nearcompletion

Nearcompletion refers to a status in project or product development indicating that the majority of work has been completed and the project is close to its intended finish, but some remaining tasks are required before formal completion or release. The term is largely informal and can vary in meaning across industries; it is not a formal stage in many project management methodologies.

In practice, near completion is often accompanied by an acceleration of final tasks, such as bug fixes, final testing, documentation, or regulatory approvals, while larger deliverables are already functional. Criteria for near completion typically involve milestone achievement, a high percentage of tasks finished, or a defined set of closing activities that will transition to maintenance or handover. It is distinct from completion or delivery, which require all criteria to be met and sign-offs obtained.

Common contexts include construction projects approaching substantial completion, software projects in the polishing phase, manufacturing lines nearing the end of a batch, or editorial processes nearing final publication. Risks include ambiguity about what remains, over-optimistic progress reporting, and schedule pressure on the final phase.

Management practices emphasize clarifying remaining tasks, establishing concrete exit criteria, validating functionality, ensuring quality assurance, and preparing for deployment, handover, or maintenance. Understanding near completion helps stakeholders gauge risk, allocate resources for the final phase, and set realistic expectations about timelines.