Focus on Products

Focus on Products Principle in PRINCE2

What is the Focus on Products Principle?

The Focus on Products principle is one of the seven fundamental principles of PRINCE2 methodology. This principle emphasizes that a project should focus on delivering products (or outputs) rather than simply on activities or tasks. It establishes that a PRINCE2 project is output-oriented rather than activity-oriented.

Why is the Focus on Products Principle Important?

Focusing on products is crucial because:

1. It ensures clarity on what the project will deliver
2. It allows for better planning and estimation
3. It provides clear acceptance criteria for stakeholders
4. It helps avoid "scope creep" by defining boundaries
5. It enables better quality control and verification
6. It increases the likelihood of meeting user expectations

How the Focus on Products Principle Works

This principle is implemented in PRINCE2 through several mechanisms:

Product Descriptions: Detailed documents that define what each product should look like, including quality criteria and acceptance methods.

Product Breakdown Structure: A hierarchical decomposition of all the products that need to be created.

Product Flow Diagram: Shows the sequence in which products will be developed and dependencies between them.

Quality Register: Records the planned and actual quality activities.

PRINCE2 recommends that all planning starts with understanding what products need to be delivered. Only after products are defined should teams determine the activities required to create them.

Practical Application

In practice, applying this principle means:

- Starting with the end in mind (the final product)
- Breaking down this final product into component products
- Creating detailed product descriptions before planning activities
- Establishing clear quality criteria for each product
- Focusing status reporting on product completion rather than activity completion
- Using product-based planning techniques

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Focus on Products

1. Recognize product-based planning: Understand that product-based planning consists of: Product Breakdown Structure, Product Descriptions, Product Flow Diagram, and deriving the activities from these.

2. Identify misapplications: Be able to spot scenarios where teams are focusing on activities instead of products.

3. Know the benefits: Memorize why focusing on products is beneficial (clearer scope, better quality control, improved stakeholder satisfaction).

4. Understand Product Descriptions: Remember the key components - purpose, composition, derivation, format, quality criteria, quality method, skills required.

5. Connect to other principles: Understand how Focus on Products relates to other principles, especially Continued Business Justification and Defined Roles and Responsibilities.

6. Apply to scenarios: Practice applying this principle to different project scenarios to prepare for situational questions.

7. Understand quality checking: Be clear on how the Focus on Products principle supports quality management.

8. Remember key terms: Product-based planning, product description, quality criteria, acceptance criteria.

When faced with an exam question about Focus on Products, always look for answers that emphasize defining what will be delivered rather than how work will be done. Good answers will prioritize product definitions, quality criteria, and acceptance methods.