A Forward Looking Approach To Project Management

This book is intended as a basis for advanced treatment of concepts in project management. In the current scenario where most questions are answered through the internet, the knowledge element in project management has come under the influence of disruptive technologies. In other words, project managers no longer get 'points' for knowing something that is easily available on the internet. This has far-reaching consequences. The present day project managers need to orient themselves to newer benchmarks of what is required for success on the business front. This book deals with a few such advanced concepts in project management. This book is not designed as an elementary primer to the field of project management, rather it is an advanced level treatment on the subject, to be read after the preliminary study has already been completed. The book is designed for practicing project managers, and graduate students in engineering and management, who need to understand the dynamics that are typically encountered in a project-based environment. The content in the book is based on extensive study of literature and training programs. Many of the tools have been developed on the basis of modeling and simulation methods that are specially designed by the author. These were tested at several live projects across the globe. Most of the exercises in the book are actually meant for the reader to perform as they go. The book is not designed with a ‘read-all-and-come-back-later’ approach, rather it focuses on ‘learning by doing’, whereby the reader is expected to do the exercises before reading on. The book will prove useful in self-learning, as well as in classroom teaching and professional training programs.

This book is slated to be a quick reference for people who want to understand the changes in the supply chain management discipline that are going to create a new wave of supply chain paradigms in future. It covers the basic tools and techniques used in understanding supply chains as well as selected case studies on upcoming enablers like BlockChains, 3D Printing, ML, etc. The book helps the reader gain deep insights into their business models as well as their supply chain perspectives. The books is not a theoretical treatment with too much of a jargon-centric focus, but it does a good deal of substantiating what is normally taught in theory, with a quick-to-adopt perspective. Thus, important modern day concepts are introduced using a method and style that is casual and simple, but to the point, making it easy to comprehend for the new age reader. It is practice oriented and consultative, allowing a flexible and a learning approach rather than a prescriptive one. Thus, one could read it easily, even without any prior knowledge of the subject. It thus, caters to both beginners as well as professionals alike. Most importantly, it helps the reader experience how expertise brings in rigor when it works in practical situations, thereby taking the reader to effortlessly go in depth, when needed. We cover and learn a lot of new age technologies throughout the book. And these are further made interesting through several real life applications in the form of case studies that help the reader comprehend the dynamics and learn intensly complex concepts from a practice perspective. The book helps one prepare oneself for the next move: be it entering the supply chain family of professions, or taking up senior roles within organizations. Therefore, it provides a sound understand about cutting edge methods including the state of the art modeling and simulation approaches that are used in supply chain management today. Lastly, it gives a sound perspective and a clear understanding about supply chain disruptions using new technologies like Industry 5.0, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Neural Networks, BlockChains and Analytics. Therefore, this is a must read in the current times.

Disasters raise serious challenges for contemporary legal orders: they demand significant management, but usually amidst massive disruption to the normal functioning of state authority and society. When dealing with disasters, law has traditionally focused on contingency planning and recovery. More recently, however, ‘resilience’ has emerged as a key concept in effective disaster management policies and strategies, aiming at minimising the impact of events, so that the normal functioning of society and the state can be preserved. This book analyses the contribution of law to resilience building by looking at law’s role in the different phases of the disaster regulatory process: risk assessment, risk management, emergency intervention, and recovery. More specifically, it addresses how law can effectively contribute to resilience-oriented distaster management policies, and what legal instruments can support effective resilience-building.

The book describes how to manage and successfully deliver large, complex, and expensive systems that can be composed of millions of line of software code, being developed by numerous groups throughout the globe, that interface with many hardware items being developed by geographically dispersed companies, where the system also includes people, policies, constraints, regulations, and a myriad of other factors. It focuses on how to seamlessly integrate systems, satisfy the customer’s requirements, and deliver within the budget and on time. The guide is essentially a “shopping list” of all the activities that could be conducted with tailoring guidelines to meet the needs of each project.

For the last 20 years the annual Major Projects Report has highlighted the variable performance of the Ministry of Defence's highest value defence equipment procurement projects, many of which have suffered cost overruns and delays. The NAO is examining the complex cultural and systemic drivers which need to be managed if military capability is to be delivered faster, cheaper and better. Project control is a critical linking factor between a number of the key drivers of successful acquisition, including management information, governance and assurance, risk and cost estimating, and ultimately budgeting and funding. The report describes four main levels of a gold standard practice pyramid: establishing and sustaining the right cultural environment; creating clear structure and boundaries; measuring progress and making decisions focused on successful project delivery; reporting to enable strategic decisions. The report finds the strongest message emerging from the analysis is that it is the "softer" factors about building and sustaining relationships (the bottom level of the pyramid) upon which success is predicated. There is a wide variety of performance against the gold standard, and this report presents recommendations to help ensure projects adopt practices closer to the standard. The full evidence underlying the recommendations is available on a website - www.naodefencevfm.org.

In Project Risk Governance, Dieter Fink breaks new ground in two ways. Firstly, he places project risk management in the context of today’s organisations in which objectives are increasingly implemented through projects to better respond to fast-changing markets. Secondly, he applies a governance perspective to examine project risk at the project and corporate levels, an approach which is significantly under-researched and for which theoretical knowledge and professional practice are at an early stage of maturity. Project risk governance falls between corporate governance and project governance and is attracting increasing attention. The author argues that there are two reasons for this. The first is the ’projectisation’ of organisations, in particular within organisations conforming to the Project-Based Organisation (PBO) model. The second is the prevalence of a strategic approach to managing risk for the purposes of protecting organisational values and creating competitive advantage. The book addresses governance, strategy, value management and building enterprise-wide Project Risk Governance (PRG) capabilities. Chapters examine the role of projects in organisations and the need to integrate project and business strategy within the framework of the Project-Based Organisation. PRG is introduced via its links with corporate and project governance and its scope is covered in chapters that identify relevant processes, structures and relationship mechanisms. Contextual influences such as the professionalisation of project management are recognised and insights provided to increase readers’ understanding of uncertainty, risk events, and probabilities and of the essential requirements of managing risks at project level. The final chapter provides a roadmap to the stages and dimensions of a PRG maturity model.

"Revolutionizing Project Management: Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence" is a cutting-edge guide designed to help project managers, professionals, and enthusiasts navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-driven project management. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected and technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, artificial intelligence has emerged as a game-changing force capable of transforming project management practices and empowering professionals to achieve greater success. In this comprehensive book, you'll discover the potential of AI to revolutionize project management across various domains, from intelligent project scoping and resource allocation to AI-powered risk analysis and mitigation. We start by laying a solid foundation, introducing you to the concepts of artificial intelligence, its history, and its relevance to project management. As we progress through the chapters, we'll uncover the myriad ways AI can optimize project management processes, enhance team communication, and drive better decision-making within project teams. Key topics covered in the book include: The fundamental concepts of artificial intelligence, its history, and its relevance to project management. The evolution of project management, traditional vs. modern approaches, and the role of technology in shaping the discipline. The intersection of AI and project management, exploring opportunities, challenges, and the impact of AI on project management functions. AI-driven techniques for intelligent project scoping, optimal resource allocation, and risk analysis and mitigation. The critical role AI plays in enhancing team communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution, including AI-assisted meeting scheduling and management, natural language processing, and sentiment analysis. The ethical considerations surrounding AI in project management, including data privacy, security, and the potential implications of AI-driven decision-making on human employment. Practical guidance on how to integrate AI into your project management practices, identifying the essential steps for successful AI implementation and offering real-life case studies and examples to illustrate the transformative power of AI in project management. With its in-depth exploration of AI's transformative potential and practical guidance on integrating AI into project management practices, "Revolutionizing Project Management: Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence" is an indispensable resource for project managers and professionals seeking to stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive and technologically advanced world. Whether you are a seasoned project manager or just beginning your journey in the world of project management, this book aims to equip you with the knowledge and insights necessary to harness the full potential of AI and revolutionize the way you manage projects. Don't miss the opportunity to explore how AI can elevate your project management skills and deliver exceptional results in this fast-paced, technology-driven era. Order your copy today and embark on this exciting journey into the future of project management.

Evolution of software has long been recognized as one of the most problematic and challenging areas in the field of software engineering, as evidenced by the high, often up to 60-80%, life-cycle costs attributed to this activity over the life of a software system. Studies of software evolution are central to the understanding and practice of software development. Yet it has received relatively little attention in the field of software engineering. This book focuses on topics aimed at giving a scientific insight into the aspect of software evolution and feedback. In summary, the book covers conceptual, phenomenological, empirical, technological and theoretical aspects of the field of software evolution - with contributions from the leading experts. This book delivers an up-to-date scientific understanding of what software evolution is, to show why it is inevitable for real world applications, and it demonstrates the role of feedback in software development and maintenance. The book also addresses some of the phenomenological and technological underpinnings and includes rules and guidelines for increased software evolvability and, in general, sustainability of the evolution process. Software Evolution and Feedback provides a long overdue, scientific focus on software evolution and the role of feedback in the software process, making this the indispensable guide for all software practitioners, researchers and managers in the software industry.