--- title: "Product versus project life cycle" subject: "ICT Project Management" chapter: 4 key: "semester_7/ict_project_management:product-vs-project-life-cycle" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/product-vs-project-life-cycle site: BCT Engineering --- # Product versus project life cycle ICT Project Management · Chapter 4: Project Management - Asked in: year not given - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/product-vs-project-life-cycle - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/ict_project_management/chapter-4 ## Question What are the differentiation between product life cycle and project life cycles? ## Short answer A project life cycle covers temporary phases to deliver an output, ending with handover, while the product life cycle spans the product's entire existence from introduction to retirement. The project is part of the product life cycle, which may involve multiple projects for development and upgrades. ## Answer A **project life cycle** is the set of phases a project goes through to deliver a product, service or result. A **product life cycle** covers the whole life of the product, from conception to its withdrawal, and may include many projects. | Basis | Project life cycle | Product life cycle | |---|---|---| | Meaning | Phases of the project to create the product | Phases of the product's whole existence | | Duration | Short, temporary, with a definite end | Long, may be many years | | Typical phases | Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, closing (or concept, development, implementation, close-out) | Introduction, growth, maturity, decline (or planning, development, operation, retirement) | | Focus | Delivering the output within scope, time and cost | Market success, usage and profit over time | | Managed by | Project manager | Product/business manager | | Ends with | Hand-over and project closure | Product retirement or withdrawal | | Relation | Part of product life cycle | May contain several projects | | Goal | Efficient delivery | Sustained revenue or value | | Example | Building version 1.0 of a mobile app | App launch, growth in users, updates, eventual shutdown | #### Relationship - A product's life can include several projects: one to develop it, others for upgrades, maintenance or retirement. - In software, the **system development life cycle** (SDLC) is the product life cycle, while the project life cycle is the management of the work to complete a phase or release. ```text Product: Concept -> Develop -> Operate -> Retire |__ Project 1 __| |_P2_|(upgrade) |_P3_| ``` **Example:** A telecom company's SIM card app is introduced, grows, matures and is later replaced. Each upgrade is a separate project with its own life cycle. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. How are the product and project life cycles related? A. They are identical B. A product life cycle may contain several projects C. A project contains several products' lives D. They are unrelated Answer: B. The project life cycle is part of the product life cycle, which may include development, upgrade and retirement projects. (Key point: Relationship) 2. Typical product life cycle phases are: A. Initiating, planning, executing, closing B. Concept, development, implementation, close-out C. Introduction, growth, maturity, decline D. Identification, formulation, appraisal Answer: C. Product phases: introduction, growth, maturity, decline. (Key point: Product phases) 3. Compared to the project life cycle, the product life cycle: A. Is short and ends at handover B. Is long and ends with product retirement C. Is managed by the project manager D. Has a definite short end date Answer: B. Product life may span many years and ends with retirement or withdrawal. (Key point: Duration and end) 4. In software, the SDLC corresponds to: A. The project life cycle B. The portfolio C. The product life cycle D. The balanced scorecard Answer: C. SDLC is the product life cycle; the project life cycle is management of work for a phase or release. (Key point: SDLC link) ## Related in ICT Project Management - [Project life cycles in detail](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproject-life-cycles) — ICT Project Management, chapter 4 - [Characteristics of project life cycles](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproject-life-cycle-characteristics) — ICT Project Management, chapter 4 - [Project development life cycle phases](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproject-development-life-cycle) — ICT Project Management, chapter 1 - [Project scope versus product scope](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproject-vs-product-scope) — ICT Project Management, chapter 7 - [Project cost versus product cost](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproject-vs-product-cost) — ICT Project Management, chapter 9 - [Test life cycle in quality control](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Atest-life-cycle) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10 ## Related in other subjects - [Project life cycle phases and activities](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Alife-cycle-phases-activities) — Project Engineering, chapter 1, asked 5× - [Scope of CM and project life cycle phases](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Ascope-lifecycle-phases) — Construction Management, chapter 1, asked 4× - [Gas vs vapor cycles; Otto cycle efficiency](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_2%2Ffundamental_of_thermodynamics_and_heat_transfer%3Agas-vs-vapor-cycles-otto-efficiency) — Fundamental of Thermodynamics & Heat Transfer, chapter 6 - [Life cycle phases and goal setting example](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Alife-cycle-phase-goal-example) — Project Engineering, chapter 1