Abstract
Uncertainty and change are two features of modern project management. They strongly influence the project management needs to operate in such contexts. This is the case when a complete and accurate definition of the scope of a project is not available. Those situations require a project management approach capable of dealing with the special conditions that characterise said contexts. This study focuses on the application of the progressive elaboration approach and the Critical Chain method. We analysed the implementation process of the new procedure in a company that produces capital goods for the automotive industry. The work’s main focus is on the effect of this change from the multi-project perspective. We found that the change had a larger impact than was expected by the company. Firstly, we found that the new approach provided an opportunity to improve the performance of the company. Besides, the new approach uncovered significant problems that previously were ignored, as well as problems and obstacles to the change. Based on the results and findings of this work, we conclude that shifting to this kind of approach requires a global managerial perspective, and strong support from the management.
Highlights
Companies are disappearing six times faster than 40 years ago, regardless of size, age or sector, according to the results of a recent study [1] that analysed more than 30,000 firms
The lack of materials is mainly caused by the delay in the design phase, which prevents carrying out the purchasing and supply tasks within the required deadlines
It has been proven that the inability to close the designs on time generated the tendency to open new designs, while the designs in progress remained unfinished. This is the main reason why the work in process (WIP) grew in the design phase, which, as a result, led to undesired consequences, such as increased multitasking, dispersion of resources and difficulty when monitoring the status of activities and projects
Summary
Companies are disappearing six times faster than 40 years ago, regardless of size, age or sector, according to the results of a recent study [1] that analysed more than 30,000 firms. The authors conclude, “Companies are dying younger because they are failing to adapt to the growing complexity of their environment.”. The current project contexts are a clear example of this fact [2]. Complexity and uncertainty are two of the main characteristics of any project [3]. The high levels of competitiveness and unpredictability that characterise project environments today are challenging traditional project management (PM) practices [4]. Under these conditions, the management of uncertainty—an inherent aspect of projects—arises as a crucial factor for project success
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