Many engineering courses include assignments where students work together in projects. The approach promotes students, among other things, to be educated and skilled in project management and managing system thinking within complex engineering environments. However, a problem with project-based learning is to accomplish a fair and valid assessment of individuals in a team setting. For example, in many project-based courses, students are only graded pass or fail, or graded collectively as a group. This paper presents results from a new course design based on CDIO-principles, with the aim to increase our understanding of individual assessment and grading in a project-based course. A preliminary conclusion is that it is possible to introduce individual assessment in a project team, assessing the learning outcomes and obtain a high level of student satisfaction. The course development process described in this study has implied a lot of struggling for the teachers involved. Hence, some general aspects of introducing CDIO-principles in a project-based course are also discussed. 

Purpose

There are limited studies of Continuous improvement from the perspective of a project-based organization (PBO). Hence, this article explores challenges that PBOs may encounter when applying Continuous improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory and qualitative approach has been used, involving six management teams in six different project-based organizations, using focus groups interviews as data collecting method.

Findings

A high degree of autonomy among project managers seems to limit a collective approach to project management in PBOs. As a consequence the overall PBO performance becomes subordinate to the individual project performance – an approach opposite to that of Continuous improvement. Further, the management teams themselves seem to uphold a project focus, also complicating improvement initiatives from a PBO perspective.

Research limitations/implications

The management teams have been the unit of analysis, where the PBOs mainly conduct projects in an engineering and construction context, and are located in the same country and region. This approach enables the thorough study of a phenomenon, while preconditions for generalization are limited. However, the findings could be used by researchers as a basis for more in-depth studies of specific challenges, and for making surveys to obtain generalization of results.

Practical implications

The results can induce awareness and understanding of different challenges if applying Continuous improvement in a PBO, hence a starting point for finding ways to overcome these challenges.

Originality/value

The article contributes to an increased understanding of challenges that PBOs may encounter when applying Continuous improvement, confirming and presenting additional findings compared to previous studies.

Purpose

Many doctoral students never obtain a doctoral degree, and many do not finish their studies in time. To promote aspects of effectiveness and efficiency in doctoral studies this article aims to explore a project perspective, more specifically how doctoral students experience their studies in terms of key dimensions of projects.

Design/methodology/approach

Written reflections concerning a project perspective in doctoral studies, based on 18 students at a Swedish university, have been categorised and analysed by means of the qualitative research software NVivo.

Findings

Main findings are: Reflections on the project manager role including both the supervisor and the doctoral student, and different views on project control parameters and the concepts goal-seeking and goal-orientation. A more comprehensive picture of project planning is presented, compared with the Individual Study Plan (ISP), including different project methods and tools that can be suitable in a doctoral project.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on a limited number of doctoral students, however the aim has been to give examples of project perspectives. The findings could be valuable for increased understanding of doctoral studies and of the project management field in general.

Practical implications

The study can induce awareness among doctoral students and supervisors of a project perspective in doctoral studies, promoting aspects of efficiency and effectiveness.

Originality/value

Compared to previous research, this study explicitly tries to understand how doctoral students make sense of their doctoral studies from a project perspective.

Literature on the application of Lean in project-based organizations (PBOs) is scarce. This paper presents findings from two case studies of early efforts to implement Lean in subsidiary PBOs. By focusing on Lean principles we provide insight into how PBO operations are, and potentially could be, aligned with Lean thinking. The findings suggest a fit on an overall level, but that principles need to be aligned with PM methods and tools to allow for flexibility.

Although researchers have over the years highlighted the importance of managing and supporting learning in project-based settings, it still seems to be problematic. New project management capabilities are needed, such as systems thinking, which will allow project-based organizations to better cope with learning in the organizations. This article explores how Swedish project-based organizations within an engineering and construction context manage and support learning activities today and discusses, with the support of process management literature, how an “organizational-wide project learning process” could improve the prerequisites for learning in project-based organizations. Our findings from three project-based organizations indicate a lack of a holistic perspective on project learning. A conceptual model is proposed, with the aim of validating and promoting process thinking by introducing, for example, new roles responsible for intra- and inter-project learning, respectively.

PurposeThe aim of this study is to contribute to the empirical research on project management maturity assessments, specifically based on a maturity model. Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data is based on a case study including in-depth interviews with a semi-structured approach, followed by a focus group interview. A survey was distributed within a project-based organisation and to client and stakeholder representatives, and then analysed. The organisation in the case study is a project department within a Swedish mining company. FindingsCareful considerations are needed when choosing a project management maturity model (PM3) as the model structure can influence the assessment’s focus. It is also important to include both internal and external project stakeholders in the assessment to achieve an efficiency and effectiveness perspective when analysing PM capabilities. Valid information from an assessment is crucial, therefore, clear communication from management is important in order to motivate the participants in the assessment. Research limitations/implicationsImproved understanding for implementing and applying a PM3 contributes to the increased knowledge of drivers, enablers and obstacles when assessing PM maturity, which also creates a basis for further research initiatives. Practical implicationsAn increased knowledge of drivers, enablers and obstacles should be valuable for practitioners introducing and applying a PM3.Originality/valueThis case study gives an in-depth insight into the implementation of a PM3 within a project-based organisation. Through conducting a literature review, it was found that this type of empirical research is rare

Different kinds of project management maturity models (PM3s) exist today, most of them inspired by the capability maturity model (CMM) developed in the beginning of the 90ies, originally intended to measure capability in software development projects. Research indicates that organizations with higher project management (PM) maturity levels are expected to be successful in terms of project effectiveness and efficiency, and thus have a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Though, despite several PM3s developed during a time period of over 20 years, knowledge about how PM3s are a*pplied in organizations is sparse within the PM literature. This paper explores how major engineering and construction companies view PM maturity and PM3s in order to develop and improve their PM practices. These kinds of organizations are mainly project-intensive, objective oriented,and have the capabilities to perform overall business development initiatives, i.e. suitable for applying PM3s.The contribution of PM3s to organizational improvement and development is somewhat unclear. Therefore, a literature review highlights different aspects regarding PM3s, specifically their purpose, strengths, and weaknesses. To what extent PM3s are used, interviews have been conducted with seven respondents within different project intensive organizations, in their roles as project managers or in charge of PM development. How a PM3 can beintroduced and applied is explored via an in-depth case study at the major mining company in Sweden, LKAB. However, tentative results show that the application of PM3s in Swedish engineering and construction organizations are limited, indicating that further research is needed

The concepts of efficiency and effectiveness are commonly used when evaluating different processes. As project management can be described by different kinds of processes, the aim with this research is to explore the concepts within project management through the lens of quality management. Since project-based organisations are often struggling with the balance between time, cost and quality, they are interested in doing this as efficient and effective as possible. However, there are a wide variety of views on efficiency and effectiveness among professionals and research scholars, which makes it difficult to apply these concepts in project-based settings.The study is based on a literature review and includes interviews with project office managers from Swedish construction and engineering companies. Findings from the study indicate that the terms efficiency and effectiveness are used without clear definitions, where measurements are executed and results interpreted in various ways. Clarifying the interpretation of project efficiency and effectiveness would help and support project- based organisations in their improvement work. Clarity implies improved preconditions to measure efficiency and effectiveness, and the possibility to develop indicators that can be used to help guide the organization in the desired direction. A clearer view on project efficiency and effectiveness can also be a basis for internal improvements in terms of time, cost and quality, as well as external improvements in terms of customer satisfaction.

Purpose – Several off-site manufacturing companies in Sweden have attempted to apply lean management to improve process effectiveness and efficiency. A state of continuous improvement is a key goal of lean management, as described in, e.g. Likers 4P model. The aim of this study is to test a method to measure the degree to which lean management principles have been adopted by companies that base their production on off-site manufacturing, as a prerequisite for a sustainable approach to continuous improvement. Design/methodology/approach – A survey is applied as research method, using a questionnaire based on the authors' perceptions of best practices corresponding to each lean management principle. Two questionnaires were distributed to both management and factory production personnel in two off-site manufacturing firms in Sweden. Findings – The Likert scores regarding the degree to which lean principles have been applied in the two studied companies showed similar patterns (and similar differences between the management and production personnel's responses), indicating that the results can be generalised within an off-site construction context. The study shows that continuous improvements must emerge and evolve simultaneously with a focus on processes, people and long-term thinking. Research limitations/implications – In order to obtain more generalised and detailed results a more extensive survey covering several companies, as well as more detailed case studies and more questions regarding each principle, are needed. A multivariate analysis will also scan the material for further dependences. Originality/value – The paper highlights several aspects that are important for management to be aware of when aiming for continuous improvements in off-site manufacturing.

The introduction of reliability centred maintenance, RCM, has become more and more commonly within different industrial sectors. The many application areas, and the long-time use of RCM, points to the importance and usefulness of RCM when developing an effective and efficient maintenance programme. However, introducing RCM, implies introducing a new way of way of working with maintenance in an organisation, which can be very complex and cumbersome. Although RCM is an organised common sense approach to improvements of maintenance performance, a long-term approach may be difficult to manage. Several examples of failed introductions of RCM exist in various lines of business and types of organisations. Some of the main reasons why the RCM introduction becomes problematic or fails are technical in nature, but the majority of problems seem to be managerial and organisational. The introduction characteristics described above has been studied within a longitudinal single-case study, performed within a hydropower organisation. The case study, as well a multiple-case study, including three other hydropower organisations. Based on the findings in the case studies, a comprehensive and holistic RCM introduction strategy was proposed. The strategy framework could be seen as a structured approach to managing obstacles and driving forces identified in the case studies.

Quality management, by means of total quality management (TQM), is considered to foster organisational performance characterised by competitiveness and long-term profitability. Since the benefits of quality management cannot be achieved without the sustained performance of equipment affecting product quality, maintenance management has become important. This has led to the development of maintenance methodologies, such as total productive maintenance (TPM) and reliability centred maintenance (RCM). TQM, TPM and RCM implementation have, however, often failed or been poorly executed. This has affected organisations' performance and ultimately survival in a competitive environment. This paper includes a comparative study of literature on TQM, TPM and RCM implementation, focusing on organisational change. The study found several common categories of activities when implementing TQM and the maintenance methodologies. These categories can be considered crucial to obtain management and employee commitment. Case studies on TQM, TPM and RCM implementation are used to validate the categories identified, and to yield recommendations on the handling of activities within these.

Due to a competitive environment, many companies are required to reduce their overall costs while maintaining the value and reliability of their assets. The use of Reliability-Centred Maintenance, RCM, can support organisations to develop an effective and efficient maintenance programme, meeting these requirements in a cost-effective manner. RCM basically combines different techniques and tools, in a systematic approach to managing risks, as a basis for maintenance decisions. When introducing RCM with the aim of changing the overall way of working with maintenance in the organisation, i.e. on a full-scale basis, a long- term introduction approach should preferably be used. In addition to improve the performance of the assets, this approach uses RCM to improve knowledge, motivation and teamwork among the personnel. In that way, the approach could promote commitment of managers and employees, making an RCM based maintenance programme far more likely to endure. However, in several cases, organisations have experienced severe difficulties when introducing RCM on full-scale basis. Some of the reasons are technical in nature, but the majority are managerial obstacles. In the research project presented in this thesis, an aim has been to obtain a better understanding of why some organisations experience a cumbersome introduction of RCM. A focus has been to identify managerial factors that affect an RCM introduction in form of obstacles and driving forces. In the research project, a longitudinal single-case study has been performed during 1997 - 2003, studying the efforts towards an RCM introduction in a Swedish hydropower company. Many of the findings in the single-case study have been validated by a multiple-case study, including three other hydropower organisations introducing RCM. The findings are basically different kinds of managerial factors. These factors could be managed within four management perspectives, which points out the need of a holistic approach when managing RCM introduction. An RCM introduction process has also been identified during the research, where the managerial factors can be structured according to different phases. Based on these findings, an RCM introduction strategy framework has been developed, with the aim to facilitate for organisations going to introduce RCM. The strategy framework is structured according to the different phases in the RCM introduction process, with requirements and recommendations to be considered in each phase.

Organisations have introduced reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) with a view to changing their overall way of performing maintenance. Many times, however, these organisations have experienced cumbersome or even failed RCM introduction. This is usually because of managerial and organisational obstacles, which more or less unexpectedly turn up during introduction. This paper focuses on managing the introduction of RCM. By applying process and requirement management principles, obstacles that turn up during introduction can be identified early on. As an example of this, we cite the results of a case study of the introduction of RCM in a Swedish hydropower company.

For several branches of industry, an increasingly competitive environment has raised important questions concerning maintenance in plant systems. For example, the 1996 deregulation in Sweden's electricity sector has resulted in increased competition among the country's power producers. To survive the competition, suppliers have to reduce maintenance costs, i.e. handle maintenance more efficiently. Risk analysis is one tool decision makers can use to help them prioritise as they plan maintenance actions. There are a number of different approaches to risk analysis. As the results of an analysis must form a reliable basis for decision making, it is important to consider whether the quality of the results will vary significantly with the risk analysis approach chosen. This paper presents a comparative study based on three independent risk analyses performed on a specific hydro-power plant. The comparison and evaluation of the analyses reveal major differences in performance and results, along with various factors that affect the quality of the analyses. The study establishes the importance of a well-planned requirement specification and the need to analyse and interpret risk analysis results, before making maintenance decisions.

Increased demands on productivity, quality and cost-efficiency affecting manufacturing trends towards increased complexity and higher degree of process automation. A major break down in such a manufacturing system may generate severe damage on productivity, environment and personnel. Using risk assessment to identify serve risks within a plant, in combination with different maintenance strategies, is one course of action to prioritising maintenance activities needed. A methodology for executing a so-called risk-based maintenance is reliability-centred maintenance, RCM. There are several benefits generated from RCM, for example, improved safety and maintenance cost-effectiveness. Though, several companies have problems to make it work. The problems that occur are many times within management and organisational (M&O) aspects, such as lack of communication and management support. Some M&O aspects of importance when introducing improvement methods as TQM and TPM are similar with the ones valid for RCM. Though, differences seem to depend on the use of RCM in a more technology environment, overshadow the affects M&O aspects really bring about when introducing it. That is probably the main reason why obstacles occur when introducing RCM. A structured step model has been developed, focusing on the preparation and planning activities when introducing RCM.

Maintenance issues have in recent years grown in importance. Higher demands on availability and quality of products are some of the reasons. These demands have resulted in an increased use of condition monitoring systems, to support an effective maintenance concept. For a complex system, this technique generates an enormous amount of signals which is difficult to diagnose, and a great amount of information which is difficult to handle and interpret for the operator. Therefore, improved diagnosis and decision support tools are necessary, as a complement to the monitoring systems. This paper presents an ongoing project, trying to find a new approach to condition monitor and diagnose Kaplan hydro-power turbines, where the chain from transducer to decision making is under consideration. Risk analysis is adequate for decision making among alternative maintenance tasks and the ambition is a risk model that can be systematically updated with varying economic data and production requirements. Also, the availability is under consideration for the hydro power plant, as a total system, where the owners of the plant should be able to steer the availability according to demand. Another important aspect is the possibility of the condition monitoring system to test itself, which will prevent false alarms.