Deliverable
Encyclopedia
Deliverable is a term used in project management
to describe a tangible or intangible object produced as a result of the project that is intended to be delivered to a customer
(either internal or external). A deliverable could be a report, a document, a server upgrade or any other building block of an overall project.
A deliverable may be composed of multiple smaller deliverables. It may be either an outcome to be achieved (as in "The corporation says that making a profit this year is a deliverable.") or a product to be provided (as in "The deliverable for the completed project consists of a special-purpose electronic device and its controlling software.").
A deliverable differs from a project milestone
in that a milestone is a measurement of progress toward an outcome whereas the deliverable is the result of the process. For a typical project, a milestone might be the completion of a product design while the deliverable might be the technical diagram of the product.
In technical projects, deliverables can further be classified as hardware
, software, or design documents
.
In the US DoD
, a deliverable is any item delivered to the government under a contract, whether it is a physical product or an item of data. A “nonseverable deliverable” means a deliverable item that is a single end product or undertaking, entire in nature, that cannot be feasibly subdivided into discrete elements or phases without losing its identity.
Project management
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
to describe a tangible or intangible object produced as a result of the project that is intended to be delivered to a customer
Customer
A customer is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services...
(either internal or external). A deliverable could be a report, a document, a server upgrade or any other building block of an overall project.
A deliverable may be composed of multiple smaller deliverables. It may be either an outcome to be achieved (as in "The corporation says that making a profit this year is a deliverable.") or a product to be provided (as in "The deliverable for the completed project consists of a special-purpose electronic device and its controlling software.").
A deliverable differs from a project milestone
Milestone (Project management)
Within the framework of project management, a milestone is the end of a stage that marks the completion of a work package or phase, typically marked by a high level event such as completion, endorsement or signing of a deliverable, document or a high level review meeting.In addition to signaling...
in that a milestone is a measurement of progress toward an outcome whereas the deliverable is the result of the process. For a typical project, a milestone might be the completion of a product design while the deliverable might be the technical diagram of the product.
In technical projects, deliverables can further be classified as hardware
Hardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
, software, or design documents
Technical documentation
In engineering, technical documentation refers to any type of documentation that describes handling, functionality and architecture of a technical product or a product under development or use.Documentation may include:* patents...
.
In the US DoD
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, a deliverable is any item delivered to the government under a contract, whether it is a physical product or an item of data. A “nonseverable deliverable” means a deliverable item that is a single end product or undertaking, entire in nature, that cannot be feasibly subdivided into discrete elements or phases without losing its identity.