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Phase Two: Executing Your Product Development Plan
The upshot: Phase Two is all about executing the product development plan that you’ve spent precious time and resources creating during Phase Zero and Phase One. In this phase, product development teams start building and refining. Conduct this phase thoughtfully and you can avoid delayed timelines and scope creep.
What is Phase Two?
Have you ever watched a roof get replaced? The day that a team arrives and gets the job done in a few days – that’s Phase Two. It’s hard to tell just by watching the team work, but a ton of work has already gone into fixing that roof.
- Phase Zero – they’ve identified the problem they need to solve.
- Phase One – they’ve measured the roof, ordered new materials, and made a contingency plan.
- And now it’s time for Phase Two: action.
In the case of a product development effort, Phase Two is where a lot of our work begins to take the form of tangible solutions. But it’s a more straightforward and optimized phase because of the work we did to create a thorough plan in the prior phases.
Why is Phase Two important?
Without Phase Two, all you have is a plan. A plan is great, but your goal is to develop a product. Phase Two is the execution of that plan. And – if you’ve done your planning thoughtfully – the risk is low because there are few (if any) unknowns going into Phase Two.
As your designs move from proof-of-concept to Alpha prototypes in Phase Two, your team should begin to assess how the core functions of the product work with the chosen form factor. This is a good time to get feedback from your product’s users so that you can incorporate that feedback into future design refinement efforts.
Related Article: Roadmap for Rapid Prototype Design
Questions to ask during Phase Two
Scope Creep:
Uncontrolled changes to a project’s scope. When a product development team attempts to add new features to a project without considering the effects on time or cost, this can slow down or even end development effort.
→ It’s best to limit scope creep by sticking to the plan that you spent so much time developing in Phase One and Phase Zero.
- What roadblocks can I remove to help keep this phase moving efficiently?
- How can I avoid future scope creep?
- Does the technical team of engineers have all the required inputs they need to execute the plan?
- Do we know what we need to review and approve the work that is to be done in Phase Two?
Learn More: Design Outputs Truly – Control Your Design
Phase Two Checklist:
Here is a list of things product development teams should aim to accomplish during Phase Two activities:
- Be ready to clear roadblocks if they arise
- Don’t change the scope! No “while you’re at it…”
- Don’t change the timeline – stick to the plan.
- Prepare for a review of the work done in Phase Two.
- Follow the plan and, whenever possible, take the path of least resistance.
- Communication is key: share progress regularly to keep your entire team up to speed.
Read More About Medical Device Regulations
Streamline All Phases By Partnering With A Product Development Company
Phase Two is all about execution. Maybe you’ve done the groundwork of developing a thorough plan, but you’re stretched thin and don’t have the resources to begin making things happen.
No problem – by partnering with a product development company, all phases in the product development plan can be streamlined to accelerate time to market, reduce waste, and meet regulations.
At Goddard Inc., our team of engineers and designers are well-versed in Phase Two activities for medical devices, life sciences and diagnostic devices, and high-tech consumer and industrial technologies.
From concept to production, our highly-skilled engineers and designers deliver a competitive difference with our on-site partnership model, quality commitment, collaborative expertise, and unique employee development programs.
We would love to hear about what you’re working on.
Tell us about your project and let’s begin a conversation about creating products with technical precision and elegant design.
