Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Civil (Construções). Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 2012

Project cost and schedule forecasting accuracy in the defense industry has not significantly changed since the 1960s, making it difficult for defense business leaders to implement successful earned value management (EVM) strategies. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore EVM strategies that Washington, D.C. area defense contractor business leaders used to improve costs and schedule goal accomplishment. The conceptual framework for this study was the earned time theory. Data were collected from semistructured interviews from 5 defense contractor business leaders with demonstrated use of EVM strategy. The review of company documents focused on EVM use with reporting requirements, and archival EVM study analysis supplemented the data from the semistructured interviews. Data were triangulated and inductively analyzed for themes, and member checking was done to ensure credibility of the interpretations. Four themes emerged from the data: the use of EVM data to improve outcomes, the existence of essential strategies, the role of EVM as but a single tool, and the essential engagement of leadership. Findings may contribute to social change because defense business contractor leaders could help improve business performance and return resources for social improvement. Investment in social and environmental improvements can strengthen employee commitment and ultimately ties to the community at large, furthering social improvement.

Dr. Bower confirmed that earned value management (EVM) is not widely adopted, and that many project managers see the methodology as being overly complex and difficult to implement. He identified several serious challenges associated with conventional EVM.and addressed the first issue by creating a new theoretical concept called Assured Value Analysis (AVA). This add-in process provides two new measures, permitting improvements to EVM that take into account the added certainty provided through procurement. Assured Value (AV) represents the budget for a future signed contract, and Expected Cost (EC) represents the agreed cost of that contract. Those measures permit the calculation of a Total Cost Variance that includes not only cost deviations to date, but also future ones to which the project team is already committed. AVA also allows conventional EVM formulae to take into account the Assured Value and Expected Cost of future signed agreements. A simple notional project is used to demonstrate the implementation of AVA. He resolved the remaining challenges and issues through realising that the isolation of project phases would provide a simplified but more dependable methodology, one that also provides features not found in conventional EVM. Significant milestones are normally planned to occur at the end of a project phase. By assessing project performance only at the end of each completed phase, performance calculations are significantly simplified.. His new technique, Phase Earned Value Analysis (PEVA) simplifies the calculation of PV, EV and AC, and also provides benefits that are not possible with EVM. Since the planned and actual phase completion dates are known, an intuitively simple but accurate time-based schedule variance and schedule performance index (i.e. SVP and SPIP) can be measured. PEVA also permits the forecasting of future phase end cost figures and phase completion dates using the phase CPI and SPI ratios. Since PEVA employs data points having specific x axis and y-axis values, those can be readily plotted and trend lines identified with standard spreadsheet functions. This is a powerful feature, as it allows key project stakeholders to visualise emerging project performance trends as each phase is completed. Finally, he successfully combined the AVA and PEVA concepts, resulting in a new EVM methodology - Phase Assured Value Analysis (PAVA) - which takes into account the assurance provided by procurement, simplifies the calculation of earned value through phases, and provides powerful forecasting and charting features. He validated this new combined approach in multiple respects. The new AVA and PEVA formulae were rigorously established and confirmed through standard algebraic procedures. The formulae were tested in sample project situations, to clearly demonstrate their functions. He argues that the PAVA approach conforms to the 32 criteria established in the United States for full EVM compliance. He presented AVA and PEVA to critical audiences at major project management conferences in North America and the UK, as well as several gaining expert criticism from organisations and practitioners. Finally, he used archived cost and schedule records to retrospectively test the combined PAVA methodology on a significant office facilities and technology program.

Abstract It starts to use Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE) in USA, but it is enhanced & glorified in Japan. It¡¦s obvious that VA/VE has contributed to adding profit for the past 50 years. Not only VA/VE, Industry Engineering (IE) and Quality Control (QC) are called as the three main management technologies of business, but also VA/VE is considered an efficient instrument of reducing cost. VA/VE is introduced to Mainland China later than Taiwan, but the achievements in Mainland China are more brilliant than Taiwan. It has introduced VA/VE to Taiwan for 30 years. It is popular to be utilized in Construction Industry and the Construction Engineering of Government, but most of small and middle size enterprises are not active in introducing VA/VE. It is to be regretted. It had found most of the issued cases for VA/VE are subjected to construction engineering. There are just few cases subjected in other industries. And the related papers focus on discussing the construction industry, it is hard to find discussing in other provinces especially in target costing, purchasing, service, business process and value chain. They just existed the theories, but lacked of real issuing from VA/VE. It found the theories just emphasize the individual flow. They didn't associate with the whole value chain and lack of combining with other reducing cost methods. They often fail in popularizing VA/VE, because they can't catch the key successful factors adequately. For the above reason, the study reviews the regarded papers, and regulates the references to find the comparison of carrying out situation in the world. Then it will direct to study the application and development of VA/VE in the Taiwan transportation industry. Firstly, it will examine the achievement of pushing VA/VE in the study case of individual company. Then, it will indicate the key successful factors and the future perspectives of VA/VE action from the experience. Finally, it will provide conclusion and suggestion in the end of this study. It will supply the company in every industry a whole and systematic basis of developing VA/VE no matter what new product developed in certain or full stages. This study will show the following results: 1. You can find the theory and method of using VA/VE in transportation industry from this study especially in target costing, customer satisfaction, service, business process reengineering and value chain. If you can use VA/VE well, you will promote the effect of cost reduction. You can find VA/VE has provided a popular measurement and method in this study and make the customer value connect to competitive strategy, product design, product manufacture and supplier procedure. You can combine VA/VE with other methods, for example target costing, tear down, business process reengineering etc, to make more value of customer and less cost of manufacture. 2. This study provides a whole real company case to show VA/VE effect. It can give the other companies for reference when they want to use VA/VE. It will reduce the groping time and error risk. 3. This study provides a VA/VE management structure and a management cycle in pushing VA/VE for the transportation vehicle industry, in order to ensure that every procedure can be carried out and obtain expected effect. 4. This study has summed up 10 key successful ways and future perspectives from the case study in pushing VA/VE. It will give the other companies for reference in promoting the VA/VE effect and opportunity of success. The main purpose is what we want to remind all the Taiwan industries to concern about "Value Management" that has been a new trend of the world.

Research show that customer patterns in the textile industry are changing and the degree of personalization of products is getting more important to meet personal needs and preferences. Mass customization is a strategy named to create higher customer value by customizing products through a close interaction during the design and production process, high production flexibility and efficient logistics. The lack of research on the implementation of mass customization strategies and an identified gap between customer expectations and perception (customer value) of these types of products, are the incentives to conduct this research. The thesis has the purpose of identifying the drivers of customer value of mass customized garments and assess the value chain of the company Brohall & Son from a perspective of mass customization as a strategy, and from the results draw conclusions of customer value aligned with the implementation mass customization strategies. In order to perform the research a quantitative approach, doing a customer value analysis through a self-completion questionnaire, was conducted. Attributes of price, quality, fit, service and delivery capacity were investigated to get an understanding of what drives value for the customers. In addition a qualitative method was used, doing interviews with the CEO of Brohall & Son to gain a deeper understanding of their operations and value chain. The results show that quality, fit, delivery capacity and service are the most important attributes of customer value. Price is the least important attribute and also the least correlated/dependent variable to the rest of the attributes, showing a high willingness to pay for the garments. The analysis of the value chain indicates some areas of improvements regarding logistics, design process and production process. Solutions are brought up to get the value chain to get more aligned with the strategies of mass customization.

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Este trabalho apresenta um estudo, conceitual e empírico, objetivando examinar a gestão da marca do produto ao longo da cadeia, desde o fabricante até o consumidor final, sob a intermediação do canal varejista. A revisão da literatura abordando os conceitos relevantes à estratégia de marketing do fabricante e do varejista permitiu um melhor entendimento sobre os aspectos que interferem na gestão da marca. A pesquisa empírica exploratória, estudo de caso, investigou a marca Votomassa da Votorantim Cimentos por meio de vinte e sete entrevistas pessoais, com executivos do fabricante, varejistas, balconistas e clientes dos lojistas e, através da observação nos pontos de venda. Foram identificados pontos estudados na literatura, principalmente no que se refere ao desenvolvimento de relacionamentos, a gestão de canais e a venda ao consumidor final, todos com possíveis interferências na gestão da marca. Particularmente, foram identificadas as implicações que percepções dos atores que integram os vários elos da cadeia podem gerar. O trabalho contribui para avançar nos conceitos e processos pertinentes ao tema em estudo, tendo por foco a cadeia fabricante ? intermediário ? comprador no ramo de material de construção, a partir de uma perspectiva consolidada e holística, evidenciando uma série de ferramentas de marketing que permitem aprimorar o processo estratégico da gestão da marca pelo fabricante. / The study presents a conceptual and empiric vision examining the product brand management throughout the value chain, from the manufacturer to the end consumer, with the intermediation of the retail channel. The theory that supported the study was based on manufacturer and retailer marketing strategy concepts, leading to a better understanding of aspects that may interfere on brand management. An exploratory research was made, as a case study on Votomassa from Votorantim Cimentos, using twenty seven personal interviews with manufacturers\' executives, retailers and their employees, consumers and point of sale observations. This research resulted in the identification of some aspects studied on the literature review, mainly referring to relationship development, marketing channels management, and selling to final consumers, all with possible effects on brand management. It pointed out particularly the implications that perceptions from players on different links of the chain can generate. The main contribution of the present study is the improvement of the concepts and processes related to the theme, focusing on the chain manufacturer ? intermediate ? buyer in the building industry, from a consolidated and holistic perspective, highlighting the marketing tools that can make the strategic brand management process more efficient for the manufacturer.

Syftet med denna studie är att öka förståelsen för hur värdeskapande i kommunala projekt kan påverkas av Public Value Management. En kvalitativ forskningsansats och semistrukturerade intervjuer har använts i arbetet. Studien påvisar att det samhällsvärde som skapas inom projekten uppvisar drag av Public Value Management, men att begreppet inte är känt av projektledarna. Slutsatsen är att det saknas indikationer på att Public Value Management är en förutsättning för kommunalt värdeskapande, även om styrmodellen kan bidra med positiv påverkan på processen. / The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of how value creation in municipal projects can be influenced by Public Value Management. A qualitative approach and semistructured interviews was used during the study. Our study indicates that the public value that is created through municipal project does show signs of Public Value Management despite the dact that the project leaders are not familiar with the term. The conclusion is that Public Value Management does not seem to be a prerequisite for the creation of public value. Although, it may very well contribute with positive infulences to the process of value creation.

The Information technologies are becoming a key element in achieving an advantage above your competitors. Therefore, it is as important coming up with new and original ideas as well as having the ability to enforce those ideas by current management. The chances of enforcing new ideas are higher if you manage to implement the changes within set up forecast. The lack of flexibility and a low percentage of successful projects within these limits were the main motivation for composing this Master Thesis. There is an introduction to the agile project management in the first part of this paper and a specific implementation example of this method in the second part.

The point of this essay is to study a municipal owned company with the use of a case study on Höganäs Omsorg AB. Two theories has primarily been used which is New Public Management, which favors economic value, and Public Value Management, which favors social values. The two different theories have been applied on the municipal owned company to see how social and economic values are balanced in its governance. Höganäs Omsorg AB is a young municipal owned company where many parts of its organizational structure is still in development. The parts of the municipal owned company that still are in development are primarily within the economically favored theory New Public Management. In these early stages of the enterprise the social values have taken a greater place of the two values. It shows from how social aspects are present in every move the enterprise makes as economic values will have to take a slight step back occasionally to give space. One of the main reasons behind that social values has been favored within the enterprise is most likely thanks to that leadership positions in the municipal owned company and the municipality is held by the same individuals.