Acceptance Criteria- These are the specific items that a software or system must pass in order to be released into production or made available to stakeholders or customers. The project team often uses the requirements or project scope to formulate the acceptance criteria. Using acceptance criteria will increase stakeholder/customer satisfaction, reduce rework, and increase the overall quality of deliverables. Ensure your deliverables meet stakeholder expectations with the help of actionable guidelines from Elevate Optimize.
Acceptance Testing- This is when the software or a system is evaluated for readiness by either end-users or stakeholders. Acceptance testing verifies that the acceptance criteria have been met—that the prescribed requirements for the product or software are, in fact, working. During testing, the software or product will be used as is when in production. Key areas focused on include functionality, usability, performance, and overall compatibility. Streamline your testing processes and enhance product readiness with insights from Elevate Metrics.
Actual Cost- Actual cost refers to what was spent on a project versus what is forecasted to be spent. Actual costs can include funds spent on resources, materials, or any other project activities related to the project. Project managers can compare the actual cost to the forecasted/planned/budgeted costs to see where cost overruns have occurred and where to adjust spending for the remainder of the project.
Agile Ceremony- The term used for events and/or meetings that are particular to Agile methodology. Ceremonies include sprint planning, retrospectives/post-mortems, stakeholder demos, and daily standups.
Agile Coach- Agile coaches are often used in organizations that are adopting Agile practices or organizations with a strong Agile presence. Agile coaches help to train, coach, and provide guidance to teams. Agile coaches, like most coaches, help to resolve any blockers the organization has in adopting and effectively implementing Agile methodologies. Build an effective Agile culture with workforce optimization insights from Elevate Drive.
Agile Methodology- Agile Methodology is the technique where the project team takes an iterative approach to manage the project work. This is beneficial when project deliverables need to be reviewed by stakeholders for frequent feedback and/or where project scope cannot be clearly defined upfront or can change throughout the project execution phase.
Agile Transformation- Agile Transformation is when an organization undergoes mass adoption of Agile methodology practices. To undergo the transformation, the organization shifts thinking from the traditional top-down approach to managing projects as well as forgoing the use of the traditional waterfall methodology. The organization adopts Agile principles and best practices in order to quickly iterate on solutions and provide value to customers/stakeholders. Lead your organization’s transformation with actionable roadmaps from Elevate Vision.
Agile User Story Mapping- Like the traditional concept of the work breakdown structure (WBS), user story mapping creates the flow of features/user requirements to ensure the currently known scope is delivered to the customer. By breaking features and epics into smaller bodies of work, known as user stories, the project team will be able to deliver the work more quickly.
Analogous Estimation- Analogous Estimation is a technique used to estimate the duration of a task by using experience from previous tasks, phases, or projects to determine how long the task will take. This estimation technique is often used when there is enough historical information to make an educated guess and not enough time to use other, more precise estimation techniques that will take longer to use.
Artifacts- Artifacts are the documents or records that are collected during the phases of a project. Artifacts can be used to help the project team plan, maintain the plan, and inform and align stakeholders on the current state. Organize and leverage project artifacts effectively with process guides from Elevate Blueprint.
Assumption- Assumptions and assumption logs, used primarily during the initiation phase, provide the project team items they think are either true or guaranteed. The assumption log can be leveraged when the team creates the risk log during the planning phase. Mitigate risks and manage assumptions efficiently with risk management tools from Elevate Vision.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re improving quality management, refining risk strategies, or optimizing workflows, having the right tools is essential. Take the next step toward success by exploring our Elevate Product Line to find the right fit for your project management needs!