Applying the Stages of the Product Lifecycle

Applying the Stages of the Product Lifecycle to Household Moving

Applying the Stages of the Project Lifecycle to Household Moving

In defining the processes and steps involved in moving a household there are many comparisons possible to managing a highly complex project as well. The project management frameworks and sequence of steps is comparable between moving even the simplest household vs. completing a commercial or private project. The goal of this paper is to apply the stage of project lifecycles to moving a household. As with any successful project, the most foundational step is to ensure everyone has the same set of expectation and that objectives are defined in common terms everyone can understand. Project lifecycles are the most successful when there is a very clear series of expectations and requirements shared across all teams (Pasian, Sankaran, Boydell, 2012). The most successful projects are those that set attainable, realistic and clearly defined goals that enable all project teams and contributors to stay focused on its completion (Cagle, 1990). Jas as a team involved in a complex project must all share a common series of expectations about what can be accomplished and when, the same holds true of each family member involved in a move as well. Both groups must share a common series of expectations of each step from a logistics standpoint. Insight about which specific steps need to happen when also must be well understood and bought into by both teams. The commitment of each team, in both examples, is critical to the success of the respective projects as well. Creating a shared sense of ownership in any project is essential to its success and the reduction of resistance to change (Jaafari, 2000).

For both household moving and for a large-scale project, there also must be a project plan that is very clear about the critical path, supporting and subordinate tasks. In the case of a household moving, the goals of the move need to be clearly understood, in addition to the process for selecting a mover vs. choosing to move entirely on one's own. The potential locations for the move need to be evaluated according to a series of criterion, in addition to a framework being provided that shows the overall trade-offs of each location. The financial impactions of one location relative to another need to be defined with a series of metrics and the schedule tasks defined and sequenced according to time and cost constraints (Khang, Moe, 2008). Both a formalized project and a household move must also have a critical path defined, specifically showing which tasks precede the other and what the potential is on overall schedule accomplishment based on the acceleration or slip relative to schedule dates (Khang, Moe, 2008). As is the case with any successful project, the ability of project team members to have a high degree of collaboration and communication, including high levels of trust, are essential for projects and family moves to be successful.

Setting Accurate, Attainable Goals Is Critical To Project Progress

Just as a business will initiate a project to gain competitive advantages including more customers, greater access to resources or suppliers, or develop entirely global markets, the same is true of a household move. Households move to gain access to greater career opportunities or closer to families; in short to pursue long-term advantages. The same is true of any business undertaking a given project to gain greater levels of sales, coordinate more effectively with suppliers and create a more effective value chain for the business. Unifying the household moving and project comparison is the performance and accomplishment of each project must be based on solid stakeholder involvement and support (Cagle, 1990). Both examples require a clear set of definable metrics of performance complete with a series of measurable progress points over the entire duration of the project or move (Khang, Moe, 2008).

Just as is the case with a household move and a project, the longer elapsed time is invested, the more difficult it is to change direction or modify direction. The trade-off of changing direction relative to the constraints of time, cost and resources must be undertaken in both a decision to modify a project or change the destination, direction or pace of a household move. The need for managing incremental costs of resources including time, financial and opportunity cost must be taken into account in any variation in scope, schedule or direction (Khang, Moe, 2008). For the family relocating from one city to the next the "scope creep" or decision to move to an adjacent city to the one originally planned has a cascading effect on costs, time and resources. For the business completing a project, this type of change in direction or scope creep often requires the additions of subcontractors and contracts that can help to ease the resource and time constraints the new direction requires (Khang, Moe, 2008). The tendency on the part of projects is to mitigate and underestimate the effects of changes in direction however. Scope creep and a continual willingness to look at other potential directions can seriously impact the performance of a project if the constraints of people, resources and time are not managed well relative to the original goal (Khang, Moe, 2008). The ability of a project leader in business or the leader of a family in a household move to ensure solidarity and fidelity to a given objective is critical to the success of the entire project (Cagle, 1990). Across both the business project and the household move, fidelity to the original goals must be maintained and a strong focus on the end goal defined and regularly measured against.

Project Lifecycle Phase Analysis Comparing A Home Move And A Project