Summary -

Any group that is developing a product needs to have a well-conceived process in order to have any chance of controlling and understanding the product outcome.

The phases and techniques defined by GPEP force a change in old habits to engender:

• Constant review to requirements and business plans.
• Constant and appropriate management involvement.
• Assurance that the deliverables (outputs) of the process fit the expectations and business plan.
• Controlled and preserved IP, documentation and audit trails.
• Attention to, and control of, risks and hazards of the product and development process.
• Assurance that product quality and reliability are designed-in during the development process since they cannot be tested for during production.
• That the appropriate resources and processes are efficiently allotted in the development effort.

A note for those who are contract product developers: GPEP essentially suggests that you, through your client, pay as much attention as possible to the front-end business, user and market considerations and not just the technology development.

One major issue usually comes up relevant to GPEP.

"Should we do all this for every product we develop?"

The answer is no. How much you do depends on the type of product and its complexity. The suggestions in this article are actually 'a list of experience' from various development projects.