...ABSTRACT Critical Chain Project Management: An Overview Christopher Aitken Director: Elisabeth Umble, Ph.D. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce to the reader Critical Chain Project Management, which is the application of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) process to project management. Eli Goldratt describes the process in the book Critical Chain. Applying Critical Chain protocol will improve the projects due date performance and the quality of deliverables, whatever the project or circumstance. To prove these claims this document explores specific case studies of recent implementations of Critical Chain. It then goes back to look at the history of project management and some of the innovations that led to Critical Chain, including an in depth look at Theory of Constraints. It concludes by exploring the TOC approach to causing change in thinking processes and how this would be done for Critical Chain. This document is written to be accessible to any reader regardless of the level of prior exposure to the Theory of Constraints. APPROVED BY DIRECTOR OF HONORS THESIS: ______________________________________________________ Dr. Elisabeth Umble, Department of Management APPROVED BY THE HONORS PROGRAM: __________________________________________________ DATE: _______________________ CRITICAL CHAIN PROJECT MANAGEMENT: AN OVERVIEW A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Baylor University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Honors Program By Christopher...
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...Languages: Speak English, read English, write English • Specific skills: Confer with clients to identify and document requirements, conduct business and technical studies, design, develop and implement information systems business solutions, provide advice on information systems strategy, policy, management and service delivery, develop and implement policies and procedures throughout the software development life cycle, conduct reviews to assess quality assurance practices • Computer and technology knowledge: Windows, Intranet, Internet, Multimedia software, Word processing software, Spreadsheet software, Presentation software, Office suites, Electronic mailing software • Work conditions and physical capabilities: Fast-paced environment, work under pressure, tight deadlines, repetitive tasks, attention to detail, combination of sitting, standing, walking • Essential skills: Reading text, document use, numeracy, writing, oral communication, working with others, problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, job task planning and organizing, computer use, continuous learning • Job title: Business systems analyst Skills and knowledge requirements: • Education: Completion of high school, completion of college/CEGEP/vocational or technical...
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...foundation is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practical application, while examining the areas of accounting, critical thinking and decision-making, finance, business law, management, marketing, organizational behavior, research and evaluation, and technology. Students are required to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the undergraduate business curricula through an integrated topics course. The Human Resource Management Concentration helps students develop an understanding of the fundamentals of human resource management and its strategic relevance in business. The concentration addresses the legal and ethical components of the decision making process involved in the human resources environment. The Human Resource Management Concentration introduces students to the basic concepts of human resource management, and allows further study in the areas of employment law, risk management, recruitment and selection of employees, international HR, change management, compensation and benefits, employee development, and performance management. Students will also develop an understanding of the critical business implications for human resource professionals today and in the future. HR practitioners and managers must be equipped with a solid understanding of the fundamentals of human resource management, along with strong skills in the areas of systems thinking, problem solving, influencing, negotiating, communications, and leadership. In the Human Resource Management Concentration...
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...detail is being noticed; from your entrance, wardrobe, handshake, etiquette, and voice quality and speech (Center for Professional Communication, 2014). First impressions are lasting ones and the first step in building long lasting relationships. A person must be aware of their presence and understand themselves to have a confident professional presence. Models of Health and Healing I am a mindful person and can easily drown out the distractions of the everyday noise of the unit so I can remain on track. It is important to try and think outside the box and keep your eye on the big picture. Utilizing critical thinking skills is a must. Everyday, every shift, a person is faced with making a difficult decision quickly with a limited amount of information. I currently work in a behavioral health setting. The pace of the unit can change rapidly during a shift. I feel my practice is a mixture of the first model of physical body and also the third model of body-mind-spirit. In behavioral health we often are more focused on the emotional care aspect, remembering to be culturally sensitive to our clients as well as respecting their spiritual beliefs and incorporating these aspects into their individualized recovery plan. With the advancements our society has achieved in medication, sometimes the cultural and spiritual beliefs can be easily overlooked by providers. As a nurse, it is important to know your clients’ beliefs to help them communicate their perspective to the provider...
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...MIS COURSES – Student Learning Outcomes1 MIS 180: Principles of Information Systems At the end of this course students should be able to: 1. Understand the importance of determining information system requirements for all management levels by developing an understanding of the differences between various types of information systems 2. Understand how information systems are developed 3. Understand the computer revolution and its impact on the way business is conducted 4. Become familiar with critical-thinking skills in identifying information systems problems and how to investigate existing literature about hardware and software solutions to problems. 5. Know the components and functions of computer systems, both hardware and software. 6. Become familiar with the advances in networking, data communications and the Internet and how they affect the way business is conducted. 7. Identify which information technology tools are used to solve various business problems. 8. Develop proficiency solving business problems using modern productivity tools (e.g., spreadsheet, database) or creating custom programs. MIS 301: Statistical Analysis for Business At the end of this course students should be able to: 1. Use data from a sample to make inferences about a population. 2. Apply probability theory in decision making situations. 3. Formulate hypotheses for decision making and research. 4. Analyze data using appropriate statistical techniques. 5. Interpret the results of statistical...
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...Project Management Achieving Competitive Advantage Chapter One • Introduction: – Why Project Management? What is a Project • Two definitions of project: – A project is a unique venture with a beginning and end, conducted by people to meet established goals within parameters of cost, schedule, and quality – Projects are goal-oriented, involve the coordinated undertaking of interrelated activities, are of finite duration, and are all, to a degree, unique • Difference between process and project – Process refers to ongoing, day-to-day activities in which an organization engages while producing goods or services; process uses existing system, properties, and capabilities in a continuous, fairly repetitive manner – Projects take place outside the normal, process-oriented world of the firm What is a Project (con’t) • A project can be considered to be any series of activities or tasks that: – Have a specific objective to be completed within certain specifications – Have defined start and end date – Have funding limits – Consume human and nonhuman resources – Are multifunctional What is a Project (con’t) • Various elements of projects: – Projects are complex, one-time process: a project arises for a specific purpose or to meet a stated goal; they are complex because they typically require the coordinated inputs of numerous members of the organization – Projects are limited by budget, schedule, and resources: project work requires that members work with limited...
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...Buildings 2013, 3, 506-531; doi:10.3390/buildings3030506 OPEN ACCESS buildings ISSN 2075-5309 www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings/ Review Construction Delay Analysis Techniques—A Review of Application Issues and Improvement Needs Nuhu Braimah Civil Engineering Department, School of Engineering and Design, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK; E-Mail: nuhu.braimah@brunel.ac.uk; Tel.: +44-0-1895-265-919; Fax: +44-0-1895-269-782 Received: 8 May 2013; in revised form: 1 July 2013 / Accepted: 18 July 2013 / Published: 23 July 2013 Abstract: The time for performance of a project is usually of the essence to the employer and the contractor. This has made it quite imperative for contracting parties to analyse project delays for purposes of making right decisions on potential time and/or cost compensation claims. Over the years, existing delay analysis techniques (DATs) for aiding this decision-making have been helpful but have not succeeded in curbing the high incidence of disputes associated with delay claims resolutions. A major source of the disputes lies with the limitations and capabilities of the techniques in their practical use. Developing a good knowledge of these aspects of the techniques is of paramount importance in understanding the real problematic issues involved and their improvement needs. This paper seeks to develop such knowledge and understanding (as part of a wider research work) via: an evaluation of the most common DATs based on a case study...
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...and It’s Not Luck, Goldratt wrote his book Critical Chain with the same simplicity of storytelling that has made him a master at his craft. He passes groundbreaking business concepts and principles to his audience in a simple, palatable manner. In Critical Chain, Goldratt introduces us to his protagonist, a young professor of business Mr. Rick Silver, a man struggling to make it in the academic world. Mr. Silver is a good teacher seeking tenure in a business school and who would like to have his work published. His area of expertise is project management and he hopes to see the ideas propagated in his articles make a difference in the world of project management (Goldratt, 1997). He soon realizes that the ideas and the theories that are currently in use in project management are outdated and incomprehensive and as a result, projects often delay and not completed in time (Goldratt, 1997). In his attempts to pass his ideas and concepts on better methods of project management, he encounters the fact that the content given in business schools is outdated. The therefore is convinced that business schools should revise their curriculum to accommodate the changes that occur in the business world. If the changes do not happen soon, then what the business schools teach their learners will soon be obsolete (Goldratt, 1997). The focus of the book is the shift of project management from the critical path method to the critical chain method of project management. Likewise...
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...National League for Nursing Evaluation and Learning Advisory Committee (ELAC) ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION ELAC Members: Marilyn H. Oermann (Chair) Karen Saewert (Chair-elect) Pamela Rutar Suzanne Yarbrough Sub-committee Members: Reba Childress Dawne-Marie Dunbar Sally Erdel Barbara Haas Evelyn Hayes Debra Hurd Sheila Kyle Gayle Preheim, Chair Linda Siktberg Gale R. Woolley, Chair A comprehensive literature review was completed, reflecting best practices in assessment, evaluation, and grading in nursing. This annotated bibliography of the literature is organized into four areas: assessment and evaluation in (a) the classroom, (b) the online environment, (c) clinical practice, and (d) learning and simulation laboratories. There is a fifth section that provides references on the assessment of psychomotor learning and performance; that section is not annotated. This work was completed by members of ELAC and its subcommittees as noted above. 1 CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT Ahmad, N. (2002). Evaluation of teaching: Through eyes of students. Plano: Institutional Research Office, Collin County Community College District. This article reviews the student evaluations instruments used to evaluate learning and faculty in the classroom. The purpose of this article was to search for come standardized instruments of student evaluations. Instruments used are: Individual Developmental and Educational Assessment (IDEA), Student Assessment of...
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...Chapter 1: * A 1995 Standish Group study (CHAOS) found that only 16.2% of IT projects were successful in meeting scope, time, and cost goals; over 31% of IT projects were canceled before completion Advantages of Using Formal Project Management: * Better control of financial, physical, and human resources * Improved customer relations * Shorter development times * Lower costs * Higher quality and increased reliability * Higher profit margins * Improved productivity * Better internal coordination * Higher worker morale What is project? A project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result” Project Attributes: A project: * has a unique purpose * is temporary * is developed using progressive elaboration * requires resources, often from various areas * should have a primary customer or sponsor * The project sponsor usually provides the direction and funding for the project * involves uncertainty Program: group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually The triple constraint of project management: Scope, cost & time. Project management: is “the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements” 10 knowledge areas (project management framework): 1. Scope management 2. Time management 3. Cost man. 4...
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...Galactic Therapies Incorporated Communication Challenges and Opportunities COMM/215 April 8, 2013 RoMay Sitze Galactic Therapies Incorporated Communication Challenges and Opportunities Galactic Therapies Incorporated (GTI) has been expanding on a global level and therefore has developed a very diverse, multicultural workforce. The new dynamics of this globally diverse workforce has helped to expand their ability to innovate and expand their operations, but this growth has not come without difficulties. With the new diverse workforce GTI has encountered issues related to communication and teamwork between the workers from different corners of the globe. The board of directors has asked Team Alpha Consulting to research the problems, evaluate how other companies are handling similar issues, and provide a report that will help to integrate this diverse workforce with GTI’s ever-expanding global force. Managing a multicultural workforce requires a clear understanding of the different cultures involved and how the cultural differences require different management styles. During our research we have found two primary ways to expand a company’s workforce globally. The first option is to hire an outsourcing company that will provide its own workers and will manage most of the relationships with the hiring company via liaisons. Outsourcing companies prefer to minimize direct contact of their employees aside from their own management staff. In this scenario it is prudent...
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...consumed when used, a specific chemical reagent for instance. In this case, the second project may have to wait until more of the reagent can be purchased and delivered. In both cases, the project that must wait may suffer a schedule delay that makes it late. Just as projects may compete for resources, different activities of the same project may compete. Two or more concurrent activities might require the same personnel, or equipment, or even work space. One activity will be given priority, and the other(s) must wait. In order to manage resources in such a way as to optimize the use of a limited supply, trade-offs must be made. The interaction of project scheduling and resource scheduling is clear, but we will examine several different solutions to the allocation problem. Those include the Critical Path Method (CPM), Goldratt’ s “critical chain” [4], and many different priority rules for allocating scarce...
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...5 WORKING IN THE NEW ECONOMY 6 Globalization 6 Intellectual Capital 6 Knowledge worker 7 Diversity 7 Technology 7 Workforce diversity 8 Discrimination 8 Ethics 8 Prejudice 8 The Glass ceiling effect 9 Corporate governance 9 Career (core worker, contract worker, part-time worker) 10 ORGANZATIONS IN THE NEW WORKPLACE 11 Critical survival skills for the new workplace 11 Organization 12 ORGANZATIONS AS SYSTEMS 12 Open systems 12 ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE 12 Productivity 12 Performance effectiveness 13 Performance efficiency 13 CHANGING NATURE OF ORGANIZATIONS 13 7 changes 14 Total quality management (TQM) 14 MANAGERS IN THE NEW WORKPLACE 15 Definition of manager 15 LEVELS OF MANAGERS 15 Top manager 16 Middle manager 16 Project manager 16 Team leader or supervisor 16 Nine responsibilities of team leader 17 TYPES OF MANAGERS 17 Administrator 17 Functional manager 17 General manager 17 Line manager 17 Staff manager 17 MANAGERIAL PERFORMANCE 17 Quality of work life 17 Accountability 18 CHANGING NATURE OF MANAGERIAL WORK 18 Upside-down pyramid 19 THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS 19 FUNCTUONS OF MANAGEMENT (Planning, Leading, Controlling, Organizing) 19 Management 20 Leading 20 Organizing 20 Planning 21 Controlling 21 MANAGERIAL ACTIVITIVES AND ROLES 21 Mintzberg’s 10 managerial roles ( Inter-Info-Decisional) 22. Realities of managerial work 22 MANAGERIAL AGENDAS AND NETWORKING 22 ...
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... Employment and Training Administration United States Department of Labor 1 www.doleta.gov Updated April 2010 Advanced Manufacturing Competency Model Table of Contents About the Model 3 Tier One: Personal Effectiveness Competencies 4 Interpersonal Skills 4 Integrity 4 Professionalism 4 Initiative 4 Dependability & Reliability 4 Lifelong Learning 4 Tier Two: Academic Competencies 6 Science 6 Basic Computer Skills 6 Mathematics 7 Reading 7 Writing 7 Communication—Listening and Speaking 8 Critical & Analytical Thinking 8 Information Literacy 8 Tier Three: Workplace Competencies 10 Business Fundamentals 10 Teamwork 10 Adaptability/Flexibility 11 Marketing and Customer Focus 11 Planning and Organizing 12 Problem Solving and Decision Making 12 Working with Tools and Technology 13 Checking, Examining, and Recording 13 Sustainable Practices 14 Tier Four: Industry-Wide Technical Competencies 15 Entry-Level 15 Manufacturing Process Design/Development 15 Production 15 Maintenance, Installation, and Repair 17 Supply Chain Logistics 17 Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement 18 Sustainable and Green Manufacturing 19 Health, Safety, Security, and Environment 19 Technician Level 21 Manufacturing Process Design/Development 21 Production 21 Maintenance, Installation, and Repair 22 Supply Chain Logistics 23 Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement 24 Health, Safety...
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...IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS OF SOFTWARE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT IFFAT MAAB (10-CP-58) MARYAM FATIMA (10-CP-87) MUHAMMAD IKRAM UL HAQ (10-CP-30) IFFAT MAAB (10-CP-58) MARYAM FATIMA (10-CP-87) MUHAMMAD IKRAM UL HAQ (10-CP-30) Table of Contents 1. PROJECT 5 2. PROJECT MANAGEMENT 5 3. PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 5 3.1 HISTORY 6 3.2 PURPOSE 7 3.3 NEED FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 7 3.4 TYPES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 7 3.4.1 Desktop 7 3.4.2 Client Server 8 3.4.3 Web-based 8 3.4.4 Integrated 8 3.5 FUNCTIONALITIES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 8 3.6 BENEFITS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 10 3.7 SHORTCOMINGS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 13 4. Tools 13 4.1 Project scheduling tools 16 4.1.1 Advantages & Disadvantages 16 4.2 Comparison of Different Tools 17 4.3 Top Recent project management software 18 4.4 Criteria for evaluating Project management Software 19 4.5 Understanding Organizational Needs 19 5. NWC Case Study - Implementing EPMS Using Oracle Primavera P6, EBS and MS SharePoint 2010 20 5.1 About NWC 20 5.2 Project Goal 20 5.3 Project Background 21 5.4 Services in Scope 21 5.5 Implementation Methodology 22 5.6 Benefits Realization 22 6. Conclusion 23 7. Summary 24 7.1 Research paper 1 24 7.2 Research paper 2 25 7.3 Research paper 3 26 7.4 Research paper 4 27 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to thank Engr.Abdul Aleem, for the valuable advice...
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