# 3.6.3 Life cycle stage, ISO 42024 ## Published contents Contents1 Scope2 Normative references3 Terms and definitions4 Architecture concepts4.1 Overview4.2 Architecture and architecting4.3 Architecture design and solution design4.4 Architecture definition and communication4.5 Stakeholder concerns and architectural aspects4.6 Architecture viewpoints and architecture views4.7 Architecture frameworks and architecture description languages4.8 Architecture descriptions and architecture models4.9 Reference architectures and reference models4.10 Life cycle and life history4.11 Architecting precepts5 Architecting principles5.1 Introduction to the principles5.2 Principles about the purpose of an architecture5.3 Principles about the focus of an architecture5.4 Principles about architecting outcomesTerms 3.2 Architecting concepts 3.2.1 Architecture3.2.2 Architecture feature3.2.3 Architecting3.2.4 Architecting principle3.2.5 Architecture principle3.2.6 Architecture framework3.2.7 Reference architecture3.3 Entity related concepts 3.3.1 Entity of interest3.3.2 Solution entity3.3.3 Environment3.3.4 Context3.3.5 Enterprise3.3.6 System3.3.7 Aspect3.3.8 Dimension3.4 Architecture design concepts 3.4.1 Design (noun)3.4.2 Architecture design3.4.3 Architecture information package3.4.4 Engineering effort3.4.5 Solution design3.4.6 Solution information package3.4.7 Stakeholder3.4.8 Stakeholder perspective3.4.9 Concern3.5 Architecture description concepts 3.5.1 Architecture description3.5.2 Solution description3.5.3 Architecture view3.5.4 Architecture viewpoint3.5.5 Model3.5.6 Metamodel3.5.7 Reference model3.6 Entity life cycle concepts 3.6.1 Life cycle3.6.2 Life cycle phase3.6.3 Life cycle stage3.6.4 Life historyAnnexes A.1 Architecture design and solution related entitiesA.2 Architecture expressed as a set of modelsA.3 Life cycle and life history conceptsA.4 Enterprise and system conceptsA.5 Duality of architectural decomposition and architectural synthesisB.1 BackgroundB.2 Aligning architecture in designB.3 Duality of architectureB.4 Pursuit of opportunities Home / Glossary Entity life cycle concepts · 3.6.3 # Life cycle stage A period in an entity's life cycle that corresponds to how far it has evolved. A stage marks major progress and an achievement milestone, and an actual stage consists of life cycle activity instances aimed at achieving a milestone. - definition - Term - ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024 - Last updated: 2026-10-21 ## What this term settles A stage is about the state of the entity, a phase is about the activity. That difference is the key to portfolio reporting: a system can be in operation while a project is in design. Without both terms, firms confuse project status with entity state, and the estate view is wrong. ## What to do in your practice Define the stage model for each entity type, with the state that marks each stage. Record the actual stage for every entity in the portfolio, with the date it entered and the milestone that marked the transition. Report the portfolio by stage and the projects by phase, and keep the two reports separate. Mixing them produces a single status that is true for neither, and it hides the entities that are in operation while their replacement is still in design. ## Who it binds The role that owns the practice area the term governs. A definition binds nobody on its own; it binds the reader who adopts the term in a method, a description or a contract. ## Evidence an auditor or regulator asks for - The stage model with the state definition per stage. An auditor asks what state the entity is in, not what the project is doing. - The portfolio view by stage and date entered. Gives a current estate picture. - The milestone evidence for each transition. Shows the transition was earned. - The owner of the stage decision. Makes the portfolio accountable. Ask your teamWhich stage is this entity in, and what milestone moved it there? ## Common gaps this page catches - Portfolio reports show project status and call it the system stage. - No stage model exists, so stages are named inconsistently. - Transitions happen without milestone evidence. ## What to prepare before publication Define the stage model and apply it to the top twenty entities. Record the milestone for each transition. The resulting portfolio view is the one a committee can read. ## Common questions What does Life cycle stage mean in ISO 42024? A period in an entity's life cycle that corresponds to how far it has evolved. A stage marks major progress and an achievement milestone, and an actual stage consists of life cycle activity instances aimed at achieving a milestone. What evidence should we keep for 3.6.3? The stage model with the state definition per stage. The portfolio view by stage and date entered. The milestone evidence for each transition. ## Related units - 3.6.1 - 3.6.2 - 3.6.4 Source. ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024, Clause 3.6.3, Terms and definitions. Open the official record. Retrieved 21 October 2026. https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:iso-iec-ieee:42024:dis:ed-1:v1:en ISO catalogue record 87510, the status, stage and page count. Claim level: definition. The definition is in the public preview. This page states it in our own words and does not reproduce the text. Last updated: 2026-10-21 · Markdown version · Check your practice Source: https://iso-42024-revision-checker.theartofservice.com/glossary/life-cycle-stage/