Anabela Pereira Tereso

On the Multi-mode, Multi-skill Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem – A Software Application

We consider an extension of the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP) to multi-level (or multi-mode) activities. Each activity must be allocated exactly one unit of each required resource and the resource unit may be used at any of its specified levels. The processing time of an activity is given by the maximum of the durations that would result from a specific allocation of resources. The objective is to find the optimal solution that minimizes the overall project cost which includes a penalty for tardiness beyond the specified delivery date as well as a bonus for early delivery. We give some of the most important solution details and we report on the preliminary results obtained. The implementation was designed using the C# language.

Detection of gait events and assessment of fall risk using accelerometers in assisted gait

The use of the walker in rehabilitation has increased in the past few years. Therapists evaluate patients rehabilitation by observation and subjective tests. Thus, it is necessary the use of an assistive tool which can measure and quantify the patients walker-assisted movement and stability, providing an objective clinical assessment. The aim of this study is to detect differences in assisted gait when using the assistive devices (ADs) - crutches, standard walker and rollator (4-wheeled walker) with forearm supports (RFS) - in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) that suffered the surgery - Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA). Additionally, it is to verify the link between gait parameters and acceleration signals. The evaluation is reached by the use of two 3 axis-accelerometers. The signals extracted from the sensors, at the ankle and trunk, are related to gait events and evaluation of fall risk, respectively. Results show that despite the differences between the signals obtained with the three ADs and with the subjects in this study, it is possible to identify effectively the gait parameters and prove the stability that the RFS provides.

An application to select collaborative project management software tools

In an increasingly competitive market the use of project management techniques can help controlling scope, time, and cost in an efficient way. Either due to size or complexity that may exist in a project, it may be essential to use project management software tools. Some projects involve teams of people who may be geographically dispersed, being essential to exchange information among project stakeholders, hence the need for collaborative tools, best known as groupware. In this paper, we present an overview of project management and collaborative project management techniques and tools. Next, we present a framework, based on ISO 9126 and ISO 14598, to classify collaborative project management software tools. Finally, we present a model and an application to help on the selection of this type of tools.

The Key Project Managers’ Competences for Different Types of Projects

This paper describes a quantitative research approach for identifying key project managers’ competences for different types of projects. By identifying the perceived most valuable project manager competences, as having the most potential for increased contribution to project management (PM) performance, practitioners and organizations can select their priorities when developing their PM practices. The 46 competences (technical, behavioural and contextual) provided by IPMA (International Project Management Association) were surveyed through an online questionnaire. Three dimensions to distinguish project types were used: application area, innovation and complexity. Completed questionnaires were received from 96 project managers from Portugal. The results showed that 13 key competences (20%) were common to the majority of the projects. Most of these are behavioural competences, such as: ethics, reliability, engagement, openness, and leadership. It was also observed a clear correlation between technical competences and project complexity.

A Multi-Criteria Decision Support System for a Routing Problem in Waste Collection

This work presents a decision support system for route planning of vehicles performing waste collection for recycling. We propose a prototype system that includes three modules: route optimization, waste generation prediction, and multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). In this work we focus on the application of MCDA in route optimization. The structure and functioning of the DSS is also presented.

Implementation of Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis Approaches in the Supplier Selection Process: A Case Study

Supplier evaluation and selection is recognized as a multiple criteria problem. Having considerable economic impact and influencing a competitive position of a buyer, supplier selection has been modelled by different multiple criteria decision analysis approaches. This case study focuses on the reported “relevance gap” between theoretical approaches to the supplier selection problem and practice. The research was conducted in a textile group, addressing a typical buying situation of a main raw material. The decision process was structured with weighted score, AHP and goal programming models. Three models elaborated have led to the very similar output, recognized as realistic and consistent by the decision makers. Acquired skills of multiple criteria decision analysis were considered as beneficial for supplier selection decisions.

Lean principles in an operating room environment: an action research study

This article presents the implementation of lean principles using action research, in a health-care environment, focused on the operating room. Lean production has been successively adopted in the services sector because its implementation improves process efficiency and resources management. Additionally, a culture of continuous improvement search is created in the organization, a culture focused on the client (patient) that creates value for the client. This implies a change of the paradigm that prevails in some countries where the doctor is viewed as the ‘client’. The action research described in this article promoted lean principles in an operating room and support warehouses. The results were as follows: stocks management improved, warehouse spaces reduced by 20 to 25 per cent, operating room areas were better organized, equipment and obsolete surgical material were eliminated, equipment management was improved and operating times were reduced. Furthermore, it was necessary to create productivity indicators for the operating room to improve visual management and train staff for adopting a lean behaviour and attitude. This action research describes a trend in health care that implies an organizational change of culture and paradigm.

Project management: evaluation of the problems in the portuguese construction industry

During recent decades it has been possible to identify several problems in construction industry project management, related with to systematic failures in terms of fulfilling its schedule, cost and quality targets, which highlight a need for an evaluation of the factors that may cause these failures. Therefore, it is important to understand how project managers plan the projects, so that the performance and the results can be improved. However, it is important to understand if other areas beyond cost and time management that are mentioned on several studies as the most critical areas, receive the necessary attention from construction project managers. Despite the cost and time are the most sensitive areas/fields, there are several other factors that may lead to project failure. This study aims at understand the reasons that may cause the deviation in terms of cost, time and quality, from the project management point of view, looking at the knowledge areas mentioned by PMI (Project Management Institute).

OPM3® Portugal Project – Information Systems and Technologies Organizations – Outcome Analysis

Increasing the maturity in Project Management (PM) has become a goal for many organizations, leading them to adopt maturity models to assess the current state of its PM practices and compare them with the best practices in the industry where the organization is inserted. One of the main PM maturity models is the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3®), developed by the Project Management Institute. This paper presents the Information Systems and Technologies organizations outcome analysis, of the assesses made by the OPM3® Portugal Project, identifying the PM processes that are “best” implemented in this particular industry and those in which it is urgent to improve. Additionally, a comparison between the different organizations’ size analyzed is presented.

Software Tools for Project Management – Focus on Collaborative Management

Today, projects involve members from different geographical areas more than any other time in history. Thus, adequate Collaborative Project Management Software (CollabPMS) solutions are needed to enable individuals and organizations to manage, communicate and work together across time and space barriers. This article describes a set of managerial and collaborative functionalities that a CollabPMS should provide to support the complexities of a distributed project effectively. Out of hundreds software packages available in the market, four were selected, ProjectLibre, Redmine, Microsoft Project 2013 and Clarizen, to assess if they have the described functionalities. Clarizen can be considered the best software for managing distributed projects, because it provides, by default, all the managerial functions and the collaborative features that support the coordinated collaboration level. ProjectLibre was the software that less stood out in this evaluation, although it provides the majority of the outlined managerial functionalities it doesn’t support any level of collaboration.