PODJELA PROJEKTNIH MODELA ZA POVEĆANJE KVALITETE PROJEKATA

13. međunarodni simpozij o kvaliteti „KVALITETA I DRUŠTVENA ODGOVORNOST“, Solin, 15.-16.3.2012.

SHARING PROJECT MODELS TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF PROJECTS PODJELA PROJEKTNIH MODELA ZA POVEĆANJE KVALITETE PROJEKATA

Uroš Strel Lenčič Ordo Group, d.o.o., Teslova ulica 30, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia E-mail: uros@ordogroup.com

UDK/UDC: 005.6 Pregledni rad/Review Primljeno: 20. prosinca, 2011./Received: December 20th, 2011 Prihvaćeno: 31. siječnja, 2012./Accepted: January 31st, 2012

Izvor: Zbornik radova 13. međunarodnog simpozija o kvaliteti Kvaliteta i društvena odgovornost, Hrvatsko društvo menadžera kvalitete, Zagreb, Solin, 2012, str. 585-594.

ABSTRACT Big part of the worldwide project community is dealing with the same type of projects, is going through almost the same project phases and activities over longer period of time but still struggles to deliver the specific project outcomes as promised to their clients. Although, regardless the type of repetitive project workflows, project models can be designed, reused and shared. At the same time, it is a big and expensive challenge to develop the method, establish the discipline and create the system to integrate project modeling in even the smallest teams. Trying to achieve something similar across a set of different project industries represent unimaginable challenge. The author has commenced on building a public project model library, comprising the best project practices saved as project models, describing the necessary activities to not only successfully start and efficiently finish any type of project, but also to constantly increase the quality of projects.

Key words: project, repetition, reuse, project model, improve, share, project model library.

1. INTRODUCTION Architects, designers, importers, farmers, doctors and others are going through almost the same project phases and activities over and over again, when building a new house, designing a new internet site, importing a new car, preparing a new field, healing a new patient and so on. Not aware that what they are going through are project workflows with repetitive project elements. Even if they are aware of repetitions, they do nothing about them.

Each time, they start a new project from complete scratch. Because of doing so, time is lost, stress increased, and no improvement is made in the terms of efficiency and productivity.

With this unwanted effects it is very difficult to efficiently deliver the promise and it is practically impossible to exceed it.

Therefore, regardless the type of repetitive project workflow any individual, family, team, organization or company is dealing with for a longer period of time, it is possible to design a project models with orderly arranged project elements (milestones, task lists, tasks,

discussions, time, files, money, members, roles, etc.) on the basis of past project experiences and project management theory, as illustrated on Figure 1.

Figure 1. Project management theory

In the left project model (Figure 1) the project elements are not properly organized, they can not be reused, nor will they deliver the promise. In the right project model project elements present organized project workflow which is easier to follow, reuse and will definitely deliver the promise.

Organized project models can also be through time and with new experiences continuously improved by using proper method and coherent project management system that at the same time enables project collaboration management and project models to be designed, improved, reused and shared. This will not only offer detailed projects insights and save time, it will also connect the project team, deliver the promise and it will exceed it.

2. STUDY AREA The author and his team has established that it is a big and expensive challenge to develop the method, the discipline and the supporting system to enable the design, reuse and share of project models for any individual, family, group, organization and company. Trying to achieve such a thing across a set of different project industries represent even bigger challenge. This have been the reasons why the author and his team has commenced on: • exploring the possibilities of defining the project structure and its elements which are generally used by the project community, • developing the method which will enable to recognize, organize and save repetitive project elements as project models outside the mind in a way which will easily enable continuous improvement, reuse and share, and • creating a private and public project model library, comprising the best as well as basic project practices as project models, describing the necessary stages and activities to not only successfully start and efficiently finish any type of project, but also to deliver and exceed the promise to the client.

Therefore, the author’s and his team goal is to create a place that will be of use to the novice and the experienced project practitioner alike. Where novice practitioner will find a whole new world of ideas for how to approach various project challenges. While experienced

practitioners will find some good ideas and new things but more importantly they will be able to contribute by designing, suggesting, evaluating, improving and sharing project models with the worldwide project community.

3. METHOD When mentioning projects it is impossible not to mention processes. There is general agreement that projects are different from processes. Projects consist of a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique products, services or results with a clear start and finish.

Processes, on the other hand, are usually considered as repetitive sets of activities, carried out again and again with little variation. Although, the projects and processes, despite their core differences, can not exist without each other. Project processes are thus a combination of repetitive sets of connected project activities undertaken to create a unique products, services or results. Project processes can also be understand as phrases that define project concepts or “main ideas�, applied to the new projects. Project processes can also be used as the communicational tool before and during the project workflow, in discussion with the project client, team and wider public. (Kyong won, 2006) From this also follows that anyone dealing with projects needs to understand the importance of having the knowledge for designing, reusing and sharing project experiences. It also needs to understand and be familiar with the project structure and project elements which are all connected and how they have to be addressed and organized.

The author and his team began by defining some of the basic project models and its elements used by the general project teams in collaboration with some of the project teams from various project industries (architecture, automotive, design, education, creativity, economy, etc.). The research and development team placed their initial emphasis on defining general project models that aligned with existing project workflows.

At the same time, the author and his team stayed alert for project process patterns that seemed to occur more than once within the same project process or in multiple project processes. As these generic project processes were identified, they were pulled out and refined separately, to simplify the overall project model design, and to provide a basis for standardized use and system support.

At this point, it was necessary to develop a method of techniques for recognizing, organizing, filtering and saving mistakes. Self-criticism had to be properly employed and be adequately detached from the projects to be able to see, discover and tell what went wrong and what could be improved in the future project work. (Kyong won, 2006) Regarding project improvement, it was necessary to take into the account different project elements, aspects, roles, problems and changes that arise during the project and those demanded constant cooperation among all subjects involved in the project and use of coherent system that through process of improvement supported increase of project efficiency and productivity.

It was also very important that during the project workflow each project member had in the mind the current state of the project which was obvious, but also the passed achievements and how those could be improved. This improvement suggestions have been included in the next similar project. They also prevent the possibility of starting the new projects from the complete scratch.

4. RESULT Project workflow improvement method focuses on the continued creation, storage and reuse of organized project elements into a personal, limited or public project model library with various types of three-level project models, as illustrated on Figure 2.

4.1. Continuous project workflow improvement method Where basic project model is made of milestones only, general project model is made of milestones and task lists, and advanced project model is made of milestones, task lists and tasks to which different documents, roles and notes are attached.

Figure 2. A three-level Project Model made of core project elements

When using the improvement method it is always necessary to consider the various project roles, perspectives, issues, risks, documents, changes and other project elements that arise during the project workflow. All this elements have to be properly addressed. This is the cycle of constant exchange of the project model and project itself with its elements.

The process of converting the project model into the project is carried out at the project implementation. Each time project model is used and applied for project execution, it is necessary that during the project workflow project team constantly monitors and deals with the changes and applies appropriate improvements. It is even more important that at the completion of the project the examination of the entire project takes place. Project team and especially the project manager in the role of collaborative leader, has to always look back, learn, improve and save the experience and knowledge gained as improved versions of existing project model which has been used at the project implementation. (Morten, 2009) It is therefore not only about the project manager but it is about entire project team and their capability to improve project models.

The communication of the project members in this matter is also one of the most important part of improvement. Project members have to be able and receive the chance to

become generators of the change and creators of the new. This design and improvement process approach should be used again and again when dealing with a new and similar project. The improvement cycle should never end.

In essence, the author, his research and development team has developed an overall method for improving the performance of project community, developed specific three-level project models for a few project industries, and wish to establish a public project model library to maintain and share the project experience and information.

4.2. Directions for future project managing, reusing and sharing project models orientated systems Project workflow improvement method requires the use of coherent and not scattered systems which are poison to project efficiency and productivity. The coherent project oriented online collaboration and improvement application has to allow its users to save all or only selected project elements as project model into the project model library, which can be immediately used for the next similar projects. In addition, it can completely substituted any scattered system for the project work. With the help of the coherent online application which supports collaboration and improvement it is possible to continuously improve project collaboration, innovation, competitiveness, effectively, productivity and creativity of any project oriented individual, family, group, organization and company. This is not only necessary to effectively maintain and organize project models, but also an advantage when these project models are brought into action, giving constant and increased project efficiency and productivity improvements.

4.3. Benefits of integrating continuous improvement method The benefits offered by continuous improvement method are essential to anyone dealing with repetitive project workflow. By integrating project model thinking and doing into every-day project work a bigger and stronger efficiency and productivity can be achieved. It can also help in creation of the environment that enables and stimulates continuous creative and productive project work. (Kyong won, 2006) 4.4. Project model library The Project Model Library is an idea of capturing project information and collecting project experiences as reusable project elements to increase project productivity and efficiency as well as to promote project thinking and doing.

Therefore, the project model library will serve as a repository for storing projects and its selected elements as project models which will be available for public use, reuse and share.

Its users will be able to access the library according to their permissions and use project models to create and start new projects.

The project model library will use groups to categorize project models which will indicate the specific content and theme of a single project model, as illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 3. A portion of overall project model library architecture, illustrating the categories of project models

Some of the project models will only be available for reuse by its owners. This will be private project models. Project model owners will also have the ability to share their project models with their colleges or entire project community. This will be limited and public project models, respectively.

Anyone who will create a new project from selected project model will in the matter of seconds obtain all associated project elements that will be stored in the project model. All this elements will be necessary for the effective implementation and competition of the newly created project. After the project creation users will be able to make the necessary adjustments for the specific of their project. While after the project completion user will be able to save project as private or public project models. By saving them as public project models the user will add new experience of the used project model. This will strengthen the PML as repository of project models that are created on the basis of user content generation where new experiences and knowledge will be constantly produced and available for further use.

It is assumed that through time, “perfect� project models will be designed for the different types of projects.

All this leads to a globally opened and publicly available project repository of project workflows which potentially any individual, family, group, organization and company can use as the latest and improved version of the project model for applying them for any type of project. It allows the complete disclosure of the project model which also exposes the mistakes which can be collaboratively removed and improved.

From a single project model hundreds of projects and consequently thousands of project models can be implemented and designed, which can continuously be improved and reused by anyone inside and outside of the worldwide project community.

5. DISCUSSION Together, more than 500 individuals form different groups, organizations and companies elected to take part in this effort. Trying to use, design, reuse, improve and share the three-level project models for their projects. Some of them have been guided through the projects and some of them managed the projects on their own.

At the moment of writing this paper the Project Model Library included just a few basic, medium and advanced project models form the architectural, design, internet and educational industries. At the same time, some 200 examples of great project practices were associated with the introduced project models and its users seems to believe that the method provides a better way to organize project information. All of the project models will be documented and stored in the project model library which project community will be able to access, reuse and share.

The author and his team has established a goal of having more than 5000 project modelers by the end of 2012 from different project industries around the world who will proceed to look for opportunities to design, improve and share project models. They will continue to create new project experiences and will continue to expand their project models to reflect the current project work the project community is being asked to perform.

It is expected that from a single project model thousands of projects will be launched.

It is also expected that for any individual, group, family, organization, and company its own project model library will represent the cornerstone of continuous efficiency and productivity improvement and increase of delivering and exceeding the promises.

6. CONCLUSION The key of delivering and exceeding the promise is in continuous improvement and to be familiar with the importance of integrating improvement method during the project workflow and especially at the conclusion of the project, when it is usually not enough time to deal with the project, because the project team or its members may already be late by the execution of other activities on already active projects. Therefore, it is recommended that this time, which is intended for improving the project workflow is planed in advance as part of the project until it becomes a common activity for each project.

The project models are thus a result of the practical experiences of project owner, manager and entire project team, as well as project management theory. By creating the project model library and constantly improving saved project models by reusing them, the project team will always be a step further of competition. This will increase success of the project team on the long term.

Therefore, it is in the use and more importantly in the reuse of project models where the major opportunity for the worldwide project community exists and where it can still make significant improvements.

In addition, the project model library can also help with project improvement in the matter of quality, innovation and efficiency, because it enables to have accurate insight into the project workflow. Beside the condensed description of key and complimentary stages that the project models can deliver, they can also deliver the ability to create innovative project solutions and it is possible to even exceed the clients expectations and increase of performance which is the ultimate measure of success. (Krames, 2008)

Sažetak PODJELA PROJEKTNIH MODELA ZA POVEĆANJE KVALITETE PROJEKATA Veliki dio svjetske projektne zajednice radi na istim tipovima projekata, prolaze kroz skoro iste faze projekata i aktivnosti dugo vremena, ali se trude ostvariti posebnosti projekata koje su obećali svojim klijentima. Usprkos ponavljanju rada na projektu, projektni modeli mogu biti osmišljeni, ponovljeni i podijeljeni. Istovremeno, razvoj metode je opsežan i skup izazov uspostavljanja discipline i kreiranje sustava integracije projektnog modeliranja čak i u malim timovima. Nastojanje da se dostigne nešto jednostavnije odvajanjem različitih projektnih industrija, predstavlja nezamisliv izazov. Autor je započeo formiranje javne baze projektnih modela, obuhvativši najbolju projektnu prasku sačuvanu kao projektne modele, opisujući neophodne aktivnosti ne samo uspješno započetih i završenih tipove projekata, nego također stalno podižući razinu kvalitete projekata.

Ključne riječi: projekt, ponavljanje, ponovno korištenje, projektni model, poboljšanje, podjela, baza projektnih modela.

7. REFERENCES 1. De Bono, E., New Thinking for The New Millennium, 2nd ed., London, Penguin Books, 2000.

2. Krames, J. A., Inside Drucker’s brain, 1st ed., London, Penguin Group, 2008.

3. Kyong won, S., Tendencies, 1st ed., Korea, Damdi, 2006.