What happens during the Build Phase?

Construction is an exciting time, during which the development team brings the software/project/system to life. The project manager will work closely with the team members to keep the project on track and ensure that issues are resolved. Depending on the phase of testing and the size of the project, issues may be tracked in a simple spreadsheet (see artifacts list below) or may be entered into the Remedy ticketing system. Throughout the Build Phase, the Project Requirements and Test Plan documents will guide the team activities. Changes in requirements must be agreed to by both functional and technical leads and will require adjustments to the project plan. Changes in requirements can affect target dates; the need for the change must be balanced with the effect on the project timeline and deliverables.

While building and testing are going on, an Implementation Plan will be developed. For a small project, this may be no more than an agreement on a turnover date. For a large or complicated project, this may include pilot groups and multiple go-live phases.

Both the functional and technical teams will test the solution. The technical team will focus on the technical correctness of each item; the functional team will focus on the functionality of each item. If needed, a usability team may be involved to focus on the usability of the solution. The Functional Lead is responsible for ensuring that resources are available for testing and the functionality is adequately tested. The Technical Lead is responsible for ensuring that the solution is technically sound. Formal signoff by the Functional Lead is required prior to production turnover. This signoff is generally in the form of an email. It indicates that the system has been fully tested and every requirement has been met. If the project involves changes that require management approval, the project results will be reviewed by the applicable manager.

Build Phase Artifacts/Templates

• Product/System Documentation
  • Issues Log or Remedy
  • System Documentation

How do you know when the Build phase is complete?

If you have a fully functional system developed, tested and signed off by both the Functional Lead and the Technical Lead and the Implementation plan has been developed, the Build phase is complete and the system is ready for production turnover.

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Last modified: 09/22/07