Enhancing Project Management for SMEs: A Hybrid Approach

Objective: South Africa's economic growth and development are closely intertwined with government-prioritized infrastructure development projects. However, SMEs in this sector often grapple with insufficient project management processes, impeding their efficacy and economic contributions. The issue stems from the inadequate implementation of project management methodologies by SMEs, which adversely affects project outcomes and consequently their economic impact. Research Design & Methods: A literature review was conducted to assess the implementation of project management methodologies by SMEs in South African infrastructure development projects. The objective is to highlight areas for improvement, rectify the deficiency in project management practices among SMEs, and bolster their effectiveness and economic contributions. Findings: Preliminary findings accentuate the critical role of project management as a discipline for SMEs involved in infrastructure projects. Its absence or inadequate implementation hampers the growth and sustainability of organizations aiming to make substantial economic contributions and create employment. A hybrid project management model tailored for SMEs in infrastructure development emerges as a mechanism for effectively managing infrastructure projects. Implications and Recommendations: The conceptualization of a hybrid project management model for infrastructure development projects holds the potential to enhance project value by facilitating adaptability. By incorporating agile project management components, this model also stands to improve client engagement, consequently elevating the prospects of success in infrastructure development projects. Contribution & Value Added: This study contributes to the understanding of how SMEs can improve their effectiveness and economic contributions in South Africa's infrastructure development sector. The proposed hybrid project management model offers valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers in South Africa, ultimately fostering economic development and sustainable growth in the country

Identificação de barreiras na implementação de metodologias ágeis na indústria automóvel

The automotive sector is one of the major contributors for the worldwide economy, not being just a vital element in the economy of the industrialized countries, where motor vehicle production and sales are one of the major impellers of the economy in those countries, but also contributes to the growth of other related activities as metallurgy, plastic/rubber, electronics, textiles, etc. thus empowering the global industrialization. The increasing competitive pressure in the sector led to the “projectivization” of product development processes, through defined concepts and organizational frameworks. However, as projects have grown into more dynamic and complex, consequently the ways of managing them should be reconsidered. Agile Project Management emerged within the software industry, but its applicability is theoretically feasible to any industry. This approach despite permitting to meet the rapidly changing requirements through iterative development, and increasing the process efficiency, the companies also face barriers and challenges in its implementation. Although there is literary evidence of barriers observed in the implementation of Agile Methodologies in software development, there is a lack of bibliographic evidence of barriers observed in the manufacturing sector, and almost null in the Automotive Industry. This survey intended to address a literature gap, identifying barriers in the implementation of Agile Methodologies in the Automotive Industry through a questionnaire survey, categorizing them, and detecting their major source, as well as find possible enablers and recommendations to overcome the identified barriers. “Organizational”, and “Knowledge and technology” barriers were found, through the factor “Improper competency management”. It was corroborated the existence of “Institutional” barriers, through the factor “Change predisposition”, and its correlation with the “No obligation” barrier. It was also found a correlation between the factor “Absence of immediate quantifiable benefits” with the “Lack of financial support” barrier, fitting these variables into the “Financial” barrier category. “Organizational support” and “Investment in training” were identified as the main enablers for the Agile Methodologies implementation. Lastly, a flowchart was developed to sequence the possible enablers and recommendations to overcome the identified barriers.A Indústria Automóvel é uma das maiores contribuições para a economia global, não sendo somente um elemento essencial na economia de países industrializados, onde a produção e venda de veículos motorizados são um dos maiores impulsionadores da economia desses países, como também contribui para o crescimento de outras atividades relacionadas, tais como metalurgia, plásticos e borrachas, dispositivos eletrónicos, têxteis, etc. contribuindo desta forma para a industrialização global. O aumento da pressão competitiva no setor conduziu à estruturação dos processos de desenvolvimento do produto, através da definição de conceitos e hierarquias organizacionais. No entanto, à medida que os projetos se tornam mais dinâmicos e complexos, consequentemente as formas de os gerir devem ser reconsideradas. A Gestão Ágil de Projeto surgiu na indústria do software, mas a sua aplicabilidade é teoricamente possível em qualquer indústria. Esta abordagem, apesar de permitir alcançar rápidas mudanças nos requisitos através de repetições sucessivas, e aumentar a eficiência do processo, as organizações também enfrentam barreiras e desafios na sua implementação. Embora haja evidência literária quanto às barreiras observadas na implementação de metodologias ágeis no desenvolvimento de software, é escassa a evidência bibliográfica quanto às barreiras observadas no setor da produção, e é praticamente nula na Indústria Automóvel. Este estudo pretendeu colmatar uma lacuna na literatura, através da identificação de barreiras na implementação de Metodologias Ágeis na Indústria Automóvel por intermédio de um questionário, categorizar as barreiras, assim como identificar a sua principal origem, encontrar possíveis recomendações e facilitadores para ultrapassar as barreiras identificadas. Foram encontradas barreiras “Organizacionais” e de “Conhecimento e tecnologia”, através do fator “Competência de gestão inadequada”. Foi corroborada a existência de barreiras “Institucionais”, através do fator “Predisposição para a mudança”, e a sua correlação com a barreira “Não obrigação”. Também foi encontrada uma correlação entre o fator “Ausência de benefícios imediatos quantificáveis” com a barreira “Falta de suporte financeiro”, abrangendo estas variáveis na categoria de barreiras “Financial”. “Suporte organizacional” e “Investimento em formação” foram identificados como os facilitadores principais para a implementação de Metodologias Ágeis. Por fim, foi desenvolvido um fluxograma de modo a sequenciar os possíveis facilitadores e recomendações para superar as barreiras identificadas

Software Development with Scrum: A Bibliometric Analysis and Profile

Introduction of the Scrum approach into software engineering has changed the way software is being developed. The Scrum approach emphasizes the active end-user involvement, embracing of change, and /iterative delivery of products. Our study showed that Scrum has different variants or is used in combination with different methods. Some tools not normally used in the conventional software approaches, like gamification, content analysis and grounded theory are also employed. However, Scrum like other software development approach focuses on improvement of software process, software quality, business value, performance, usability and efficiency and at the same time to reduce cost, risk and uncertainty. Contrary to some conventional approaches it also strives to boost soft factors like agility, trust, motivation, responsibility and transparency. The bibliometric synthetic scoping study revealed seven main research themes concerned with the Scrum research

NEW BORN PROJECT MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHIES (LEAN & AGILE) IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Case: Construction company x plumbing renovation projects

Project Management in the construction industry has reach the turning point. Traditional project management methodologies have proved to be ineffective. Construction companies have started to seek various project management methodologies to be able to create more customer value. Research is distributed to the several stages. First is theoretical literature review. In a second part the secondary research results has been researched to be able to find relative success factors. The third part constructs from a case study from a Finnish plumbing renovation projects. The main case is the plumbing renovation project made of Company X who were able to reduce project duration significantly. The object for the research was to find project management a success factors on construction industry and in Finnish plumbing renovation projects. Secondary empirical study opened key factors in construction business and case study how the projects is managed at the moment, and how the project management could be developed in the future.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

Hybrid Agile Approach: Efficiently Blending Traditional and Agile Methodologies

Agile development, in its simplest form, offers a lightweight framework for helping teams, given a constantly evolving functional and technical landscape, maintain a focus on the rapid delivery of business value. Traditional project management focuses more on distinct and predefined sequential phases. It assumes that once requirements are fixed there won’t be any changes or additions in future. In today’s world however this is not true and development teams have to incorporate changes at later stages to be competitive. This is where agile methodologies have an edge over traditional methods. Agile can handle more complex and highly adaptable projects. However, organizations focusing heavily on traditional methodologies like waterfall may find completely switching to agile potentially risky. Agile methods may have these major potential risks like agile methods are easy to misunderstand, highly visible information can be threat to financially sensitive projects. Therefore, many companies fear the adoption of Agile because an enterprise-wide adoption of the methodology will conflict with the traditional Waterfall process and create conflict. Hybrid Agile approach will help the organizations transition to agile efficiently. This paper will focus on the analyzing the successful combination of agile and traditional methodology

The implementation of Lean Six Sigma for operational excellence in digital emerging technology companies

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to develop a better understanding of the hurdles in implementing Lean Six Sigma (LSS) for operational excellence in digital emerging technology companies. Design: We have conducted case studies of LSS implementations in six United States based companies in the digital emerging technology industry. Findings: Critical success factors (CSF) for LSS implementations in digital emerging technology companies are: (1) organizational leadership that is engaged to the implementation, (2) LSS methodology that is rebranded to fit existing shared values in the organization, (3) restructuring of the traditional LSS training program to include a more incremental, prioritized, on-the-job training approach, and (4) a modified LSS project execution methodology that includes (a) condensing the phases and tools applied in LSS projects, and (b) adopting more iterative project management methods compared to the standard phased LSS project approach. Implications: Implications comprise the awareness and knowledge of critical success factors and LSS methodology modifications specifically relevant for digital emerging technology companies or companies that share similarities in terms of focus on product development, innovation and growth, such as R&D departments in high-tech manufacturing companies. Limitations: The qualitative nature of our analysis and the geographic coverage of our sample limits the generalizability of our findings. Originality: Research on industry specific enablers for successful LSS implementation in the digital emerging technology industry is virtually absent. Our research informs practitioners on how to implement LSS in this and alike industries, and points to aspects of such implementations that are worthy of further attention from the academic community

Advances in Production Management Systems: Issues, Trends, and Vision Towards 2030

Since its inception in 1978, the IFIP Working Group (WG) 5.7 on Advances in Production Management Systems (APMS) has played an active role in the fields of production and production management. The Working Group has focused on the conception, development, strategies, frameworks, architectures, processes, methods, and tools needed for the advancement of both fields. The associated standards created by the IFIP WG5.7 have always been impacted by the latest developments of scientific rigour, academic research, and industrial practices. The most recent of those developments involves the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is having remarkable (r)evolutionary and disruptive changes in both the fields and the standards. These changes are triggered by the fusion of advanced operational and informational technologies, innovative operating and business models, as well as social and environmental pressures for more sustainable production systems. This chapter reviews past, current, and future issues and trends to establish a coherent vision and research agenda for the IFIP WG5.7 and its international community. The chapter covers a wide range of production aspects and resources required to design, engineer, and manage the next generation of sustainable and smart production systems.acceptedVersio