Control refers to a specific technique that involves making measured and deliberate comparisons of the actual resultant performance with what was expected to be the planned performance. Control also refers to a systematic method of analyzing the variances that develop as a process unfolds. Control can also refer to the technique of assessing the trends that may develop during a specific activity or task or that begin to unfold during the broader time frame of the entirety or a project, as well as a thorough evaluation of all possible alternatives and a determination as to what corrective action should be taken to help turn a project back into a direction that is more conducive to the attainment of whatever ultimate goals and results are expected and/or anticipated. Control can also refer to a fixed point during the course of variant activities, such as utilization of the same type of machines to develop different types of products.