Following a project lifecycle

After a new project has been created, the project lifecycle is represented in

as a row of chevrons pointing in the direction of the flow. The following chevrons represent the phases in the project lifecycle example that is documented in this guide.

Beneath each lifecycle phase is a list of steps associated with that phase. To view information about a lifecycle step on the Project Details screen, click the corresponding link. When you click a link, the detailed information screen for that step appears below the lifecycle information. To indicate that a step has been completed, select the check box beside the step. A step that is a reminder but is not associated with any other information in 

 or represents tasks that occur outside the 

 solution has a check box but does not include a link to additional details.

As you create Projects and complete the information requested on the various 

 lifecycle step screens, you may notice that only a few fields are required. To strengthen alignment in your IT organization and derive the most value from 

, fill in as much of this information as you can. If you have more complete individual project data, you can make better decisions at the portfolio level.

 

• Initiation
   Identifies stakeholders.
• Definition
   Defines the initial scope, alignment characteristics, expected value, estimate resources, preliminary budget and benefit analysis.
• Planning
   Defines key schedule milestones and schedule, budget, and required approvers, and allocates IT resources.
• Executing
   Captures design documents, test plans, and actual costs.
• Measurement
   Provides tools for capturing client feedback and lessons learned.