Dimensions of Project Management

Projects of very different natures are continuously changing the world in which we live. Project management offers the right instruments to solve the multitude of problems that arise during the life of a project from its beginning to its completion. No space satellite could be designed, no computer program developed, no skyscraper built, and no company organized efficiently without PM. In honor of the 65th birthday of R.W. Gutsch, 29 authors from 16 countries have contributed to this publication. It covers the fundamentals of project management as well as the PM techniques and software, PM organization and human factors and applications in effectively managing projects. The contributions demonstrate the enormous progress that has taken place in PM within the past years in a language and style which is understandable for project managers in both industrialized and developing countries.

Detailed Contents.- Fundamentals of Project Management.- The Fundamentals of Project Management.- 1. Introduction.- 2. A Definition of Project Management.- 3. The Basic Propositions.- 4. But What Does a Project Manager Actually Do?.- 5. How to Finish on Time Within Budget.- 6. Project Managers Ned Space.- 7. Keep Changing the Plan.- 8. How to Make the Right Decisions.- 9. Allowing for Space.- 10. Leadership and Delegation.- Change and Usefulness of Project Management.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Change.- 3. Priorities.- 4. Systems.- 5. Usefulness.- 6. Associations.- 7. Conclusion.- Project Management Paradigm ― A System Oriented Model of Project Management.- 1. Introduction: Why Structuring Project Management?.- 2. The System Approach to Project Management.- 3. Why Is the Acting System “Project Organization” Working?.- 4. How Is the Acting System “Project Organization” Working?.- 5. How Is the Project Process Measured?.- 6. Who/What is Doing the Project Process?.- 7. Project Management Phases.- 8. Construction of a Model of Project Management.- 9. Framework of Project Management Knowledge.- Project Management within the Systems Context.- 1. The Shortcomings of PMS.- 2. The Systems Approach.- 3. An actual case.- 4. Conclusion.- Managing the Project Environment.- 1. Introduction.- 2. What is the Project Environment?.- 3. Dimensions for the Project Environment.- 3.1 The Project Time Environment.- 3.2 The Internal Project Culture.- 3.3 The Corporate Culture.- 3.4 The Project’s External Surroundings.- 3.5 Some Practical Examples.- 4. Summary.- The Cultural Dimension of Project Management.- 1. Introduction.- 1.1 Systems to Persons.- 1.2 Recognition of Cultural Problems.- 1.3 National Characteristics.- 2. Attitude to Change.- 3. Organisational Differences.- 4. Small is Manageable.- 5. The Myth of the Developing Country.- 6. Future Development.- The Viking Approach to Project Management.- 1. Introduction.- 2. The Viking Approach.- 3. The Nordic Approach Today.- 4. Trends in the Nordic Approach.- Project Management and Corporate Strategy.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Interrelations between Corporate Strategy and Project Management.- 2.1 Strategy Development.- 2.2 Projects as Strategy Elements.- 2.3 Management by Projects.- 3. The Impact of Corporate Strategy on Projects.- 4. Conclusion.- Project Management Techniques and PM-Software.- Project Objectives Identification and Proper Formulation for Project Success.- 1. General.- 2. Explicit Objectives.- 3. Implicit Objectives.- 4. Instrumental Objectives.- 5. Internal and External Objectives.- 6. Project Objectives and Company’s Objectives.- 7. Objectives and Programs.- 8. Conclusion.- The Evolution of Management Tools and the Efficiency of Produkt Development & Engineering.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Some Efficiency Tools Developed and Tried Out.- 3. Probable Reasons for Rejection.- 4. ‘Tools’for Quality Improvement.- 5. Risk Assesment and Contingency Planning.- 6. The Development of Institutes, Societies and Associations.- 7. The Evolution of the Societies.- 8. Societies Moving to the First Phase of the Product Life-Cycle.- 9. Resistance to Change ‘Habits’ of R.D.&E..- 10. The Tree of Development Management and the Product Life-Cycle.- 11. The Estimation of ‘COST’ a Problem of the Future?.- Operations Research and Project Management: Past, Present and Future.- 1. Introduction: Operations Research and Project Management.- 2. Spread of Operations Research Theories in Project Management Practice.- 3. Reasons for the Small Number of OR-method Application to Project Management.- 3.1 Are OR Methods Suited Better for Bulk or Series Production than for Projects?.- 3.2 Inadequate Models.- 3.3 Little Acquaintance of the Developers with the Real Problem.- 3.4 Necessary Data are not Available.- 3.5 Institutional Conditions are not Taken into Consideration.- 3.6 The Models and Procedures Offered are too Complicated.- 4. Possibilities of a More Intensive Application of Operations Research Methods to Project Management.- 4.1 The Necessity of More Intensive User Research.- 4.2 Cooperation between Software Developers, OR Experts and Users.- 4.3 New Methodical Approaches are Required.- Development of Methods in Project Management ― A Subject for Theorists Only?.- 1. Introduction.- 2. How Exactly is the Project Process Known in Advance?.- 3. Which Planned Schedule is Reliable?.- 4. Resources ― Always Scarce in Projects?.- 4.1 Introduction: The (Dis)Interest in Resource Analysis ― an Attempt to Find out the Reasons.- 4.2 Problems Encountered in Developing Methods for Resource Analysis.- 4.3 Resource Analysis as a Subaspect of Production Planning and Project Planning ― a Comparison.- 4.4 EDP Support for Resource Analysis: The Way to Good Software.- 5. Costs and Finances ― of Importance or not?.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Cost Forecasts.- 5.3 Cost Planning.- 5.4 Cost Optimization.- 5.5 Cost and Progress Control.- 5.6 Project Financing.- 6. Final Commentary and Outlook.- Experiences from a New Logic in Project Management.- 1. Synopsis.- 2. Mangement Changes with the World.- 2.1 Project Management is Ancient as Mankind.- 2.2 The Present Conventional “Generation” of Project Management.- 2.3 Today’s Conventional Project Management is not Perfect.- 2.4 Alternative Concepts of Project Management.- 3. Contributions from the Old Cultures.- 3.1 Old Experiences.- 3.2 Specific Potentials.- 4. Management and Project Management Styles.- 4.1 What is Project Management?.- 4.2 Mutual Respect.- 4.3 Differences and Alternatives in PM-Work.- 5. A New Logic in Planning Procedures.- 5.1 Dominance of Exactness.- 5.2 The Prestige of Detailing in Itself.- 5.3 Priority to the Easy Matters instead of the Important Ones.- 5.4 Interrelated Areas are Kept Separated.- 6. The Succesive Principle: An Example of the New Logic.- 6.1 The Background.- 6.2 The Need for a New Principle.- 6.3 The Effects of the Basic Principle.- 6.4 The Basic Procedure (simplified).- 7. Experiences and Applications.- 8. A Case Story: Integrated Planning and Start-Up Sessions.- 8.1 Basic Principle.- 8.2 Preparations.- 8.3 Facilities.- 8.4 Purposes of the Sessions.- 8.5 Content of the Sessions.- 8.6 Replanning.- 9. Conclusion.- The Application of Knowledge in Project-Management.- 1. The Development of Project-Management and its Application.- 2 Application Problems.- 3. Solutions.- Control Perspectives on Project Management.- 1. From Planning Experts to Project Managers.- 2. The Nature of Project Control.- 3. Physical Progress and Efficiency.- 4. Performance Standards and Consistency.- 5. The Ultimate Challenge ― Project Controllability.- Developing Knowledge Based Systems in Construction Management.- 1. Preliminary Remarks.- 2. Problem Solving Process.- 3. Tools for Problem Solving.- 4. Expert Systems.- 5. Classification and Examples in Construction Management.- 5.1 Systems with Pure Logic.- 5.2 Systems with Pure Numeric.- 5.3 Hybrid Systems.- 6. Summary and Outlook.- Spontaneity or Planning Deficits in Systems Selection and Application of Project Software.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Application of Information Technology.- 3. Spontaneity and Planning.- 4. Symptoms of Spontaneity and Planning.- 5. Factors of User Behavior.- 6. Project-like Implementations Strategies.- Management by Projects ― A Turn Away from or towards Hierarchy.- 1. “Management by Projects” ― a Phantastic Idea!.- 2. “Management by Projects” and HIERARCHY.- 2.1 What is Speaking for a Hierarchical “Management by Projects”?.- 2.2 Problems and Limitations of the Hierarchical Principle.- 3. The MESA Concept.- 3.1 MESA Hierarchies.- 3.2 MESA Cycles.- 3.3 Corresponding Horizons.- 3.4 Residual Quantities.- 3.5 Control by Selection of Structure.- 4. MESA Implementation.- 5. MESA and “Management by Projects” in the GDR.- Project Management Organization and Human Factors.- Project Team Planning: The Need, Methods and Benefits.- 1. The Need for Project Team Planning.- 1.1 Traditional Project Planning Approaches.- 1.2 Weaknesses in the Traditional Approaches.- 2. The Project Team Planning Process.- 2.1 Project Start-Up Workshops.- 2.2 Elements of the Team Planning Process.- 3. An Example of Team Planning in Action.- 3.1 The Planning Deliverables Produced.- 3.2 Conduct of the Planning Sessions.- 3.3 Results Achieved.- 3.4 Hidden Agenda Items.- 4. Benefits and Limitations of Project Team Planning.- 4.1 Benefits of Project Team Planning.- 4.2 Limitations of Project Team Planning.- Training.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Why Training is Necessary.- 3. Training Programme.- 4. Training Programme Recommendations.- Management of Intersted Parties.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Interested Parties.- 3. Objectives and Values.- 4. SWOT-Analysis.- 5. Strategy for Managing Interested Parties.- 6. Management Plan.- 7. Conclusions.- Co-Development ― A Future for Inter-Organizational Product and Project Development.- 1. Definition and Scope.- 2. Why Comaking.- 3. Managing Areas.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Phasing.- 3.3 Product Development Quality.- 4. Organisational and Cultural Consequences.- 5. Pros and Cons.- 6. Trends.- 7. Concluding Remarks.- The Key Role of the Client or Owner in the Management of Construction Projects.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Areas of Interaction.- 2.1 Economic Objectives.- 2.2 Procurement Methods.- 2.3 Management of Design and Quality.- 2.4 Use of New Technology.- 2.5 Control of Cost and Time.- 2.6 Constructability.- 2.7 Mutual Understanding and Involvement.- 3. The European Construction Institute.- 4. The Way Ahead.- Role of Senior Management in Developmental Projects.- 1. Introduction.- 2. The Steering Group.- 2.1 When Required.- 2.2 Make Up of the Steering Group.- 3. Planning Tasks of the Steering Group.- 3.1 Define the Owner’s Overall Goals (Purpose).- 3.2 Identify the Major Constraints and Business Risks.- 3.3 Develop the Funding Strategy.- 3.4 Develop the Project Organization.- 3.5 Administration and Control Procedures and Policies.- 4. Implementation Tasks of the Steering Group.- 4.1 Select the Project Manager.- 4.2 Provide Access to Power and Resources.- 4.3 Monitor the Progress of the Project.- 4.4 Monitor the External Environment and the Business Risk.- 4.5 Resolve Major Conflicts and Crises.- 5. Conclusions.- 5.1 Steering Group Establishes Direction and Control.- 5.2 Building Teamwork is Essential.- 5.3 Teamwork Requires an Open, Participative Planning Process.- 5.4 Leadership Style is a Key to Effectiveness.- 5.5 Management Preparation Pays Off in Better Results.- Application of Project-Management in Selected Countries.- Project Management as Perceived from Ancient Egyptian Projects.- 1. The Start of Pyramid Building Technology.- 2. The Great Pyramid “King Khufu’s Pyramid” Project ― 2650 BC.- 3. Setting Methodology for Perceing the Pyramid Project Management.- 3.1 Pyramid Project Building Objectives & Religion Effectiveness.- 3.2 Pyramid Design Complexity & Construction Activities Management.- 3.3 Stones Transport Management.- 3.4 Time & Labour Force Estimate.- Project Management in Czechoslovakia.- 1. Project Management Development in Czechoslovakia.- 1.1 Technical Management.- 1.2 First International Management Congress.- 1.3 Czechoslovak Scientific Management Committee.- 2. Project Management Methods.- 3. Stagnation.- 4. Training of Managers.- Project Management in Developing Countries.- 1. Initiation of Idea.- 2. The Management Engineering Society MES.- 3. Differentiation between Project Management and Operation Management.- 4. Role of MES Activities in Developing Project Management.- 4.1 Education & Training Groups of Engineers in Project Management.- 4.2 National Seminars.- 4.3 International Symposiums.- 4.4 Other Activities.- 5. Future Actvities.- The Project as a Mode of Work in Sweden ― From Technical Theinking to Management Thinking.- 1. From Then to Now.- 2. Development Trends.- 2.1 Development.- 2.2 Trends in Swedish Trade and Industry and Public Administration.- 2.3 Training.- 2.4 Methods and Aids.- 3. Research.- 4. Internet.- The Autors.