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Books > Business & Economics > Business & management > Management & management techniques > Project management
This book provides practical guidance for corporate decision makers, project managers, project engineers, and for those wishing to grasp the key issues that define project success. The book represents a distillation of years of practical experience and offers a clear and concise 'blueprint' for how to approach projects and their management. This book is designed to be 'clean and simple' in its delivery - allowing the reader to immediately have 'take aways' that could be implemented within a project, adding value to any approach dealing with the key common problems and issues that arise within the project medium. The book can be applied to a wide range of scenarios in which project management is required - from setting up an organisation, creating distribution networks, bringing new technology to market, and to designing a leadership and training architecture within an organisation. The book, in addition to being a go-to reference book on project management for professional project managers and business leaders, is also ideal for postgraduate and undergraduate students studying project management. It is written to be user friendly, yet provides a wealth of information and tips that will enhance the readers knowledge and understanding of managing projects.
IT projects emerge from a business need. In practice, software developers must accomplish two big things before an IT project can begin: find out what you need to do (i.e., analyse business requirements) and plan out how to do it (i.e., project management). The biggest problem in IT projects is delivering the wrong product because IT people do not understand what business people require. This practical textbook teaches computer science students how to manage and deliver IT projects by linking business and IT requirements with project management in an incremental and straightforward approach. Business Analysis, Requirements, and Project Management: A Guide for Computing Students presents an approach to analysis management that scales the business perspective. It takes a business process view of a business proposal as a model and explains how to structure a technical problem into a recognisable pattern with problem frames. It shows how to identify core transactions and model them as use cases to create a requirements table useful to designers and coders. Linked to the analysis are three management tools: the product breakdown structure (PBS), the Gantt chart, and the Kanban board. The PBS is derived in part from the problem frame. The Gantt chart emerges from the PBS and ensures the key requirements are addressed by reference to use cases. The Kanban board is especially useful in Task Driven Development, which the text covers. This textbook consists of two interleaving parts and features a single case study. Part one addresses the business and requirements perspective. The second integrates core project management approaches and explains how both requirements and management are connected. The remainder of the book is appendices, the first of which provides solutions to the exercises presented in each chapter. The second appendix puts together much of the documentation for the case study into one place. The case study presents a real-word business scenario to expose students to professional practice.
This book examines the management of three projects from the nineteenth century which led to substantial business transformation: the Stockton to Darlington Railway, the US Transcontinental Railroad and the Manchester Ship Canal. The lessons learned are of great relevance to contemporary project management, particularly those concerned with disruptive technology. The book addresses a wide range of project management topics associated with transformation. These include value management, sponsorship, governance, partnerships, opportunity management, project culture and morale, project complexity, uncertainty, prototyping and piloting, agility, innovation, risk and knowledge management.
Teams working in a crisis are operating in a high turbulence environment. Blue Shark Teams thrive in a crisis. They swim through turbulence and glide to project success. This book reveals the concepts and practical insight on how to create and lead Blue Shark Teams. The Blue Shark Model of Leading High-Performance Teams is based on Daniel Goleman's emotional intelligence model and Bruce Tuckman's team-building model (forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning). This book shows how to apply these models to large companies, small-to-medium size businesses, and projects during a crisis. It explains how managers can develop their leadership style and lead high-performance teams. A real-life case study, which was a success story during the COVID-19 pandemic, is discussed to elaborate the team-building and emotional intelligence models. The lessons learned from this case study can be applied to any crisis in any industry across the spectrum, including healthcare, IT, telecom, construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, airlines, financial services, retail, public sector, and consulting. The book arms executives and managers with the concepts and techniques to lead and manage projects, teams, and companies during turbulent and volatile times. If you are a CEO, CIO, CTO, or CXO of a Fortune 500 company, a mid-to-small size Business Owner, a Project Manager, or a Senior Executive facing a crisis, then this book is for you. It describes real-life case studies and projects that shows how the theoretical frameworks and models developed by leading researchers can be applied successfully to companies and projects, especially during a crisis and pandemic such as COVID-19.
Teams working in a crisis are operating in a high turbulence environment. Blue Shark Teams thrive in a crisis. They swim through turbulence and glide to project success. This book reveals the concepts and practical insight on how to create and lead Blue Shark Teams. The Blue Shark Model of Leading High-Performance Teams is based on Daniel Goleman's emotional intelligence model and Bruce Tuckman's team-building model (forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning). This book shows how to apply these models to large companies, small-to-medium size businesses, and projects during a crisis. It explains how managers can develop their leadership style and lead high-performance teams. A real-life case study, which was a success story during the COVID-19 pandemic, is discussed to elaborate the team-building and emotional intelligence models. The lessons learned from this case study can be applied to any crisis in any industry across the spectrum, including healthcare, IT, telecom, construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, airlines, financial services, retail, public sector, and consulting. The book arms executives and managers with the concepts and techniques to lead and manage projects, teams, and companies during turbulent and volatile times. If you are a CEO, CIO, CTO, or CXO of a Fortune 500 company, a mid-to-small size Business Owner, a Project Manager, or a Senior Executive facing a crisis, then this book is for you. It describes real-life case studies and projects that shows how the theoretical frameworks and models developed by leading researchers can be applied successfully to companies and projects, especially during a crisis and pandemic such as COVID-19.
Large infrastructure projects generally involve multiple stakeholders such as government parties, local communities, and private organizations. New projects can create tensions between different stakeholder groups because different groups naturally have different interests and opinions. This book offers a view of how stakeholders are able to influence the project management's decision-making process as the project proceeds from the investment preparation phase, to the project execution phase, and on to the operations phase through various methods such as protests, legal battles, and even illegal activities. This book provides multiple case studies in aviation industry reflecting how large projects create dynamic contexts for stakeholder management and stakeholder behaviour as the project moves through different phases of its lifecycle.
Innovation has a pivotal role for companies in attaining business survival but making an organization innovative is not straightforward. By determining contextual factors, managers can help decide how to employ a portfolio of innovation management processes. This book explores how contingency influence the management of innovation. Taking the perspective of innovation managers, the authors focus on the decision-making process to demonstrate that different approaches are required depending on the business context. In breaking the process into three levels (culture, industry and company), the book helps choose an optimal innovative approach. With references to real-world innovation cases and organizations, this book will prove useful reading for students and researchers in the field of innovation studies and management.
Both process planning and scheduling are very important functions of manufacturing, which affect together the cost to manufacture a product and the time to deliver it. This book contains various approaches proposed by researchers to integrate the process planning and scheduling functions of manufacturing under varying configurations of shops. It is useful for both beginners and advanced researchers to understand and formulate the Integration Process Planning and Scheduling (IPPS) problem effectively. Features Covers the basics of both process planning and scheduling Presents nonlinear approaches, closed-loop approaches, as well as distributed approaches Discuss the outfit of IPPS in Industry 4.0 paradigm Includes the benchmarking problems on IPPS Contains nature-algorithms and metaheuristics for performance measurements in IPPS Presents analysis of energy-efficient objective for sustainable manufacturing in IPPS
Project management dates back to the 19th century when Henry Gantt developed techniques for planning and controlling projects, including his widely used Gantt chart. The growth of modern project management later in the century came as a result of the necessity of structured manufacturing, transportation, and construction industries. Currently, software developers in the information technology (IT) industry are concerned with the techniques of project management which make the assumption projects are predictable. In reality, unforeseen changes have occurred in almost all projects to date. The inability to accommodate such changes leads to wasted time, money, and resources. Hence, the project management discipline must continuously offer theories, methods, and approaches that raise the key question: how do people manage the complexities of work in order to achieve the end result effectively and efficiently by applying strategic techniques using information technology as an enabler? This book aims to showcase the nuts and bolts of managing and implementing an IT project from the experiences and views of project managers. The book highlights captivating narratives of different IT projects being implemented in companies across the Middle East. It is ideal for executives, practitioners, and students who want to learn more about how IT project management is implemented in the 21st century.
Underline by the importance of sustainable quality management practices to contemporary organizations, this edited book complies best practice cases of leaders who have initiated and facilitated quality practices in their organizations. The cases highlight how these best practices manifested in their work cultures, values, and beliefs. Not only do they address organizational efforts towards implementation of quality practices, but they also discuss the challenges the leaders faced to instill a sense of quality in practices across the hierarchical structures of their organizations. The book highlights the profiles of quality leaders, their journey and their successes in leading quality in their organizations. A book would be an interesting read for those who are eager to integrate quality in their work culture. A key message emerging from these expertise is that 'passion' is truly behind the quality success!
Through a series of detailed case studies from East Asia, Arup, one of the global leaders in tall building design, presents the latest developments in the field to inspire more innovative and sustainable ideas in tall building design and engineering. This book exhibits the key design aspects of tall buildings in 20 case studies, from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Japan. Chapters cover design and construction, safety concerns, sustainability strategies, BIM and optimisation solutions, and include contributions from the actual project engineers. The projects chosen are not the tallest buildings, but all of them have been selected for their significant engineering insights and values. Arup's engineers explain the design principles, and how they overcame various design constraints and challenges, while exceeding their clients' expectations. Unique examples include: the design and application of a hybrid outrigger system in the Raffles City Chongqing project the challenges encountered in the construction of the CCTV Headquarters, Beijing as well as Tianjin's Goldin Finance 117 Tower, Ho Chi Minh City's Vincom Landmark 81, the China Resources Headquarters, Ping An IFC, Tokyo's Nicolas G Hayek Center and the Shanghai World Financial Centre. These varied and complex cases studies draw on multi-disciplinary design and engineering challenges which make this book essential reading for architects, structural engineers, project managers and researchers of high-rise buildings. The book also provides a usual reference and link between practitioners in the industry, academia and engineering students.
International and global in nature, Dubai - The Epicenter of Modern Innovation: A Guide to Implementing Innovation Strategies provides a roadmap for the successful implementation of innovation for companies and businesses currently working in the Middle East, the UAE, and more specifically, Dubai. The discussion focuses on implementing sustained innovation success within several industry segments, while identifying past, current, and future innovation-related successes that are leading to Dubai's rise as the epicenter of innovation in the Middle East and most notably, the world. The authors share key innovation leadership philosophies from Sheikh Mohammed bin Al Maktoum, recognized business leaders, and the highest levels in the UAE. This book: Features key leadership and innovation insights relative from the highest levels of government, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Al Maktoum and multiple UAE ministry officials. Focuses on the United Arab Emirates (UAE), most specifically, Dubai and the Nation's preparation for hosting World Expo 2020. Contains numerous examples of past, present, and future innovations in Dubai. Provides an easy to implement innovation process management methodology, which has been tested to work in various businesses and organizations. Authored by individuals who have 'on the ground' experience living and working with the chief architects of Dubai's innovation vision and strategy. This book will attempt to take the reader through the construct of this new innovative revolution, particularly in Dubai, and provide a bird's-eye view of how it came about. Most notably, the discussion will walk the reader through key milestones instrumental to Dubai's success-such as the present and past leadership, culture, strategy, and strategic vision. In addition, the discussion will present an industry agnostic, agile and progressive approach to building and leading successful innovation teams through to a successful project out-come and the attributes of good innovation leadership.
Global virtual teams (GVTs) have evolved as a common work structure in multinational corporations due to their efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The cultural differences can produce great benefits in terms of perspective, creativity, and innovation, but can also exacerbate interpersonal tensions, miscommunications, and clashing decision-making behaviors. This book outlines cultural competencies specific to GVTs and sheds light on management strategies for creating an optimal inter-cultural GVT environment. It covers theory, decision making strategies, and activities for cultural competence and problem resolution, all told through vignettes and lessons-learned.
Recent computer-based tools for project planning and management focus on user-friendliness and interconnectivity. However, these programs function on the Critical Path Method, or CPM, which was created in the 1950s. These programs, which involve simplistic models and methods, ignore the fact that the underlying computations on which they function have become woefully inadequate for the complex projects of today. The product of nearly a decade of work, The Dynamic Progress Method: Using Advanced Simulation to Improve Project Planning and Management provides an overview of the research conducted while illustrating some of the issues with current approaches. It presents the Dynamic Progress Method (DPM), an innovative simulation-based approach to project management. It also includes instructions on how to use the accompanying DPM-based simulation tool pmBLOX to plan, manage, and analyze projects. This groundbreaking book is a must-have resource for project planning and management. It introduces a new and better way of planning, estimating, and managing projects that corrects some of the fundamental flaws of the CPM. It brings the computational integrity of planning simulations up to speed with modern needs, making it useful not only to current project managers but also to students who will become project managers.
The highly competitive and globalized software market is creating pressure on software companies. Given the current boundary conditions, it is critical to continuously increase time-to-market and reduce development costs. In parallel, driven by private life experiences with mobile computing devices, the World Wide Web and software-based services, peoples general expectations with regards to software are growing. They expect software that is simple and joyful to use. In the light of the changes that have taken place in recent years, software companies need to fundamentally reconsider the way they develop and deliver software to their customers. This book introduces fundamentals, trends and best practices in the software industry from a threefold perspective which equally takes into account design, management, and development of software. It demonstrates how cross-functional integration can be leveraged by software companies to successfully build software for people. Professionals from business and academia give an overview on state-of-the-art knowledge and report on key insights from their real-life experience. They provide guidance and hands-on recommendation on how to create winning products. This combined perspective fosters the transfer of knowledge between research and practice and offers a high practical value for both sides. The book targets both, practitioners and academics looking for successfully building software in the future. It is directed at Managing Directors of software companies, Software Project Managers, Product Managers and Designers, Software Developers as well as academics and students in the area of Software and Information Systems Engineering, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), and Innovation Management. "
Focusses on all possible aspects of project appraisal and selection Emphasizes differences from public and private projects in terms of financial and economic evaluations Provides step-by-step methods of analysis of multiple issues involved in the initial appraisal of projects Includes sections on "lessons learned and learning from experience" illustrating applications of the process and implications Covers feasibility analysis including both technical aspects, and financial evaluation
Blockchain is the popular name given to the exciting, evolving world of distributed ledger technology (DLT). Blockchains offer equitable and secure access to data, as well as transparency and immutability. Organisations can decide to use blockchain to upgrade whatever ledgers they are currently deploying (for example, relational databases, spreadsheets and cumbersome operating models) for their data and technology stack in terms of books and records, transactions, storage, production services and in many other areas. This book describes the applied use of blockchain technology in the enterprise world. Written by two expert practitioners in the field, the book is in two main parts: (1) an introduction to the history of, and a critical context explainer about, the emergence of blockchain written in natural language and providing a tour of the features, functionality and challenges of blockchain and DLT; and (2) a series of six applied organisational use cases in (i) trade finance, (ii) healthcare, (iii) retail savings & investments, (iv) real estate, (v) central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and (vi) fund management that offer the reader a straightforward, easy-to-read comparison between 'old world' technology (such as platforms, people and processes) versus what blockchain ledgers offer to enterprises and organisations in terms of improved efficiency, performance, security and access to business data. Blockchain is sometimes tainted by association to Bitcoin, Onecoin and others. But as cryptocurrencies and stock markets continue to rise and fall with volatility and the world economy emerges changed by coronavirus, working from home and the threat of inflation, many enterprises, organisations and governments are looking again at the powerful features of blockchain and wondering how DLT may help them adapt. This book is an ideal introduction to the practical and applied nature of blockchain and DLT solutions for business executives, business students, managers, C-suite senior leaders, software architects and policy makers and sets out, clearly and professionally, the benefits and challenges of the actual business applications of blockchain.
Blockchain is the popular name given to the exciting, evolving world of distributed ledger technology (DLT). Blockchains offer equitable and secure access to data, as well as transparency and immutability. Organisations can decide to use blockchain to upgrade whatever ledgers they are currently deploying (for example, relational databases, spreadsheets and cumbersome operating models) for their data and technology stack in terms of books and records, transactions, storage, production services and in many other areas. This book describes the applied use of blockchain technology in the enterprise world. Written by two expert practitioners in the field, the book is in two main parts: (1) an introduction to the history of, and a critical context explainer about, the emergence of blockchain written in natural language and providing a tour of the features, functionality and challenges of blockchain and DLT; and (2) a series of six applied organisational use cases in (i) trade finance, (ii) healthcare, (iii) retail savings & investments, (iv) real estate, (v) central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and (vi) fund management that offer the reader a straightforward, easy-to-read comparison between 'old world' technology (such as platforms, people and processes) versus what blockchain ledgers offer to enterprises and organisations in terms of improved efficiency, performance, security and access to business data. Blockchain is sometimes tainted by association to Bitcoin, Onecoin and others. But as cryptocurrencies and stock markets continue to rise and fall with volatility and the world economy emerges changed by coronavirus, working from home and the threat of inflation, many enterprises, organisations and governments are looking again at the powerful features of blockchain and wondering how DLT may help them adapt. This book is an ideal introduction to the practical and applied nature of blockchain and DLT solutions for business executives, business students, managers, C-suite senior leaders, software architects and policy makers and sets out, clearly and professionally, the benefits and challenges of the actual business applications of blockchain.
Agile is broken. Most Agile transformations struggle. According to an Allied Market Research study, "63% of respondents stated the failure of agile implementation in their organizations." The problems with Agile start at the top of most organizations with executive leadership not getting what agile is or even knowing the difference between success and failure in agile. Agile transformation is a journey, and most of that journey consists of people learning and trying new approaches in their own work. An agile organization can make use of coaches and training to improve their chances of success. But even then, failure remains because many Agile ideas are oversimplifications or interpreted in an extreme way, and many elements essential for success are missing. Coupled with other ideas that have been dogmatically forced on teams, such as "agile team rooms", and "an overall inertia and resistance to change in the Agile community," the Agile movement is ripe for change since its birth twenty years ago. "Agile 2" represents the work of fifteen experienced Agile experts, distilled into Agile 2: The Next Iteration of Agile by seven members of the team. Agile 2 values these pairs of attributes when properly balanced: thoughtfulness and prescription; outcomes and outputs, individuals and teams; business and technical understanding; individual empowerment and good leadership; adaptability and planning. With a new set of Agile principles to take Agile forward over the next 20 years, Agile 2 is applicable beyond software and hardware to all parts of an agile organization including "Agile HR", "Agile Finance", and so on. Like the original "Agile", "Agile 2", is just a set of ideas - powerful ideas. To undertake any endeavor, a single set of ideas is not enough. But a single set of ideas can be a powerful guide.
Using the example of four Taiwanese brand-name multinational companies, this study seeks to unpack the relationship between project team performance measurement systems and new product success/failure. It examines the use of performance measurement results and the resulting impact on team-member behaviour and functional departments.
Project risk management is regarded as a necessary dimension of effective project delivery. Current practices tend to focus on tangible issues such as late delivery of equipment or the implications of technology. This book introduces a framework to identify emergent behavior-centric intangible risks and the conditions that initiate them. Decision Making in Risk Management: Quantifying Intangible Risk Factors in Projects identifies the quantitative measures to assess behavior-induced risks by presenting a framework that limits the interpersonal tension of addressing behavioral risks. Included in the book is an illustrative case study from the oil and gas sector that demonstrates the use of the framework. The missing dimension of behavior-centric intangible risk factors in current risk identification is explored. The book goes on to cover management processes, providing a systematic analytical approach to mitigate subjectivity when addressing behavioral risks in projects. This book is useful to those working in the fields of Project Management, Systems Engineering, Risk Management, and Behavioral Science.
Project risk management is regarded as a necessary dimension of effective project delivery. Current practices tend to focus on tangible issues such as late delivery of equipment or the implications of technology. This book introduces a framework to identify emergent behavior-centric intangible risks and the conditions that initiate them. Decision Making in Risk Management: Quantifying Intangible Risk Factors in Projects identifies the quantitative measures to assess behavior-induced risks by presenting a framework that limits the interpersonal tension of addressing behavioral risks. Included in the book is an illustrative case study from the oil and gas sector that demonstrates the use of the framework. The missing dimension of behavior-centric intangible risk factors in current risk identification is explored. The book goes on to cover management processes, providing a systematic analytical approach to mitigate subjectivity when addressing behavioral risks in projects. This book is useful to those working in the fields of Project Management, Systems Engineering, Risk Management, and Behavioral Science.
The global business environment has never been so complex, making supply chains more fragile than ever. A stable business environment seems like a distant dream in today's global marketplace; instability, not stability, has become the norm. Anti-globalization and nationalization, coupled with populist movements and transnational terrorism, just to name a few targeting global supply chains, now pose significant challenges and risks when doing business across the globe. To address such issues, Political Risk Management for the Global Supply Chain: Provides an overview of basic political terminology and political risk management Presents the basic processes of political risk management Examines the current and future impacts of political events on global supply chains By putting aside the passions that politics can raise, the book aims to objectively look at political risk management. Topics covered include: Identifying different categories of political risk Understanding the relationship of political risk management, enterprise risk management, supply chain, project management, change management, and business continuity Laying the groundwork for efficient and effective political risk management Evaluating the effectiveness of responses The book begins with an overview on why political risk management is an important yet overlooked topic and the corresponding consequences if it is ignored or overlookedby enterprises and their global supply chains. Next, it provides systemic and systematic perspectives on political risk management and explains why the topic is more important than ever. Most important, it provides a framework that enterprises, regardless of nationality, can use to develop and deploy to manage political risks. The book concludes by discussing the full spectrum of developing, deploying, testing, and maintaining processes to conduct political risk management.
The global business environment has never been so complex, making supply chains more fragile than ever. A stable business environment seems like a distant dream in today's global marketplace; instability, not stability, has become the norm. Anti-globalization and nationalization, coupled with populist movements and transnational terrorism, just to name a few targeting global supply chains, now pose significant challenges and risks when doing business across the globe. To address such issues, Political Risk Management for the Global Supply Chain: Provides an overview of basic political terminology and political risk management Presents the basic processes of political risk management Examines the current and future impacts of political events on global supply chains By putting aside the passions that politics can raise, the book aims to objectively look at political risk management. Topics covered include: Identifying different categories of political risk Understanding the relationship of political risk management, enterprise risk management, supply chain, project management, change management, and business continuity Laying the groundwork for efficient and effective political risk management Evaluating the effectiveness of responses The book begins with an overview on why political risk management is an important yet overlooked topic and the corresponding consequences if it is ignored or overlookedby enterprises and their global supply chains. Next, it provides systemic and systematic perspectives on political risk management and explains why the topic is more important than ever. Most important, it provides a framework that enterprises, regardless of nationality, can use to develop and deploy to manage political risks. The book concludes by discussing the full spectrum of developing, deploying, testing, and maintaining processes to conduct political risk management.
A Sensible Guide to Program Management Professional (PgMP) (R) Success is for program managers preparing to take the PgMP exam based on The Standard for Program Management - 4th Edition (PgM4 Standard). It is designed for busy professionals whose responsibilities have taken them into the realm of coordinating, facilitating, managing, and leading programs. Program managers are leaders who are directly managing large amounts of project resources for their organizations. This study guide addresses three main concerns facing PgMP exam candidates: What are the essential concepts, processes, and tools that form the foundation of today's program management? Since program management is still an emerging profession with professionals often working in different ways, what does this mean for a "standard" exam? More specifically, how does that impact your ability to pass the PgMP exam? What is the best way to prepare for the PgMP exam? To address the first concern, this book highlights the underlying rationale for program management: why it exists in organizations; why it is becoming ever more important; what programs are, especially for the purpose of passing the exam; how to think like a portfolio manager; and what the most important concepts, processes, and tools are for this profession. By simplifying complex ideas and communicating them in plain English with relevant examples, this book aims to help readers not only to pass the PgMP exam but also to serve as an essential guide for program managers. For the second concern, this book differs from other study guides by describing the author's personal experience as a program manager and addressing the most pressing questions for each of the performance domains in The Standard for Program Management. To address the last concern, this book contains 420 practice questions, access to an online exam simulator and an online PgMP community, and a time-tested approach for passing the PgMP exam. |
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