Create a problem statement and get it approved by the stakeholders.
Create a vision/scope document and get it approved by the stakeholders. This document outlines the major function points (features) required by the solution.
Any proposed solution should allow for delivering a quality product on time, on budget, with the agreed-on scope.
Solutions should be verified as being feasible in three areas: business, technological, and resources. If constraints prevent the proposed solution, alter the solution accordingly.
Well-formed teams have the following roles: product management, program management, development, testing, logistics management, and user education.
Risks should be identified, analyzed, planned for, tracked, and controlled.
A risk's probability of occurring, multiplied by some measure of its impact on the project, is a way to more objectively quantify a risk and compare it to others.
A versioned release strategy is one way to mitigate risk.