Project Management Office Research Articles

Advancing capital project management

PurposeEffective project management is critical for reducing project failures, cost overruns and schedule delays. Yet, research in this area is lacking. This study provides original research on capital project management in US state governments, with special attention to earned value management (EVM). EVM is a technique used to provide early warning indicators of performance issues and facilitate corrective action during project execution.Design/methodology/approachA multi-method design involving document review, focus groups, surveys, interviews and case studies is used to unearth primary data from statewide project management offices (PMO) responsible for overseeing large-scale information technology (IT) acquisitions. A strategic framework is developed, facilitating a descriptive analysis of management strategies.FindingsResults from 31 states indicate the vast majority have taken key initial steps in formulating a statewide strategy, such as establishing a PMO, adopting industry standards and defining guidelines for agencies. However, agencies are only required to follow guidelines issued by the statewide PMO in 14 states. EVM is currently used in 18 states, with most defining clear criteria for application and tailoring practices according to project context.Originality/valueThis study introduces the EVM concept to public budgeting research, provides a blueprint for EVM policy development and offers novel analysis of capital project management reforms and strategies.

Transitions in Project Management Offices: A Framework Relating Functions, Success Factors and Project Performance in a High-Technology Company

This paper aims to present and analyze the transitions in operational activities and the performance of a Project Management Office (PMO) in a technology-based company through a longitudinal case study. The paper discusses functions, tensions, success factors, indicators, and performance and how they drive the major changes faced by the PMO. The results demonstrated that political tensions, more than performance, explained PMO changes. Tensions are originated from both requirements from project stakeholders that were not addressed and success itself, meaning that stakeholder dispute for capitalizing on the success’s honors and benefits. Issues about centralization, project performance, and focus on stakeholders’ demands seem to be central for designing the role and functions of project management offices in the studied high-technology company. In the end, a theoretical framework presents the results of the case study in terms of factors influencing PMO transitions.

AGILE-METHODOLOGY IN SHIPBUILDING PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN CONDITIONS OF CLUSTER INTEGRATION

The aim of the article is to study the features of the development of cluster systems for the construction of transport vessels and develop on this basis recommendations for the use of agile methodology in the mechanisms of effective management in cluster integrations. The characteristic features of a project-oriented operating system with a matrix organizational structure have been determined. The principles of the agile methodology have been adapted to the management mechanisms of the shipbuilding cluster system. The examples of the use of agile approaches that complement and strengthen the existing matrix management structure in the shipbuilding cluster system are given. The agile approaches are implemented through: maintaining stable links in the supply chain at all stages of the life cycle of the cluster; focusing the cluster system as a whole on customer needs; creation of cross-functional teams for support and development of human resources; creation of a logistics center in accordance with the agile methodology, which is implemented through short feedback cycles and regular adaptation of supply processes; lean production ‒ from design to production at all stages. It is proposed to develop a corporate information system in business processes and supply chains of the shipbuilding cluster. Information flows connect cluster members, functions, supply chain management tasks, as well as different levels of management decision-making. Team cooperation between representatives of project organizations and the project management office of shipbuilding enterprises will ensure the development of the information system as a whole, as well as the integrity and consistency of individual elements. This confirms that the agile methodology provides flexibility in management and operational adaptation to changes in order to achieve the main goal ‒ the competitiveness of cluster integration and its elements.

Le PMO (project management office)

Le terme PMO est employé dans de nombreuses organisations, mais derrière ce trigramme anglo-saxon (ou plutôt ces trigrammes car PMO signifie aussi bien le project management office, qui est le service PMO, et l’individu, qui est le project management officer) se cachent des fonctions extrêmement diverses.

STRATEGY TO IMPROVE LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN PT FREEPOT INDONESIA'S UNDERGROUND MINING PROJECT

Poor productivity of labor construction causes project cost to increase and project completion schedule behind target. Underground mining company such as PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) struggle to overcome problem with productivity. It is critical for mining underground company to keep up labor productivity due to importance of mining production. Therefore, the purpose of this research are: (1) to identify the factors that influence labor productivity; (2) to formulate alternative strategies to increase the productivity; and (3) to formulate recommendations carried out by PTFI in order to increase the productivity. This research use literature review and expert discussion to identify factors affecting labor productivity in the construction industry. The analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method used to find the best strategies to increase labor productivity. The result of this research showed that the factors that has the most influence is labor management, the most influencing actor is construction management, the most important goal is to improve project management implementation and the best strategy to increase labor productivity is to create a Project Management Office (PMO) system. The recommendation that can be given is that PTFI needs to develop guidelines and programs for PMO system development and apply PMO to all PTFI mining activity. Keywords: Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Labor productivity, Project Management Office (PMO), Strategies, Underground mining

Project management offices in the construction industry: a literature review and qualitative synthesis of success variables

Today’s project management offices (PMOs) in the construction sector need to be equipped with breakthrough capabilities necessary for making a difference in multi-project management. Although there is an upward trend in academic research on PMOs, a comprehensive framework of potential success variables is still lacking in the literature. This research aims to assess the extant literature from the perspective of the construction sector to provide a single consolidated overview of potential PMO success variables. A systematic search process was adopted to retrieve publications and narrow them down to eligible studies followed by a qualitative synthesis. A set of 32 success variables was synthesized and inductively categorized under four emerging themes of (1) establishing PM infrastructure, (2) promoting PM practices, (3) PMO structuring, and (4) organizational support. This set of variables refers to three kinds of functional, structural, and contextual variables characterizing potential features of successful construction PMOs. These variables were compared between the construction industry and other industries to reflect contextual contrasts and similarities. A research agenda was proposed to encourage empirical studies on examining success variables. This study contributes to an improved understanding of PMO success variables in the construction industry and directs future research towards the most important topics.

Reinstitutionalization of Project Management Offices by Large-Scale Agile Frameworks

This article contributes to the understanding of project management offices (PMOs) from the current momentum towards large-scale agile frameworks (LSAFs) as the dominating approach to organizing development projects. LSAFs embrace many typical PMO responsibilities; however, this study highlights that PMOs receive new and tentatively critical responsibilities when moving from a stakeholder position (ISO 21500) to (re-)institutionalizing as a core element in the project governance of enterprises. Essential PMO roles can be top-management alignment and reporting, cross-project coordination, funding and staffing, controlling, and external management of “political” and organizational matters. The research limitations relate to the use of Denmark as the key setting and the targeting of mostly larger companies and larger projects.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER ACROSS DIFFERENT BOUNDARIES IN A PROJECT ENVIRONMENT: A CASE STUDY OF A BOTSWANA MINING ORGANISATION

Effective knowledge transfer is essential in obtaining a competitive advantage. In a project environment, knowledge transfer occurs across different boundaries and involves different stakeholders — a topic much neglected in the literature. This paper explores the processes at play when knowledge is transferred across different boundaries, and then focuses on the role played by the document management system in a project management office. Results from focus group workshops and interviews indicate that the project management office plays a vital role in ensuring effective knowledge transfer, and that the roles differ at different boundaries. In the mining case study, the document management system plays a key role in knowledge transfer.

Alignment strategic in project-based businesses: a review of the literature

Objective: This literature review sought to understand the theoretical-empirical connections of strategic alignment in project-based businessesMethodology: We carried out a systematic review with searches in scientific databases (Web of Science and Scopus) and application of technical snowballing with the intention of finding the most relevant works on the topic. The strings adopted were based on the keywords: project-based businesses and strategy. Filters related to the research area, the document types and the language were applied. The selected articles were analyzed following the steps: removal of duplicates, reading of titles, abstracts and quality assessment. After these steps, 20 papers were analyzed in a descriptive and exploratory way using VOSviewer, Biblioshiny and MS Excel software.Originality: The paper filled a gap concerning strategic alignment in the context of project-based business, which is an emerging concept that is little debated in the literature.Main results: The results showed a mutual influence between strategy alignment and project management. It was found that the first helps organizations to focus on correct projects, while project management helps achieves their strategic objectives. Four research focuses related to the strategic alignment in the PBB were also published in the literature: project management and organizational strategy; interaction between actors in the formation of strategies; program, portfolio and governance management; project management office and organizational design.Contributions: The contribution consists of presenting a set of propositions that systematize the findings of the papers and elucidate ways for the formation of a research agenda.

The contribution of project management offices to addressing complexities in principal construction contracting

PurposeThe purpose of this study is twofold: first, to identify major project management (PM) complexities in principal construction contracting; and second, to study the contribution of project management offices (PMOs) to addressing such complexities.Design/methodology/approachA two-stage research design was adopted through a structured literature review (SLR) and a qualitative survey study.FindingsThe two-stage study resulted in mapping out the contribution of 10 functional areas to 15 complexity factors that were retrieved from the literature and categorized using the TOE (technical, organizational and environmental) framework. Six outcomes including (1) facilitated processes, (2) improved decisions, (3) improved coordination, (4) enhanced alignment, (5) addressed uncertainties and (6) integrated oversight were identified that describe how PMOs can contribute to tackling complexities.Research limitations/implicationsSimilar to other qualitative studies, this study has some limitations in terms of the replicability of results. Regarding the exploratory nature of this study to explain the contribution of PMO to complexity, further quantitative surveys can be conducted using a larger sample to statistically examine the significance of proposed relations between capabilities and complexity factors.Practical implicationsThis study provides an understanding of the contribution of PMOs to tackling ever-increasing complexities embedded in construction contracting. The authors suggest requirements to be considered by professionals toward overcoming such complexities.Originality/valueAlthough prior studies have separately investigated PMO functions and PM complexities, this study explores the link between these two spheres to discuss one important application of PMO in this context.

Development and research of a model for optimizing the composition of a project-oriented forwarding company’ suppliers

The object of this research is the composition of the suppliers of a project-oriented transport and forwarding company. The work is aimed at determining the composition of the suppliers of a project-oriented transport and forwarding company, the purpose of which is to obtain a synergistic effect, which manifests itself in reducing the costs of performing individual operations of the transport process while meeting local requirements for each project. This study proposes an optimization model that allows to determine the composition of suppliers of a project-oriented organization in order to obtain the maximum systemic effect – a synergistic effect. The proposed approach is based on the creation of a virtual project management office, the work of which is based on the corresponding information system. The proposed model is a flexible tool that allows to quickly form the composition of suppliers of a project-oriented company. The model is developed for the service sector and, in particular, for the transport industry, where suppliers are not responsible for material objects, resources, but for services, the set of which forms the essence of the project. Thus, the product of the project and its parameters in such a situation are directly formed due to the specifics of suppliers and the parameters of their services. For the transport industry, this approach has not been used before and can serve as a theoretical basis for building a project-oriented management system in the transport sector. The synergistic effect taken as a basis in this model provides the greatest difference between the «declared» delivery costs and the «actual» ones, which are formed taking into account the amount of work for all projects. Since the freight forwarding company is the «holder» of the portfolio of all deliveries/projects, a certain part of the synergy effect can be used to reduce delivery costs for customers in order to increase competitiveness and attractiveness. Experimental studies have substantiated the reliability of the results of the developed model and confirmed its practical applicability. This model is quite universal and can be supplemented with restrictions that take into account the specifics of a project-oriented organization, its projects and requirements for suppliers.

Achieving Sustainable Procurement in Construction Projects: The Pivotal Role of a Project Management Office

Environmental and ecological impacts associated with construction activities have become an ever-increasing concern, especially the considerable amount of waste generated on construction sites. Regulations and growing client pressure on meeting environmental standards have led contractors to adopt sustainable practices and try to embed this concept in their processes. Sustainable procurement management (SPM) as a potential solution takes the environmental consequences of procurement decisions into account and integrates sustainable practices into project procurement to bring positive environmental outcomes. Previous research has mainly focused on the public sector in achieving green procurement, yet this study attempts to highlight internal capacities that help private organisations manage the requirements associated with practicing sustainability. It is theorised that robust management structures, specifically project management offices (PMOs), would enhance the oversight capabilities of contractors in implementing the SPM process. The objectives of the current study are to (1) identify the requirements of a sustainable project procurement process in construction sites based on a literature review, and (2) explore the facilitative role of PMO units in achieving these requirements in the private sector. A literature review was conducted followed by a qualitative survey to solicit the viewpoints of construction professionals in principle contracting firms. As a result of the study, we identified 17 sustainability requirements and found that PMOs boost collaboration and improve the quality of decision making towards sustainable procurement. The findings (1) explain how PMOs support sustainability, (2) provide insights on implementing sustainable practices in project purchases, and (3) improve theoretical understanding of the SPM principles.

A Novel Application of Head Tracking Data in the Analysis and Assessment of Operational Cervical Spine Range of Motion for Army Aviators.

Neck pain among rotary-wing aviators has been established as an important issue in the military community, yet no U.S. Army regulation defines exactly what cervical spine range of motion (CROM) is adequate for flight. This lack of regulation leaves flight surgeons to subjectively determine whether an aviator affected by limited CROM is fit to maintain flight status. The U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory is conducting a study among AH-64 and UH-60 pilots to define CROM requirements in simulated and actual flight using optical head tracking equipment. Presented here is a preliminary analysis of head position data from a pilot and co-pilot in two AH-64 missions. Maintenance data recorder (MDR) files from two AH-64 missions were provided by the Apache Attack Helicopter Project Management Office. Data were filtered down to three-dimensional pilot and co-pilot head position data and each data point was analyzed to determine neck posture. These neck postures were then categorized as neutral, mild, and severe for flexion/extension, lateral bending, and twist rotation postural categories. Twist rotation postures reached 90 degrees, particularly early in the flight; additionally, a few instances of 90-degree lateral bends were observed. Co-pilots spent more time than pilots in mild and severe twist rotation posture for both flights. Co-pilots also spend a high percentage of time in mild flexion and twist rotation. This investigation provides a proof of concept for analysis of head tracking data from MDR files as a surrogate measure of neck posture in order to estimate CROM requirements in rotary-wing military flight missions. Future studies will analyze differences in day and night flights, pilot versus co-pilot CROM, and neck movement frequency.

The differential practices of project management offices for supporting new product development in high-tech companies

The article, through presenting a company's project management office (PMO), argues about practices a PMO must establish for supporting new product development (NPD) in high-technology companies. A holistic case-study was performed where data gathered comes from interviews, direct and participant observation, and document analysis. The practices identified differ from the current literature about the PMO functions. The whole set of functions performed by the described PMO responds to specific processes an NPD project asks for. It begins monitoring, analysing, and systematising product requirements to develop project schedules. During project execution, it supports configuration management through engineering change management. When prototyping, it carries on provisions of the necessary materials and subcontracted processes for assembling and testing. These PMO functions are compared to the current PMO literature. It is suggested that the functions undertaken by the PMO can enhance the theoretical options for structuring PMOs in NPD-based companies avoiding mimicry dysfunctions.

The differential practices of project management offices for supporting new product development in high-tech companies

The article, through presenting a company's project management office (PMO), argues about practices a PMO must establish for supporting new product development (NPD) in high-technology companies. A holistic case-study was performed where data gathered comes from interviews, direct and participant observation, and document analysis. The practices identified differ from the current literature about the PMO functions. The whole set of functions performed by the described PMO responds to specific processes an NPD project asks for. It begins monitoring, analysing, and systematising product requirements to develop project schedules. During project execution, it supports configuration management through engineering change management. When prototyping, it carries on provisions of the necessary materials and subcontracted processes for assembling and testing. These PMO functions are compared to the current PMO literature. It is suggested that the functions undertaken by the PMO can enhance the theoretical options for structuring PMOs in NPD-based companies avoiding mimicry dysfunctions.

A framework for conceptualising the organisational communications of a project management office

The project management office (PMO) plays a key role in linking the strategic and operational levels of a project-based enterprise. Fulfilling this mission requires effective collaboration with stakeholders since PMOs can no longer operate in organisational silos. This research aims to tackle the knowledge gap regarding the conceptualisation of the content of PMO communications in project-based organisations. A critical literature review and qualitative synthesis were conducted to draw conclusions concerning the existing theoretical discussions on the topic. The results are presented in the form of a framework explaining 11 categories of stakeholders and respective potential communications with them in four directions: horizontal, vertical upward, vertical downward and external. This study extends the literature by introducing a new theoretical framework of PMO communications and providing an insight into the main constituents required for maintaining effective relationships with stakeholders in practice.

The role of the Project Management Office in Sustainable Project Management

Abstract The transition towards more sustainable business practices requires the changing of products, services, processes, policies and resources of organizations. Acknowledging the role projects play in these change, the concepts of sustainability should be integrated in the way projects are planned, organized, executed, managed and governed. This sustainability perspective evolved into the concept of Sustainable Project Management, which is considered one of the most important global project management trends today. Within organizations, the project management office plays a leading role in the standards, methods and practices of project management. However, the role of the PMO in sustainable project management is still unexplored. This paper explores how sustainable project management impacts the responsibilities and tasks of a PMO. Based on an analysis of relevant literature, a list of responsibilities and tasks of a project management office is developed. The study shows that a PMO can play an key-enabling role in the sustainability of projects and project management and thereby in the transition of organizations towards more sustainable business practices.

Projectification in the South African mining industry

SYNOPSIS Projects or project-orientated approaches have become a common form of work in nearly all sectors of economies. This has led to concepts such as 'projectified' and 'project orientated' organizations. By defining projectification of a company, industry, or economy as the share of project work in total work, one can reasonably determine the impact that project management, and by default projectification, has had on that company, industry, or economy in terms of staff optimization and allocation. This paper presents the results for such a projectification study of the South African mining industry. This sector has long been a significant contributor to the country's economy from a gross value added (GVA) and employment point of view. Understanding the impact of projectification and the project management way of work on this industry may potentially add significant value to both the mining and project management knowledge areas. We show that although the mining industry is considered by some to operate in archaic ways, the level of projectification has increased over time, and now represents approximately one third of all work conducted. Keywords: rojectification, mining projects, project management, project management office.

A framework for conceptualising the organisational communications of a project management office

A framework for conceptualising the organisational communications of a project management office

ORGANIZATION OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF SHIP REPAIR ENTERPRISE

The aim of the article is to study the features of ship repair production and, accordingly, develop recommendations for the composition of the functions of the project management office, its structure and stages of development. The characteristics of ship repair production, which determine its features and the structure of management of a ship repair enterprise, are systematically presented. The subject of the study is the models and methods of project management, programs and project portfolios of ship repair enterprises. The object of the study is the corporate project management system of a ship repair enterprise. The project-oriented nature of ship repair production, combined with a high degree of uncertainty in the planning and implementation of ship repair projects, identifies the need to use deterministic network models with a probabilistic estimate of the duration of work. To reduce risks in conditions of uncertainty, it is proposed to use Agile technologies, which organically complement the matrix organizational structure of a ship repair enterprise and ensure effective cooperation with the customer and the success of the business as a whole. The creation of a project management office is proposed to be implemented as a development system that includes four stages of maturity. The key functions of the project management office at each stage of development have been formulated. The role of the information model of the vessel in the implementation of the 6D design methodology, which provides monitoring during the operation of the vessel, predicting the degree of wear of the vessel's elements over time, is justified. The MS Project Standard package allows building interfaces with the information model of the vessel to obtain the parameters of the hull structures, characteristics of the mechanisms and equipment of the vessel, as well as recommendations for repair technology. An important function of the project management office is to participate in the strategic management of project portfolios. To implement this function in the enterprise management system, certain prerequisites for the development of portfolio management must be formed: a formalized strategy, metrics for evaluating projects for compliance with the strategy, a certain culture of management decisions. The duration of vessel repair determines the time of decommissioning. This important strategic indicator is the basis for the formulation of BS (balanced scorecard). An important task of the project management office is to implement feedback and provide information on the status of achieving the planned indicators at all levels of enterprise management. The structure of the function and tools of the project management office are determined by the management of the enterprise depending on the number and complexity of the ship repair projects, level of development of the corporate information system of the enterprise, availability of specialists with appropriate qualifications. The project management office will provide effective communication between project management and functional services of the enterprise, which will significantly improve the quality of the enterprise management system as a whole. The organization of the project management office in the management system of the ship repair enterprise will ensure the effective allocation of resources for projects, accounting for available resources of the enterprise, coordination of goals and tasks of individual projects with strategic plans of the enterprise. All this is aimed at reducing costs and increasing the competitiveness of the ship repair enterprise.