Investigation Approval Milestone

Objectives of this Checklist

Checklist

• The Investigation Approval document includes:
  • Business analysis (see below)
  • Market analysis (see below)
  • Technology analysis (see below)
  • Resources to Project Approval
  • Project Approval target date
  • First Customer Ship bracket
  • Risk analysis
  • Plan for getting to the next milestone

• The initial business analysis defines the proposed project and how it fits with the company strategy. It includes:
  • Overview and problem definition
  • How this project addresses the problem (project objectives and goals)
  • Strategic or tactical fit
  • Risk analysis, including Customer Support considerations (staffing, training, and hardware requirements)
  • Benefits and costs (not financial)

• The market analysis provides an initial assessment of worldwide market and customer requirements. It includes:
  • Market dynamics and competition
  • Definition of target audience
  • Preliminary end-user requirements (product requirements)
  • Preliminary customer requirements (training, licensing, etc.)
  • Risk analysis

• The technology analysis provides an initial assessment of potential solutions. It includes:
  • Technology dynamics and research
  • Preliminary end-user environment
  • Architectural analysis (consistency with and leverage of architectural efforts)
  • Make vs. buy analysis
  • Learning Solutions goals
  • Risk analysis
  • Plan for proceeding to the next milestone

• A Project Folder has been started.
• The Product Team documents improvements and deviations from the Product Life Cycle.

Investigation Approval

Project Code Name

Product Name

Version

Recommendation Signatures

• We recommend approval (funding) to proceed to Project Approval.
• We recommend against approval, as discussed on the attached sheets.

Date:______________

Project Manager	________________________________________
Product Manager	________________________________________

Approval Signatures

• We approve proceeding to Project Approval.
• We cancel this project, as discussed on the attached sheets.
• We request further investigation, as discussed on the attached sheets.

Date:______________

Development Director	________________________________________
Product Planning Director	________________________________________
Executive Staff	________________________________________
[other signature lines.]	________________________________________