The PRINCE2 Product Description – Part 2 

The PRINCE2 Product Description – Part 2

The PRINCE2 Product Description Outline

The product description purpose

A product description is used to:

• Understand the detailed nature, purpose, function and appearance of the product
• Define who will use the product
• Identify the sources of information or supply for the product
• Identify the level of quality required of the product
• Enable identification of activities to produce, review and approve the product
• Define the people or skills required to produce, review and approve the product

The PRINCE2 product description composition

Identifier

A unique key, normally allocated by the configuration management method and likely to include the project name, item name and version number

Title

The name by which the product is known

Purpose

This defines the purpose that the product will fulfil and who will use it.  As an example here, is the product or means to an end or an end in itself?  It is helpful in understanding the products functions, size, quality, Complexity, and robustness for example.

Composition

This normally contains a list of the parts of the product, for example, if a product were reports, this would be a list of the expected chapters or sections.

Derivation

This describes what the source products from which this product is derived.  Examples might be:

• A design is derived from a specification
• A product is brought in from a supplier
• A statement of the expected benefits is retained from the user
• A product is Obtained from another department or team

Format and presentation

The characteristics of the product, for example, if the products were reports, this would specify whether the report should be a document, presentation slides or an e-mail.

Development skills required

This Contains an indication of the skills required to develop a product Or at least a pointer to which areas should supply the development resources.

Identification of the actual people may be left until planning the stage in which the product is to be created.

Quality criteria

This lays down what quality specification master product be produced against, and what quality measurements will be applied by those inspecting the final finished product.

This might be a simple reference to one or more, standards that are documented elsewhere, or it might be a full explanation of s

If the product is to be developed and approved in different states, for example, dismantled machinery, and reassembled machinery, then the quality criteria should be grouped into those that apply for each state.

Quality tolerance

This contains details of any range in the quality criteria within which the product would still be acceptable.

Quality method

This lays down the kinds of quality method, for example, design verification, pilots, test, inspection or review, that are to be used to check the quality or functionality of the product

Quality skills required

This gives an indication of the skills required to undertake the quality method or pointer to which area should supply to checking resources.  Identification of the actual people may be left until planning the stage in which to quality inspection Is to be carried out.

Quality responsibilities

This defines the producer, reviewers, and approvers for the product

Useful information from which a product description can be derived are:

• Product breakdown structure
• The end users of the product
• Quality management strategy
• Configuration management strategy

A product description can take a number of formats Including, a document, Presentation slides or mind map, or even an entry in a project management tool.

… to be continued …