Writing a PRINCE2 7 Product Description
If the product-based planning technique is the crown of PRINCE2, then a product description is the jewel in the crown. Imagine for a moment that your friend will cook your favourite meal for you, and they ask, “Is there any special way you would like it cooked?” You would describe the precise criteria to help ensure that your favourite dish is perfect!
Whether creating the project, stage, exception or optional team plans, the Product-based planning technique will be used, and hence at least one product description will be made.
These should be distinct from the project product description, which is a description of the project’s end product along with the customer’s quality expectations, acceptance criteria and method and resources. There is only one of these per project.
A product description should be created directly once the need for the product has been identified, and this is why a product description is made – one for each project product and created for the first time after the creation of the product breakdown structure within the Product-based planning technique.
A project plan may describe Top-level Products and hence contain a product description for each of them; these Top-level Products (and their product description) may be split into lower-level products when planning the relevant stage and, at that time, have a new product description created for teaching product at stage planning in time.
When initially producing a plan, not all of the information required within the product description may be known then. Therefore some of the details within a product description may be progressively elaborated.
However, once a plan is approved, the product descriptions within it are baselined along with the plan and hence are under change control.
The senior user and the involvement of representatives from the user areas should be consulted when creating a product description, even though the project manager or team manager is officially responsible for writing each product description.
Reference to the quality management approach and change management approach documents may help draft product descriptions as it will give background information on how control of each product description and its related product is to be created and managed.
Whenever a product description is created or updated, its configuration item records and quality register should be updated as required.
The product description is passed to the specialist team within the work package and used as a basis upon which the design and development of the product itself can begin. The product description’s quality criteria clarify and define when the product is fully complete.
The value of a product description is that it removes the ambiguity between the product creators stating that they have finished the work versus that the product is 100% complete and acceptable to the customer and users.
The product description document.
Each product description should contain the following information:
Product description
Purpose
The purpose of a product description is to describe a product’s purpose, composition, derived from,
and quality specifications. It is produced at the planning time, as soon as possible after the need for
the product is identified.
Identifier: the product name or a unique identifier if the project has a large number of products
Version: the current version number of the product description
Purpose: the purpose of the product, how it will be used, and who will use it
Composition: a list of the product’s components or parts
Derived from: the source of this product, such as a design, a commercial product, an existing
system to be upgraded or replaced, or a statement of expected benefits
Quality specifications: the functional and non-functional requirements for the product along with
their associated measures
Development or production approach and skills required: a description of how the product is
expected to be developed or produced and any special skills, facilities, or equipment required
Quality tolerance: the ranges within which key quality specifications can vary and remain
acceptable
Quality methods and quality skills required: the quality methods (such as verification, test, and
inspection) to be used to check that the product meets its quality specification and the indication of
skills required to perform the quality control activities
Responsibilities: the producer, reviewer, and acceptance authority for the product.
An Example of a product description.
| Identifier | PRINCE2/training video/version 7.2 |
| Title | PRINCE2 Overview |
| Purpose | An overview of the seven PRINCE2 processes and how they interact with each other. This will be available as a free downloadable YouTube educational video and associated documentation. |
| Composition | · 10 minute video· 15 PowerPoint slide set · Accompanying workbook |
| Derivation | · PRINCE2 Manual· PRINCE2 training slides · Trainer running notes |
| Format and presentation | · Video format MP4· PowerPoint 2024 · PDF document |
| Development skills required | · PRINCE2 practitioner· PRINCE2 accredited trainer · Working knowledge of Microsoft PowerPoint and Word |
| Quality responsibilities | · Producer – CEO of Casablanca publishing· Reviewers – as stated under ‘quality skills required’ · Approver – David Litten |
| Quality criteria | Quality tolerance | Quality method | Quality skills required |
| Adheres to Casablanca layout standard and formatting | As per model one within the PRINCE2 video and slide set | Visual inspection | David Litten |
| Correctly reflects the PRINCE2 method and Manual (2009) | None | Visual inspection | Qualified and independent PRINCE2 trainer |
| No spelling or grammatical errors within the slides and documentation | None | Visual inspection and spellchecker | Proof reader |
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