All deployment choices must go through a series of steps, guidelines, and tools from Microsoft leveraging LCS. 

In LCS, you start by setting up a new project yourself via an invitation from Microsoft, or you can create one for your organization. The ability to create an implementation project in LCS is provided by Microsoft only. However, a project can be set up by yourself or your partner/advisor for learning, testing, demonstration, and so on.

Please refer to the following screenshot showing various options in LCS project creation:

• Prospective presales
• Migrate, create solution and learn
• Implementation

In LCS, projects are the key organizers and lay down the foundation for your goals. It is here that the methodology connection happens, and the rest of the execution follows this methodology using phases and tasks as your project phases, activities, and milestones.

The following screenshot shows a form where you have to select from various options to set up a project in LCS:

For an implementation project, you can only make limited changes to the existing phases and tasks provided by Microsoft; however, you can add as many phases and tasks as you'd like to within them.

A project contributor (be it from the customer side or the partner side) must complete the mandatory steps outlined in the implementation methodology to gain access to the production environment.

The following is a sample visual for a project and its implementation methodology in LCS:

Before a phase can be marked as complete, you must complete the specified mandatory tasks and their dependent tasks.

Once the required project requisites are defined in LCS methodology, it is going to be helpful for team members to understand expected deliverables at various stages. Typically deliverables are common in a type of methodology being followed and we'll share these deliverables and best practices keeping CRP methodology in focus.