Thesis (M.S. in Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2006. / Thesis Advisor(s): Nayantara D. Hensel, Kathryn M. Kocher. "March 2006." Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-104). Also available online.

M.Ing. / The topic of this research project is 'Assessment of value added to engineering projects'. In this dissertation the aim is to introduce the reader to the methodologies, which can be used to add value to engineering projects. Engineering has to do with the application of science in solving problems, while technology is the study or use of the mechanical arts or applied sciences. The author saw it fitting to combine value engineering principles, systems engineering, business process re-engineering, technology scanning and innovation technology management principles to base this dissertation on the research of the combined principles. The intention of this research is not to replace the current project management or processes on how to manage and create value in engineering projects. The research merely identifies an issue and proposes a process as an addition to the current processes rectifying this 'lack of value' issue.

The focus of this study is on the application of cost-benefit analysis as a methodological technique for evaluating alternatives in the urban planning process. It is hypothesized that cost-benefit analysis, by identifying the effects and the incidence of various courses of action, provides a basis for objective evaluation of alternative plans. It is assumed that cost-benefit analysis, an economics tool, is a framework within which the various effects can be considered comprehensively. The method of study is primarily a critical review of the literature. Within the available time and resources, an attempt is made to apply the cost-benefit techniques to selected areas in the City of Vancouver. Because of the magnitude of the problem involved in the collection of considerable data, most of which is apparently unavailable in a readily applicable form, evidence for the verification of the hypothesis is largely drawn from the critical evaluation of the literature. The study first focusses on the general concept of cost-benefit analysis, as it appears to be traditionally applied, in a broad perspective of various methodological techniques of plan evaluation. A review of the cost-benefit techniques advanced by Nathaniel Lichfield, Jerome Rothenberg and James CT. Mao reveals the fact that there is a difference in their basic approach to urban development. Lichfield's "balance sheet" traces the effects of development in relation to the various sectors involved in the development process. Mao suggests that the repercussions be traced in relation to the basic objective of the project. Rothenberg is primarily concerned with the distribution of income among the relevant populations involved in the process of development. The authors point out the limitations of their techniques. There are many intangible and non-measurable items which are not treated by the authors. There is also the question of whether these tools are valid for evaluating urban plans. Though adequate data are not available to fully employ the above cost-benefit techniques, the limitations of the case studies, partly imposed by the theoretical formulation of these techniques lead to questions about the operational validity of these tools in evaluating the implications of these policies in the study areas. The study results reveal the practical problems encountered in obtaining comparable data, particularly on property value, social costs of slum living, and municipal expenditure and revenues for such small areas. A specific methodology needs to be developed for each to take these items into account. The problem of isolating certain effects and ascribing them to the redevelopment policy in the study areas is a critical one. Thus no valid conclusion with regard to the verification of the hypothesis can be drawn in the light of the case studies. It is concluded that the traditional concepts of "costs" and ""benefits" are not applicable in evaluating alternative urban plans and that cost-benefit analysis requires a broad interpretation as a framework within which the implications of a plan can be considered comprehensively and objectively in relation to the defined goals and objectives. The formulation of goals and objectives, it is evident, is an integral part of the analytical techniques. There are many intangible and non-measurable aspects which can not be treated adequately within the cost-benefit framework. However, one of the advantages of cost-benefit analysis is that the planners and the decision-makers may both become acquainted in greater detail with the trade-offs. Various other analytical methods lead to a more refined cost-benefit calculus for an objective evaluation of urban plans. It is important that the validity of methodological techniques should be judged not only by its operational aspects but also by its conceptual approach to achieve the goals of the urban planning process. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

D.Ing. / “Innovation is the act of introducing something new” (Byrd & Brown, 2003). When companies are competing on the technology “playground” they need to be innovative. By analysis according to Byrd & Brown (Byrd & Brown, 2003) the “act of introducing”, relates to risk taking, and the “new” relates to creativity, and therefore these concepts, creativity and risk taking, in combination, are what innovation is all about. Risk management has become one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, and one of the main components in innovation and the technology driven industry, intensifying the need for a systematic approach to managing uncertainties. During the development and design of complex engineering products, the input and teamwork of multiple participants from various backgrounds are required resulting in complex interactions. Risk interactions exist between the functional and physical elements within such a system and its sub-systems in various dimensions such as spatial interaction, information interaction etc. The relationships are of a multi-dimensional complexity that cannot be simplified using the standard task management tools (Yassine A. A., 2004). To find a meaningful starting point for the seemingly boundless subject of risk management the research takes a step back into the basic definition of risk management and follows an exploratory research methodology to explore each of the risk management processes (risk assessment, risk identification, risk analysis, risk evaluation, risk treatment and risk monitoring and review) and how these processes can be enhanced using the design structure matrix (DSM) and fuzzy logic thinking. The approach to risk management within an organisation should be seen as a holistic approach similar to the total quality management process, providing the ii opportunity to incorporated risk management during the design process as a concurrent task. The risk management model is then developed concurrently (during the design phase) using product development methodologies such as conceptual modeling and prototyping, and ultimately the prototype is tested using a case study. Finally resulting in a clustered DSM providing a visual representation of the system risk areas similar to the methodology used in Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The research combines alternative system representation and analysis techniques (Warfield, 2005), in particular the design structure matrix, and fuzzy logic to quantify the risk management effort neccessary to deal with uncertain and imprecise interactions between system elements.

This research involves review of value analysis and value engineering techniques and application of these techniques to a service organization. Application of value analysis techniques to service organizations required some modification due to the amount of labor intensive, manual operations typical of many service industries. The modified value analysis methodology was applied to a fueling operation performed by Kennedy Space Center as part of their space shuttle operations. The successful application of this technique illustrated that value analysis methodology can be applied to service organizations with slight modifications.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Rapid urbanisation, coupled with growing per capita incomes and a rapid rising middle class, is triggering rapid growth in urban food markets. Despite these opportunities, agriculture in South Africa is confronted with diminishing profit margins due to direct production cost increasing at rates above the revenue generated from agricultural products. This research assignment has aimed to define the attributes of an effective agricultural value chain in South Africa, given the challenges faced. To achieve this goal, the research focus was on the results of an in-depth analysis of the Dutoit Group’s deciduous fruit value chain. To be able to perform a value chain analysis it is of utmost importance to first understand the meaning of the concepts as well as their origin and the evolution of their application. This is achieved through a comprehensive study of literature. Three value chain analysis tools were used for the research. These tools were an industry analysis, value chain maps and benchmarking. Through the literature review the importance and relevance of these three tools were also explored and reasons provided why they can be regarded to be adequate for a proper in-depth analysis. An overview of the Dutoit Group’s history, focusing on the specific key events influencing the evolution of their value chains, is also discussed together with their business philosophy, business model and main accomplishments. This is done to provide context to the environment in which the value chain analysis process was performed. The main focus of the fourth chapter is the application of the three value chain analysis tools on the Dutoit Group’s deciduous fruit value chain, utilising primary and secondary data collected through interviews with specific value chain actors, observations, management information and literature obtained from the public domain. Through the application of the three value chain analysis tools the effectiveness of the Dutoit Group’s deciduous fruit value chain was evaluated, and strengths and weaknesses identified. The research results showed that the Dutoit Group’s internal deciduous fruit value chain has been effective in addressing the risk of diminishing profit margins. In addition the results showed that the key attributes of an effective value chain which are able to address the current challenges are defined as effective integration, strong relationships between value chain actors, high levels of productivity and strong leadership.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration in Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. / There is a need to draw a balance between satisfying needs, be they of the customer or the beneficiaries of the project, and that of maximising the utilisation of resources. Value management seeks to merge all aspects of the project process, and to find a balance between satisfaction of the project‟s needs and the stakeholder‟s interests. This technique is meant to improve the reconciliation and value of differing judgements and priorities to improve on the deliverables of the project. Consequently, the principles of defining and adding measurable value focuses on reaching the objectives, and finding solutions to problems before they appear. Therefore, the end results become an innovative way of integrating all operational activities, which enhance pre-emptive, risk aversive management. Value management is considered as a critical aspect in the effective management of project processes to reduce the high project failure rate in the construction industry. Part of the purpose of this study is to bring about awareness and knowledge of the effective use of the value management tool. This empirical research focused on project managers and other project practitioners who are tasked with the execution of project processes. A total of 125 respondents was drawn from the sampling frame. A structured questionnaire was used for the purpose, and collected data was captured and analysed, using the SPSS tool and an Excel spreadsheet. Relationships in the illustrations were interpreted and presented, forming the basis on which findings, conclusion and recommendations were made. A questionnaire has structured closed-ended questions (quantitative) and open-ended questions (qualitative) to complement each other. A mixed method approach (qualitative and quantitative) was applied to take advantage of the benefits of these two methods. The qualitative research applied a content analysis of the collected data.

Although Value Engineering (VE) studies are mandated by the Federal Highway Administration for large ($25 million or more) federal-aid highway projects, many state Departments of Transportation do not conduct voluntary VE studies on smaller projects. Those who have done so have seen project improvements and savings as a result. The success of the existing voluntary VE programs indicates that VE application to small transportation projects represents a significant opportunity for savings. The goal of this thesis work was to develop a methodology for conducting VE studies on small transportation projects that would make efficient use of available personnel and require little VE training. The author examined the results and procedures of several DOT VE programs, including some that conduct studies on projects as small as $1 million. The analyses revealed sources of past savings, trends and common methods in VE studies, and procedures and forms that are best suited to the types of project under study. Based on the research and analyses, the author developed a VE study methodology that is tailored to small transportation projects, including a workbook and both general and specific guidelines. This report proposes an approach to VE on small transportation projects using this methodology, which is characterized by conformance with accepted VE practice and FHWA guidelines, efficient use of personnel, and ease of use. In particular, these recommendations are intended for use by any state DOT with an existing but limited VE program, such as MassHighway, which currently conducts only mandated studies.

A growing number of transportation agencies have begun to manage selected ancillary transportation assets systematically--culverts, guardrails, pavement markings, sidewalks and curbs, street lighting, traffic signals, traffic signs, utilities and manholes, earth retaining structures, and environmental mitigation features. Given prevailing budget limitations, several agencies are interested in prioritizing these assets for inclusion in their existing management systems. This paper discusses critical elements of a framework for assessing the risks, benefits and costs of incorporating ancillary assets in existing Transportation Asset Management programs. The paper reviews some basic elements of a risk theory, examines risk applications in transportation asset management, water mains, and storm water management, and identifies the basic elements of a risk-benefit-cost framework for prioritizing ancillary assets for management. These elements can be used as a basis for developing a decision analysis framework to make a business case for the formal management of ancillary transportation assets and to prioritize them for inclusion in existing Transportation Asset Management programs. Using these elements, we have developed a risk ranking model that can be used by transportation officials to prioritize their ancillary asset classes for management. A demonstration of the model is presented in this paper to show its effectiveness. The study concludes that tracking and documentation of ancillary transportation asset failures would help agencies better understand the risks associated with failure. Tracking and documenting the failures of ancillary transportation assets would also help in identifying trends/probability of failure as well as quantifying the consequences associated with these failures. Such information could also be used to estimate risk factors to prioritize individual asset classes for inclusion in existing management systems.

This thesis critically analyses the definitions of strategy within the management control literature, the relationship between resource-based view of strategy and the balanced scorecard, as well as the impact of these on manager's perceived performance. Contingency theory has been used as the overall framework for this thesis. A longitudinal case study of a technology company was undertaken, with a critical analysis of the implementation of the balanced scorecard at one of the business units. Both qualitative and quantitative research tools were used. The thesis discusses the interaction between changes in management control systems and organisational changes through the use of the Laughlin framework and the three mechanisms of institutional isomorphic suggested by DiMaggio and Powell. / Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2006.