A Product typically has elements of mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, software engineering and systems engineering. It may also have specialist elements from medical science, physics, chemical engineering or other domains

Typically PDLC comprises of the process of converting concepts and goals into a manufactured and supported product:

• Requirement Analysis: The process of gathering information and analyzing the requirements, with requirements properly mapped to the information
• Systems architecture: The creation of the basic structure of the elements necessary to meet the requirements
• Requirements flow-down: The allocation of the requirements to the various modules and functions in the system; and allocation of critical parameters
• Design: The definition of each module and function to meet their requirements and critical parameters
• Module validation: putting together models, rigs or experiments to test the parts of the design that are New or unique and proving that they meet their requirements
• Prototyping: Putting together a small number of units to prove the system functionality and reliability
• Manufacture: Build a significant number of identical systems, measuring critical parameters and critical specifications under statistical process control
• Launch: Ensure the value chain is ready (pipe-line fill, spares availability etc)
• Post-launch support: React to field problems and change the design if required.