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The practical applications of the PMBOK Guide for the events industry - an analysis and case study
(2018)
The goal of this thesis is the investigation and analysis of the PMBOK Guide for its feasibility in the development, planning and executing processes of events and the implications of its employment on the overall project success. The analysis includes findings on which guidelines are most applicable, which require modifications, and which are not or only limited useful for event planning. The different processes and their usefulness in the events context are outlined and recommendations for their use are made. For illustration purposes a case study based on a trade show launch was developed and appropriate guidelines were applied, resulting in specific recommendations to the project team. Additionally, key performance indicators and other success measurements were developed in the course of this work. Since events need to pivot and are set in an agile environment, it is challenging to apply a waterfall method such as the PMBOK Guide to the project procedures making it advisable to ultimately employ a hybrid or selective approach. The results of this research can enable project managers in the events industry to more easily apply a waterfall methodology as a whole or in parts to their projects and provides a variety of indicators and measurements for performance evaluation.
Decisions are made every day, every second of our lives, and are particularly important in a business context. Projects, from their objectives to their ending are a sum of organized and unorganized decisions where facts and data battle with human nature.
In this paper, we will analyse how those decisions are organized in project management, and in general.
After having defined extensively project Management, Decision-Making and their link, a new structure of decision-making will be presented. It is composed of seven steps:
1. Establishing the objectives
2. Identify and define the challenge
3. Analyse the challenge
4. Find solutions and alternatives
5. Evaluate alternatives
6. Choosing the best solution
7. Implementing the decision.
This structure is based on Simon, Drucker, Rolstadås and other researchers’ work. It completes and extends former models in order to go beyond classical schemes.
Everyone, from the CEO to the road sweeper goes through these steps, consciously or unconsciously. Of course, all responsibilities and stakes proportionally adapted.
According to the size of the project, the consequences of the decision, the risks and many other factors, this theoretical structure shifts to fit the needs and becomes less “heavy”, being reduced to its simple titles, becoming usable for simpler tasks.
Even though this structure identifies as instinctive and easy to use, it comes out managers rarely follow formal models or strict rules in projects and decision-making. Detailed models are more suited to strategic decisions and projects, as well as during the preparation of a project.
It is important to note that we are not looking for the way to take a “good” decision, but how to take a “right” decision, as the point is to analyse the process.
Global collaborations are becoming increasingly relevant in product projects. Therefore it is necessary to understand the different project management approaches on how global projects are carried out and what the differences are.
This bachelor thesis is a review of two project management manuals, which were designed by the company itself, on how project management at an internationally operating commercial vehicle manufacturer works with the focus being on time and risk management.
The aim of this thesis is to give recommended actions which improve the project steering, collaboration and the general approach in regards of time and risk management.
To achieve this goal a review of both project management manuals as well as expert interviews were carried out. Qualitative expert interviews were conducted with German- and English-speaking colleagues from different plant locations all around the world. Specifically, 12 questions included background knowledge and project work knowledge and were related to the two manuals, with the focus being on time and risk. The interviewees were required to be actively involved in at least one project and therefore have project work experience and thus are using one of the own project management manuals.
The answers of the interviews, as well as the current manuals contribute to the findings and based on the findings, it is recommended to create an example project for training purposes, to create a list of projects in order to divide the work, to use sprints or detailed planning, to focus on five top risks, to create a social intranet page dedicated to project management and to create a clear meeting plan in advance.