ABSTRACT
Initial operation and normal operation are essentially the same in terms of the work, or what is happening physically; the only difference is that the initial operation is taking place before final acceptance and possibly at reduced capacity. The focus of the stage is to transition from work-in-progress mode to final status and operational mode. Operational personnel would closely monitor the initial operation, looking for potential issues. This period is necessary to build a level of comfort that all is working well and as expected. The transition period could last hours or days for simple projects and possibly weeks or months for industrial facilities or major real estate development projects. The stage could end with Stage Gate 7, which indicates the end of all implementation activities. Commonly, the initial operation starts after the client accepts the output at the handover point, Stage Gate 6.
