📌 Purpose of Initiation Phase
To formally authorize a new project. Without solid initiation, projects start with confusion, missing mandates, and inevitable failure.
🔑 Key principle: Initiation is about justifying and defining, not doing the work.
Business Case → Feasibility Study → Risk Assessment → Scope Definition → Project Charter → Go/No-Go
💼 Business Case – Why the Project?
Answers: “Is this project worth the investment?”
| Component | Example (5G Optimization Tool) |
|---|
| Problem | High call drop rate (12% in dense urban), customer complaints up 30% |
| Proposed Solution | AI-based real-time optimization tool adjusting antenna parameters every 15 min |
| Strategic Alignment | Supports “Network Excellence 2026” strategy; reduces churn |
| Expected Benefits | Reduce dropped calls to ≤4%; improve QoS by 20 points; save ₹2 Cr/year penalties |
| Estimated Costs | Development ₹80 Lakhs; Deployment ₹20 Lakhs; Total ₹1 Cr |
| ROI | 150% over 2 years |
Investment = ₹1,00,00,000
Annual Benefit = ₹1,25,00,000
Total Benefit 2 years = ₹2,50,00,000
Net Profit = ₹1,50,00,000
ROI = (1.5 Cr / 1 Cr) × 100 = 150%
Payback Period = 1 Cr / 1.25 Cr = 0.8 years ≈ 10 months
🔧 Feasibility Study – Can We Do It?
| Type | Example (5G Tool) |
|---|
| Technical | Yes – 5G APIs, Python AI team, cloud servers |
| Financial | ROI 150% > threshold; budget approved |
| Operational | Ops team trained in 2 weeks; integrates with NMS |
🚫 If any single factor scores below 2 → Recommend project termination.
⚠️ Risk Assessment (High-Level)
| Risk | Impact | Probability | Mitigation |
|---|
| Data delay | High | Medium | SLA with vendor; synthetic data backup |
| Skill gap | Medium | High | Training + external hire |
| Regulatory | High | Low | Legal review; manual override |
🎯 Project Scope – Defining Boundaries
| Element | Example |
|---|
| In-Scope | Real-time KPI dashboard, AI recommendation, NMS integration, training |
| Out-of-Scope | Auto-execution, rural sites, hardware upgrades |
| Acceptance Criteria | Call drop ≤4% for 2 weeks, latency <100ms, CTO sign-off |
📜 Project Charter – Formal Authorization
| Section | Example |
|---|
| Title | AI-Driven 5G Network Optimization Tool |
| Sponsor | Ms. Anjali Sharma, CTO |
| PM | Mr. Ramesh Iyer |
| Budget | ₹1,00,00,000 |
| Authority | PM approves changes up to ₹5,00,000 |
⚡ Corporate reality: No charter = no formal project. Without a charter, the PM has no authority.
🎯 Tap/hover nodes for tooltips | Sliders affect flow
📊 Real‑Time KPIs
Current Phase:Initiation
Feasibility Score:0/5
Go/No‑Go Status:Pending
Risk Level:Medium
📄 Download Initiation Templates
✍️ Practical Exercise (Corporate Teams – 20 min)