4 phases and its use

[Hari babu]

Hi
What are the benefits you guys can think of when we break a development cycle into inception,elaboration, construction and transition phase?
Hari

[Ilja Preuss]

The main benefit is that they help you concentrate on the different risks a project faces.
The inception phase is concentrating on the questions "Can this be done (by use)? How much is it likely to cost?".
The elaboration phase concentrates on "What architecture/techniques should we use." - once the team gains confidence in this, you reached the construction phase.
I don't know what to think about the transition phase, though.

[Fintan Conway]

Originally posted by Hari babu:
Hi
What are the benefits you guys can think of when we break a development cycle into inception,elaboration, construction and transition phase?
Hari

Another benefit is the user feedback at the end of each stage.
E.g. At the end of the inception phase the user can tell you if the requirements define the system that they want. If not then it is pointless continuing.
Regards,
Fintan

[Frank Carver]

If not then it is pointless continuing
That sounds a bit drastic. How about using the feedback to modify the requirements so they do define what the customers want!

[Ilja Preuss]

Originally posted by Fintan Conway:
Another benefit is the user feedback at the end of each stage.

Personally, I would like user/customer-feedback much more often than after every phase. Preferably at least every couple of weeks, at the end of an iteration. You could do this without having the phases, so it seems to me...

E.g. At the end of the inception phase the user can tell you if the requirements define the system that they want.

I think I don't fully understand - isn't it the user/customer who is *specifying* the requirements?