IPD Learning Notes: Project Execution and Control in R&D Management

IPD Overview

The IPD (Integrated Product Development) concept originates from the PACE theory of the U.S. PRTM company and was refined through IBM practice. It defines a systematic product‑development process consisting of six phases—Concept, Planning, Development, Verification, Release, and Lifecycle—each with clearly defined decision‑review points that focus on business considerations such as market positioning and profitability.

Project Execution and Control

1. Project Control Log

A project log records any information that may affect the project from day one. Although informal, it serves as a historical record of actions influencing the project plan, execution, and control, and provides valuable reference for future work.

2. Log Template

The article provides a template (see image) that includes fields for project name, number, manager, creation date, and version. After project completion, the log can be used to generate a summary table.

3. Status Legend

○ – Not started

△ – In progress

● – Completed

× – Blocked/Delayed

— – Not applicable

4. Work‑Breakdown Details

The core of the article is a detailed work‑breakdown table that lists 60 work items across the six IPD phases. Each row specifies the phase, specific activity (e.g., "Define project scope", "Draft requirement analysis report", "Develop prototype"), and placeholders for responsible person, planned start/finish dates, actual finish date, status symbol, and remarks. All status symbols are initially set to ○ (not started).

5. Phase Subtotals

A summary table aggregates the number of work items, completed items, completion rate, and blocked items for each phase. In the example all items are pending, resulting in a 0% completion rate.

Form‑Filling Guidelines

Responsible Person : Assigned by the project manager; multiple collaborators are allowed.

Date Format : Use yyyy-mm-dd for both planned and actual dates; leave blank if undecided.

Status Update Rules

○ → △ when the actual start date is filled.

△ → ● when the actual finish date is filled.

Any status → × when a blockage is identified; the reason must be recorded in the remarks.

Revision Record : When the form is updated, add a new line indicating version, date, editor, and changes.

Related Documents : Links to deliverable lists, requirement reports, design documents, etc., can be placed in the remarks column.

Additional Notes

The article includes visual examples of the log template and a logo image (kept below). It also contains a disclaimer that the content reflects the author’s viewpoint and is not endorsed by the publishing platform.