Project scheduling is required for good project management, and the schedule represents the project plan under a specific set of assumptions, often that it will avoid new risks or even those that have occurred on previous occasions. The typical Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule assumes that the project team knows how long the scheduled activities will take. Yet, the experienced project manager knows that duration values so precisely stated are actually only estimates based on assumptions that could be wrong. A schedule risk analysis explores the implications for the project's schedule of risk to the activity durations and also identifies the most important schedule risks. This analysis, building on and extending CPM scheduling, will result in a more accurate estimate of completion and provide an early opportunity for planning effective risk mitigation actions. Practical Schedule Risk Analysis contains a complete treatment of schedule risk analysis from basic to advanced concepts. The methods are introduced at the simplest level: * Why is the duration uncertain? * And how do we represent this uncertainty with a probability distribution? These are then progressively elaborated: * How does uncertainty of activities along a path lead to more uncertainty of the path's completion date? * How can a schedule with parallel paths be riskier than each of the paths individually? * How can we represent risks about activities that are not in the schedule at all? Culminating in a discussion of the most powerful and advanced capabilities available in current commercial software. Schedule risk analysis is a process that is industry-independent, and the methods explained in this volume have been used by the author with positive effect in such industries as construction, oil and gas, information systems, environmental restoration and aerospace/defense. The result is a book that is not only highly practical; something that people within all types of projects and in all industries can apply themselves; but that is an extraordinarily complete guide to creating and managing a rigorous project schedule.

Without a governance structure, an organization runs the risk of conflicts and inconsistencies between the various means of achieving organizational goals, the processes and resources, causing costly inefficiencies that impact negatively on both smooth running and bottom line profitability. However, the frequency of projects failing to meet these corporate objectives has focused attention firmly on the process of project governance. In this book, Ralf MA1/4ller provides a well-researched framework to explain the different preferences organizations have in goal setting, along with the best-practices, roles and responsibilities related to governance tasks. This concise text is an important guide for project and programme managers, those managers concerned with corporate governance such as risk managers and internal auditors, project sponsors and project board members, as well as academics researching organizational and project performance. Project Governance is part of the Gower Fundamentals of Project Management Series. Practising professionals and project students will find in the fundamentals a definitive, shorthand guide to each of the main competencies associated with project management; a book that is authoritative, based on current research but immediately relevant and applicable.

All teamwork is grounded on effective communication. Project Communication enables project managers, leaders of project teams and team members to get their ideas heard, facilitate effective teamwork, create a culture of openness and creative thinking--in short, a culture of effective communication within their team. . The book opens with an orientation on what group dynamics and interpersonal communication entail, particularly in terms of management teams. It then guides the reader on a personal journey whereby different theories and concepts in group dynamics, communication and project team management are gradually introduced. Readers are encouraged to use the book to explore and improve their personal communication style, with the aim of sustaining growth and development within project teams and their respective organisations. Project Communication is an ideal companion to professionals, specialists, and project managers who are leading or working in teams within all types of organisations, businesses, NGOs and governmental and transnational institutions. The book should be of interest to all those who want to use psychological knowledge to improve their teams. It is also a practical guide that can be used as a training course in interpersonal communication in general, with a special focus on project teams.

Projects are inherently risky, since they involve some level of uncertainty, doing something new in the target environment, but the percentage of projects seen as a success is still disappointingly low, especially for IT projects. The 'Iron Triangle' of time/cost/quality suggests that all three aspects are equal, but with quantitative methods for monitoring project performance, the focus is primarily on managing cost and time. This book seeks to redress the balance, explaining the rationale and benefits of focusing more on quality (fitness for purpose and conformance to requirements) before detailing a range of tools and techniques to support rebalancing the management of projects, programmes and portfolios. It shows how managing project quality actively can reduce costs through minimising wastage, and reduce delays through avoiding rework, leading to improved project success rates and customer satisfaction.

Many companies and organizations are faced with a portfolio of projects that need to be managed effectively and successfully. This new book by leading practitioners introduces a framework and range of tools to enable the project portfolio to be strategically managed.

Martin Wiener develops a model that comprises 29 critical success factors which are classified into four distinct groups: internal suitability, internal management, external suitability, and external management factors. He shows that the external management factors are particularly relevant for the successful implementation of an offshore software development project and that the perception of the individual critical success factors greatly depends on the company perspective.

Ziel dieses Handbuchs ist die Vermittlung von nutzbringenden Kenntnissen, Fahigkeiten und Verhaltensweisen, die ein in der Produktentwicklung/Projektleitung verantwortlich tatiger Ingenieur vielfach braucht, die aber in der ublichen Ingenieurausbildung zu wenig Beachtung finden. Sie greifen uber das Fachwissen hinaus in den menschlichen Bereich hinein, weil technischen und/oder organisatorischen Schwierigkeiten faktisch immer menschliche Probleme zugrunde liegen.

Are you still searching for the workplace that deserves someone like you? Do you really have a good understanding about what is going on out there, in the business world? In this book, we will discuss the importance of agility and how it affects the solutions that are being delivered by an organization. We will also talk about how a blend of strategic innovation, visionary leadership, and organizational agility go hand in hand to ensure the success of an organization. Enterprise agility is not a far-fetched possibility. Once the problems of the organization are identified, with the right tools and effort, the agility, efficiency, and effectiveness of an organization, as well as the processes that the success of the organization are based on, can all be maximized. This book will broaden your thinking and will help you expand your horizons.

All businesses strive for excellence in today's technology-based environment in which customers want solutions at the touch of a button. This highly regarded textbook provides in-depth coverage of the principles of operations and supply chain management and explains how to design, implement, and maintain processes for sustainable competitive advantage. This text offers a unique combination of theory and practice with a strategic, results-driven approach. Now in its fourth edition, Operations Management for Business Excellence has been updated to reflect major advances and future trends in supply chain management. A new chapter on advanced supply chain concepts covers novel logistics technology, information systems, customer proximity, sustainability, and the use of multiple sales channels. As a platform for discussion, the exploration of future trends includes self-driving vehicles, automation and robotics, and omnichannel retailing. Features include: A host of international case studies and examples to demonstrate how theory translates to practice, including Airbus, Hewlett Packard, Puma, and Toyota. A consistent structure to aid learning and retention: Each chapter begins with a detailed set of learning objectives and finishes with a chapter summary, a set of discussion questions and a list of key terms. Fully comprehensive with an emphasis on the practical, this textbook should be core reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of operations management and supply chain management. It would also appeal to executives who desire an understanding of how to achieve and maintain 'excellence' in business. Online resources include lecture slides, a glossary, test questions, downloadable figures, and a bonus chapter on project management.

The practical approach that Colin Dobie prescribes is as applicable to the experienced project manager as it is anyone entering the field.'Ernest J. Nielsen, Brigham Young University, USA A no-nonsense approach to project management. Essential reading for all project managers and project team members.'Peter Dechaineux, Inaugural Chairman, Australian Institute of Project Management, Australia Excellent coverage of all the material required in easy to follow steps. It places activities in logical context. Essential reading for China's many project managers.' Professor Yuan, Chairman, Asia-Pacific Federation of Project Management.' Colin Dobie has very comprehensively detailed out the intricacies needed to manage projects. Well done.'Adesh Jain, President, PM Guru Inc. and President, IPMAWhether you are creating a new product or building a power station, you need to know how to manage the myriad elements in a project to ensure it is completed on time, on budget and to a high standard. A Handbook of Project Management is a practical and comprehensive guide for project managers working on small and large projects in any field.Colin Dobie systematically maps the four phases in the project lifecycle: initiation, planning, implementation and finalisation. He outlines the processes and techniques of the nine functions of project management, and how they are applied during the project lifecycle. He also explains what a project manager is expected to deliver, and the roles of team leaders and team members. Drawing on international standards and bodies of knowledge, as well as Colin Dobie's extensive industry and training experience in several countries, A Handbook of Project Management is an indispensable guide for anyone who wants to develop their skills in project management. It is extensively illustrated with examples, templates, exercises and checklists, making it valuable resource for experienced project managers.

Communicating Project Management argues that the communication practices of project managers have necessarily become participatory, made up of complex strategies and processes solidly grounded in rhetorical concepts. The book draws on case studies across organizational contexts and combines individual experiences to investigate how project management relies on communication as teams develop products, services, and internal processes. The case studies also provide examples of how project managers can be understood and studied as writers, further arguing project managers must approach communication as designed experience that must be intentionally inclusive. Author Benjamin Lauren illustrates to readers how teams work together to manage projects through complex coordinative communication practices, and highlights how project managers are constantly learning and evolving by analyzing where they succeed and fail. He concludes that technical and professional communicators have a pivotal role in supporting and facilitating participative approaches to communicating project management.

Put simply, this is probably the first book in 40 years to comprehensively discuss conveyors, a topic that seems mundane until the need arises to move material from point A to point B without manual intervention. Conveyors: Application, Selection, and Integration gives industrial designers, engineers, and operations managers key information they must consider to determine which type of conveyor to purchase and how to optimally integrate it into their system to meet their transport needs. Tapping into his more than 20 years of experience in the materials handling industry, the author discusses requirements for specific products or materials and environmental factors, covering operation in extreme temperatures. Each chapter details a specific type of conveyor-including chain, belt, and gravity varieties-and highlights its primary features, such as load capacity and rate, and operation. The text also addresses costs and objectives of material handling, exploring rate calculations, controls systems, and other relevant aspects. It includes photographs of actual installations and a glossary of key terms. Learn from the Experience of a Conveyor Expert Unless you have conveyor experience, you'll need help deciding on the best mode of transportation for your product. This volume stands apart as an aid in this decision process because it does not take a myopic view of one specific type of conveyor. Rather than solely covering bulk material handling or screw conveyors, it analyzes all of the major varieties of conveyors. This book is not meant to be an engineering manual for designing conveyors, but rather a broader guide to integrating conveyors in a transportation system.

Professional services firms play a vital role in the social, environmental and economic well-being of any economy. This book considers the key skills and elements required to successfully lead and manage a professional services firm operating in the infrastructure sector. Public- and private-sector clients recognise the role that infrastructure plays in the functionality of our cities and that most urban conurbations have a backlog of infrastructure to deliver to meet the needs of increasing populations, greater urbanisation and emerging economies. Just keeping pace with projected global GDP growth will require an enormous investment in infrastructure and skilful leadership to deliver it. In response to this challenge, professional services firms will need to be well-led and well-managed to be successful and sustainable in the long-term. Such organisations must provide high-value advice, design, knowledge and innovations to get more out of the existing assets and to plan and design new assets with greater integrity and construct them more productively, efficiently and effectively. This book provides practical frameworks for emerging operational managers and future project leaders to prepare them to successfully manage these firms and deliver such projects in the face of new and often disruptive technologies and shifting corporate landscapes. The book is essential reading for aspiring leaders operating in all infrastructure market sectors including energy, water, sewerage, road, rail, ports, airports, education, health, justice, retail, entertainment, property and development sectors.

Crisis Leadership examines the challenges faced by leaders at each stage of the crisis 'lifecycle', and offers a unique insight into the lessons learned by people in the most challenging of situations. Anyone in a leadership position is only too aware that we live in uncertain times: disaster can strike any business, at any time, and usually without warning. Public institutions, too, face a range of threats - from global recession, resurgent terrorism and a stream of appalling natural disasters. For leaders in such organisations, these crisis situations can present both opportunities and threats. How they lead through such challenging times will propel their careers to new heights - or destroy them completely. Crisis Leadership examines the challenges faced by leaders at each stage of the crisis 'lifecycle', from the instant they learn of the crisis, through to moments of critical decision-making and the final tumultuous days. Tim Johnson offers a unique insight into the lessons learned by people in the most challenging of situations. Blended with operational guidance from the author's extensive experience in crisis management, Crisis Leadership provides an overview of the crisis 'lifecycle', to ensure that readers will come away from this book with a deeper appreciation of the critical nature of each key stage and the leadership challenges they bring - from the first signs of an emerging crisis to dealing with the long-term consequences they can create.

"I am happy to recommend this work. I believe in the principles presented in it and identify with its context. Due to the lack of knowledge on the subject in the market, it is a topic that must be made known. The book should be in the library of all project and change managers."- Paul Dinsmore, PMI Fellow "Every manager should integrate HCMBOK (R) practices into their project management methodology in order to fully develop their work. This book addresses a simple and practical way that the critical component in organizational change management can be applied to projects of all kinds: the human factor."- Bruno Machado, Director, Project Management Office, Grupo Anima Educacao "We live in a time of change, speed, and an avalanche of information. It is still very difficult for most companies to change their organizational culture efficiently. This book makes us reflect upon the crucial element in any change, and which most managers do not place in the foreground-the people." - Joyce Meyer, CEO, iDigo "In today's constantly changing world, the Project Manager must have sensitivity to how people react to change. Knowing a method that provides a structured way to take care of the human aspect is a key factor in the success of any project! HCMBOK (R) offers a simple and practical approach to managing change, which can be easily incorporated into the project management routine, providing amazing results."- Pedro Augusto Cardoso da Silva, Engineering Director, METRORIO This reference starts by presenting the concept of change management, its players, strategies, and applicable models. In the second part, the book covers the set of good practices, methodology, and tools known as the HCMBOK (R)- Human Change Management Body of Knowledge. The third part introduces the concept of the Change Management Office (CMO) and its relation to the strategic planning of an organization. The book concludes with the competencies essential for a change manager, an approach to agile methodologies, and a model for managing cultural change.

A proliferation of new technologies has lulled many into thinking that we actually have to think less about how we communicate. In fact, communicating and collaborating across time, distance, and cultures has never been more complex or difficult. Written as a series of bulleted tips drawn from client experiences and best practices, Leading Effective Virtual Teams: Overcoming Time and Distance to Achieve Exceptional Results presents practical tips to help leaders engage and motivate their geographically dispersed project team members. If you're a leader of any type of virtual team and want to help your team members collaborate more effectively, then buy this book. You will learn how to: Build trust and cultivate relationships, virtually, across your team Design and facilitate virtual meetings that are focused and engaging Influence without authority Motivate and galvanize a virtual team for top performance Blend asynchronous and synchronous communications for better virtual collaboration Navigate cross-cultural and generational differences in the absence of vital visual cues Assess skills, strengths, aptitudes, and preferences from afar Handle other tough issues that can trip up virtual teams The ideas in this book are based on Nancy Settle-Murphy's decades of experience working as a change management consultant, facilitator, and trainer for project teams around the world. Designed to be read section by section in any order, this book shares approaches and techniques to help you address some of the toughest challenges virtual team leaders face, including keeping team members engaged from afar.

Many large scale projects are delivered over schedule and over budget. Programme management is a new approach to maximize the likelihood of successful change management. While being based around a set of techniques, this book describes an approach to programme management that outlines the skills and capabilities that organizations need to develop in order to manage change programmes effectively. It is the first book to take this holistic view of programme management linked to the capabilities and strategy of the organization. This updated paperback edition includes a new chapter on programme governance.

Aufgrund des heute verbreiteten teamorientierten Arbeitens wird der Ingenieur in Entwicklung und Konstruktion mehr und mehr in den Planungs-, Beschaffungs- und Produktionsprozess involviert. Zur BewAltigung dieser Aufgaben braucht er neue Methoden der EntscheidungsunterstA1/4tzung und der Informationsbeschaffung, da die herkAmmlichen AnsAtze des Produktdatenmanagements nicht ausreichend sind. Neue Strategien fA1/4r das Product Lifecycle Management enthalten zusAtzliche FunktionsumfAnge zur UnterstA1/4tzung der unternehmensinternen und -externen Zusammenarbeit von Entwicklungspartnern, des Supply Chain Prozesses, des Product Portfolio Management und des Customer Needs Management. Das Buch unterstA1/4tzt die Planung, Entscheidungsfindung und EinfA1/4hrung geeigneter LAsungskonzepte.

Project Scheduling is concerned with the allocation of scarce resources over time. The rich optimisation models with time windows that are treated in this book cover a multitude of practical decision problems arising in diverse application areas such as construction engineering or make-to-order production planning.
The book shows how Constraint Propagation techniques from Artificial Intelligence can be successfully combined with Operations Research methods for developing powerful exact and heuristic solution algorithms for a very general class of scheduling problems. Example applications demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.

What is it about Napoleon Bonaparte that has led recognized leaders such as General George S. Patton to study his principles and inspired countless books on management and leadership to quote his maxims? Napoleon on Project Management explores the key principles behind this great historic leader's successes to provide project managers the recipe for managing commitments and propelling their teams to victory. You'll learn how to: leverage timeless wisdom to improve your project performance; prepare your team for battle through superior communication skills; apply Napoleon-level research, record-keeping, and organization methods to each of your projects; and gain an upper hand by understanding and leveraging the complex and essential dynamic between project management and strategic leadership. Who says history shouldn't repeat itself? By exploring the leadership strategies that stand the test of time and learning how to avoid the triggers that ultimately lead to Napoleon's downfall, you'll learn how to strengthen and reinvigorate your modern-day project management practices, conquer every challenge, and help your organization grow and thrive.

Project management for oil and gas projects comes with a unique set of challenges that include the management of science, technology, and engineering aspects. Underlining the specific issues involved in projects in this field, Project Management for the Oil and Gas Industry: A World System Approach presents step-by-step application of project management techniques. Using the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK (R)) framework from the Project Management Institute (PMI) as the platform, the book provides an integrated approach that covers the concepts, tools, and techniques for managing oil and gas projects. The authors discuss specialized tools such as plan, do, check, act (PDCA); define, measure, analyze, improve, control (DMAIC); suppliers, inputs, process, outputs, customers (SIPOC); design, evaluate, justify, integrate (DEJI); quality function deployment (QFD); affinity diagrams; flowcharts; Pareto charts; and histograms. They also discuss the major activities in oil and gas risk assessment, such as feasibility studies, design, transportation, utility, survey works, construction, permanent structure works, mechanical and electrical installations, and maintenance. Strongly advocating a world systems approach to managing oil and gas projects and programs, the book covers quantitative and qualitative techniques. It addresses technical and managerial aspects of projects and illustrates the concepts with case examples of applications of project management tools and techniques to real-life project scenarios that can serve as lessons learned for best practices. An in-depth examination of project management for oil and gas projects, the book is a handbook for professionals in the field, a guidebook for technical consultants, and a resource for students.

Hone Your Agile Leadership Skills to Help Your Organization Transform and Thrive To leverage the immense opportunities associated with accelerating change, organizations need teams capable of trying new ideas quickly, learning from their experiences, and adapting based on that learning. Helping these teams to grow and thrive requires agile leaders who support, inspire, and encourage, and who can leave behind the management skills of directing, monitoring, and rewarding or punishing. The Professional Agile Leader is a realistic, practical guide, written by experienced agile leaders who share their collective experiences in helping agile leaders to grow responsive and adaptive teams. They structure powerful lessons around a case study based on decades of experience helping agile leaders achieve and sustain agile transformation. Best of all, they never settle for high-level hand-waving--they show you how it's really done. Reignite once-successful organizations that have lost their way Form cross-functional teams and empower them with purpose Learn to let go, as your teams start taking more responsibility Overcome forces that want to reel you back into the "old rules" Realign the whole organization, since agile and traditional models can't coexist forever Achieve the most challenging goal of all: changing culture Great agile leaders aren't born that way--they're regular people who care deeply about helping others achieve shared goals and have discovered a better way to lead. Whatever your role in the organization, this guide will help you master those skills and mindsets a whole lot faster. "Drawing on vast experience, Ron, Kurt, and Laurens tease out practical tips and patterns for good leadership [and show] how a leader can help shape the environment for agile teams to succeed. . . . The narrative style of the book makes it easy to read, and I am sure there will be many times that you see yourself in it." --From the Foreword by Dave West, CEO and Product Owner, Scrum.org Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.

More than a buzzword, agile is a powerful business tool for all. To the uninitiated, agile is a software development and project management process involving white boards, colored Post-it Notes, and stand-up meetings. It may seem as though agile doesn't and won't ever apply to you. But agile is here to stay, and its benefits can be realized beyond IT and project management into other areas of your business. If you're a leader, it's worth exploring how your group can benefit from the higher productivity and morale agile brings. Agile: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review brings you today's most essential thinking on agile, from exploring the conditions under which agile is most effective and easiest to implement to reducing new-product development risk to bringing the most valuable products and features to market faster and more predictably. The lessons in this book will help you introduce agile into a broader range of activities and accelerate profitable growth for your company. Business is changing. Will you adapt or be left behind? Get up to speed and deepen your understanding of the topics that are shaping your company's future with the Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review series. Featuring HBR's smartest thinking on fast-moving issues--blockchain, cybersecurity, AI, and more--each book provides the foundational introduction and practical case studies your organization needs to compete today and collects the best research, interviews, and analysis to get it ready for tomorrow. You can't afford to ignore how these issues will transform the landscape of business and society. The Insights You Need series will help you grasp these critical ideas--and prepare you and your company for the future.

Compiling practical recommendations gleaned from more than 20 years of professional experience, Target Costing: Market Driven Product Design provides numerous examples from field authorities that illustrate valuable concepts and approaches employed in the application of target costing to large-scale manufacturing operations. The authors discuss setting the target product level and subsystem level, maintaining competitive costs, applying the principles of target costing in practice, and quantifying customers' needs.