6 Project Considerations and Deliverables

WHAT ARE DELIVERABLES?                                                                                                                           

There are a wide range of deliverables that might exist within the scope of an engineering project. These deliverables are often decided on during the conception of the project itself, and will have associated dates and deadlines with their delivery. These deliverables might often range from being documents outlining project details or testing/simulation information, to physical prototypes and the final product or system.

DESIGN DOCUMENTATION                                                                                                                             

As these document deliverables can occur throughout the entire project, they can take on many forms. Some common document deliverables can be found below [1].

Design Proposal

This is the document submitted by clients, describing the overall concept of a device or system, and how it should function. The requirements document may also be a part of this initial document, and this describes some of the key requirements or constraints.

Project Plan

A project plan should include its schedule, along with its overall plan for operation. All of the deadlines and methods for achieving these deadlines are described, along with possible contingencies. Good planning requires the consideration of possible setbacks, as these can cost the project weeks, months, or even years if critical. Thus, a good guideline for estimating deadlines is to consider the time it takes to complete a task uninterrupted, and then multiplying that time by a factor of 2 or 3 for some allowances.

Project Budget

The budget outlines the expenditure of the project. This involves not only the costs of materials or operation, but most importantly the cost of labor. Human resources should also be very carefully considered, as it is very expensive to suddenly add more members to a team, both from a labor perspective, but also from a time perspective. Most new members will spend the first few days or weeks simply getting up to speed on a project, and thus not actually contribute to the project until they have a good grasp on it.

Specifications

There can be a few different types of specifications discussed in a specification document. Functional Specifications often describe the requirements needed for a design to meet the needs of a client. They are also often associated with priorities, and listed in order of criticality to the function of the device or system. This can help to determine what can be cut from a project if time or budget constraints become a problem.

Additionally, Design Specifications often describe the actual methodologies or processes necessary to actually make the solution. This acts as a sort of blueprint for the solution, and can take many forms. For mechanical engineers, this may be a CAD drawing or 3D render, for electrical engineers this may be a circuit diagram, and for software engineers this may be a flowchart or relationship diagram.

Testing and Validation

It is not enough to simply design a product, it must also be tested to ensure that it does what it was made to do. Thus, the testing and validation document, as its name implies, outlines the procedure for evaluation. This may build upon the weighted criteria used to select the particular solution, and can lead to iterations on the final design.

Progress and Final Reports

Progress reports are deliverables that the client receives at the predetermined milestone dates. This serves to inform the client about how the project is developing, and contains any insights, such as unanticipated obstacles or recommendations for the future.

Final reports act as a record of the project and its final outcome. This may be in the form of a single document, or may be multiple documents. In essence, they provide an overarching view of the project as a whole, and includes relevant literature reviews, considerations, specifications, and recommendations for the future if anything will be added to the design, or if the design will be revisited.

PROJECT LIFE CYCLE                                                                                                                                        

Each major phase of a project is associated with its own deadlines and deliverables, and these deliverables have to be approved by a client or stakeholders. Below is a breakdown of each of the 4 stages of the Project Life Cycle [1].

Project Initiation

This initial phase covers the initial stages of problem determination, and brainstorming its possible solutions. After determining that there is an actual need for this project, and that the project itself is feasible, there should be a plan developed for achieving the project’s goal, along with milestones, deadlines, the people involved, and the overall budget. The combination of these items is often called a Project Charter, and is often signed off on by a client and major stakeholders.

Project Planning

The project definition acts as a more detailed plan for the actual execution of the project once the initial charter has been approved or accepted. This usually involves, but is not limited to, aspects such as a project summary, team members and roles, a work breakdown, a budget, risk management plans, and a detailed schedule with critical junctures and dates. The creation of smaller, easier goals with their own deadlines is often essential to ensuring the project continues to develop incrementally and smoothly over its life.

Project Execution

Once the go-ahead is received based on the charter and definition, the project actually commences. The major concerns at this stage include monitoring progress, overcoming obstacles, and documenting any changes or updates. Communication and documentation are key, as all team members, along with the client and stakeholders, must be kept up to date on how the project is progressing, and any foreseeable setbacks or changes that must occur. Progress reports are a good vehicle for this type of information.

Project Closure

After all of the major tasks are completed, outstanding issues can be identified and resolved. A final report or a presentation may be necessary, describing an overview of how the project progressed from beginning to end, touching on any deviations from the original plan. An official handoff to the clients or stakeholders may also occur, and plans for improvement both within the team, and for the project may be discussed and documented.

SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE                                                                                                                                         

As noted previously, coming up with a solution and implementing it is not enough. It is important for engineering design to be carried out with a “cradle-to-grave” mentality, considering all aspects of a design or system from Production, to Deployment, to Operation and Maintenance, and finally to Retirement. Steps in production and deployment have already been discussed. Operation and maintenance should also be considered, as there is much to learn in terms of system improvements and possible changes once people are actually using the device or system.

Once parts of the product finally start to degrade or wear out, considerations for how the system or device will be maintained or retired must also be considered. When a product is retired, its effect on the environment must be considered, as waste can end up in landfills, or may result in pollution and environmental damage if not careful. Ideally, damaged parts or retired systems should have other uses, enabling them to have use beyond the grave, saving them from landfills and aiding in the processes of waste reduction and recycling [1].

REFERENCES                                                                                                                                                      

[2] Wrike, “What are Deliverables in Project Management”,
https://www.wrike.com/project-management-guide/faq/what-is-a-deliverable-in-project-management/ (Accessed September 2nd, 2023).

[3] Lucidchart, “4 Phases of the Project Management Life Cycle”, Lucid Content Team,
https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/the-4-phases-of-the-project-management-life-cycle (Accessed September 2nd, 2023).

[4] Wikipedia, “System Development Life Cycle”,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_development_life_cycle (Accessed September 2nd, 2023).