1. Project management, program development, and program life-cycle
AS Level ICT
Project management, program development, and program life-cycle
Unit 1 Topic a - Project management, program development, and program life-cycle

2. The stages of project management
There are five stages in the program development or software design process
These are:
Identify
Analyse
Design
Implement
Evaluate

3. The stages of project management
Identify
Although project management is a mainly linear process, feedback and design changes will often mean that steps in the process have to be revisited so that necessary changes can be incorporated
Analyse
Design
Implement
Evaluate

4. Identify What problems need to be solved?
What solution is presently being used?
Who will be using your system?
What alternatives can be used?
What objectives will your solution aim to achieve?

5. Analyse What software and/or hardware will be needed?
How will any data used be collected?
How will any data used be selected?
How will data be entered? (Inputs)
What processing will be required? (Processing)
How will information be displayed? (Outputs)
N.B. The Identify and Analyse stages are sometimes merged into a single stage

6. Design Does the initial paper design match the users’ needs?
Has the user given any feedback on the initial design?
Can any necessary design changes be incorporated?
How will the design be tested?

7. Implement
What processes have been gone through to implement the design?
Has the design been tested thoroughly after it has been implemented?
Have any design changes been required?
Have any design changes been implemented?

8. Evaluate Does the final design match the original requirements?
What problems needed to be overcome?
What solutions were used?
Has the user given any feedback on the final design?
Can any necessary design changes be incorporated?
What further improvements and/or upgrades could be made to the final design?

9. Life-cycle
Once a project has ended it is not the end of the program’s life-cycle
As the program is used, users will need it to be developed and revised as their needs change
This process will continue until a new program is introduced to replace the original program, at which point the original program will have reached the end of its life-cycle

10. Life-cycle
Maturity
Decline
Growth
Introduction
Development

11. Life-cycle
Development – the product is developed and tested prior to being launched (project management/program development stages)
Introduction – the program passes into general operational use
Growth – the number of users grows
Maturity – the number of users reaches its highest level
Decline – new programs become available and the existing program is considered for replacement

12. Extended life-cycle
It is possible to extend the life-cycle of a program by using feedback from users to continue program development beyond the end of a project
However no program’s life-cycle can be extended indefinitely, and eventually it will be withdrawn from general use and the developers will withdraw help and support

13. Project management, program development, and program life-cycle
AS Level ICT
Project management, program development, and program life-cycle
Unit 1 Topic a - Project management, program development, and program life-cycle