Large projects are complex undertakings representing major investments. Often problems arise because of failure at the start of a project in terms of establishing governance, choosing the appropriate concept, analyzing the proposal and environment, and maximizing the utility of the investment, all within complex and political decision-making structures. As a result, many projects fail even though they were implemented successfully, simply because the project concept was wrong. While attention has been paid to project execution, this area is under represented in literature. However, considerable advances have been made, both practical and in putting the behaviour and management of major projects on a proper theoretical basis. This volume therefore provides a resume of the state of this domain. It is a guide for practitioners, decision-makers and their advisors, as well as students. It takes a narrow view of the project, widening to place it within the organization, then the organizational nexus, and finally the political environment, to give a holistic view on how bad ideas can be avoided and good ideas developed into successful projects.

Strategic planning is the starting point for projects and often the primary reason for a project's success or failure. It has the potential to enable every organisation to realise its ideals and actualise its values, whether it be a small start-up business, a large international company or even an entire society. Project leaders and project-orientated organisations need to understand strategic planning to recognise their position and environment, and make rational decisions when selecting and defining their projects and programs. But, those same principles can have broader, more profound, and more ambitious applications too. Project: Strategy is a practical handbook that enables organisations of any size, and employees at all levels within them, to form strategic plans and actively contribute to them throughout a project's development. Rather than focus on superficial exercises, this book draws from knowledge outside of business and management - humanities, philosophy, psychology, technology, and engineering - to create a holistic view and a depth of understanding you would never achieve with SWOT analysis alone. Taking the reader on a pragmatic journey, it teaches self-reflexion, social responsibility and creative thinking with application to their projects and plans, but also to their working relationships and to their organisations. This book is also an ideal introductory book to progressive programs on strategic planning, with a focus on collaborative work, open strategy, and open strategic planning on a social level. It provides a wealth of learning tools and case studies to demonstrate best practice. This is the ideal guide to project planning for anyone that wants their planning decisions to be as wise as they are savvy.

This book offers a new understanding of innovation in the built environment. The ways meaning of innovation is constructed has important implications for policymakers, project managers, academics and students. Through a longitudinal research study into innovation in firms and projects, the book addresses some key themes, challenges and concerns that practitioners face when managing innovation in the built environment. It examines the key drivers for innovation in the construction, engineering and infrastructure firms and projects. In particular, the questions of how and why innovation becomes recognised and sustained over time are explored. Different theoretical perspectives are considered to explain different aspects of innovation. This includes sensemaking, organisational and individual identity, storytelling and narration. The book has practical implications for how organisational activities become labelled as 'innovation' and for what purpose. It shares some lived stories of innovation as mobilised by practising managers. The connectivity between the formal narratives of innovation at the policy level and the lived narratives of innovation articulated by practitioners is explored. Combining the theory with practice, this book presents an insightful view on the implications of innovation in the business world today.

Whilst innovation remains of course an approach, a process, and is still often even reduced to a set of results, it essentially reflects a way of thinking evolution. Time is up for varying the thinking methods according to capacities and learned and available competencies with a view to change the thinking level. No domain and no sector is immune to this transformation in todays world Having clarified our ideas through this book, we remain ever more convinced that the leveled maturity approach will lead to real advances in innovation over the 2020 years. Hence the competitive capacities of organizations must evolve. As we strive in our quest for new inspiration sources in business, let us reckon that all is bound to evolving including the way to evolve. In that resides the very capacity to innovate.

The authors have put together a fascinating narrative of the creation process of one of the most successful example of frugal engineering in recent years. They bring out insightful details of what managerial, organizational and technological pathways were taken to come up with a disruptive innovation that has the potential to change the entry-level automobile market in India and other emerging markets. The book significantly deepens and extends the knowledge of disruptive and reverse innovation, as well as of strategic alliance management. The book keeps the reader captive and is a must read for all who have an interest in innovation.

Going where no book on software measurement and metrics has previously gone, this critique thoroughly examines a number of bad measurement practices, hazardous metrics, and huge gaps and omissions in the software literature that neglect important topics in measurement. The book covers the major gaps and omissions that need to be filled if data about software development is to be useful for comparisons or estimating future projects. Among the more serious gaps are leaks in reporting about software development efforts that, if not corrected, can distort data and make benchmarks almost useless and possibly even harmful. One of the most common leaks is that of unpaid overtime. Software is a very labor-intensive occupation, and many practitioners work very long hours. However, few companies actually record unpaid overtime. This means that software effort is underreported by around 15%, which is too large a value to ignore. Other sources of leaks include the work of part-time specialists who come and go as needed. There are dozens of these specialists, and their combined effort can top 45% of total software effort on large projects. The book helps software project managers and developers uncover errors in measurements so they can develop meaningful benchmarks to estimate software development efforts. It examines variations in a number of areas that include: Programming languages Development methodology Software reuse Functional and nonfunctional requirements Industry type Team size and experience Filled with tables and charts, this book is a starting point for making measurements that reflect current software development practices and realities to arrive at meaningful benchmarks to guide successful software projects.

Every organizational endeavor is based on project management. Projects range from simple to complex, with a definite beginning and a definite end. In manufacturing, as an example, the production of each unit of a product is defined as a project. The lifecycle goes from raw material to the product delivery stage, with steps in between managed as a rigorous project. This book covers the mechanics of project management and offers the requirements for executing a project using a systems-engineering framework and the project management body of knowledge, as advocated by the Project Management Institute. It includes the nuts and bolts for untangling the knots that often exist in project execution. Features Offers a unique guide to management projects, both big and small, in all spheres of human endeavor Presents the nuts and bolts of untangling the typical knots in project execution in a step-by-step format Applies to all types of projects, including technical, manufacturing, financial, science, engineering, and personal projects Provides a structured guide to the application of project management techniques Uses the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) framework from the Project Management Institute (PMI) as the platform for the topics covered, coupled with a systems view Addresses technical and managerial aspects of projects in every industry

Business managers have long known the power of the Balanced Scorecard in executing corporate strategy. Implementing the Project Management Balanced Scorecard shows project managers how they too can use this framework to meet strategic objectives. It supplies valuable insight into the project management process as a whole and provides detailed explanations on how to effectively implement the balanced scorecard to measure and manage performance and projects. The book details a tactical approach for implementing the scorecard approach at the project level and investigates numerous sample scorecards, metrics, and techniques. It examines recent research on critical issues such as performance measurement and management, continuous process improvement, benchmarking, metrics selection, and people management. It also explains how to integrate these issues with the four perspectives of the balanced scorecard: customer, business processes, learning and innovation, and financial. Filled with examples and case histories, the book directly relates the scorecard concept to the major project management steps of determining scope, scheduling, estimation, risk management, procurement, and project termination. It includes a plethora of resources on the accompanying downloadable resources-including detailed instructions for developing a measurement program, a full metrics guide, a sample project plan, and a set of project management fill-in forms.

Learn how to perform project management according to international standards of compliance using capability assessment processes. This book compares and contrasts the approach to project management using ISO 21500 against the more direct ISO 33000 Capability Assessment. It shows how to assess projects adequately for process improvement or how well an organization performs against a standard, measurable framework. Using ISO 21500 as the project management reference point and ISO 15504/33000 as the capability assessment reference, the book shows you how to assess whether your projects are being run according to a specific capability level or support them to reach higher levels of capability.

Consistent success does not happen by chance. It occurs by having an understanding of what is happening in the environment and then having the skills to execute the necessary changes. Ideal for project, IT, and systems development managers, IT Best Practices: Management, Teams, Quality, Performance, and Projects details the skills, knowledge, and attributes needed to succeed in bringing about large-scale change. It explains how to incorporate quality methods into the change management process and outlines a holistic approach for transformation management. Detailing time-tested project management techniques, the book examines management skills with a focus on systems thinking to offer a pragmatic look at effecting change. Its comprehensive coverage spans team building, quality, project methodology, resource allocation, process engineering, and management best practices. The material covered is validated with references to concepts and processes from such business greats as Dr. Deming, Jack Welch, and Henry Ford. Readers will learn the history behind the concepts discussed along with the contributions made by these great minds. The text supplies an awareness of the factors that impact performance in today's projects to supply you with the real-world insight needed to bring about large-scale change in your organization. Although it is geared around change, most of the concepts discussed can be directly applied to improve efficiencies in your day-to-day activities.

With the majority of IT projects being delivered late, over budget, or cancelled altogether, it is clear that traditional project management methodologies do not provide an effective framework for today's IT projects. It is evident that a new Return-on-Investment (ROI) oriented approach is required that focuses on the ROI of a project from its inception. Maximizing Benefits from IT Project Management: From Requirements to Value Delivery provides comprehensive guidelines for determining an accurate ROI before the project has progressed to the point where it's over budget and over-run. It applies an iterative approach to the entire project management life cycle that re-visits the ROI, re-assesses the value delivered, defines the project scope, and allows the project to be planned as successive iterations based on the value delivered. This book details a systematic and simplified approach for effectively and efficiently selecting and evaluating IT projects for your organization. Filled with equations, tables, and figures that facilitate understanding, it explains how to evaluate subsequent success of a project so that it is simpler to manage, more efficient, and yields the ROI estimated at the outset. Using the novel approach outlined in the book, you will be able to deliver value throughout the project life cycle and make sure your projects are delivered on time, on budget, and within the constraints of the resources available.

The innovation infrastructure and master plan described in this book offers a detailed and comprehensive approach to one of the most difficult and challenging problems facing entrepreneurs involved in innovation at any scale enterprise: the problem of how to govern your organization's innovation initiatives in the middle of turbulent change. Progress in any field requires the development of a framework, a structure that organizes the accumulating knowledge, enables people to master it, and unifies the key discoveries into a set of principles that makes them understandable and actionable. For starters, successful innovation requires an integrated design process, beginning with integration in the design of the enterprise, the design of the product, along with the design and implementation of new technologies. Such an integrated design effort requires good collaboration and management of the design framework, and should be supported by efficient knowledge management techniques and tools; If innovation is to help a business grow and improve its competitiveness, it is also important to plan the innovation carefully. This book provides a holistic, multidisciplinary framework that will enable your organization and its leaders to take a strategic approach to innovation. The framework combines non-traditional, creative approaches to business innovation with conventional strategy development models. The framework model brings together perspectives from many complementary disciplines: the non-traditional approaches to innovation found in the business creativity movement; multiple-source strategy consulting; the new product development perspective of many leading industrial design firms; qualitative consumer/customer research; future-based research found in think tanks and traditional scenario planning; and organizational development (OD) practices that examine the effectiveness of an organization's culture, processes, and structure. Though some ideas may just "fall from the sky" or "come out of the blue", an organization should also have a strategic vision of how the business and the enterprise will successfully develop. It should not just wait for the innovation to arrive arbitrarily, but rather proactively plan for innovation incorporating market trends, the competitive landscape, new technology availability, and changes in customer preferences and trends in order to create a flexible in-house innovation process. Such an enterprise will also pro-actively manage the knowledge supply chain that supports innovation, as outlined in this book #7 of Management Handbook for Results series. The framework outlined in this handbook consists of a well-integrated cohesive set of practices that inspires imaginative innovation teams to look beyond the obvious and explore a broad range of possibilities to identify significant opportunities and make informed decisions about the most promising paths to pursue. The goal is to create a shared vision for growth, along with defining pragmatic action plans that bridge from the future back to the present, while attempting to align the organization around the requirements for success.

Project management is at a crossroads: There is a pressing need to rethink the approaches used in initiating, managing and governing projects, programmes and change initiatives. The aim of this book is to progress the dialogue around project practice by shifting the focus from instrumental methods and prescriptive techniques towards a context-sensitive consideration of people, strategy and change. Projects are initiated to deliver agreed outputs that can be translated into meaningful outcomes capable of satisfying the wishes and expectations for improvement and development. Yet, people, strategy and change, which are largely ignored by the conventional bodies of knowledge, are clearly central to the sustainable and enduring success of projects, efforts and initiatives. The volume brings together some of the best writing by leading authorities on key topics including trust, ethics, people, psychology, requirements, project performance, audits, uncertainty, anti-fragility, strategic initiatives, governance, change management and commercial management. The collection offers an invaluable new resource for informed managers looking to engage with the latest thinking and research.

Procurers and contractors increasingly need practical guidance for the strategic procurement of building services. Clients seeking to improve the delivery performance of the construction industry are increasingly using alternative procurement arrangements. These modern arrangements attempt to deliver a more strategic approach to achieving value for money. Yet little thought is ever given to the strategic importance of building services. No other single aspect of a project will affect project success more than the timely delivery of a fully functioning services installation. Beyond the normal considerations of time, cost and quality, building services have a series of unique requirements not normally considered. For the first time these unique requirements are combined in a single text, providing the reader with the definitive guide to building services procurement. The text reviews each of the major critical success factors and clearly explains the supporting processes that must be enacted to ensure success. It reviews the general nature of procurement systems and construction projects, and then explores the increasing importance that building services play both in the construction process and in determining success for the client. Each significant stage within the procurement process is explored by explaining its importance and showing what decisions need to be made to develop a cohesive strategy. It concludes by giving a step-by-step guide to clearly develop and implement a building services procurement strategy.

This book is a comprehensive and practical guide to project marketing - a crucial aspect of businesses worldwide. It encompasses a variety of key infrastructure projects such as roads, airports, ports, power, irrigation, commercial, and industrial buildings. The volume: * Provides key definitions and discusses concepts such as segmentation, target marketing, positioning in projects, and organizational buyer behaviour. * Draws and adapts from extant marketing theory and provides real-life case studies to demonstrate application of concepts. * Focuses on project marketing logic, marketing mix, negotiation techniques, and strategies to aid contracting/subcontracting firms to realize better pricing and project profitability. An essential handbook for professional marketers and researchers, this book will be indispensable for B-Schools, project managers, entrepreneurs, infrastructure corporations, and start-ups. It will serve as a key text to foster hassle-free relationships between different business actors and reduce roadblocks such as time and cost escalation, litigation, and the like.

Lean is about building and improving stable and predictable systems and processes to deliver to customers high-quality products/services on time by engaging everyone in the organization. Combined with this, organizations need to create an environment of respect for people and continuous learning. It's all about people. People create the product or service, drive innovation, and create systems and processes, and with leadership buy-in and accountability to ensure sustainment with this philosophy, employees will be committed to the organization as they learn and grow personally and professionally. Lean is a term that describes a way of thinking about and managing companies as an enterprise. Becoming Lean requires the following: the continual pursuit to identify and eliminate waste; the establishment of efficient flow of both information and process; and an unwavering top-level commitment. The concept of continuous improvement applies to any process in any industry. Based on the contents of The Lean Practitioners Field Book, the purpose of this series is to show, in detail, how any process can be improved utilizing a combination of tasks and people tools and introduces the BASICS Lean (R) concept. The books are designed for all levels of Lean practitioners and introduces proven tools for analysis and implementation that go beyond the traditional point kaizen event. Each book can be used as a stand-alone volume or used in combination with other titles based on specific needs. Each book is chock-full of case studies and stories from the authors' own experiences in training organizations that have started or are continuing their Lean journey of continuous improvement. Contents include valuable lessons learned and each chapter concludes with questions pertaining to the focus of the chapter. Numerous photographs enrich and illustrate specific tools used in Lean methodology. Baseline: Confronting Reality & Planning the Path for Success focuses on change management and how to manage and accelerate change. The authors also outline how to get ready to implement lean, how to baseline your processes prior to implementing Lean, and how to create a value stream map of processes. This book also discusses Lean accounting.

Lean is about building and improving stable and predictable systems and processes to deliver to customers high-quality products/services on time by engaging everyone in the organization. Combined with this, organizations need to create an environment of respect for people and continuous learning. It's all about people. People create the product or service, drive innovation, and create systems and processes, and with leadership buy-in and accountability to ensure sustainment with this philosophy, employees will be committed to the organization as they learn and grow personally and professionally. Lean is a term that describes a way of thinking about and managing companies as an enterprise. Becoming Lean requires the following: the continual pursuit to identify and eliminate waste; the establishment of efficient flow of both information and process; and an unwavering top-level commitment. The concept of continuous improvement applies to any process in any industry. Based on the contents of The Lean Practitioner's Field Book, the purpose of this series is to show, in detail, how any process can be improved by utilizing a combination of tasks and people tools and introduces the BASICS Lean (R) concept. The books are designed for all levels of Lean practitioners and introduce proven tools for analysis and implementation that go beyond the traditional point kaizen event. Each book can be used as a stand-alone volume or used in combination with other titles based on specific needs. Each book is chock-full of case studies and stories from the authors' own experiences in training organizations who have started or are continuing their Lean journey of continuous improvement. Contents include valuable lessons learned and each chapter concludes with questions pertaining to the focus of the chapter. Numerous photographs enrich and illustrate specific tools used in Lean methodology. Assess and Analyze: Discovering the Waste Consuming Your Profits explores the tools used to assess and analyze the process. It starts off with Learning to See waste and follows with the three analysis tools: mapping the product flow, documenting the full work of the operator, and implementing SMED or changeover reduction and closes with exploring Lean and change management.

Lean is about building and improving stable and predictable systems and processes to deliver to customers high-quality products/services on time by engaging everyone in the organization. Combined with this, organizations need to create an environment of respect for people and continuous learning. It's all about people. People create the product or service, drive innovation, and create systems and processes, and with leadership buy-in and accountability to ensure sustainment with this philosophy, employees will be committed to the organization as they learn and grow personally and professionally. Lean is a term that describes a way of thinking about and managing companies as an enterprise. Becoming Lean requires the following: the continual pursuit to identify and eliminate waste; the establishment of efficient flow of both information and process; and an unwavering top-level commitment. The concept of continuous improvement applies to any process in any industry. Based on the contents of The Lean Practitioners Field Book, the purpose of this series is to show, in detail, how any process can be improved utilizing a combination of tasks and people tools and introduces the BASICS Lean (R) concept. The books are designed for all levels of Lean practitioners and introduces proven tools for analysis and implementation that go beyond the traditional point kaizen event. Each book can be used as a stand-alone volume or used in combination with other titles based on specific needs. Each book is chock-full of case studies and stories from the authors' own experiences in training organizations that have started or are continuing their Lean journey of continuous improvement. Contents include valuable lessons learned and each chapter concludes with questions pertaining to the focus of the chapter. Numerous photographs enrich and illustrate specific tools used in Lean methodology Check: Identifying Gaps on the Path to Success Transactional Processes contains chapters on implementing Lean, Kanban systems, line balancing, Heijunka-leveling, and the +QDIP process plus case studies of machine shop and transactional implementations. The implementation model describes the different approaches to Lean, compares them to Toyota, and explains each implementation model.

Proper cost accounting and financial management are essential elements of any successful construction job, and therefore make up essential skills for construction project managers and project engineers. Many textbooks on the market focus on the theoretical principles of accounting and finance required for head office staff like the chief financial officer (CFO) of a construction firm. This book's unique practical approach focuses on the activities of the construction management team, including the project manager, superintendent, project engineer, and jobsite cost engineers and cost accountants. In short, this book provides a seamless connection between cost accounting and construction project management from the construction management practitioner's perspective. Following a complete accounting cycle, from the original estimate through cost controls to financial close-out, the book makes use of one commercial construction project case study throughout. It covers key topics like financial statements, ratios, cost control, earned value, equipment depreciation, cash flow, and pay requests. But unlike other texts, this book also covers additional financial responsibilities such as cost estimates, change orders, and project close-out. Also included are more advanced accounting and financial topics such as supply chain management, activity-based accounting, lean construction techniques, taxes, and the developer's pro forma. Each chapter contains review questions and applied exercises and the book is supplemented with an eResource with instructor manual, estimates and schedules, further cases and figures from the book. This textbook is ideal for use in all cost accounting and financial management classes on both undergraduate and graduate level construction management or construction engineering programs.

This book explores a range of prospective avenues, models, and operational and strategic approaches to Lean Six Sigma (LSS), a contemporary Continuous Improvement (CI) practice for achieving a quality-based competitive edge in organisations. Lean Six Sigma project case studies from banking organizations help to illustrate the operational dimensions of LSS, while the case-specific and cross-case analyses presented here demonstrate its strategic value. While the case data used to arrive at the findings come from the Banking firms, it allows generalizability beyond the Banking and Financial Services sector. The book contends that LSS is not merely a CI practice, but a higher-order organizational capability, more precisely a dynamic capability, that allows firms to gain a competitive edge based on quality. Addressing the interests of practitioners and researchers alike, the book strikes a balance between theory and practice. For practitioners, it offers guidance on using LSS to gain a competitive advantage, and on evidence-based practice in quality management and operational excellence. For researchers, it presents a wealth of literature and expands the body of knowledge on quality management. Accordingly, the book is of immense value to both practitioners and researchers, helping the former unlock the value of LSS as both an operational and strategic resource, and highlighting potential research directions and applications for the latter. "This book provides a deep understanding of Lean Six Sigma applications. It inspires by transferring the principles of the concept into uncommon areas of operations and management behind the usual quality and project management. While reading the book I got hit by a great idea of applying Lean Six Sigma in my digital business as well. My impression at the end of the book was that sky is the limit for the right employment of Lean Six Sigma, especially while viewing it from a dynamic capabilities' lens. Readers of this book will surely receive insights for improving their business processes both operationally and strategically. Although the book is focused on banking, it is actually suitable for a really wide audience. This is a brilliant piece of research as a book that will serve as a guide for transformation by the prism of Lean Six Sigma." - Professor. Dr. ZornitsaYordanova, Chief Assistant Professor of Innovation Management, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria "Lean Six Sigma needs to be understood from a systems perspective and there exists a huge knowledge gap in this area of finding holistic solutions to business problems. This book is a very welcome work that addresses this call. It integrates quality management resources and dynamic capabilities view towards practice. Banking and Financial Services was aptly chosen as it has the most direct applicability for social enterprises. Anyone interested in creating more impact with less will surely benefit from reading the book" -Alex Abraham, Chief Executive Officer, Lean Success Partners, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada "The book is a refreshing booster to the world of Quality Management especially in the context of Banking and Financial Services. Concepts and terms like "Rapidness of Lean & robustness of Six Sigma to solve operational problems" "Hybrid methodology" resonate very well with what we do in the industry today. Another interesting fact about the book is applying "Dynamic Capabilities approach" to Quality Management, that sets a fresh Quality Oven and ensures this book is definitely a good investment of authors' intellect.Best part - Even if a reader is new to the world of Quality,this book will be appropriate and resonating. For Researchers and Practitioners, both being leaders orfresh entrants, this book stands out to be a must-read, as it demonstrates the success of the Lean Six Sigma methodology via case studies and practical applications." -Udit Salvan, Director, Global Transformation & Engineering Network,An American Multinational Financial Services Corporation, New York, USA

While innovation can be defined in many ways, the author sees it as a process. It is not the sudden eureka moment in the middle of the night, nor is it a clear and linear path towards a final destination. Instead, it involves a strong sense of creativity and curiosity. An innovative mind has a natural inclination towards out-of-the-box thinking. It involves a willingness to try something new, without fear or judgment, to develop something no one else has ever articulated. While the mindset comes naturally, it requires fuel to keep it running. Innovators are voracious readers and researchers. They feed their mindset all of the fuel it needs to stay informed and relevant in their field. Many of the same things can be said for the Lean mindset. Lean management doesn't happen overnight, and it is very rarely a clear and linear path to true Lean thinking. Some might consider Lean a subset of innovative thinking, while others see it in reverse. Regardless of the relationship's directionality, one thing is certain: You cannot have one without the other. This book follows John Riley, the CEO of a medium-sized valve company just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who will stop at nothing to create an innovative work environment. Through the ups and downs of his journey, he learns a number of Lean and innovative skills, strategies, and mindsets to help him build the business he's always envisioned for himself. Throughout the book, you see examples of both strong and poor innovative leadership skills demonstrated by each of the main characters. The key messages are ones that help leaders build and access a mindset insistent on continuous improvement. Leadership techniques and abilities that bolster creative thought and problem-solving are the most successful throughout this book. To be truly innovative, you can never stop driving the learning process. For this to happen, leaders need to recognize when there is a need for a change or improvement. This is the beauty of the marriage between Lean and innovation: They both require continuous learning and growth. The desire to improve is only one piece of this equation, however. The other is the willingness to act. Without both of these factors, true innovation will always be out of reach.

Systems engineering has been applied to some of the most important projects of our time, including those that have helped humanity explore the world and the universe, expand our technical abilities, and enhance the quality of human life. Without formal training in systems engineering, the discipline is often difficult to understand and apply, and its use within projects is often confusing. Systems Engineering for Projects: Achieving Positive Outcomes in a Complex World provides an approach that utilizes a combination of the most effective processes from both project management and systems engineering disciplines in a simplified and straightforward manner. The processes described in the book are lightweight, flexible, and tailorable. They provide the shortest path to success in projects across the entire project life cycle, from research to operations, and from simple to the most complex. The book also addresses how this methodology can be used in a continually adapting and changing world, as projects span disciplines and become even more interconnected across all areas of human existence. Each chapter includes diagrams, templates, summary lists, a case study, and a thought-provoking question and answer section that assists readers in immediate application of the material to their own projects. The book is a project manager's resource for understanding how to directly apply essential processes to projects in a way that increases the probability of achieving success. It is a comprehensive, go-to manual on the application of systems engineering processes to projects of all types and complexity.

Concise yet comprehensive, Product Planning Essentials addresses the complex, interdisciplinary nature of product development and product management. It covers strategic issues that emerge during the product life cycle, including identifying opportunities, idea generation and evaluation, technical development, commercialization, and eventual product dismissal. Special topics include public policy, international issues, and intellectual property. An interesting summary of product development best practices from several companies appears at the end of the book. Instructors, students and practitioners will appreciate the balanced managerial and how-to orientation.

This book is a highly accessible guide to being a project manager (PM), particularly a project manager working within an IT field. The role is set out with reference to required skills, competencies and responsibilities. Tools, methods and techniques for project managers are covered, including Agile approaches; risk, issue and change management processes; best practices for managing stakeholders and financial management.

This open access book reimagines a deeper sustainability in dynamic organization. Offering multiple perspectives on arts, design thinking, leadership, knowledge and project management, Reimagining Sustainable Organization addresses our need for thinking and coping differently when facing the many unknowns of real-life enterprises in society. Drawing on process philosophy, real-world case studies, and examinations of business practices as well as management research, the authors explore knowledge creation towards reimagining sustainable organization. The book includes frameworks and conceptual tools as well as insights for further explorations. This book will be of interests to students, scholars and teachers, and practitioners who are studying sustainable organization, greener management, leadership ideas, or knowledge and project management. It covers future pressing issues also for the professionals involved in co-creative work across organizational boundaries. This is an open access book.