Understand project, product and project management life cycles

Defining the scope of a project is one of the first phases of a project. It defines what will be inside the project and what will be outside it. This notion is essential, as it will then help the project manager to characterize what will have to be done under the contract, and what may be the subject of amendments (and therefore of additional financial resources for the project).

With this in mind, a clear distinction must be made between what is the responsibility of the project and its progress – we then speak of the project life cycle – and the much broader concept of the product – we then speak of the product life cycle.

This sheet also explains how the various project management processes fit together during the course of a project.