Part 65: Product Analysis

Part 65: Product Analysis
(Project Scope Management: Define Scope)

• Product Analysis is used to define products and services
• We want to turn the final product into a set of deliverables that the project can produce
• We start by making a description of the final product or service, at a high level
• Then we want to break this description down into smaller and smaller pieces
• Each piece becomes a separate project deliverable
• For example, a vehicle can be broken down into an engine, wheels, seats, etc.  We can describe the engine as a gasoline engine with 4-cylinders, the wheels are 19”, and the seats are red leather.  We can break down the engine into smaller pieces, to say that it has a crankshaft, valves, cylinders, and a chain.  We can describe the valves as being made of aluminum, with a diameter of one inch and coated in rubber.  This might be the furthest that we can break down the engine, but we can break down the other components similarly.
• Each component becomes a deliverable in our project.  Thus, the design of an engine valve is one deliverable.
• Product analysis techniques include
  • Product Breakdown
  • Requirements Analysis
  • Systems Analysis & Engineering
  • Value Analysis & Engineering