...LEAN PROJECT MANAGEMENT Assessment of project risk management processes NEUS ALCARAZ BOSCÀ Master of Science Thesis Stockholm, Sweden 2012LEAN PROJECT MANAGEMENT Assessment of project risk management processes by Neus Alcaraz Boscà Master of Science Thesis INDEK 2012:36 KTH Industrial Engineering and Management Industrial Management SE-100 44 STOCKHOLMi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisor, Johann Packendorff, from the School of Industrial Engineering and Management at the Royal Institute of Technology, for accepting me in his department and for giving me good and useful guide. Secondly, thanks to all my family for being during all this year at the other side of the screen making me much easier the way. Especially, thanks to my sister, Maria, for spending some of her spare time giving me very good advice in the writing of this thesis, and above all, for being such a good example of effort and overcoming during my entire life. Thanks to Marcos, for being always so kind with me, and forsupporting me not only this year but also all these years of study. Finally, I would like to thank all my friends for having always something fun to tell, cheering my day up despite being so far. Thanks especially to Pau and Lidia for coming to visit us and spend wonderful days together, and also to Marta, Patri and Ceci for being always there to me. I would like to dedicate this thesis project to my grandma, for having taken such good...
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...productivity, increase revenues, and ensure that the requirements of upper management are met. Functional organizations are fairly common. These types of organizations are segmented by departments and their “functions. * In a true functional environment, all team members, including the project manager, report to their functional manager. * Project managers are sometimes simply called project coordinators or expeditors in a functional structure. A matrix organization model allows a project team to incorporate resources from around the organization regardless of which department employees may work in. * Weak matrix The functional managers have autonomy and power over the project team members. * Balanced The project manager and the functional manager have equal power and autonomy over the project team. * Strong matrix The project manager has autonomy over the project and the project team. Working in a Projectized Organization - In this structure the project manager works with complete autonomy over the project. The project team is on the project full-time and reports only to the project manager. Presenting the Project to Management * When you begin a presentation, you want to capture your audience’s attention. You want to hook them and reel them into your project idea. One of the most effective ways to do this is to start at the end. Tell your audience first what the proposed project will deliver. * The WIIFM, or “What’s In It For Me,” principle is the...
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...jpg | Course | BUSI1329: Project Management | Course School/Level | BU/UG | Coursework | Individual Work | Assessment Weight | 70.00% | Tutor | CJ Allen | Submission Deadline | 21/03/2013 | Coursework is receipted on the understanding that it is the student's own work and that it has not, in whole or part, been presented elsewhere for assessment. Where material has been used from other sources it has been properly acknowledged in accordance with the University's Regulations regarding Cheating and Plagiarism. | 000705791 https://nelson.gre.ac.uk/gengifs/uog_barcodex.gif 0 0 0 7 0 5 7 9 1 https://nelson.gre.ac.uk/gengifs/uog_barcodex.gif Zara Alia Tutor's comments | Grade Awarded___________ | For Office Use Only__________ | Final Grade_________ | Moderation required: yes/no | Tutor______________________ | Date _______________ | PROJECT MANAGEMENT- Individual Assessment Evaluate the importance of people management as part of project management Project management is relatively a new and a modern day concept which has evolved over the last three decades. As the name connotes, it relates to the management of a project irrespective of its nature. A project may not be deemed to be a project until it has been completed according to the model conceived by its sponsor(s). This means that a project cannot be set to have been executed...
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...benefits of using project management: Project management is the discipline of initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and achieving specific goals. Project management enables managers to guide a project from point “A” to point “B” with the time, cost, or resources under control. Final product which meets the requirements from clients delivered. The successful project (people have different definition of success-can be delivered by meeting all the requirements) involves the project manager, whole team, and clients. The project manager benefits because communicate to the clients. Clients are business people. That they can see the niche doesn’t mean they are realist or they don’t really understand what they want. The requirements have to be measured so details are important. Therefore, the leader and guide and educate them. The clients benefits because they are allowed to provide feedback, while relishing in the knowledge that their input really means something. And the workers benefit from working together, sharing opinions, and finishing the project with high quality. The benefits of project management contain all the elements of what is a truly relationship between manager, client and worker. With project management, there are several benefits. Better efficiency in delivering services: Project management provides a roadmap to follow. A manager and business analyst communicate with the clients to get requirements, and make a project into small tasks...
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...A PROCESS APPROACH TO PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT Adam Greene; research student, Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University ABSTRACT This paper is based on research into project managers’ influence upon the project and team structure, and their ability to manage risks. The individual risk philosophies of the team members are considered in light of the effect they may have upon risk management. This paper briefly reviews project management, risk and risk perception and their interrelated effects upon the construction process. It is suggested that just as risk philosophies of individuals affect the decisions made in their lives away form their professional careers, so their perceptions and experiences of risk can affect their professional decisions. The approaches utilised for the research to explore this theory are also discussed within this paper. Keywords: Process; Project Management; Risk Perception; Risk Philosophy INTRODUCTION This research is being undertaken as part of the Process Protocol II project (Cooper et al, 1998), for which the author is responsible for the mapping of the project and risk management activity zones. There are three related topics covered within this paper: risk propensity, defined as a person’s desire to either avoid or to take risks; risk preference, the perceived level of risk and uncertainty a person is willing to accept in a given situation; and risk perception, the subjective view of the perceived risk...
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...Part - 1 System Theory There are a lot of definitions of system, but according to Verner (2011) system can be defined as an entity, company, business which has certain features which distinguish it from others. Whereas in the view of Cerroni (1994) a system can defined as a set of individual fractions which function jointly for forming an amalgamated whole. By Hamilton (1997) system theory can also be described like a method to examine a system like an isolated unit, instead-of individual fractions. In the view of Bondi & Ross (2009) role of system theory is very important in focusing on the main target, goal or objective in a-system. Through looking into a precise system like a-whole, it-is easier having complete understanding on how every fraction plays its role in the-general mission in a project (Murphy & Ledwith, 2006). According to Bondi & Ross (2009) one of the main characteristics of systems theory is its support in pinpointing faults or errors in the system. By Verner (2011) systems theory came into existence by efforts of a biologist L von-Bertalanffy in-the 1930s like a-model plan which has capability of accommodating the interrelationships-and overlap-between disconnect-disciplines, in fact when a verity of scientists-and theorists primarily attempted for explaining how-things are functioned or being functioning in-the cosmos, there were-no disconnect regulations. By Bondi & Ross (2009) Systems Theory also narrates significance of amalgamation of fractions...
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...„ Project Management Institute, 2002. Used with permission. The underlying theory of project management is obsolete1 Lauri Koskela, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Gregory Howell, Lean Construction Institute Abstract In prior literature, it has been generally seen that there is no explicit theory of project management. We contend that it is possible to precisely point out the underlying theoretical foundation of project management as espoused in the PMBOK Guide by PMI and mostly applied in practice. This foundation can be divided into a theory of project and a theory of management. We link theories to the body of knowledge by comparing prescriptions derived from theory to prescriptions presented in the PMBOK. Secondly, we show, by a comparison to competing theories and by an analysis of anomalies (deviations from assumptions or outcomes as implied in the body of knowledge) observed in project management practice, that this foundation is obsolete and has to be substituted by a wider and more powerful theoretical foundation. Introduction In a recent report on the future of project management and its professionals (Project Management Institute 1999), several global trends, such as technological advancements and the accelerated global change, were identified, in relation to which project management can take a leading role in facilitating and enabling the changes involved. The report also contains, in an appendix, a concise study on the development of bodies ...
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...Research on Lean Project Management Summary This report explains theories and assumptions of current project management methods, and compares it to the Lean Production Delivery System (LPDS) by showing advantages and disadvantages of each method. This report also includes how the LPDS is more efficient than other methods by eliminating wastes and save cost and duration. Introduction: Client needs nowadays are getting more stylish due to the continuous new challenges in the environment, economy, technology and society for the necessity of creating or upgrading new projects. Meeting these requirements involves changing old methods in managing projects into new ones which are more essential to meet the needs of the market. Moreover, new concepts have been considered in addition for the time, cost and quality to guaranty the success of a project. Many new concepts could be presented for production management, but the Lean Production Delivery System (LPDS) is one of the most successful practices concerning the development of project management. For this matter, this report will include an investigation and discussion comparing the advantages and disadvantages of current project management methods and Lean Production Delivery Systems (LPDS). Current project management methods, Advantages and Disadvantages: As described in the text, ―Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills...
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...MOTIVATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT Approved: Paper Advisor Date: 7 May 2009 Motivation in Project Management ii EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT __________________ A Seminar Research Paper Presented to the Graduate Faculty University of Wisconsin-Platteville __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree Master of Science in Project Management __________________ by FangMin Yang 2009 ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper was to discuss motivation theory and explore the application of motivation theory in project management. There are numerous differences between project management and traditional management, but, when it comes to motivating employees, the same motivation theories that are used in traditional management can be used to motivate employees working on projects. Nowadays, motivation theory has become a central tenet of management theory, such that the effective use of motivation theory has a significant impact on the dedication and performance of employees and, as a result, the overall success of a company. This seminar paper presents a summary of some of the most popular motivation theories, and a review of their application to management of employees, in general, and to project management teams, specifically. Each motivation theory has advantages and disadvantages. The motivation theories discussed in this paper are Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation, and McGregor’s Theory X and...
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...Project Management 1. Introduction As a discipline and professional subject, project management has gained unprecedented prevalence throughout the world as a consequence of its role in assisting the organization to efficiently utilize limited resources, resolving sophisticated technology and enhancing its survive in the increasingly competitive market. Specifically, implementing project management techniques assists the organization in curtailing the overheads costs, satisfying project deadlines and customizing the project workplace and so forth. Some 4500 years ago, projects had been undertaken with the pyramids construction by the ancient Egyptians, but it is universally accepted that the period of 1950s is an indication of the arrival of modern management era and the commencement of utilizing formal project management tools and techniques (Awan, 2010). Economic pressures of the industrialized world, competition between rival companies and greater regard for the value, well-being and hence the employment costs of working people have all contributed to the development of new project management ideas and techniques. The purpose of this essay is to identify the major developments in the domain of project management over the past five decades and to explain how these historical developments influence the understanding of modern project management. 2. Crucial Developments in the Field of PM and Repercussions on Understanding Modern Project Management Prior to 1950s...
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...International Journal of Project Management 26 (2008) 38–43 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijproman Organisational project management: An historical approach to the study of PMOs Monique Aubry *, Brian Hobbs 1, Denis Thuillier Received 3 August 2007; accepted 9 August 2007 2 ` ´ ´ ´ Universite du Quebec a Montreal Business School, Department of Management and Technology, Montreal (Quebec), Canada, H3C 3P8 Abstract This paper aims at providing a grounded theoretical foundation on which to base a better understanding of organisational project management. This paper delivers empirical evidence that project management offices (PMOs) and organisational project management can be understood as part of an historical process within an organisational context, departing from the traditional boundaries of positivist project management theory. The history of PMOs in four organisations is documented and analysed. The evolution of the organisations and their PMOs is punctuated with events, tensions and changes. An historical process provides a better basis for the development of a theory on PMOs and more globally on organisational project management. Ó 2007 Elsevier Ltd and IPMA. All rights reserved. Keywords: PMO; Organisational project management; History; Process approach 1. Introduction Rethinking project management! This paper is aligned with the present vitality found in the movement to rethink the field of project management [1]. The project management research literature is opening...
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...ranging from 0 years (fresh out of college) to 3 years of experience. Mainly work as programmer to support outsourcing projects from USA, UK and Europe. They provide technical support to applications, write programs to develop new applications and troubleshoot issues with developed solutions Key Performance Criteria: 1. High Turnover and Workforce Retention 2. Compensation and Reward 3. Synergy with other departments 4. Poor Work-Life Balance 5. Lack of ethics/work culture 6. Lack of effective communication between teams 7. High Turnover 8. Shortage of talented programmers Key Performance Criteria 1. High Turnover and Workforce Retention Reasons: a. Better prospect from competitor/other companies b. Slow or no career development (includes promotion, salary hike, responsibility increase etc.) c. Micromanaged by technical managers. No scope of autonomy or intellectual growth d. High demand of talented programmers with some sort of managerial or leadership background. Solutions: a. Better career advancement prospects within the company if the employee stays for some number of years. May include promotion, on-site travel, managing teams etc.: Expectancy Theory b. Challenging projects and more responsibility: Job Enrichment c. Competitive pay and regular hikes: Expectancy Theory d. Increase autonomy of programmers by providing high level management guidance and reducing micro-managing: Job Characteristics Model e. Adopting 360 degree reviews to get feedback about...
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...Achieving Project Goals Simulation Businesses use projects to focus on the way strategies can be put into action to meet the objectives of a business. Through project management, businesses can establish stated objectives and perform the tasks on the project with the knowledge in completing the strategies that aligned with goals of leadership. Project management is designed to make better use of existing resources by getting work to flow horizontally as well as vertically within the company (Kerzner, 2006, pg. ). As part of project management I had the chance to understand how to apply the proper decision-making techniques by completing this simulation. The simulation provided a variety of different situations that I had to make as the Project Manager for this project. By completing this simulation it allow for me to understand the different methods that are involved in proper decision to perform a task in a project. How did completing this simulation change your perspective of project management? After completing this simulation, it has changed my perspective of project management. Initially I was under the impression a project manager primary job was to manage the process that was established through the job scope and a statement of work. Completing the simulation has proven that even if everyone understands the objectives it takes effective planning, execution, monitoring, and controlling methods to complete a project successfully (University...
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...International Journal of Project Management 19 (2001) 79±87 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijproman Managing incomplete knowledge: Why risk management is not sucient Steven Pender * SMS Consulting Group, 4/60 Marcus Clarke St, Canberra, ACT, Australia Received 1 December 1998; received in revised form 8 July 1999; accepted 14 July 1999 Abstract The Project Management Institute's Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) underpins many initiatives to improve project management practice. It is widely used for training and underpins the development of competency standards. Because of its fundamental importance, the PMBOK should be critically reviewed. This paper agues for an expansion of the PMBOK Guide's risk management knowledge area to include a wider perspective of incomplete knowledge. The PMBOK Guide deals with uncertainty through the traditional use of probability theory, however the underpinning assumptions of probability theory do not always apply in practice. Furthermore, probability-based risk management theory does not explain important aspects of observed project management practice. This paper discusses an expanded framework of incomplete knowledge, including: an expanded concept of uncertainty that acknowledges ignorance or surprise, where there is no prior knowledge of future states; imprecision arising from ambiguity (fuzziness) in project parameters and future states; and, human limitations in information processing. The paper shows the expanded framework...
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...TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Theories of motivation 3. Discussion 4. Role of communication in motivation 5. Leadership style and motivation 6. Conclusion 7. References INTRODUCTION: According to PMBOK (2008) “Project teams are comprised of team members with diverse backgrounds, expectations, and individual objectives. The overall success of the project depends upon the project team’s commitment, which is directly related to their level of motivation”. Role of motivation is very important, when people are working in form of teams, which is an essential practice while working on projects. As stated above in PMBOK, project team members have diversity in their backgrounds, objectives and expectations, so diverse nature of motivational tools and techniques are required for them, for the successful completion of the projects. To motivate people is also difficult in a sense, because different people are motivated with different incentives or motivational tools. Some are motivated only with fringe benefits (Bonus, salary or wages) while for others recognition, working environment and nature of job are main attractions. Different people are at their different levels of need satisfaction and motivation. Also people are different in their preferences and desires for motivation. According to Maslow’s theory, there are different level of needs, once one level is achieved, it no more serve as a motivational incentive and the motivational levels...
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