Assigning Projects to Project Managers in a Multiple-Project Management Environment: A Pilot Study of a Decision Support Model

Project assignment is considered one of the most critical project decisions since it influences the performance of projects, and eventually the performance of the organization. Despite its importance, the literature reveals two major gaps on project assignment criteria and methodology. To close these gaps, this study proposes an additional set of project assignment criteria and a systematic methodology for project assignments (DSM). By using the concepts of these case study research combined with a literature review, the important potential criteria for project assignments are identified. These criteria are used in conjunction with the concepts of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the integer programming (IP) to develop a DSM for one company. The DSM is executed and validated with the company\u27s information. As a past of this research project, this paper illustrates the results of the pilot study to be developed for the feasibility study of the DSM development

Optimizing Cash-Flow-at-Risk in Construction Projects: A Cost Reduction Approach

Project managers normally are facing with difficulties behind management of project cash flow, which requires distinguished methods and appropriate tools to manage negative cash flows. Cash-Flow-at-Risk (CFaR) model is an efficient approach to predict cash flow trend. In this study, all risk factors affecting project management environment have incorporated to predict an accurate project cash flow. Then, a response surface method (RSM) is applied to determine optimal level of risk. The results have successfully implemented through a case study to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method

An improved fundamental design influencing methodology in a constrained project management environment

The aim of this paper is to develop conceptually from literature an improved design influencing concept in a constrained project management environment. The project management and systems engineering interface pertaining to project cost and schedule has been researched. Design as part of Systems Engineering (SE) and Project Management (PM) is an important process for product development. The interaction between SE and PM can influence the success of a product development project. A model has been developed to better understand why design iterations are fundamental to the design process. This model has been expanded into a constrained design influencing model that provides a better understanding of the influence of project management in the design process. This model shows that the project manager, particularly if he is under unrealistic constraints, can force a premature design release for integration to the next system level. This model helps to provide a fundamental understanding of the design process.http://www.saiee.org.za/Default.aspxam201

Project Management Assurance in Agile Projects: Research in Progress

It is well known that many information technology (IT) systems development projects fail on one or more of the key criteria of cost, time and functionality. To manage the inherent complexity in IT projects and to provide methods for assessing project performance, we propose implementing an assurance process for IT projects - projects specifically using Agile/Scrum principles and practices. Building on prior work by Khazanchi and Owens (2010), the assurance process accounts for the uniqueness of the project while assessing potential risk factors at each stage of the project life cycle. We use the case of a midsized Midwestern U.S. university to gather feedback about how the project management assurance framework might work in the Agile project management environment

Collaboration and the use of online collaborative toolsets in the project management environment

The research aims to develop an understanding of the extent to which collaboration occurs through the use of online technologies in the project management environment. Given the breadth of the technological landscape, this research focuses on the use of online collaborative toolsets (OCTs). The research investigates six Project Management Environments (PMEs) and their use of OCTs, and uses a Collaboration scale developed specifically to measure the level of collaboration existing within each PME. The Collaboration scale presents collaboration not as a single entity, but as a scale ranging from low to high across six elements. Central to this theory is that for collaboration to exist, all elements must rate highly against the scale. The research argues that although all collaborative elements are found within a PME, it is the level of each element that determines the degree to which collaboration is occurring. A case study approach incorporated three broad strategies to collect data. The first strategy included a Likert questionnaire using the Dichotomous scale, which was administered to collect data on the operations of the individual projects. The second strategy included interviews that asked the project manager of each case specific questions regarding the PME. The third strategy involved desk research to scan for literature and web artefacts. The conclusions drawn from this research are: 1. OCTs can contain a variety of features, several of which are common amongst all. The research identified common requirements and use of the OCTs within the cases. 2. Although OCTs are capable of facilitating a high level of collaboration, Project Managers do not use OCTs for this purpose. The different project environments reviewed are not necessarily collaborative, nor do they use OCTs to assist with collaborative exercises. 3. OCTs are used predominantly for cooperation and coordinating activities within the PME. 4. Collaboration in the PMEs reviewed exists in degrees, at times being identified with cooperative functions, and at other times coordinating functions. 5. The findings demonstrate a pattern of collaboration, which is consistent across all cases. This pattern demonstrates a variation in the collaborative elements across the PME, and indicates a priority that may exist in regard to how these elements are prescribed within the actual project environment

Benchmarking of project planning and success in selected industries

Purpose - To identify the industry in which projects are best planned and executed and use it as a benchmark for improving project planning in other industries. Design/methodology/approach - Based on data collected from 280 project managers, project success and quality of project planning were evaluated and analyzed for four industries - construction and engineering, software and communications, services, and production and maintenance. Findings - Quality of project planning was found to be the highest in construction and engineering organizations and the lowest in manufacturing organizations. This is a result of a few factors, among them the intensive organizational support which is offered to project managers working in construction and engineering organizations. The other three industries limit their support mostly to tactical aspects, such as the purchasing of project management software. The high quality of project planning in the construction and engineering organizations resulted in their ability to complete projects by almost half the cost and schedule overruns, as compared to organizations belonging to the other industries. Finally, results of the industries in Israel and Japan are compared and analyzed. Research limitations/implications - Findings are limited to the four industries included in the study. Practical implications - If organizations, not belonging to the construction industry, wish to improve the probability of success in project planning and execution, they should follow methodologies commonly used in the construction industry. Originality/value - This paper introduces a valid field study, exploring project management practices in four industries and identifies the one which may be used as a benchmark for the others. It also identifies specific strengths and weaknesses in project management within the explored industries

Classroom expriments on project management communication

This manuscript gives a brief overview of three sets of experiments in the classroom with students following a Project Management (PM) course module using a blended learning approach. The impact of communication on the student performance using business games as well as the advantages of the use of integrative case studies and their impact on the learning experience of these students are tested. The performance of students is measured by their quantitative output on the business game or case exercise, while their learning experience is measured by the student evaluations. The experiments have been carried out on a sample of students with a different background, ranging from university students with or without a strong quantitative background but no practical experience, to MBA students at business schools and PM professionals participating in a PM training. The results have been presented at an international workshop on computer supported education in Lisbon (Portugal) in 2015 and details have been published in Vanhoucke and Wauters (2015)