Modern Project Management Research Articles

The Project Research for Optimal Scheduling Based on Particle Swarm Optimization

The project management optimization for an important aspect of the scheduling scheme is reasonable to reduce costs, improve quality and shorten the cycle. Traditional project scheduling and optimization methods have been unable to fully meet the rapid development of modern project management needs. The PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization) is a simulation of birds the heuristic search algorithm mechanisms, which function optimization, constrained optimization, minimax problems, such as multi-objective optimization problem. It has become an important branch of the many related optimization fields. Although the project is to optimize the scheduling, many traditional methods can achieve good results, but the particle swarm algorithm can achieve a greater degree of optimization. In this paper, research on the particle swarm optimization of the basic principles of their algorithm for the initial exploration process, compared the effectiveness simulation of particle swarm optimization and traditional genetic algorithm in optimal scheduling of the project . Therefore, the original project plan with the optimal scheduling on the basis of introduction of particle swarm optimization algorithm can get better quality, shorter cycle and fewer costs, and ultimately get the entire optimal project cycle, project quality and project cost.

Using a Delphi process and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate the complexity of projects

Project complexity is ever growing and needs to be understood, analysed and measured better to assist modern project management. The overall ambition of this paper is therefore to define a measure of project complexity in order to assist decision-making, notably when analysing several projects in a portfolio, or when studying different areas of a project. A synthesised literature review on existing complexity measures is firstly proposed in order to highlight their limitations. Then, we identify the multiple aspects of project complexity thanks to the construction and refinement of a project complexity framework thanks to an international Delphi study. We then propose a multi-criteria approach to project complexity evaluation, underlining the benefits of such an approach. In order to solve properly this multi-criteria problem, we first conduct a critical state of the art on multi-criteria methodologies. We then argue for the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process. In the end, this tool permits to define a relative project complexity measure, which can notably assist decision-making. Complexity scales and subscales are defined in order to highlight the most complex alternatives and their principal sources of complexity within the set of criteria and sub-criteria which exist in the hierarchical structure. Finally, a case study within a start-up firm in the entertainment industry (musicals production) is performed. Conclusions, limitations and perspectives of research are given in the end.

Measuring project complexity using the Analytic Hierarchy Process

Project complexity is ever growing and needs to be understood and measured better to assist modern project management. The overall ambition of this paper is therefore to define a measure of project complexity in order to assist decision-making. A synthesised literature review on existing complexity measures is proposed in order to highlight their limitations. Then, we identify the multiple aspects of project complexity. We then propose a multi-criteria approach to project complexity evaluation, through the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process. In the end, it permits to define a relative project complexity measure. Complexity scales and subscales are defined in order to highlight the most complex alternatives and their principal sources of complexity within the set of criteria and sub-criteria which exist in the hierarchical structure. Finally, a case study within a start-up firm in the entertainment industry is performed. Conclusions and research perspectives are given in the end.

Engineering ‘the aerodrome of democracy’, Canada 1939–1944

The British Commonwealth air training plan was created to address the critical shortage of trained flyers that existed at the outbreak of World War II. As the expansion of existing training facilities in areas likely to be subject to enemy attack was unlikely to be satisfactory, an agreement was reached between Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to provide training facilities in Canada. Initial requirements were for 58 airfields, one to be complete by May 1940, 37 by the end of 1941 and the remaining 20 by April 1942. The extent of this civil engineering challenge is highlighted by the fact that, in 1939, the Royal Canadian Air Force possessed only five airfields. However, not only were the original targets achieved, they were surpassed in both scope and time. On completion, 88 ‘main’ airfields were in use; as most of these airfields required at least one ‘satellite’ field with many of the facilities of the main fields, the grand total was 176 airfields. In the words of President Roosevelt, Canada had become ‘the aerodrome of democracy’. As airfields were constructed in every province of Canada, planning and logistical problems were immense. Standardisation of design for airfield layout, prefabrication of components for hangars and other airfield structures, a centralised management organisation and the application of what, today, we would describe as modern construction project management techniques all helped Canada's civil engineers to successfully complete this Herculean task.

Pentagon Tri-Wheel Model (PTW): A New Project Management Model Based on Complexity Theory

Construction project management (PM) is to ensure the successful delivery of construction projects, and in turn bring benefits to stakeholders. Nonetheless, achieving project success is not an easy task in the construction sector in particular when contemporary projects become more complex, larger, include more variety, face more uncertainty, and have tougher objectives. Various PM models have been introduced while none of them is the panacea to deal with the increasing complexity of construction organizations and projects. This research suggests a Pentagon Tri-Wheel Model (PTW) which builds its foundation on the complexity theory and aims to make sense of the complexity of modern PM. A marriage of critical thinking on existing PM research and practical experience gives birth to the PTW. The model was further demonstrated and validated by conducting a case study on the Hong Kong Disneyland Theme Park. The result of this study suggested that the PTW accommodates the complexity of construction and many problems of contemporary PM can be settled by this new PM model.

Blended learning: pathways to effective project management

Purpose – The paper aims to present a general overview of modern project management and the issues associated with identifying a rapid, effective and cost efficient solution to developing effective project managers. The piece discusses the advantages of taking a blended training approach as a method to support both knowledge delivery and skills attainment.Design/methodology/approach – The viewpoint is based on experience of working with over 4,000 clients – spanning industry sectors – in 16 countries across the globe.Findings – Practical experience is at a premium because of the complex nature of project management. Every project is made up of components – people, process and technology – which are all inter‐related and continually interacting with each other. Being able to control the complexity of this interaction, while navigating the project towards a successful outcome is the bedrock of successful project management. One of the most successful approaches to create effective project managers is blende...

Modeling External Risks in Project Management

To ascertain the viability of a project, undertake resource allocation, take part in bidding processes, and other related decisions, modern project management requires forecasting techniques for cost, duration, and performance of a project, not only under normal circumstances, but also under external events that might abruptly change the status quo. We provide a Bayesian framework that provides a global forecast of a project's performance. We aim at predicting the probabilities and impacts of a set of potential scenarios caused by combinations of disruptive events, and using this information to deal with project management issues. To introduce the methodology, we focus on a project's cost, but the ideas equally apply to project duration or performance forecasting. We illustrate our approach with an example based on a real case study involving estimation of the uncertainty in project cost while bidding for a contract.

Escalation: The Role of Problem Recognition and Cognitive Bias

ABSTRACTEscalation of commitment to a failing course of action is an enduring problem that remains central to the study of managerial behavior. Prior research suggests that escalation behavior results when decision makers choose to ignore negative feedback concerning the viability of a previously chosen course of action. Previous work has also suggested that certain cognitive biases might promote escalation behavior, but there has been little attempt to explore how biases other than framing affect escalation. In this article, we explore the extent to which decision makers actually perceive negative feedback as indicative of a problem and how this influences their decision to escalate. Although problem recognition and cognitive biases have been intensively studied individually, little is known about their effect on escalation behavior. In this research, we construct and test an escalation decision model that incorporates both problem recognition and two cognitive biases: selective perception and illusion of control. Our results revealed a significant inverse relationship between problem recognition and escalation. Furthermore, selective perception and illusion of control were found to significantly affect both problem recognition and escalation. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed. To improve problem recognition and reduce the incidence of escalation, practicing managers should implement modern project management practices that can help to identify and highlight potential problems while guarding against these two key cognitive biases that promote the behavior.

Factors Influencing Knowledge Sharing in Information Technology Projects

Even though today's corporations recognize they need to understand modern project management techniques, many researchers continue to provide evidence of poor success in information technology (IT) projects. Given that project performance is known to be positively associated with project knowledge, a better understanding of how to effectively manage knowledge in IT projects should have considerable practical significance for increasing the chances of project success. Using a combined qualitative/quantitative method of data collection in multiple case studies spanning four continents and comprising a variety of organizational types, the focus of this current research centered on the question of why individuals working within IT project teams might be motivated towards, or inhibited from, sharing their knowledge and experience in their activities, procedures, and processes. The research concluded with the development of a new theoretical model of knowledge sharing behavior, the Alignment Model of Motivational Focus. This model suggests that an individual's propensity to share knowledge and experience is a function of perceived personal benefits and costs associated with the activity, balanced against the individual's alignment to a group of institutional factors. These factors are identified as alignments to the project team, to the organization, and, dependent on the circumstances, to either the professional discipline or community of practice to which the individual belongs.

Modern project management and the lessons from the study of the transformation of the British Expeditionary Force in the Great War

PurposeTo apply the theories of project management to the transformation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from the colonial‐style army of 1914 into the victorious continental‐style armies of 1918.Design/methodology/approachThe methodological approach examines ten elements in the transformation. They range from the resources required to the necessary governmental changes. Emphasis is given to analysing the application of the new technologies, the political and social changes needed for eventual success, and the learning achieved.FindingsTransforming the BEF was not to be an easy process. Obviously, the German nation, allies and armies did all they could to thwart this transformation. The “total war” waged is the ultimate form of “competition”. Thus, difficult lessons of strategic management, people (both men and women) management, and resources utilisation had to be learned. Through the many innovations, the experience curve was climbed to achieve mastery over the German field army.Originality/valueTo turn the BEF from a force of 120,000 at the battle of Mons to nearly 2 million at the Armistice on the western front was a remarkable achievement. Despite the strains imposed by German military prowess, the many elements were combined successfully. Although applying warfare principles to company management has become popular in the past decade, this paper avoids coming to simplistic conclusions. Rather it presents the transformation as a case study and suggests linkages to modern project management practices though leaving it to the reader to consider how these might be best applied.

Evolving the Project Management Office: A Competency Continuum

Many organizations today have recognized the need for a project management office (PMO) to achieve project management oversight, control, and support. the PMO's role is to help both the project manager and the relevant organization to not only understand and apply modern project management practices, but also to adapt and integrate business interests into the organization's project management efforts. This article describes a five-stage competency model for the PMO.

Project scheduling and monitoring: current research status

Project scheduling/rescheduling occurs in all stages of projects, from feasibility stage to monitoring stage to completion. Since the late 1950s, network‐based techniques CPM (critical path method) and PERT (programme evaluation review technique) are the techniques commonly used for project management. However, there are limitations in working with these tools that need to be overcome. Also, the computing ef. ciency of classic CPM/PERT analysis needs to be enhanced. Substantial research has been carried out globally in this field covering all areas of project scheduling: time scheduling, resource scheduling, cost scheduling, modern project management techniques, advanced mathematical models used for construction scheduling, and so on. To understand and document this research status, the authors have carried out an extensive study of various journals, published and unpublished research papers, and present this literature review.

Decision Aids for Tunneling: Update

Decision aids for tunneling (DAT), a computer-based tool, are used to determine tunnel construction cost and time as well as other information related to tunnel construction. Most important, the DAT allow uncertainties to be considered, an essential aspect in modern project and construction management. A brief overview of the DAT and of a variety of applications is first provided to (re)familiarize the reader. Emphasis is then placed on two recent DAT applications, namely, updating and resource management. Updating uses information collected during construction to reduce uncertainties. The resource management application shown here deals with reuse of muck to produce concrete. These practical cases reemphasize the wide variety of applications that can benefit from the use of the DAT.

Book Review: PM 102 According to the Olde Curmudgeon: An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Modern Project Management

Book Review: PM 102 According to the Olde Curmudgeon: An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Modern Project Management

Book Review: Modern Project Management: Successfully Integrating Project Management Knowledge Areas and Processes

Book Review: Modern Project Management: Successfully Integrating Project Management Knowledge Areas and Processes

3-11 MPM フォーラムと MPM アカデミー

3-11 MPM フォーラムと MPM アカデミー

なぜ今, "モダンPM"を全社で導入するのか

なぜ今, "モダンPM"を全社で導入するのか

Modern project management

Modern project management

PM 101: according to the Olde Curmudgeon: an introduction to the basic concepts of modern project management

This is an essential book for your project management library! Francis Webster Jr., a.k.a. the Olde Curmudgeon, lets new project management practitioners in on the tricks of the trade in the project management industry. This is a book of veteran dos and donts that, when followed, make even the most inexperienced novice look good. In PM 101, Webster shares his well-reasoned, well-organized observations, ideas, distinctions, rules, metaphors and even commandments. This book is essential for new project management practitioners who need to come off the blocks on the right foot fast!

Managing environmental quality at the enterprise: the role of project management

An exploratory field study conducted in Europe and the U.S. examines the challenges of managing environmental quality at the enterprise level. The results show that effective environmental quality management depend to a considerable degree on the ability to deal with the multidisciplinary organizational, technical, social, and cultural issues involved in the integration of environmental cost accounting at the enterprise level. The study suggests that the tools and techniques of modern project management can provide an important framework for developing and implementing environmental quality control systems. The recommendations put considerable emphasis on the human side, focusing on the criteria under which environmental quality is best achievable. Strong senior management leadership, people skills, organizational linkages, and alliances, all are critical for dealing with the complexities of managing responsibly toward sustained developments in today’s organizations.