Global Engineering Management And Learning In Project Life Cycle, Stakeholder Relations, Engineering Budget and Team Management

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TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION3

Background3

Objective8

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW9

MOTIVATION, BACKGROUND, AND OBJECTIVE9

Globalization9

Capitalism and the Demand for Growth15

International Project Scope18

Summary21

Topics to be covered22

Reflection and Discussion23

DEFINITION OF A PROJECT23

PROJECT MANAGEMENT27

PROJECT SUCCESS32

PROJECT CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS37

SYNTHESIS OF THE LITERATURE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES43

SYNTHESIS OF THE LITERATURE OF RISK MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES50

Project Risk Management50

Risk Management51

SYNTHESIS OF THE LITERATURE OF LIFE CYCLE PRINCIPLES54

Life-Cycle Approach54

SYNTHESIS OF THE LITERATURE OF DECISION MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES55

Decision Making or Decision Management55

PROJECT LIFE CYCLE58

Needs Assessment and Planning58

Project Conception59

Market Research59

Funds Acquisition60

Life Cycle Planning60

Concept Design61

Project Scope Definition62

Major system definition62

System Tolerances and Interactions62

Overall Design63

Component Selection64

System Integration64

Design Evaluation and Refinement65

Prototyping and Initial Tests65

Project Implementation and Manufacturing66

Product Release and Monitoring67

Technology Evolution68

Budget Management70

Team Coordination71

Scope Monitoring72

Human Resources72

Work Distribution, Breakdown73

Reflection and Discussion74

Introduction74

Background and Problem Identification76

Project Controls on Construction Projects77

Controlling Engineering Work79

Research Methodology81

Research Plan82

Thesis Structure83

PROJECT CONTROLS85

Current Project Controls in Relation to Engineering Work85

Baseline Development86

Work Breakdown Structure86

Creating the Planned Values90

Baseline Maintenance92

Progress and Earned Value93

Deliverables94

Measuring Percent Complete97

Progress Rolled-up103

Earned Value Units107

Actual Costs107

Performance, Forecasting, and Corrective Action108

EVM Schedule Performance and Forecasting113

Timing of Forecasting119

Forecasting at the Project Level - Rolling-Up the Forecasts120

Performance Investigation and Corrective Action120

Reporting and Decision Making122

Review of Current Industry Practices for Controlling Engineering Work124

Overarching Approach126

Baseline Development127

Baseline Maintenance128

Progress Measurement Techniques128

Performance, Forecasting and Corrective Action129

Discussion129

Summary130

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY131

Case selection131

Data collection133

Data analysis136

CHAPTER 4: EMPIRICAL FINDINGS142

Phase 1: supply base rationalization (1987-1993)142

Phase 2: toward extreme design outsourcing (1993-2001)142

Phase 3: a new pattern toward in-sourcing (2002-2006)144

Organizational aspects of system integration145

The scope of the knowledge base145

The organization of NPD147

Discussion152

Incomplete decomposability of product performance and its consequences153

The limits of leveraging modular product architecture for achieving coordination154

Component-specific knowledge and architectural knowledge157

Implications for firm boundaries161

The role of organizational decisions on limits of outsourcing163

Case Study166

Introduction166

The link between offshoring and firm performance168

Data description176

The impact of offshoring on firm performance181

REFERENCES191

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background

Outsourcing design and engineering tasks in product development is increasingly popular. From the early nineties, the innovation literature promoted involving suppliers in product development, emphasizing that they could play a key role in successfully developing complex products (Womack et al., 1990; Clark and Fujimoto, 1991; Wheelwright and Clark, 1992). The focus of attention of this research was on the development practices of Japanese firms, whose success in terms of product development was seen in large part due to the heavy involvement of suppliers in the new product development process (henceforth 'NPD') (Clark, 1989; Nishiguchi, 1994; Bensaou, 1999). Considered best practices (Imai et al., 1985), they became models, which were imitated by Western firms (Womack et al., 1990), and the object of study of early supplier involvement ('ESI') (Helper, 1991; Smitka, 1991; Lamming, 1993; Nishiguchi, 1994; Helper and Sako, 1995; Sako, 2004).

In many complex product industries, pressures for involving external sources of innovation have increased due to changes in external conditions (Sturgeon, 2002); the evolution of markets for technology and technological development services (Arora et al., 2001) has resulted in a generalized tendency toward vertical disintegration, modularization, outsourcing, and networking in product development (Langlois, 2002; Chesbrough and Crowther, 2006; Howells et al., 2008). It is very difficult for one individual firm to master all the knowledge ...