Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal

Understanding project complexity: implications on project management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to better identify, define and model complexity within the field of project management in order to manage better under conditions of complexity (and manage better complexity‐induced risks).Design/methodology/approach – An extensive literature review enlightens the lack of consensus on project complexity and thus provides a broad view and a critical analysis of the underlying concepts. A project complexity framework and definition are then proposed. After underlining the stakes of project complexity in accordance with these proposals, a project complexity model is then built notably due to systems analysis.Findings – Proposal of standard project complexity framework and definition. Proposal of a synthesis of the relationships between the concepts of project uncertainty and project complexity. Proposal of a project complexity model (and validation due to industrial application).Research limitations/implications – The literature review and project complexity framework t...

Using a Delphi process and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate the complexity of projects

Research highlights? Describing, defining, and understanding better project complexity and its measures. ? Building up a generic project complexity framework. ? Performing a Delphi study about project complexity factors. ? Building up an AHP-based multi-criteria evaluation of project complexity. ? Exploring the sensitivity of such a measure. Project complexity is ever growing and needs to be understood, analysed and measured better to assist modern project management. The overall ambition of this paper is therefore to define a measure of project complexity in order to assist decision-making, notably when analysing several projects in a portfolio, or when studying different areas of a project. A synthesised literature review on existing complexity measures is firstly proposed in order to highlight their limitations. Then, we identify the multiple aspects of project complexity thanks to the construction and refinement of a project complexity framework thanks to an international Delphi study. We then propose a multi-criteria approach to project complexity evaluation, underlining the benefits of such an approach. In order to solve properly this multi-criteria problem, we first conduct a critical state of the art on multi-criteria methodologies. We then argue for the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process. In the end, this tool permits to define a relative project complexity measure, which can notably assist decision-making. Complexity scales and subscales are defined in order to highlight the most complex alternatives and their principal sources of complexity within the set of criteria and sub-criteria which exist in the hierarchical structure. Finally, a case study within a start-up firm in the entertainment industry (musicals production) is performed. Conclusions, limitations and perspectives of research are given in the end.

Applying AHP to select drugs to be produced by anticipation in a chemotherapy compounding unit

This paper focuses on the application of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique in the context of production and distribution of anti cancer drugs within the pharmacy department of a French hospital. This is achieved by evaluating how AHP can support the drug production planning process which aims at minimizing the cost associated with the drug preparation process while satisfying patients. The approach proposed has been applied to a case study which is the pharmaceutical chemotherapy compounding unit of the Georges Pompidou European Hospital (HEGP, AP-HP, Paris). Quantitative weightings from the AHP model are used to identify drugs that the pharmacy can produce in advance, i.e. on a MTS (make to stock) basis. Because of its ease of implementation and results it enabled to reach, the approach developed at Georges Pompidou has been extended to other pharmacies in France. More generally, the work carried out in this paper is an example of illustration of how AHP can be used (with its strengths and weaknesses) as a decision-support tool in health care management.

A systems thinking approach for project vulnerability management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop the concept of project vulnerability in order to focus on the weaknesses of a project system, instead of focusing on risk evaluation only. The paper concentrates on a systems thinking‐based view to highlight the potentially endangered elements of a project, including its outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – The paper gives a broad state of the art in many scientific domains; a definition of project vulnerability; a description of a project vulnerability management process, including identification, analysis and response plan; and a test on an industrial case study.Findings – The authors project vulnerability management process permits one to concentrate directly on the existing weaknesses of a project system, which may create potential damages regarding the project values creation. By focusing on this system, response plans may be more adapted to the existing short comings of the project.Research limitations/implications – Some aspects of the vulnerabil...

Forming Risk Clusters in Projects to Improve Coordination between Risk Owners

AbstractDue to the growing complexity of projects, their risks have increased in number and criticality. Risk lists thus need to be broken down into smaller, more manageable clusters. Classical clustering techniques are generally based on a single parameter, like risk nature, criticality, or ownership. Risk interactions are therefore not properly considered when building up clusters. That is why this paper aims at grouping risks so that the communication and coordination between the actors who are committed in the management of the project and its risks are facilitated. This paper is based on an optimization algorithm that maximizes interaction rate within the risk clusters. This paper focuses on two additional points. First, the optimization problem formulation is enriched by some constraints related to the risk owners, not only to the risks. Second, a frequency approach is introduced to test different configurations in order to improve the robustness of the clustering decision. It enables meaningful and...

Managing Complex, High Risk Projects

Maximizing reader insights into project management and handling complexity-driven risks, this book explores propagation effects, non-linear consequences, loops, and the emergence of positive properties that may occur over the course of a project. This book presents an introduction to project management and analysis of traditional project management approaches and their limits regarding complexity. It also includes overviews of recent research works about project complexity modelling and management as well as project complexity-driven issues. Moreover, the authors propose their own new approaches, new methodologies and new tools which may be used by project managers and/or researchers and/or students in the management of their projects. These new elements include project complexity definitions and frameworks, multi-criteria approaches for project complexity measurement, advanced methodologies for project management (propagation studies to anticipate potential behaviour of the project, and clustering approaches to improve coordination between project actors) and industrial case studies (automotive industry, civil engineering, railroad industry, performing arts,…) and exercises (with their solutions) which will allow readers to improve and strengthen their knowledge and skills in the management of complex and (thus) risky projects.

FabAct®: a decision-making tool for the anticipation of the preparation of anticancer drugs

RATIONALE Due to the increase of new cancer cases, our chemotherapy compounding unit must face with ever-growing production needs. To support this increasing workload, we decided to anticipate the preparation of several anti-cancer drugs. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To help us in the decision making, we needed a modern tool able to combine several criteria for selecting appropriate medications for an anticipated preparation. The aim of this study was to assess the decision-making software, FabAct(®) (Version 1.0). METHODS FabAct(®) ranked all of the anti-cancer drugs used in our chemotherapy compounding unit according to price, chemical stability, compounding difficulties, dosage and production per year. Then, we started to anticipate currently the preparation of four medications and conducted a follow-up of destroyed preparations between January and May 2007. We tried to identify the destruction causes and calculated the time saved for the patients and for the pharmacy technicians. RESULTS According to the decision-making software, the first four drugs for an anticipated preparation were: fluorouracil, cisplatin, carboplatin and paclitaxel. A total of 3913 (50.2%) anticipated preparations were performed and among those, 470 (12%) were destroyed. The main cause of destruction was due to the preparation expiration. Finally, the mean waiting time per patient was reduced from 118 minutes to 68 minutes after the application of the anticipated model. CONCLUSION According to this 5-month follow-up, FabAct(®) helped us to select appropriate anti-cancer drugs to anticipate the compounding. Most of the anticipated preparations were administrated to patients and the patient waiting time was significantly reduced.

Reciprocal enrichment of two Multi-Domain Matrices to improve accuracy of vehicle development project interdependencies modeling and analysis

This paper presents two Multi-Domain Matrix-based models of propagation analysis within a vehicle development project. The aim is to reduce the gap between these models and the reality of propagation behavior within the project, notably by reciprocal enrichment of these models. The first one is the Risk-Risk (RR) interdependency model with the purpose of anticipating project risk propagation through actors and time within the project. The second one is the APP (Actors-Process-Product) model classically used for anticipating the propagation of desired changes and of unintended disruptive events or potential dysfunction from one project element to another. The result is a reciprocal enrichment of both models, enabling the accuracy of models and then the reliability of decisions to be improved. An application on new vehicle development projects in an automotive manufacturer is presented.

Adapting Project Organization to Its Complexity

This chapter shows how it is possible to make drastic improvements to a project without changing its elements or their interactions. Large benefits can be achieved merely by changing the way elements are structured and actors are organized.

Assessing Complexity of Projects

This chapter proposes a list of project complexity factors which could be used as a checklist or can serve to measure complexity. Both actions can assist decision-making in complex project management. Practical case studies illustrate the application of proposals.