I agree with your point, and the lecture reinforced the importance of starting the execution phase only after thoroughly completing the Initiation and Planning phases. The Initiating Phase is essential for gathering all necessary information. By using existing project documents, like Gantt charts and design documents, we avoid unnecessary errors or redundant work. Jumping straight to execution could risk missing these vital resources and end up causing delays later.

The Planning Phase is where a solid framework gets built—using tools like the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to organize tasks and the Gantt Chart to map out schedules​. This weeks lecture showed us it’s crucial to define project objectives, deliverables, milestones, and technical requirements upfront so that when we do move into the execution phase, we're not deviating from the agreed scope​. Without this planning, we could encounter issues like scope creep or misaligned goals, especially in highly regulated fields like medical device development.

That being said, it is interesting to think about whether there are cases where we could start minor, non-critical tasks during the planning phase. For instance, could some initial research or prototyping begin while the larger aspects of the project are still being planned? This might be one way to maintain momentum while ensuring major execution tasks wait for a fully developed plan.

I do agree that it makes sense to complete the initialization phase of a project before jumping into execution because there will be more clearly defined objectives at this stage. The part of your statement that I disagree with is that at this point you will be 100% sure that you are doing everything correct and avoiding unnecessary work. In my opinion, no matter how much time is spent in the initialization and planning phases of a project, you can never be 100% sure that everything is correct, and it is nearly inevitable to avoid unnecessary work. In the beginning of any project there is going to be a huge learning curve, no matter how many resources are available. As was stated in the lecture, bringing in all available resources such as tests and documents kept from related projects or even team members of similar projects with relevant experiences can help ease the process of initiating a project, but there will never be a foolproof plan built before the execution begins. It makes sense that all of the phases of a project will overlap because no matter how much planning is done, progress is not always linear. There may be scenarios where the planners feel confident that it is time to execute, until they realize that they have missed a major or even minor detail that can affect the entire project plan. For this reason, there cannot be any line drawn between one phase and the next because all of the phases of a project rely on each other and there may be times where you have to take a step back before you are able to move forward. 

In the medical device industry, beginning certain aspects of execution during the initiation phase can be crucial, particularly for preliminary testing and development.

In the medical device industry, the initiation phase often involves assessing feasibility and defining initial project scopes. While it’s true that significant execution activities, such as detailed design and full-scale production, are better left until the planning phase is underway, preliminary execution steps can be valuable. For instance, preliminary testing and early-stage prototyping can be initiated during the initiation phase to quickly identify potential issues or validate key concepts.

Consider the development of a new cardiac implant device. During the initiation phase, initial feasibility studies and conceptual designs can benefit from preliminary bench testing or simulations. These preliminary tests help confirm that the proposed concept is viable and can save significant time and resources in the long run. Waiting until the planning phase to begin such testing could delay identifying critical design flaws or risks, which might lead to more significant issues later in the development process.

Similarly, in the development of a new diagnostic device, preliminary trials or small-scale pilot studies can provide early insights into the device’s performance and usability. These early tests can offer valuable feedback, allowing project teams to make necessary adjustments before committing to more detailed and resource-intensive planning and development activities.

I think, in some cases, it is important for some of the execution phase tasks to run with the initiation phase to show that this project is feasible and can be done. 

I agree with the idea that certain execution tasks can be initiated during the earlier phases of a project, particularly in industries like medical device development. Starting with preliminary testing or prototyping during the initiation phase can help identify potential issues early on, ultimately saving time and resources. However, it’s important to carefully select which tasks to begin in order to avoid derailing the broader planning process. I believe there’s value in maintaining some flexibility across phases. For example, initiating non-critical tasks like research or simulations while still in the planning phase can provide insights that shape the final execution. This approach ensures momentum is maintained, while also preventing major setbacks that could arise from hasty execution without thorough preparation. In this way, overlapping phases strategically allows for better risk management and more informed decision-making.

I think that some execution tasks can be done during the planning phases, or even sooner, while in other times, should only be done during the execution phase. For example, if a company were inventing a brand new medical device for the first time in the market, all execution tasks should happen after the planning phase. Since the device hasn't been developed before, they may encounter unexpected delays or costs. In this case, it's better to be on the safer side and keep the Initiating and Planning phases separately from execution, and make change controls as needed. 

In the case when a company is simply improving an already existing device, where they already produced many models of, executing tasks such as testing can begin during the planning phase. Since the device was already produced many times before, older Gantt charts and meeting minutes can be reused to plan again for the new project. Testing the improved design can begin sooner to see if it has potential to provide improved value to the costumer. This task can also coincide with the Initiating phase to determine the technical requirements, and solidify the scope.