1,720,960 research outputs found
Project management information system data model development and explanation
Get PDFThe Project Management (PM) discipline is evolving towards the adoption of digital technologies, which are to be integrated into a project management information system (PMIS). Despite the fact that many PMIS solutions are already available, there is no standard data model for PMIS development, nor is the logic underlying PMIS. Therefore, organizations struggle to integrate other business applications into the PMIS and cannot leverage the data collected to improve both project management and execution. To address these issues, this paper aims to provide a standard PMIS model as a foundation for database design and software development. The PM objects are first identified and then represented in a data model that outlines their attributes and methods and the relationships between the classes. All classes are structured to accommodate in their interface the core PM processes, such as task and resource management, project scheduling, risk management, and progress control. The study evaluates the impact and benefits of implementing this standard model while acknowledging its limitations and providing recommendations for practical implementation
Improving Project Estimates at Completion through Progress-Based Performance Factors
Get PDFFrom a managerial perspective, project success hinges on estimates at completion as they allow tailoring response actions to cost and schedule overruns. While the literature is moving towards sophisticated approaches, standard methodologies, such as Earned-Value Management (EVM) and Earned Schedule (ES), are barely implemented in certain contexts. Therefore, it is necessary to improve performance forecasting without increasing its difficulty. The objective of this study was twofold. First, to guide modeling and implementing project progress within cost and to schedule Performance Factors (PFs). Second, to test several PFs utilized within EVM and ES formulae to forecast project cost and duration at completion. Progress indicators dynamically adjust the evaluation approach, shifting from neutral to conservative as the project progresses, either physically or temporally. This study compared the performance of the progress-based PFs against EVM and ES standard, combined, and average-based PFs on a dataset of 65 real construction projects, in both cost and duration forecasting. The results show that progress-based PFs provide more accurate, precise, and timely forecasts than other PFs. This study allows practitioners to select one or more of the proposed PFs, or even to develop one, following the guidelines provided, to reflect best their assumptions about the future course of project performance
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: AN ACTION RESEARCH
No full textEffective governance of a program of construction projects is essential to reach its intended objectives and benefits. The literature has reported several key challenges, including adopting Project Management Information Systems (PMIS), utilising risk management, and implementing robust stakeholder engagement. These program duties can be integrated into the centralised responsibility and authority of a Program Management Office (PMO). Via action research, this paper analyses the role of the PMO and the critical success factors of establishing program management in a public technical university in Italy that has undertaken a program of nine overlapping educational and research building projects, totalling 300 million euros in investment. The findings reveal that the creation of a PMO was central to both improving program governance processes and enhancing project delivery and performance management. The PMO played a critical role in standardising planning and monitoring practices, integrating data flows, and fostering communication between top management and project managers. The implementation of the PMO facilitated real-time information exchange and improved decision-making
Project Management Information Systems: A Systematic Review
No full textThis paper presents a systematic scientific literature review of software in Project Management over the past five years. Through keyword-based research and subsequent selection, 108 papers were identified. Initially, these papers were categorized based on their research methodology and objectives. Then, trends related to the terminology, affiliation country, and journals and conferences where they were published were analyzed. The first result is related to the nomenclature: most sources refer to this kind of software as Project Management Information System (PMIS), followed by Project Management Software (PMS), Project Management System, and Project Management Tools. As for the contents, those include 43 case studies and/or technical reports on PMIS development, 28 case studies about implementing PMIS in business contexts, 27 frameworks and models for developing or implementing a PMIS, 13 models for comparing PMIS, and 12 surveys on PMIS adoption (some sources fall into multiple categories). No specific trending journals or conferences have emerged. It is discussed that the lack of standardized terminology has hindered the development of coherent literature strands, unlike in other business software domains such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). This fragmentation could act as a barrier to competition among applications, delaying the development of quality software and necessitating customized solutions due to the scarcity and difficulty of obtaining commercial options
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
A Review and Mapping of Project Schedule Monitoring Methods
No full textSchedule control is fundamental to project success, enabling proactive management of deviations from the baseline plan. While Earned Value Management (EVM) provides solid results for analyzing schedule performance, its limitations prompted the exploration of alternative methods. This study describes the drawbacks of EVM in schedule control. It then reviews and maps previous studies on schedule control and schedule risk analysis to describe, using a decision flowchart, how their findings relate to each other, and which method best fits the project characteristics and control priorities. The literature review was conducted using the PRISMA 2020 framework. The findings suggest adopting a top-down approach for serial networks and a bottom-up approach for parallel networks. Additional factors, such as the need for sensitivity analysis, uncertainty assessment, monitoring, or forecasting, further refine the selection of the optimal method. All above considerations were mapped in the decision flowchart provided which can be used by practitioners to identify the methods that best fit their case. This study provides insights into schedule control and clarifies the relationships between different methods, enabling empirical evidence-based decisions
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Tailoring Project Management Approaches: Lessons Learned by three Public Procurement Projects
No full textProject management (PM) is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. PM approaches must be tailored to fit specific contexts, such as Public Procurement (PP), which involves the purchase of goods and infrastructure by public administrations from private entities. Tailoring can occur on multiple levels; for example, PM approaches can be customized at the organizational level and then again at the project level. The literature acknowledges the importance of tailoring in the context of PP, but there is a gap in the study regarding the levels of tailoring in PP. Given the scarcity of previous studies on the subject, an inductive approach is adopted, based on three action research studies in large PP contexts in northern Italy: the construction of a metro system, the project portfolio of a university, and the creation of a teaching and research center. In these three projects, a work and research team, including the authors, was established. The results were derived from the notes taken by the work and research team. The result is that in PP, a first level of tailoring occurs at the national/European Union level, imposed by the regulatory context, while a second level of tailoring may be present at the organizational or project level. In both cases, the tailoring of Project Management Information Systems (PMIS) is essential to ensure transparency and integrity of the process
Tunnel Asset Management: Drafting a Methodology to Optimize Maintenance Programs
No full textHighways are among the infrastructures that form the strategic backbone of a country. Effective highway maintenance improves safety, enhances service quality, and reduces CO2emissions. This study aims to answer the following research question: “How can an asset management system for highway infrastructures be designed?”. The paper presents an applied research project carried out in collaboration with a major Italian highway concessionaire, focusing on the development of an asset management tool for highway tunnels. In particular, a group of seven tunnels located in northern Italy, is analyzed over a period of approximately twenty years. This study outlines the preliminary methodology adopted, which includes: (i) developing a digital model that, using degradation models as input, forecasts the quality status over time; (ii) modeling maintenance projects and their impact on degradation; (iii) enabling the creation of different intervention scenarios for each tunnel or group of tunnels, each with varying costs, risk levels, impacts on traffic, and service quality; (iv) developing a software tool integrated with a GIS system to allow intuitive and graphical use of the model; and (v) creating an asset-level optimizer to suggest the best overall intervention scenarios. The method is expected to act as a decision support system for optimized maintenance project portfolio management for the highway concessionaire
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