Project Managers in a Futuristic Environment
By Dean Kashiwagi, Professor, PBSRG, Arizona State University
Marie Sullivan and Jacob Kashiwagi, Graduate Researchers, Arizona State University
Kenneth T. Sullivan Asst. Professor, PBSRG, Arizona State University
Editor’s note: This paper was a keynote presentation at the PM-04: 4th SCPM & 1st IPMA/MedNet Project Management Conference in the Mediterranean, 29-31 May 2008, Chios Island, Greece (http://2008.pmgreece.gr). As a Media Partner for that event, PMForum offered to republish selected papers in PM World Today. This paper is included here with the consent of the authors and the permission of the Centre for Construction Innovation of the National Technical University of Athens (www.innovation.view.gr) who is the copyright holder of the conference proceedings. All conditions and disclaimers of the copyright holder pertain.
Abstract
The demands for higher performance and increased efficiency have emphasized the importance of risk management for project managers (PM.) Using a traditional approach, PMs would increase management, direction and control to minimize risk. A new approach has been developed, which depends on alignment techniques. It is a supply chain process which minimizes risk through preplanning, the assignment of the risk to the most knowledgeable party, assigning of accountability through measurement and the reduction of information flow, and assigning the minimization of risk that the contractor/vendor does not control to the contractor. This “futuristic” PM role is a paradigm shift from traditional project management.
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About the Authors:
Dean Kashiwagi, PhD
Author
Dean T. Kashiwagi, PhD, is a professor at Arizona State University’s Del E Webb School of Construction and also the Director of the PBSRG. PBSRG is the worldwide leader in improving facility/project performance and efficiency. Kashiwagi has developed a “hands off” approach to managing contractors or vendors in any industry. His concept is contrary to traditional price-driven procurement. The technology has been tested over 500 times totaling $1.135 Billion ($683M in construction projects and $451 in non-construction projects) with a 98% success rate since 1994. He work is now being tested in the Netherlands. Kashiwagi has integrated these concepts into a Facility-Project Asset Graduate Program at ASU. His presentations are highly sought out by highly recognized international organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI) Global Congress. Dean can be contacted at dean.kashiwagi@asu.edu.
Jacob Kashiwagi
Co-Author
Jacob Kashiwagi is a Ph.D. research student at Arizona State University. He is the developer of the no-influence leadership theory, the theoretical basis for the PIPS model. He is also a senior researcher and lecturer in ASU’s leadership development and best value efforts. Jacob has worked with numerous public and private organizations (United States Army Medical Command, Schering Plough, State of Hawaii, City of Miami Beach, Entergy, Arizona State University, etc.) to help increase efficiency in their outsourcing of services and management of projects. The technology has been tested over 500 times with a 98% success rate. He has also an author of several research papers and reports. Jacob can be contacted at Jacob.kashiwagi@asu.edu.
Marie Sullivan
Co-Author
Marie Sullivan is a research specialist at Arizona State University’s Del E. Webb School of Construction. Marie’s key principal areas of teaching and research are in Quality Assurance and Risk Minimization. Her studies also include theoretical modeling, prototype development and testing, and implementation of systems. She has authored over 20 International conference proceedings (papers) in efficient processes, best value, and construction performance. She oversees training and projects from the following research clients: US Army Medical Command, City of Miami Beach, State of Washington and the University of Minnesota. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Public Administration. Her eight years of research expand in the following areas of performance documentation, implementation of performance concepts and information, and theoretical development of the systems delivering construction, services, and systems. Marie can be contacted at Marie.kashiwagi@asu.edu.
Kenneth T. Sullivan, PhD
Co-Author
Kenneth Sullivan is the deputy-director of the Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG) and the director of the Facility Management Research Institute (FMRI) as an assistant professor in the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University. His research focuses on risk management, cost engineering, productivity, best value, and leadership in facility management and the built environment. He is well versed in quantitative methodologies, statistics, and data analysis techniques and teaches courses in advanced estimating, research methods, and facility management. Sullivan’s research fundamentally seeks to shift established organizational paradigms into a more efficient structures composed of measurement-based systems of accountability, resulting in the reduction of inefficient practices of over-management and the increase of risk control. As co-founder, and now Secretary of Research for the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) Task Group 61, Kenn has been commissioned to generate a global performance metric for construction and facility management, and create a new journal focusing on performance information and risk. Kenn has also published 58 peer-reviewed papers and is a frequent speaker, both domestically and internationally. Kenn can be contacted at Kenneth.sullivan@asu.edu.
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Virtual Public Administration: Improving Public Administration Procedures through Project Management
By Georgios T. Kapogiannis, Yiannis E. Polychronakis, and Nikostratos E. Polychronakis
Editor’s note: This paper was presented at the PM-04: 4th SCPM & 1st IPMA/MedNet Project Management Conference in the Mediterranean, 29-31 May 2008, Chios Island, Greece (http://2008.pmgreece.gr). As a Media Partner for that event, PMForum offered to republish selected papers in PM World Today. This paper is included here with the consent of the author and the permission of the Centre for Construction Innovation of the National Technical University of Athens (www.innovation.view.gr) who is the copyright holder of the conference proceedings. All conditions and disclaimers of the copyright holder pertain.
Abstract
The best way to contribute to electronic and mobile Government is by creating a public administration network in virtual communities. This is essentially the definition of Virtual Public Administration (VPA). The success of the VPA is based on the virtual project management application. Our paper examines, theoretically and empirically, how VPA could potentially contribute to better public administration services and how effective project management application could facilitate the proposed transition. The research strategy is based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches. Our study provides both qualitative (statements of directors, observations) and quantitative (metrics) examples related to these improvements. Three UK based councils have agreed in principle to participate to the study. Furthermore, in Greece the General Inspector of Public Administration, the National University of Athens and others has also agreed to participate. Our paper concludes with the contribution of our work along with some interesting avenues for further research.
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About the Authors:
Georgios T. Kapogiannis
Co-Author
  
Georgios T. Kapogiann is is a candidate Doctorate of Philosophy in ‘‘ICT Project Management in Public Management’’ in Salford Business School at the University of Salford, Manchester. He holds a M.Sc. in ''Economics and Management of Telecommunication Networks'' and a B.Sc. in ''Applied Informatics in Management and Finance''. He had been granted a number of Scholarships, notably, by the State Foundation Institute (Greece) for studies in Finland at the University of Jyväskylä, and from the University at Albany (State New York University – Centre for Technology in Government). He has articles included in the proceedings of several International Conferences (i.e. 20th European Conference on Operational Research, 2nd International Conference of Mobile Government) and is currently acting as a peer reviewer for prestigious European Journal such as the European Journal of ePractice. He has work experience in EU funded Project as Economo – Technical Expert more than 5 years (Budget > 8m Euro) in public and private sector. Also, he is Member Board of Directors in the Finnish Hellenic Chamber of Commerce since 2005. Contact details: G.Kapogiannis@pgr.salford.ac.uk.
Yiannis E. Polychronakis
Co-Author
Yiannis E. Polychronakis is currently a Senior Lecturer in Logistics and Project Management based in Salford Business School at the University of Salford, Manchester, UK. He has published several articles in prestigious international journals (International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management) in the area of Project Management application for Supply Chain Development, and has a number of papers included in refereed International Conference Proceedings. Yiannis has also assisted a number of private and public organisations in developing and implementing best practices in the areas of supply chain development and project management. Organisations include Kawneer (Europe), Silent Night, Cleveland Guest, Trafford City Council, Manchester City Council, Primary Care Trusts and more. Contact details: Y.Polychronakis@salford.ac.uk.
Nikostratos E. Polychronakis
Co-Author
Nikostratos E. Polychronakis received a BEng in Computer Systems Engineering (Univ. Sussex, UK - June 1994) and an MSc in Digital Electronics and Parallel Processing Systems (Universities of Sussex and Brighton, UK - Sep 1995). On July 1997 he joined Data Information Systems (D.I.S.) in Athens, Greece where he was responsible for software integration in the area of warehouse management. On November 1997 he joined FORTHnet S.A. Research & Development Department and since then he has been coordinating in the area of Network Management. He also, holds the position of Project Management participating in Large European and National projects. From September 1998 he has been a Computer Science Lecturer at the Technological Educational Institute (ATEI) of Iraklion-Crete. Member of IEE (MIEE) since 1994. Member of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) since October 1998. Contact details: npol@forthnet.gr.
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Historical Events of September 1940
Churchill the Agile Project Manager - Part 24
By Mark Kozak-Holland
Most people are very familiar with Winston Churchill but may not be familiar with his “agile” approach to project management and his skills as a PM in the summer of 1940. Part 23 looked at the sequence of historical events in August 1940 for the utilization and the effectiveness of Churchill’s solution. To date it had performed well and proven its value. This article looks at how it allowed the team to react with agility in the phase four (final phase) of the battle. This starts in September when the city of London is heavily bombed “the Blitz”, as the Luftwaffe retaliate to the RAF bombing raids on Berlin (August 24-29) and hope to destroy British morale. Here is a daily breakdown of key responses through September:
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Read the previous paper in this series. Churchill the Project Manager (Part 23)
View the entire series at: http://www.pmforum.org/library/papers/index.htm
About the Author:
Mark Kozak-Holland
Author
 
Mark Kozak-Holland’s latest book in the Lessons-From-History series is titled “Project Lessons from the Great Escape (Luft III)” http://www.mmpubs.com/catalog/lessons-from-history-c-4.html. It draws parallels from this event in World War II to today's business challenges. His previous books include “Churchill’s Adaptive Enterprise: Lessons for Business Today”, “Titanic Lessons for IT Projects”, and “Avoiding Titanic Disasters: Project Lessons for IT Executives”. Mark is a Senior Business Architect with HP Services and regularly writes and speaks (presentations and workshops) on the subject of emerging technologies and lessons that can be learned from historical projects. He can be contacted via his Web site at www.lessons-from-history.com or via email to mark.kozak-holl@sympatico.ca.
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Gaining Competitive Advantage with Program Management
By Russell Martinelli and Jim Waddelll
Introduction
The term competitive advantage seems to be widely overused in business today, especially by those who produce products and services as a means to compete with their industry rivals. But what is really meant by competitive advantage? Bruce Greenwald, in an article from the September 2005 issue of the Harvard Business Review defines competitive advantage as (1):
“… something that a firm can do that rivals cannot match. It either generates greater demand to give firms unequaled access to customers or creates technological or cost/supply advantages that competitors cannot duplicate.”
Achievement of competitive advantage over one’s business rivals must be rooted in the creation and implementation of a firm’s business strategies. For product and service development companies, competitive advantage is gained through the realization of business strategies that are focused on the creation of compelling products and services. As Mr. Greenwald states above, competitive advantage is only achieved if the business strategy results in products and services that provide market preference, technological superiority, or cost and profitability advantage.
While performing research for our book titled Program Management for Improved Business Results (ISBN: 0-471-78354-4), it became evident that firms which were using program management as a product or service development model viewed it as a competitive advantage. The following quote comes from the vice president of engineering for major a semi-conductor firm, who describes the competitive advantage of program management in the following way (2):
“Good program management goes right to the bottom line; it improves a company’s P&L (profit and loss). A company that delivers more products, better products, and does so faster wins the competitive race. Program management makes better, faster and cheaper a reality”
In this paper, we explore how program management as a product and service development model can deliver competitive advantage by making better, faster, cheaper a reality.
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About the Authors:
Russ Martinelli
Russ Martinelli is the Manager of Program Management Methods within the Corporate Platform Office at Intel Corporation, where he focuses on the implementation of program management practices across Intel. Additionally, Russ is the chairman of Intel’s global Program Management Community of Practice, an adjunct professor at the University of Phoenix, and co-founder of the Program Management Academy. Russ has held a variety of positions at Intel and Lockheed Martin in the areas of systems engineering, general management, operations management, and project and program management. Russ has recently published the book titled “Program Management for Improved Business Results” (ISBN: 0-471-78354-4). Contact Russ at: russ.martinelli@programmanagement-academy.com
Jim Waddell
Jim Waddell is an independent consultant specializing in program management and mergers and acquisitions. He is the former Director of Program Management for Tektronix Inc. where he established and led Tektronix’s first worldwide Program Management Office. Additionally, Jim is an adjunct professor at the Oregon Graduate Institute, a founding member of the Program Management Forum in Portland, and the co-founder of the Program Management Academy. Jim has held a wide range of managerial and operational roles ranging across engineering, marketing, systems and manufacturing in the high tech and energy industries. Contact Jim at: mailto:jim.waddell@programmanagement-academy.com
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