Project Management,3 Ed

This third edition of this highly successful textbook represents a major development in content, approach & pedagogy; combining a strong academic approach with relevant practical cases.

Project Management is no longer about manacing the sequence of steps required to complete the project on time. lt is about systematically incorporating the voice of the customer, creating a disciplined way of prioritising effort and resolving trade-offs, working concurrently on all aspects of the project in multi-functional teams, and much more. It involves much closer links between project teams and downstream activities, e.g. in new product development, integration with manufacturing, logistics and after-sales support - in this case 80°/0 of the costs are determined before they take over!
There are huge opportunities for eliminating wasted time and effort in almost every project. In manufacturing, Toyota estimate that only 5% of activities actually add value, 35% are necessary but do not add value, whilst the remaining 60% is pure waste - 'muda' in Japanese! By halving the effort in designing a new car, they show this muda can be reduced by good project management. Every project manager in the future has not only to manage their own project but to seek ways of eliminating the muda in their systems so they can do more for less, and more quickly next time! Perhaps the biggest opportunities, however, can be found in thinking beyond the management of individual projects to standardising and streamlining the project management process itself. Although each project presents its own challenges, the ability to launch new products quickly, on time and with no errors, is what leads to sustained business growth. Getting the project management process right should be a key strategic priority for every firm.
This book takes a fresh look at the new techniques used by best-practice companies to improve their project management performance. It shows how the disciplines used by Toyota and the Deming approach to management can be applied to any kind of project in any industry. Students will find the mixture of academic debate and practical case-studies helpful and teachers will welcome the discussion questions after each chapter.