We in reality, all the phases of a project managements are important, because if failing to do one will cause domino effect on the other phases. If we have to choose one, I think it would be initiation phase, because that is what decides the overall project. The intiation phase is also the most tedious because it is the phase where "devils in the detail" are the most important. Besides this, think closing phase could be the easiest or the hardest depending on how you planned your other phases. If you made sure everything was clear from the beginning then, the closing phase would definitely be the easiest.

I would say that the planning process is among the most important phases followed by the execution process. This is because the planning process is the time where a project's execution is discussed and where all things leading up to the finalization of said project is also discussed and laid out so that every member of the team knows what to expect. A carefully planned and thought-out project can make the execution process run smoother, which is crucial since it is usually the process that requires the most activity and time to complete. The planning process can often overlap during the time the execution process is going on since in industry planning does not necessarily end at the onset of a project's execution (time is of the essence).

With regard to that, I would say the closing process to be the "least important" process; however, it does not mean it is negligible when it comes a project's completion. It simply entails that a project's execution is coming to and end and any finalizations can be looked at to ensure the validity of the project. A well thought plan in the planning process and a good execution following that planning process can ensure that the closing process will result in a successful project.

I personally do feel that the planning phase is more significant when it comes to completing a project. All parts are important in doing the project, but planning is crucial in the process. During the planning process, there is a lot to consider, since each task has to prepared and ordered correctly. Planning is the main part to performing the project because it determines how the outcome will be executed. With planning, there have to be other options to be taken into consideration, as well. If a roadblock occurs while developing the product, there should be other options already prepared to face them. If not, there could cause a freeze in the development, and a competing company may release the product earlier and have more success. Of course, all problems cannot be anticipated, but they should be considered. That is why I feel that planning should be thoroughly done when developing a product and is more important in doing a project. I do not think that any part of the project development cycle can be considered to be least important. All aspects are important in their own way.

Each phase of the project life cycle is important for the success of the project, but I feel like the planning phase is one of the most important phases. It is during this step where key deliverables and milestones are set based on the given deadlines. Properly planning out the project is important when it comes to high pressure time-sensitive projects, because it sets up all other phases of the project for success. Ideally if the project is planned out properly, most deadlines will be met and the project execution will flow will be smooth. Planning can be a difficult task as a lot of things need to go into consideration - foreseeing steps that may present difficulties and coordinating between different teams.

I agree with hM23 that the planning phase of the Project is crucial. If you have a great plan, someone else can always execute it. If you have a bad plan, but people to execute, is that helpful? If I had to pick two, I would agree with Scott that Planning and Executing are the crucial aspects for a successful project. For our projects at Sloan involving medical devices, there will always be a planning meeting and then a Planning document that is signed off-on before the Project starts. It will take a few weeks/months to actually get the Planning document executed. I also think dag56 has a good point of highlighting scope creep, because that can be detrimental to Project. Staying within a clearly defined scope is crucial, especially if you are using outside contractors to build the device.

Planning and execution phase remains the most important phases. This is because in planning phase all the proper steps which are to be performed are laid out properly and in an orderly manner like allocating resources, setting deadlines, budget and cost estimation etc. The work or steps to be carried out in all the other phases is set right here in planning phase. After planning execution is most crucial. Things which are written on paper now should be bought into action which is done in execution phase. I feel closing phase is not that important as it includes most of the paper work for the completed product.

I believe that planning and execution phases are equally important. In the planning stage, every member of the team is equally involved and their duties are completely understood. We also plan for contingencies during execution phase when unexpected delays, costs, resources, and problems arise. Moreover, planning and execution work in tandem so that the project doesn’t enter the phenomenon known as “ scope creep”.

Also, I feel the closure phase is less prominent rather than quoting it as a less important phase of the project lifecycle This phase comes in when the major part of the work is over and the project manager is tweaking the little factors to get the project into proper conclusion. While major tasks of this phase are administrative work, few aspects are notably important for future projects such as a lesson learned through the project and schedule management strategies.

I believe that planning and execution phase are equally important. In the planning stage, every member of the team is equally involved and their duties are completely understood. In this phase, we conceptualise the scope of the project by analysing the requirements, resources, costs and timeline of the project and proceed if the project is feasible. Expected performance of the product is only achieved when we plan for software and hardware requirement for the project. We also plan for contingencies during execution phase when unexpected delays and problems arise. Moreover, planning and execution work in tandem so that the project doesn’t enter the phenomenon known as “ scope creep”.

Also, I feel that closure phase is less prominent rather than quoting it as less important phase of the project lifecycle. This phase comes in when a major part of the work is over and the project manager is tweaking the little factors to get the project into proper conclusion. While major tasks of this phase are administrative work, few aspects are notably important for future projects such as a lesson learned through the project and schedule management strategies.

Which phase of the project life cycle do you think is crucial to the success of a project? Explain.
Which phase of the project life cycle do you find least important? Explain.

To answer your first question, i found initiating phase of the project life cycle to be more crucial even though planning phase is as well very important. In initiating phase, project’s value and feasibility are measured. Project manager has to determine the demand for the product, if product objectives achievable, affordable and profitable. Also, presenting to stakeholders and creating the best team to work on the project and deliver it without delay.
While during the project life, execution phase is the least important. This phase relies heavily on the planning phase. The work and efforts of the team during the execution phase are derived from the project plan.

I think the most important phase is planning phase since a plan can decide many things. Good plan can save time, save budget and also save energy. If you have good plan, your project is more likely to success. Also the plan should be flexible, because it is inevitable to change the plan in different situation.
I think all phases are important, but if I have to choose the least important one, I will choose the closing phase. I think the functions of closing phase is to make a summing up of the experience and lessons. I feel that it serves for future project not the current one.

I think all phases of project management are very crucial for the project. Each project has to go through all 5 phases successfully to have an ideal outcome. If I was to rate the phases based on the importance and risk factor, I think project planning and execution would the most important phase. All phases are important but planning and execution phases are where all the resources are allocated, the project is being implemented, and all the risks, resources and quality are managed.
Execution phase is completely dependent on the planning phase. Project Execution is where you perform the assigned tasks and the work and efforts are performed to meet the outcome of the project. Project Planning is where you manage the project plan considering resources, budget, schedule, quality, communication and risk.

I do think that the Planning Phase of the Project Life Cycle would be the most important phase of the project since it determines the outcome of the other phases. Poor planning can extend the time it takes to complete tasks in a project or to complete the whole project. With poor planning a project can fail do to budget failures that were not accounted for or expected. If key steps of a project are forgotten or left out until later, then it may be too late to incorporate them into the project and then the project can fail or stall. In addition, if planning is done correctly and enough time is spent on planning, then the rest of the project will be easy and can be done quickly since everything is accounted for, there are few if any surprises, and you will know what to do when you encounter a problem because you have planned for these possible risks. I believe the Closing phase is the least important. The closing phase deals with paying workers, which should have already been planned, and it deals with closing out contracts. Contracts are very important, but it is more important to get the initial contract signed and to have the stakeholders and contributors already involved then to figure out later on how to close the contract. If the project fails then the closing phase is less important and the closing phase can be delayed months and years if the project doesn't go as planned. Therefore, the closing phase should be the last thing to worry about considering you have to get the project done first.

I believe that the initiating phase is the most important phase. While every phase is important in its own way if you don't progress through the initiating phase the project will never begin. A poorly executed initiating phase will also have a huge impact on the planning phase. The entire project can get delayed if you underestimate the budget or timeline of the different tasks. Furthermore, without the customer's approval, the planning phase cannot begin. The other 4 phases are on the same level in my opinion. You don't want to under execute on any of them so that you can effectively progress through the project. Let's look at the closing phase for example. If you don't close your contracts, you'll be continuing to pay for things that you no longer utilize. If you don't pay workers on time, they are less likely to partner with you in the future. The closing phase is where you prove that the product is working to desirable expectations. The most important part of the closing phase to me would be logging what you learned. You get the opportunity to look back on the entire project (whether you succeed in going through all of the phases or not) and reflect on the good things that were done vs the things that could have been done better. This knowledge can then be applied to the next project.

There are different project life cycle phases such as initiating, planning, executing, monitoring , controlling and closing.I believe that in project life cycle all the phases are important when there is a need to develop a medical device as each has its own importance on its own but I think the most important phase in it is the initiating and planning phase. In initiating phase, the value and the feasibility of the project is measured if the project should be pursued or not if it is not done properly then the project would not execute and ultimately lack the correct results. Planning is the next phase which I think is most important phase because it helps the team to have proper plan about the materials required, cost, risks involved. I think all the phases are important but still the least important phase would be the closing phase since almost the project is completed so it requires the least time.

I believe that all the steps are necessary for a successful project but the most important phase within a project life cycle is the planning phase. The planning phases is where you gather all your information on the project, make a schedule, create a Gantt chart, figure out the costs, look for resources, create teams, initate meetings, and solidifying your goal for the project. All these steps are very important for planning a project and making all the steps move more smoothly. If these steps are not thought out carefully then further down the cycle will become more difficult to create a successful project. From my experience in college, whenever we were working on a project and it was not planned properly, there were always set backs later down the road which would hold up the project.
The least important phase in my opinion would be the executing phase. This phase deals with having regular meetings and keeping up with the plan but this can also be done in the monitoring and controlling phase. The monitoring and controlling phase is where you make sure all everything stays on track, keeping up with the budget, utilizing your resources and doing all the calculations. The meetings done during the executing phase can also be done during the monitoring and controlling phase and the schedule is already made during the planning phase.