Concept: Transition Phase
Fourth and final phase in the project lifecycle.
Main Description

Introduction

The purpose in this phase is to ensure that software is ready for delivery to its users.

There are objectives for the Transition phase that help us to fine-tune functionality, performance and overall quality of the beta product “released” at the end of the phase [KRO03]:

  1. Beta test to validate that user expectations are met. This tipically requires some tuning activities such as bug fixing and making enhancements for performance and usability.
  2. Achieve stakeholder concurrence that deployment is complete. This may involve various levels of test for product acceptance, like formal and informal tests, and beta tests.
  3. Improve future project performance through lessons learned. Document lessons learned and improve the process and tool environment for the project.

The following table summarizes the Transition phase objectives and what activities address each objective:



Phase objectives

Activities addressing objectives

Beta test to validate that user expectations are met

Ongoing Tasks*
Develop Solution (for requirement)(within context)
Validate Build

Achieve stakeholder concurrence that deployment is complete

Manage Iteration
Validate Build

Improve future project performance through lessons learned

Assess and Close-out Project

 

(*Task: Request Change)




Key Considerations

Transition can include running old and new systems in parallel, migrating data, training users, and adjusting business process.

The number of iterations in Transition phase varies from one iteration (for a simple system requiring primarily minor bug fixing) to many iterations (for a complex system, involving addition of features and performing activities to transition the business from using the old system to using the new system).

When the phase objectives are met, the project is in position to be closed. For some products, the end of the current project lifecycle may coincide with the beggining of the next lifecycle, leading to the next generation of the same product.