Thesis (Ph.D.)--Building Construction, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Committee Chair: Oberle, Rita A.; Committee Co-Chair: Castro-Lacouture, Daniel; Committee Member: Bluestein, Fradya; Committee Member: Dobbins, Michael; Committee Member: Roper, Kathy

Concern for project failures and successes have posed a controversial and much debated topic amongst scholars and practitioners alike. IT projects are no exceptions and they too suffer from a high rate of failure. This research aims to explore the reasons why certain IT projects succeed). Besides its academic importance, the research intends to assess the implications for successful implementation of current and future IT projects. The review of the extant literature reveals the enormity of the challenges involved in minimising or avoiding project failures. Present work is contextualizing these issues in a large national organisation with branches throughout the KSA. The Saudi Arabia constitutes the case study for this research. Qualitative methodology was adopted to generate and collect adequate and relevant data. Main instruments were; Semi-structured interviews involving senior managers in five geographical areas who were involved in the management of the IT projects and selected project documents. Thematic analysis was used and led to emergence of seven main ‘themes’, 19 major ‘issues’, and the construction of the first time generic model for success of IT projects. The core issues identified in the model are: Quality, Time and Cost at three levels; individual, organisation and environment with specific order of importance. The implications of the findings for the theory and practice have been identified. It is also recommended that there is a need for further research into individual and contextual factors that influence both managers as well as the circumstances under which IT projects are implemented.

[pt] Este trabalho trata da gestão de múltiplos projetos mediante a metodologia da Cadeia Crítica e Gestão de Buffers (Critical Chain and Buffer Management – CC/BM). Concentra-se na análise e entendimento dos efeitos que as abordagens mais usuais para dimensionamento dos buffers de capacidade (Capacity Buffers – BC) e definição dos critérios de priorização de atividades têm sobre os objetivos da empresa e dos próprios projetos. O estudo baseia-se num problema-exemplo apresentado por Pritsker B. et al. (1969.). Para facilitar a análise, esse exemplo se caracteriza por uma estrutura simples, mas que apresenta interdependências relevantes para o estudo dos conflitos de compartilhamento de recursos entre projetos. Analisam-se as abordagens de todos juntos, projetos sucessivos e do recurso gargalo, propostas por Newbold (1998) para planejamento conjunto de projetos simultâneos. Tais abordagens são implementadas através das ferramentas de programação de projetos Prochain & Pipeline. A partir dos programas (schedules) resultantes, analisam-se as características e deficiências de cada abordagem. Ademais, tais resultados permitem identificar certas condições e efeitos conflitantes no dimensionamento dos BC e no critério de priorização de atividades utilizado nas implementações típicas da metodologia. Tais observações criaram a necessidade de complementar a análise mediante a simulação probabilística da etapa de execução dos projetos. A pesquisa explica a diferença entre os efeitos dos critérios de priorização dinâmica e estática, esclarece a interação entre os buffers de capacidade e buffers de projeto. Ela ainda analisa os efeitos de dimensionar os BCs, para todos os projetos, como uma mesma porcentagem da carga do recurso e ilustra os trade-offs entre estabilidade do sistema e o makespan dos projetos. / [en] This research addresses the management of multiple simultaneous projects through the application of the Critical Chain and Buffers Management (CC/BM) methodology. The focus is on the analysis and interpretation of the effects that the more usual approaches for Capacity Buffers (CB) sizing and criteria to prioritize activities have on the company’s and on the projects’ own objectives. The study is based on the problem-example presented by Pritsker B. et al. (1969.) For simplifying the analysis, this example is characterized by a simple structure that, nevertheless, presents interdependences significant for the study of conflicts created by sharing resources between simultaneous projects. The approaches for simultaneous projects management, presented by Newbold (1998) are analyzed, namely: the all together, the successive projects and the strategic resource. Their implementations are made using the Prochain & Pipeline multi-project management tools. From the resulting schedules, the characteristics and deficiencies of each approach are analyzed. Furthermore, these results allow the identification of certain conditions and conflicting effects in the BC sizing and in the criteria used to prioritize activities in the typical methodology implementations. Such observations led to the necessity of complementing the analysis with the aid of probabilistic simulation of the projects’ execution stage. The research explains the differences between the effects of dynamic and static prioritization, elucidates the interaction between the capacity and the project buffers. It also examines the effects of using the same percentage of the resource load for sizing the BCs for all the projects, and illustrates the trade-offs between the system stability and the projects makespan.

Orientador: Miguel Juan Bacic / Dissertação (mestrado profissional) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T14:49:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maciel_FlavioJose_M.pdf: 6221308 bytes, checksum: 067989413435f1e82614e63b4ee36a82 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: A aceleração das mudanças e a velocidade necessária na condução das inovações tecnológicas têm obrigado as organizações a considerar em suas estratégias ferramentas de gestão operacionais que abrangem seus processos, controlam suas eficiências e mantêm informada a alta direção da empresa. Uma dessas ferramentas largamente utilizadas atualmente é o gerenciamento de projetos, o qual é capaz de possibilitar o compartilhamento eficaz dos recursos, alinhar os objetivos e disseminá-los por todos os níveis da organização. No entanto, as empresas que optam por utilizar o gerenciamento de projetos devem considerar outros fatores organizacionais para o correto dimensionamento da metodologia dessa ferramenta estratégica, tais como as características do mercado local, o nível de exigência de seus clientes, requisitos legais, normativos tais como a IS0 9000 e o tamanho da estrutura versus o volume de seus negócios. Este trabalho formula um método simplificado de gerenciamento de projetos, adequado às necessidades de uma empresa de bens de capital, baseado nas recomendações do Project Management Institute (PMI) e aderente às normas NBR IS0 9000:2000. Estuda-se o seu processo de implementação e avaliam-se os resultados da aplicação desse Método Simplificado, ao longo de quatro anos. As principais conclusões do estudo são as constatações de viabilidade de implementação de um método simplificado, da melhora nos indicadores de desempenho de processos alcançados após a sua execução e sua total compatibilidade com o sistema de gestão da qualidade da organização / Abstract: This work has as objective to suggest a model of simplified projects management structured in the PMI's recommendations and fully accomplishment to NBR ISO 9000:2000 norms. Additionally, it studies its process of implantation in local branch industrial goods company office evaluating if it is possible to get itself better performance resulted with the methodology comparing against the currently processes in an no management project user organization. The revision of literature describes the description of the management of projects, the analysis of the project environment, the critical factors of success. The used methodology was the study of case applied in an company during 4 years and as instrument of data collection had been used the performances scores figures of the organization. It comments the execution of the implementation plan. The conclusions presented in this work disclose the consequences of an culture of management of projects implementation into an organization without the necessary projects management maturity degree, despite the significant improvement into its process performance. As recommendation, this study suggest to the interested parties to research of the influences of the key success factors mentioned during the implementation of this methodology, using a more significant organization samples that had adopted the methodology of management of projects / Mestrado / Gestão da Qualidade Total / Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

<p>Osnovni cilj istraživanja predstavlja ispitivanje faktora<br />kompleksnosti koji utiču na performanse međunarodnih razvojnih<br />projekata. Savremeni izazovi u upravljanju međunarodnim razvojnim<br />projektima doveli su do povećane kompleksnosti ove vrste projekata,<br />što je u poslednjih nekoliko godina podstaklo istraživače da<br />publikuju veliki broj radova na ovu temu. Dobijeni model<br />kompleksnosti razvijen je kombinovanjem rezultata Delfi<br />istraživanja sa rezultatima kvantitativnog istraživanja. Model<br />kompleksnosti može biti primenjen od strane praktičara i akademika<br />za procenu nivoa kompleksnosti međunarodnih razvojnih projekata.</p> / <p>The main goal of the research is to examine complexity factors that influence<br />International Development projects. Contemporary challenges in ID projects<br />have led to their growth in their complexity, which in recent years has driven<br />researches in recent years to publish numerous papers that deal with this<br />topic, demonstrating its importance in current project management research.<br />The research in the dissertation was done by conducting mixed research<br />method &ndash; by comparing Delphi methodology in the qualitative part, with<br />quantitative research. The model represents a novel theoretical lens for<br />assessing complexity in ID projects by both academics and practitioners.</p>

Concern for project failures and successes have posed a controversial and much debated topic amongst scholars and practitioners alike. IT projects are no exceptions and they too suffer from a high rate of failure. This research aims to explore the reasons why certain IT projects succeed). Besides its academic importance, the research intends to assess the implications for successful implementation of current and future IT projects. The review of the extant literature reveals the enormity of the challenges involved in minimising or avoiding project failures. Present work is contextualizing these issues in a large national organisation with branches throughout the KSA. The Saudi Arabia constitutes the case study for this research. Qualitative methodology was adopted to generate and collect adequate and relevant data. Main instruments were; Semi-structured interviews involving senior managers in five geographical areas who were involved in the management of the IT projects and selected project documents. Thematic analysis was used and led to emergence of seven main ‘themes’, 19 major ‘issues’, and the construction of the first time generic model for success of IT projects. The core issues identified in the model are: Quality, Time and Cost at three levels; individual, organisation and environment with specific order of importance. The implications of the findings for the theory and practice have been identified. It is also recommended that there is a need for further research into individual and contextual factors that influence both managers as well as the circumstances under which IT projects are implemented. / Ministry of Education, KSA

O gerenciamento de projetos assume um papel cada vez mais importante nas atividades empresariais. Os projetos têm papel importante na sobrevivência da empresa. Assim, uma sistemática eficiente para o gerenciamento de seus projetos atenderá aos padrões do mercado na questão de custos e prazo. A eficiência dos sistemas produtivos também tem grande importância. Neste cenário as empresas devem possuir uma sistemática eficiente para a otimização do sistema produtivo a fim de obter-se um sistema eficaz. O presente trabalho traz duas propostas para melhoria destes problemas, o primeiro é o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para gerenciamento de projetos e o segundo uma metodologia de otimização do sistema produtivo utilizando Redes de Petri auxiliado por simulação discreta. Para comprovar a eficácia destas propostas, um estudo de caso foi realizado em uma empresa. / The management of projects assumes a role nowadays each more important time in the enterprise activities. In manufacture companies who work in an environment under order, the projects have important paper in the survival of the company. Thus, these companies must possess an efficient systematics for the management of its projects, in order to take care of to the standards, each limited time more, of cost, stated period and quality of its customers. The efficiency of the productive systems also has great importance in the activities entrepreneurs now a day. The companies who do not present efficient a productive system do not obtain to compete in equality in this globalizado world, in this scene the companies must possess an efficient systematics for the optimization and the simulation of the productive system in order to arrive at an efficient system. The present work brings two proposals for improvement of these problems, the first one is developing of a methodology for management of projects and as a methodology of optimization of the productive system using nets of Petri assisted for discrete simulation, and to prove the effectiveness of these proposals a case study it was elaborated in a company in order to get itself resulted for the evidence of the elaborated proposals.

[pt] Hoje em dia, entregar software com qualidade, nos prazos previstos e respeitando os custos é um grande diferencial para empresas dedicadas a esta atividade. A constante procura de produtividade e qualidade em projetos de software originou diversos modelos de gerenciamento que procuram auxiliar esta área com metodologias e formas de organização de trabalho. O modelo mais conhecido na área de gerenciamento de software é o Modelo em Cascata, caracterizado pela rigidez e fases bem definidas nos processos. Uma vez encontrados problemas com os modelos rígidos surgiram como alternativa de gerenciamento os métodos ágeis, caracterizados pela agilidade, iteratividade e adaptabilidade para diversos projetos. Diante isto o presente trabalho analisa o problema do gerenciamento de projetos de desenvolvimento de software, e propõe um modelo de referencia de gerenciamento de projetos de software considerando a abordagem tradicional de gerenciamento de projetos assim como a abordagem ágil. A pesquisa analisa a compatibilidade das metodologias ágeis com o Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) que é um modelo de maturidade nos processos de desenvolvimento de software. Finalmente a pesquisa apresenta um estudo de caso, que permitiu observar as forças e fraquezas dos métodos estudados, concluindo que as praticas ágeis contribuem na melhoria e gerenciamento de projetos de software. / [en] Today, delivering quality software, on time and respecting costs is a key differentiator for companies dedicated to this activity. The constant search for productivity and quality in software project management led to several models that seek to help this area with methods and forms of work organization. The best known model in the area of software management is the Waterfall Model, characterized by stiffness and well-defined phases in the process. Once found problems with rigid models have emerged as alternative management of agile methods, characterized by agility, and adaptability to various iterative projects. Given that this paper analyzes the problem of managing software development projects, and proposes a reference model for managing software projects considering the traditional approach of project management as well as the agile approach. The research examines the compatibility of agile methodologies with the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a maturity model in software development processes. Finally the research presents a case study, which allowed us to observe the strengths and weaknesses of the methods studied, concluding that such practices contribute to improved and agile project management software.

Viele Prozess-IT-Projekte erfüllen nicht die Erwartungen des Managements, der Anwender, oder von beiden. Ein beachtlicher Anteil wird abgebrochen und scheitert damit komplett. Aber gerade der Erfolg dieser Projekte kann für den Erfolg des ganzen Unternehmens entscheidend sein. Wenn man diese Projekte als Organisationsentwicklungsprojekte mit einem klaren Fokus auf die beteiligten und betroffenen Personen betrachtet, steigt die Erfolgswahrscheinlichkeit in großem Maß. Der vorgestellte Fünf-Phasen-Plan zeigt ein Vorgehensmodell, mit dem auch große internationale und komplexe IT-Projekte erfolgreich bearbeitet werden können und wie ein nachhaltiger Erfolg für das Unternehmen sichergestellt werden kann.

[pt] O Brasil está no centro do debate sobre a importância da bioeconomia e seu papel no desenvolvimento sustentável. O país, com sua vasta diversidade biocultural, abriga 20 por cento das espécies do planeta, com mais da metade de seu território coberto por vegetação nativa. O agroextrativismo emerge como uma estratégia para integrar produtos da sociobiodiversidade aos mercados, estimulando o desenvolvimento econômico local, a conservação da biodiversidade e o consumo sustentável. Neste contexto, o fortalecimento de cadeias de valor da sociobiodiversidade representa uma alternativa ao modelo predatório atual e tem sido cada vez mais discutido no âmbito de projetos de cooperação internacional, a exemplo do Programa Redução das Emissões por Desmatamento e Degradação florestal (REDD) Early Movers de Mato Grosso (REM MT) que apoia organizações de base da agricultura familiar e de povos e comunidades tradicionais. O Programa REM MT, contratou 21 projetos com esta finalidade no primeiro semestre de 2023 e prevê a execução de cerca de R$ 40 M em 12 meses. Essas iniciativas representam um grande desafio em termos de monitoramento e avaliação, processos cruciais para o êxito dos projetos. Sendo assim, este trabalho identifica e avalia procedimentos e ferramentas de M(e)A do Programa REM MT e o contrapõe com outros programas socioambientais análogos em curso no país. Compreender quais os procedimentos e instrumentos utilizados em outros programas permite a elaboração de uma proposta de monitoramento adequada e possibilita a proposição de eventuais melhorias em processos já estabelecidos. / [en] Brazil is central to the discussion on the significance of bioeconomy and its role in sustainable development. With its extensive biocultural diversity, the nation hosts 20 percent of the world s species, over half of its territory is enveloped by native vegetation. Agroextractivism emerges as a strategic approach to integrate socio-biodiversity products into markets, fostering local economic growth, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable consumption. In this milieu, the reinforcement of socio-biodiversity value chains stands as an alternative to the prevailing predatory model and is increasingly deliberated within international cooperation projects, exemplified by the REDD Early Movers Program in Mato Grosso (REM MT), which bolsters grassroots organizations in family farming and traditional communities. The REM MT Program initiated 21 projects for this cause in the first half of 2023 and anticipates a budget execution of approximately R$ 40 million within 12 months. These endeavors pose considerable challenges in terms of monitoring and evaluation, pivotal for project success. Consequently, this study discerns and appraises the M(and)E methodologies and tools of the REM MT Program, juxtaposing them with analogous socio-environmental initiatives underway in Brazil. Grasping the methodologies and tools employed in other endeavors facilitates the formulation of an apt monitoring proposal and opens avenues for potential enhancements in established procedures.