Usage Phase

Definition

Usage Phase

the application life cycle phase during which the latest version of the application is used by members of the user organizations

Goals

The typical goals of the usage phase of an application life project include:

• Keep the application functioning successfully until the next major upgrade or retirement:
• Eliminate the endeavor’s highest risks.

Objectives

To meet these goals, the typical objectives of the usage phase include:

• Perform Content Management tasks.
• Perform Operations tasks.
• Perform Maintenance (defect fixes and minor enhancements) tasks.
• Perform User Support tasks.

Preconditions

The following preconditions should typically be satisfied before the usage phase can successfully begin:

• The data center is created.
• The production environment is installed and configured in the data center.
• The application software is deployed to and configured in the production environment.
• Transition testing has been passed.
• The customer organization and maintenance organization have been trained in the application.
• The customer organization has transitioned to the new business model.
• The user organizations have begun using the application.
• The delivery phase has completed.

Postconditions

The following are the postconditions of the usage phase:

• TBD

Milestones

The usage phase is decomposed into the following builds and milestones:

• TBD

Work Products

During the usage phase, the following work products are typically produced:

• TBD

Teams

• Content Management Team
• Maintenance Team
• Operations Team
• User Support Team

Activities And Tasks

The following aengineering activities and associated tasks are typically performed during the usage phase in an iterative, incremental, parallel, and timeboxed manner:

• Content Management Activity:
  • Content Management Planning
  • Content Ordering
  • Content Design
  • Content Creation
  • Content Acquisition
  • Content Entry
  • Content Migration
  • Content Internationalization
  • Content Editing
  • Content Approval
  • Content Publication
  • Content Personalization
  • Content Transformation
  • Content Caching
  • Content Access
  • Content Usage Analysis
  • Content Rights Management
  • Content Retirement
• Maintenance Activity:
  • Defect Identification
  • Defect Analysis
  • Defect Correction
  • Defect Status Reporting
• Operations Activity:
  • Application Operation
  • Database Administration
  • Network Administration
  • Operations Documentation
  • System Administration
• User Support Activity:
  • Account Support
  • Complaint Resolution
  • Technical Support
  • User Support Materials Production
  • User Support Planning

Administrative Activities and Associated Tasks

The following administrative activities and associated tasks are typically performed during the usage phase in an iterative, incremental, parallel, and timeboxed manner:

• Management Activity:
  • Cost Management
  • Communications Management
  • Delivery Management
  • Management Planning
  • Personnel Management
  • Relationship Management
  • Resource Management
  • Schedule Management
  • Scope Management
• Configuration Management Activity:
  • Configuration Management Planning
  • Configuration Identification
  • Version Control
  • Configuration Control
  • Configuration Status Reporting
  • Configuration Auditing
• Risk Management Activity:
  • Risk Analysis
  • Risk Control
  • Risk Identification
  • Risk Management Planning
  • Risk Monitoring
• Training Activity (primarily customers and users):
  • Training Planning
  • Training Needs Assessment
  • Training Vendor Selection
  • Training Materials Production
  • Training Scheduling
  • Training Delivery

General Engineering Activities and Associated Tasks

The following general engineering activities and associated tasks are typically performed during the usage phase in an iterative, incremental, parallel, and timeboxed manner:

• Process Engineering Activity:
  • Process Needs Assessment
  • Process Framework Extension
  • Process Framework Iteration
  • Process Construction
  • Process Tailoring
  • Process Documentation
  • Process Consulting
  • Process Mandating
• Quality Engineering Activity:
  • Quality Needs Assessment
  • Quality Planning
  • Quality Assurance
  • Quality Control
• Metrics Engineering Activity:
  • Metrics Needs Assessment
  • Metrics Planning
  • Metrics Collection
  • Metrics Analysis
  • Metrics Reporting

Guidelines

• If a new version of the application with major updates are required, then these occur during the next development cycle during which the initiation, construction, and delivery phases are repeated.