Critical Success Factors of Product Development Projects in the Automotive Industry

The objective of this study was to determine the critical success factors (CSFs), as well as respective best practices (BPs) associated with those factors, using a case survey of the employees of Ford Motor Company working in different development centers around the world. The company’s project managers were asked to respond to two structured questionnaires. The results confirm the study’s assumption that the order of importance of the CSFs of the automotive industry differ from those of other industries in general. The results also reflect the importance of the front end (FE) phase in the new product development process. Regional differences were also observed. Neglecting CSFs can lead to delayed decision-making, resulting in higher development costs or cancellations of projects

Theoretical and Pragmatic Framework For Outsourcing Of IT Services

Since previous research in the information technology (IT) field focused on successes and failures of IT outsourcing (ITO) by organizations, this paper investigates the critical success factors (CSF) for IT outsourcing in the existing global environment. It is intended to provide assistance for the consideration of business professionals and IT managers when they make, examine or evaluate ITO decisions. Fifty four IT outsourcing CSFs were identified through an extensive literature review research. Some of the factors were utilized more frequently than others, while some CSFs have been given more importance than other by IT researchers. A 2-part theoretical framework (conceptual and pragmatic) was developed to aid the process of ITO decision making by IT managers in the global environment. The theoretical framework was developed based on existing research focusing on information technology, information systems, ERP, and IT outsourcing research

A framework for improving project performance of standard design models

Improving project performance in the construction industry poses several challenges for stakeholders. Recently, there have been frequent calls for the importance of adopting standardisation in improving construction design as well as the process and a focus on learning mapping from other industries. The Saudi Ministry of Interior (SMoI) has adopted a new Standard Design Model (SDM) approach for the development of its construction programme to effectively manage its complex project portfolio and improve project performance. A review of existing literature indicates that despite the adoption of SDM repetitive projects, which enable learning from past mistakes and improving the performance of future projects, it has been realised that there is a lack of learning instruments to capture, store and disseminate Lessons Learnt (LL). This research proposes a framework for improving the project performance of SDMs in the Saudi construction industry. Eight case studies related to a typical standard design project were performed that included interviews with of 24 key stakeholders who are involved in the planning and implementation of SDM projects within the SMoI. The research identified 14 critical success factors CSFs have a direct impact on the SDM project performance. These are classified into three main CSF-related clusters: adaptability to the context; contract management; and construction management. A framework, which comprises the identified 14 CSFs, was developed, refined and validated through a workshop with 12 key stakeholders in the SMoI construction programme. Additionally, a framework implementation process map was developed. Web-based tools and KM were identified as core factors in the framework implementation strategy. Although many past CSF-related studies were conducted to develop a range of construction project performance improvement frameworks, the paper provides the first initiative to develop a framework to improve the performance of standard design and repetitive projects

IT integration in a mergers and acquisitions context

Although mergers and acquisitions are an increasingly popular growth method for firms, most of them fail to meet their financial, strategic or operational goals. This study analyzed the IT integration dynamics in a M&A context. The IT integration is a vital part of any acquisition process, and most of the IT integration happens in the post-acquisition integration phase. The technological integration was reported as the most difficult process during this phase, and IT integration as the third most common reason for an M&A failure. Despite the evident importance of IT, it has been somewhat overlooked in research literature and practice. The starting point of this thesis was to build a framework which relied on the findings of existing theories and studies. The theoretical framework combined the theories and illustrated their relation to IT integration. This research was conducted as a single case study. The data for this thesis was collected by using semi-structured interviews, followed by a written survey which was done after each interview. The interviewees were selected based on access and their role in the case acquisition. The data was analyzed by using thematic analysis method, and the survey results were analyzed using simple quantitative methods. The results of the empirical research were in sync with existing findings, but also provided new insights to the IT integration dynamics. It was concluded that IT integration cannot be viewed in a vacuum, but rather the process needs a holistic perspective. In other words, the recipe for a successful IT integration includes not only the IT integration internal factors, but the business context and IT integration external factors need to be considered as well. Out of the findings regarding the IT integration internal factors, there was evidence that the IT integration method mirrors the overall integration strategy used. However, no single IT integration method can be chosen for the entire process, the reality is closer to a mixture of methods. The IT integration critical success factors survey results recognized four CSFs in the case acquisition, which had some correlation between each other and relations to other factors as well. Also, the underlying causes for the difference between IT integration plan and implementation emerged from the empirical data. Albeit the study had its limitations due to resource and time restrictions, this thesis was able to illustrate the dynamics of an IT integration, and deepen our understanding of the factors which are included in the process

Quality Management Practices in Indian SMEs

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an insight on the status of quality management practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of South India. A survey-based approach was adopted to understand the established quality management practices in the SMEs. A short survey instrument was designed by reviewing the literature on quality management initiatives in SMEs. Sample of 270 manufacturing SMEs across Southern India was selected through stratified random sampling technique. Projects with small teams, management commitment and involvement, communication, and culture change have high influence as success factors in implementing quality initiatives. Overall equipment effectiveness, root cause analysis, bottleneck analysis, and PDCA are often used tools and techniques by the organizations. High cost of training and limited knowledge were the reasons cited for not implementing quality initiatives. The study is an attempt to understand the quality management practices application in SMEs from a specific geographic location. The strength lies in bringing a different perspective from the present studies, whereas specific context of the study limits its generalizability. The findings of this chapter will help the industry to identify current quality management practices in SMEs to focus on improving their performance

Development of a modeling algorithm to predict lean implementation success

”Lean has become a common term and goal in organizations throughout the world. The approach of eliminating waste and continuous improvement may seem simple on the surface but can be more complex when it comes to implementation. Some firms implement lean with great success, getting complete organizational buy-in and realizing the efficiencies foundational to lean. Other organizations struggle to implement lean. Never able to get the buy-in or traction needed to really institute the sort of cultural change that is often needed to implement change. It would be beneficial to have a tool that organizations could use to assess their ability to implement lean, the degree to which they have implemented lean, and what specific areas they should focus on to improve their readiness or implementation level. This research investigates and proposes two methods for assessing lean implementation. The first is utilizing standard statistical regression. A regression model was developed that can be used to assess the implementation of lean within an organization. The second method is based in artificial intelligence. It utilizes an unsupervised learning algorithm to develop a training set corresponding to low, medium, and high implementation. This training set could then be used along with a supervised learning algorithm to dynamically monitor an organizations readiness or implementation level and make recommendations on areas to focus on to improve implementation success”--Abstract, page iv

A customer relationship management case study : critical success factors in action

Critical success factors (CSFs) are seen as a way of identifying those elements of an information systems project that are critical for the success of that project. However, existing research about CSFs has been largely derivative in nature. Many researchers use the existing literature to derive their lists of CSFs for industries, IS domains (such as: EIS, ERP, CRM) and case studies. Moreover, these lists have come from only one targeted group of people, senior management. There is a need for a new perspective and fresh primary sources. This paper argues that after 27 years of CSF method application little theoretical development has occurred Firstly, CSFs are not easily deciphered or compiled; and secondly, hierarchical (multiple) lists of CSFs may present a better representation of the position. Using a case study in CRM adoption and implementation, this paper discusses research undertaken to determine the nature of CSFs and highlights the issues, and problems in CSFs thinking over the past two decades, while providing a new interpretation of CSFs in use