for a new Application System (in which case a project is initiated and Phase Zero is started) or for a change to be made to an legacy Application System (in which case a Change Request Form) is completed and the Maintenance and Support phase is initiated).

Phase Zero

The Phase Zero project lifecycle phase performs a small amount of exploratory work based on the original request. It consists of a small number of short interviews of the principal Stakeholders to identify project issues, manage expectations and establish the project in such a manner that it will be a success.

The Phase Zero project lifecycle phase then initiates the project. It establishes the Project Organisation Structure, the Project Team members and all of the project Infrastructure required to start the project.

Startup Phase

The Startup project lifecycle phase initiates a project.

Infrastructure

The Infrastructure project lifecycle phase acquires Infrastructure and technology (eg, hardware, system software, network, tools, etc), installs them and then trains appropriate staff. Operates in parallel with other phases.

Enterprise Strategy

The Enterprise Strategy project lifecycle phase develops a Enterprise Strategy. Operates in parallel with other phases. Is performed every year when developing the Enterprise's annual budget. It is used to drive the IT Strategy.

IT Strategy

The IT Strategy develops an IT Strategy which is aligned with the Enterprise Strategy. Operates in parallel with other phases. Is performed every year when developing the IT Department budget.

Analysis

The Analysis project lifecycle stage defines the Enterprise's requirements at different levels of detail. Is divided into the following phases:

Enterprise Analysis

The Enterprise Analysis project lifecycle phase develops an Enterprise-wide view of the business and the role that the IT Department should have to effectively and efficiently provide services. This also extends to allowing projects to operate with clarity in terms of organisational, functional and informational boundaries. Identifies Business Areas. Is usually only performed once every year.

Business Area Analysis

The Business Area Analysis project lifecycle phase identifies the future business requirements for a Business Area in terms of what it must be capable of doing. Identifies all Application Systems within the Business Area.

System Definition

The System Definition project lifecycle phase identifies the future business requirements for an Application System in terms of what it must be capable of doing and producing a complete Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) for everything that must be delivered.

Pre-Sales

The Pre-Sales project lifecycle phase is an optional project lifecycle phase performed by an external vendor or contractor organisation in identifying sales opportunities, assessing the opportunities and then capturing them (ie, "getting the deal").

Acquisition

The Acquisition project lifecycle stage identifies and acquires, a solution for the Business Area(s). If no solution is found during any of the Acquisition phases, subsequent Acquisition phases are skipped and the Business Case phase is commenced. Is divided into the following phases:

Market Scan

The Market Scan project lifecycle phase identifies potential packages and very quickly culls them to about 5 - 8 Candidates by evaluating responses to a Request For Information (RFI) against Macro Evaluation Criteria.

Initial Investigation

The Initial Investigation project lifecycle phase briefly looks at the Candidate solutions and quickly culls them to about 2 - 3 on an Initial Shortlist based on 1-day demonstrations given by solution vendors.

Detailed Evaluation

The Detailed Evaluation project lifecycle phase takes a detailed look at those Initial Shortlist solutions and culls them to a Final Shortlist of 1 - 2 based on 2-week demonstrations and evaluating against Micro Evaluation Criteria.

Trial

The Trial project lifecycle phase trials components of the Final Shortlist solutions with a view to understanding everything required to be included in the Business Case Report (including what it will cost in time and money to install, configure, customise and Rollout the solution).

Business Case

The Business Case project lifecycle phase develops a Business Case Report which contains a Capital Expenditure Proposal (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure Budget (OPEX) which in turn contains a Cost/Benefit Analysis requesting approval to proceed with the remainder of the phases. Defines Development, Testing, Training, Documentation and Rollout strategies.

The outcome of this phase is approval to proceed with the project as well as signed orders with all external vendors (eg, for hardware, software and services).

Design

The Design project lifecycle phase defines how the new Application System will be built and operated from both a business and a technical perspective. This is an optional phase and is not performed if a Development style of Prototyping will be employed.

Development

The Development project lifecycle phase develops or customises a package to satisfy the business requirements. Develops all User Documentation. Develops all Training Material. Performs all appropriate Testing of the Application System prior to being put into production (rolled out).

Rollout

The Rollout project lifecycle phase does everything required to take the new Application System into production. Includes performing Training, Data Conversion and file takeup.

Windup

The Windup project lifecycle phase finalises the project. Identifies all outstanding Action Items. Identifies all lessons learnt. Performs a Post-Implementation Review (Post-Implementation Review (PIR) Workshop ) Workshop. Disperses the project team. Establishes benefits acquisition and measurement Activities.

Maintenance and Support

The Maintenance and Support project lifecycle phase enhances, repairs and supports Application Systems while they are in production.

Operations

The Operations project lifecycle phase operates Application Systems while they are in production.

Decommission

The Decommission project lifecycle phase turns off an Application System (at the end of its life) in a controlled manner. This is usually performed by a project team, but for all Application Systems being replaced by the new Application System.

Scaling

Also See

Lifecycle Management is one of the significant Processes that exist throughout PMMentor (PMM). To print a "Handout Pack" on this Process, create and print a title page and then click on the "Print" button (to print this topic to act as a Table of Contents) and then click on each of the following topics in turn. When the topic is displayed, click on the "Print" button, then click on the "Back" button to return to this topic and choose the next topic to print.