Suchergebnisse

Presents an analysis of the operationalization of concurrent new product development in a sample of UK manufacturing firms. Highlights the background to the change, the main organizational drivers for change and the associated tools and techniques, along with the benefits and adverse effects. Closer meeting customer needs and reduced time to market are key benefits, but the requirements for organizational change are causing significant adverse effects. Explores those factors associated with the achievement of benefits. Shows that the intensity of use of tools and techniques (though crucially not CAD/CAM) is the group of factors most closely associated with success.

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the context of major projects and their management from an OM perspective; the authors provide a foundation for exploring how the body of work on lean production (the "old" theory) can contribute to the development of major projects (the "new" context). In doing so, it extends the prevailing economic approach to major projects (best described as "predict and provide") and posits the development of an alternative approach based on extending the lean production logic to this new context (referred to as "predict and prevent").


Design/methodology/approach
The paper investigates the scope for adopting lean practices in context of major project. To this effect the authors review the current state of both lean thinking and major project management, and use "Universal Credit" as an exploratory case study to illustrate and verify the arguments in practice.


Findings
Two main findings are proposed: first, the authors demonstrate the inherent performance challenge of major projects in OM terms, which the authors argue presents significant scope for the application of OM concepts to improve major project performance. Second, using lean thinking as framing, the authors identify three distinct process levels and common wastes in major projects, and identify five principles how lean could improve the delivery of major projects.


Research limitations/implications
Major projects present an untapped area for OM research; based on the exploratory case the authors propose ways how OM concepts can be applied to this new context. Further research will be needed to validate and generalise.


Practical implications
Major projects, including organisational transformations, IT-enabled change, major events and large infrastructure projects, constitute a large proportion of economic activity. Despite their prominence, however, they are also commonly associated with low success rates. This paper provides one route for exploring how a successful set of principles could be applied to improving their performance.


Originality/value
This work translates a popular set of ideas from OM to strengthening a relatively neglected context within OM. An agenda for further research is suggested to support the development of this application.

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of complexity and its management from an OM perspective, building on and extending the systematic literature review published in this journal in 2011, and provide a foundation for exploring the interactions between complexities and responses.


Design/methodology/approach
The paper takes a subjective view of complexity, focusing on the "lived experience" of managers. It takes an updated systematic literature review, and demonstrates the comprehensiveness of a framework to classify complexities of projects. It reports the findings from 43 workshops with over 1,100 managers.


Findings
First, the complexity framework is effective in aiding understanding. Second, and somewhat unexpectedly, managers were able to identify strategies to reduce the majority of complexities that they faced. Third, the workshops identified a typology of responses to residual complexities.


Research limitations/implications
The framework has demonstrated its utility, and a gap in understanding emergent complexities is identified. The framework further presents the opportunity to explore the recursive nature of complexity and response.


Practical implications
This paper provides a framework that is both comprehensive and comprehensible. The authors demonstrate that complexities can be reduced and provide a means to assess responses to residual complexities, including potentially matching managers to projects.


Originality/value
This work extends the previous systematic review combined with extensive empirical data to generate findings that are having impact in practice, and have the potential to strengthen a relatively neglected area within OM. A research agenda is suggested to support this.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to operations management (OM) practice contingency research by describing the complexity of projects. Complexity is recognised as a key independent (contingent) variable that impacts on many subsequent decisions in the practice of managing projects.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a systematic review of relevant literature and synthesises an integrated framework for assessing the complexities of managing projects.FindingsThis framework comprises five dimensions of complexity – structural, uncertainty, dynamics, pace and socio‐political complexity. These five dimensions present individuals and organisations with choices about how they respond to each type of complexity, in terms of business case, strategic choice, process choice, managerial capacity and competencies.Originality/valueThe contribution of this paper is to provide a clarification to the epistemology of complexity, to demonstrate complexity as a lived experience for project managers, and offer a common language for both practitioners and future empirical studies considering the individual or organisational response to project complexities. The work also demonstrates an application of systematic review in OM research.