Great Western Coffee Shop

Looking at projects, ideas ... and trying to get some sanity into conversion from "silly" idea though to ongoing operational system ... what are the logical steps involved?

a) Work out what we want the scheme to achieve

b) Do some checks to make sure it can be achieved

c) Look at the various ways it can be achieved, and choose which is the best

d) Develop the chosen option. Then go in to greater detail and making sure as far as possible of budgets, timescale, finance too.  A lot of work here, so in effect it could be considered two steps

e) build, test, and get the system / thing running

f) pass over the operation to the ongoing operator

g) iron out any teething problems before stepping out of the loop

---

Why have I posted in "Smoke and Mirrors" ... because the rail industry has its one way of going through this process known as "GRIP" (Guide / Governance for Railway Investment Projects) - with stages GRIP 0 to GRIP 8.  And a number of people I've met feel baffled with technicalities as to knowing how to use / work with Grip.   And yet I generated the list above using colloquialisms based on a description of the GRIP process.

More Formally:

1. Output definition
2. Feasibility
3. Option selection
4. Single option development
5. Detailed design
6. Construction test and commission
7. Scheme hand back
8. Project close out

Nice diagram, showing aim and (main) output of each stage at

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/freight/guide-to-rail-investment-process.pdf

There are rules and then there are rules. A project I'm currently engaged in is carrying out GRIP4, 5 and 6 all in one go :P ::)

I am not a big fan of this. It has its place. Particularly if you need to shorten the timescales.

However the logic of going through each step at a time is that it is relatively cheap to make changes on the drawing board when you find that some detail does not work and you need to make a more major change.  It can be very expensive if you try and do that once construction has started!

I have seen too many projects go hugely over-budget because of late design changes during construction even just combining the equivalent of stages 5 & 6, combining 4, 5 & 6 looks like madness unless the design really is so obvious.   

...mmmm. Thats why I put those cheeky little face pictures at the end of my post :D

The project is becoming a disaster zone as we are still trying to close out the scope whilst the buildings around it, and being provided in part for it, are going up.  Whatever happened to CDM 2015 let alone the GRIP process??? :-\

Anyway, none of this is helping answer Grahame's original question.......

As a convention on the Coffee Shop forum, it usually works. ;D