Project management in R&D

Project management in R&D

Kristian Widén, PhD

Kristian Widén, PhD

• I am 41 years young• I live in Kävlinge, outside Lund• Masters in Civil Engineering, PhD

in Construction Management, Innovations difusion in the construction sector.

• I run a company and I am President in SFK

The scope of the course

• Two courses– General (4.5 credits)

•Basic knowledge on R&D projects and project management in R&D

– Specific (4.5 credits)•Report on a selected topic connected

to project management in R&D

Course structure

• The course follow the general structure of PMBoK

• At the end of the course we intend to have some variuos guest lectures giving you example of how it works in practice

Course structure (c’d)

• Litterature– You should each choose a project

management text book– I recommend to get PMBoK

– Any additional llitterature will be handed out

Course structure c’d)

• Assignments– Before each lecture you should

write one page on the up-coming topic based on your own litterature

– Discuss, in groups, the approach to PM related to R&D and present

– You should right a short summary of your litterature

What is a project?

?

What is a project?

• One defintion is:– A project is a temporary

endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

What is a project?

• Characteristics– Managed by objectives– Temporary– Unique– Progressive elaboration

Project/Line

Project Line

Objectives Clear Comprehensive, distant

Personnel Selected team All

Uncertainty High Low

Time Deadline Eternity

Manager’s Authority

Informal Formal

Project examples

• Develop a new product or service

• Implementing an organsiational change

• Building a facility • Carry out a political campaign

Types of projects

• External– On behalf of someone else

• Internal– Internal customer

Academic projects

• Research projects• PhD projects

Development projects

• New product• New process• New service

What is project management?

?

What is project management?

• One definition is:– Project management is the application

of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.

What is project management?

• Managing a project includes:– Identifying requirements– Establishing clear and achievable

objectives– Balansing the competing demands for

quality, scope, time and cost– Adapting apting the specifications,

plans, and approach to the different concerns and expectations of the variuos stakeholders

History of Projet management Modern project management

started with the Manhattan project Some tools:

Gantt - chart, 1917, developed by Henry Gantt

PERT - chart 1958, developed by US Navy

PM Software, 1970-talet, developed by the american army and the construction sector

In 1990s, Project management is beginning to be used more generally.

The knowledge areas of PM

Integration Scope Time Cost Quality Human resources Project Communications Risk Procurement

Project structure

Main Project

Sub project

Sub project

Sub project

Plan, Do, Check, Act

Related areas

• Program and program management

• Portfolio and portfolio management

Project phases• Initial

– Idea– Feasability study

• Intermidiate– Plan– Baseline– Progress– Acceptance

• Final– Handover

Project management process groups

• Initiating• Planning• Executing• Monitoring and Controlling• Closing

Organisations

• Functional/Line organisation• Projecized Organisation• Matrix organisation (Weak,

Balanced, Strong)

Project relations

• Obstacles– Cost– Confidentiality– Diference in deadlines– Compeition of resource– Dependence of non-

resulting project/closing project

– Information flows– Different goals/interests– Exisiting

platforms/mindsets– Conecting theories with

data/”Real world”

• Enablers– Right qualified people in the

project– Good colaboration– Finance– Share knowledge– Flexibility among sub-

projects– Time-management– Perspectives from others– Needs from outside

academia– Data collection in

companies– Potential for long time focus– Same field experience

http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspi

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