My large-scale project was a multiple, multilayer product development project.

It was about creating virtual products (tour generator, software), and all marketing aspects, as well as physical products, based on the virtual product versions.

 

To assign and control the scope, several procedures had to be created, to assure accountability, optimal resource allocation, and an accurate timeframe.

For software development, Scrum was the essential methodology with iterative, and incremental in-cycle sprints, to be able to realign immediately to preset objectives. The deadlines were not too tight, as the research process talks more time as for proven strategy concepts.

 

The global timeframe was 6 months. (Excluding SEO (12 months and the follow-up project cycle)

 

 

Theoretical product development cycle

 

Main pre-projective actions:

• Research, strategy and plan creation (Analysis, feasibility study, business plan, intellectual strategy and cost evaluation, global strategy, Idea generation, idea screening…)

• Creation of operational draft templates: shared with the involved parties. They must be updated, controlled, and archived.

 

Operational product development cycle

 

The main cycles were:

 

• Risk analysis and management on an on-going basis

• Quality reviews and milestones built into the project plan

 

• Concept and software development/ testing

• Business analysis

• Alpha & beta testing phases

• Market testing and pre-launch phase (content marketing…)

• Technical implementation

• Commercialization (Post-NPD)

 

  1. Project Brief

 

Establishing the project vision document, including:

 

  2. Project Initiation Document

 

Sign-off by all stakeholders.

Global scope setting for all involved parties.

Establishing the project vision document, including:

Introduction, purpose, stakeholders, scope, definitions, references, business case, business opportunity/need, problem statement, stakeholders and user details, stakeholders’, myself (project manager, business owner, project sponsor, IT owner), details, user definition, user environment, user profile, project/ product overview, features, benefits, modules, constraints, assumptions and Dependencies, cost and pricing, quality control, project documentation, additional details.

 

  3. Business Requirement Document

 

Executive Summary, client details, stakeholders’ categories, business objectives, background, scope,

in scope, out of scope, features, functional requirements, business requirements, configuration requirements, use cases, business process flows, non-functional Requirements (environmental, administrative, legal), performance requirements, usability requirements, security requirements, training requirements, recovery requirements, storage requirements, reporting and quality assurance, delivery schedule, other requirements, constraints, assumptions, limitations, risks.

 

  4. Requirement Management Document

 

Purpose, stakeholders, scope, definitions, references, requirement management: requirement gathering, requirement traceability, requirement analysis, requirement modeling, requirement documentation requirement review, quality standards, requirement categories, configuration management, requirement tools, requirement metrics, reporting structure, change

​​

  5. Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM)

 

• Revision history: document revision control table (version, date revised, change description, A/M/D), prepared by, approved by),

• traceability matrix (functionality matrix reference, application requirements definition/ use cases, module, requirement description, source code, unit/ module Test cases IDs, release details).

 

  6. Testing plan / strategy

 

The testing plan consistency is to ensure that all the scope has been completed by all stakeholders.

 

  7. Testing execution

 

Testing execution is performed in 3 phases, and scopes:

a) Internally: functional scope,

b) non-functional internally/ externally to ensure that the operational interaction scope is performing optimally,

c) externally on scenario performance, partners, and predefined user personas (only for interface end users)

 

  8. Testing report/results

 

• Revision history: document revision control table (version, date revised, change the description, A/M/D), prepared by, approved by),

• document details: document revision control table (version, date revised, change the description, A/M/D), prepared by, approved by),

• test case sheet (prerequisites: conditions that should be true to execute the test case), assumptions (scenarios that are assumed to be true for the test case), test ID#, Reqt ID#, test case description, testable identifier, importance pre/ initial conditions, input data, test steps, excepted result, cycles 1-3 (test result, actual results, #Bug ID, test result, actual results, #Bug ID, test result comments)

• test results summary report: test case cycles: number of test cases, %TC (passed/ failed, executed, not executed not applicable, and a total of performed actions)

 

  9. User guides

 

Use Case Name, description, pre-condition(s), post-condition(s), actor(s), flow of events, main flow, alternative flows, exception flows, related Use Cases(s),

business rules: use case, UI notes, use case diagram, prototype/UI screens, business validation.

 

  10. Production Implementation

 

The project became visible to outsiders. The user interface was finalized, as final marketing aspects. SEO and SMM are accelerated and realigned.

Review and approval of the products.

The momentum effect is important.

SEO and SMM pre-launch strategy has been defined 6 months prior to the launch.

 

  11. Post Mortem

 

The follow-up phase was important to optimize handbooks (instructional videos and in-game features) for the newly created products.

 

The first results were reported and realigned through quantification, measurement, metrics and KPI’s.

 

During the maturity stage, the product is established, and the aim is now to maintain the built-up market share. The most competitive time; investment in marketing needs to be performed wisely. It's also the time for product modifications or improvements to the production process to maintain the competitive advantage.

Optimization processes and strategies were implemented as the follow-up to the main development phase.

 

Product development is, therefore, continuous improvement.