Research and Development

Research and Development

Some projects develop entirely new products or services; this is often called research and development. Examples of terms for these types of activities are:

■ Design

■ Synthesis

■ Prototypes

■ New development

■ Product creation

Because the new product or service is “different in some distinguish-ing way from all similar products or services,” these efforts qualify as proj-ects. Another term, called research and demonstration in government circles, applies development from one context in a completely different context that varies widely in environmental, legal, or social elements. While the product may not be significantly different, the context in which it is applied makes it different; it therefore qualifies as a project (e.g., nuclear power plants transferred from the United States to developing countries such as South Korea or Brazil).

Revisions and Enhancements

Other groups undertake major revisions to existing products and services, and these may or may not be projects, according to the generally accepted definition. Sometimes these are referred to as:

■ New releases

■ Updates

■ Enhancements

■ Redesign

A familiar process or software tool released on a completely different technological platform may seem the same but may require a major design effort to create.14 If the work is temporary, the group disbands after complet-ing it, and the work is turned over to someone else to operate. This is probably a project. In cases of evolving technology, the uncertainties and complexities of an enhancement or redesign may qualify the work as a project.

Refinements

In contrast, some organizations produce versions of a similar product or service repeatedly. This is more commonly referred to as production. Other terms for this type of activity are:

Project Management 11

■ Capacity increases

■ Remodeling or modernization

■ Renewal

■ Release maintenance

■ Refurbishment

To be classified legitimately as a project, each distinct effort must meet the criteria of “every project has a definite beginning and a definite end” and of product or service uniqueness, meaning that “the product or service is different in some distinguishing way from all similar products or services.” For example:

■ A developer of residential housing may be executing a “produc-tion” by building multiple houses of the same design and configu-rations of houses are repeated over and over. This is not a project because it is a repetitive fabrication, except for the first develop-ment and if a repeat is on significantly different terrain.

■ A custom developer creating homes of different sizes, styles, and materials for separate customers is managing a series of projects. In a “projectized” organization, the developer is using a new design and new contractors each time.

■ A person designing and building her own home, alone or using professional contractors, is definitely implementing a temporary endeavor creating a unique product.