Product or project 5 phases ?

Do not mix up :

This “Project Handling Tool” refers to the 5 phases of the PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT:

1. exigencies and function descriptions
2. function solution selection
3. main sizing and architectural concepts
4. detailed overall concepts or drawings
5. detailed realisation documents or coding

When most other project methods refer to the 5 phases of the PROJECT MANAGEMENT

1. initiating
2. planning
3. executing
4. monitor and control
5. closing

Equivalences between both do not really exist since the appraoches are different. It is like comparing the traditional quality management with the Toyota’s one, or trying to make a word to word Arabian to English translation.

The product development is the center piece of “the Project Handling Tool” and all other topics are “built in”. So the match with the Toyota’s goals is achieved, as:

• make it right, right away
• permanent risk control
• tight cost follow up
• permanent tracks search in order to stick to the planning
• the closing, even, is conducted in parallel, for instance through documents like the Why/What lists, tests and sub-proto reports, manual and assembly instructions made in parallel, etc…
• etc…