Marly Monteiro de Carvalho

O papel da tecnologia da informação (TI) na estratégia das organizações

There is great expectation about Information Technology (IT) as an enabler to create opportunities for new business strategies and new possibilities for organizations, like the case of e-business. However, the measurement of the effects corresponding to the large amount of resources invested in IT applications is still a controversial issue. Considering only efficiency does not answer this question. It is necessary to focus on the effectiveness of the IT applications relating it to its goals, objectives and requirements of the organizations, in order to evaluate IT impacts on business operations and strategies of these organizations. Alignment between IT and business strategies is an essential concept in order to consider effectiveness continuously. This study presents a comparative analysis of different papers that study the role of IT in the organizations. Based on a bibliographic research, a theoretical analysis is developed in order to clarify the main aspects that make IT an actual tool for competitiveness of organizations.

Impact of risk management on project performance: the importance of soft skills

This study aims to elucidate the relationship between risk management and project success, considering the contingent effect of project complexity. This approach also combines aspects of soft and hard skills. This methodological approach involves a literature review to underpin the conceptual framework and a survey for empirical validation, using structural equation modelling. The hypotheses were tested based on a field study involving 263 projects distributed among eight industries. The fieldwork involved interviews with project managers and risk managers and an analysis of internal company documents about the projects’ performance. The structural model presented herein provides a means for correlating the hard and soft sides of risk management with project success, understanding the moderating effect of project complexity. The soft side of risk management appears most prominently and explains 10.7% of the effect on project success. Moreover, the soft side supports the hard side, since we found a significant correlation that explains 25.3% of the effect on the hard side.

Fatores críticos para implementação de gerenciamento por projetos: o caso de uma organização de pesquisa

The project management methodology has been increasingly applied in companies nowadays. Nevertheless, in Brazilian panorama it is also difficult to verify the adoption of formal project management program. Companies searching for competitive advantages through innovation must have competencies in project management. Meeting project efficiency involves balancing scope expectations and the available resources. Thus, project management addresses the full range of concepts, tools and techniques to improve project performance and organizational effectiveness and efficiency. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate projects competencies management practices. The adopted methodological approach was a case study in a Research Organization. The analysis was performed based on two major approaches: the first one is the project effectiveness and efficiency evaluation (tasks and results), and the second one is the organizational maturity.

Strategic alignment process and decision support systems : theory and case studies

Chapter 1: Concepts and history of strategy in organizations Chapter 2: The development of strategies for competitive advantages Chapter 3: An overview of Value chains, Supply Chains, and Strategic Alliances issues Chapter 4: Aligning strategy with organizational structures and projects deployment Chapter 5: Alignment of organizational strategy with Information Technology strategy Chapter 6: Performance Measurement Systems: Balanced Scorecard Chapter 7: Strategies for the new economy and dynamic competitive environment PART TWO - DECISION MAKING PROCESS IN ORGANIZATIONS Chapter 8: An Overview Of The Decision-Making Process In Organizations Chapter 9: The Structuring of the Strategic-Decision-Making Process Chapter 10: The Nature of Strategic-Decision-Making Models Chapter 11: The Role of Simulation and Modern Business Games Chapter 12: Decision Based on Organizational Knowledge, Decision Support Systems, Expert System, and Business Intelligence Chapter 13: Group Decision and Negotiation in Strategic-Decision-Making .

Changing product development process through information technology: a Brazilian case

Purpose – Aims to discuss the linking of enhanced performance of the new product development process with the increasing use of IT applications, resulting in a competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approach – Utilises a case study methodology in a manufacturing company in the Brazilian building materials industry.Findings – Some evidence of enhancement of new product development could be found, such as a reduction in both development cycle time and development costs. As regards customer satisfaction, the executive perception of improvement in final product quality could be identified, and finally no relationship could be observed between the effects and the number of new products launched.Originality/value – IT applications are more successful when links with business strategy are stronger. The benefits of IT strategic alignment occurred after the critical success factor method was adopted in both IT and new product development processes.

Seleção e alocação de recursos em portfólio de projetos: estudo de caso no setor químico

Among dozens or hundreds of alternatives, choosing those which should make up the projects portfolio of an organization and which priority level is a complex multi-criteria decision matter. This work aims to apply a management model of projects portfolio, using the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method and an integrated integer program. Another purpose is to validate and evaluate the importance and use of the model to help the decision-making related to the selection, prioritization and balance of projects. Thus, such a model was applied to select and prioritize the projects of a company in the chemical sector, chosen as the unit of analysis. The different scenarios obtained from the decision-making model proposed were compared to the real scenario of the company. Since the author interacted in the companys decision-making not just as an observer, to carry out the study the research-action method was chosen, since it is the most suitable for the case. It could be noticed that the use of the model contributed first, to the strategic alignment of the projects, enabling the exchange of knowledge between the company representatives; secondly, it allows the simulation of strategic scenarios in real time, as well as verifying the impact of the projects portfolio; thirdly, it prioritizes the projects in a justifiable and structural manner through an established mathematical model; finally, it enables to allocate the resources based on priorities.

Gerenciamento do portfolio de projetos: um estudo exploratório

The main concepts of project portfolio management, or just PPM, are not widely spread through organizations, especially in project the area. In spite of the academic development, PPM techniques are new for most of the companies, mainly in Brazil where this is an emergent topic since it started in the 90,s but it has grown fast in the current decade. Due to the lack of empirical data about PPM implementation and its results, this paper aims to identify the main PPM practices adopted, its implementation stages, and the relationship between those practices and the obtained benefits. This study presents an exploratory survey completed by 31 respondents, who are executives from different organizations. The main research results indicate that PPM is still rarely present in organizations and, whenever it is present, it does not show clear results.

Fatores críticos na implementação do Balanced Scorecard

A growing body of studies focuses on the relevance of aligning business strategies and its operational performance. Several reports in the literature emphasize the importance of linking effectiveness to the goals, objectives and requirements of organizations to allow for the ongoing management of operational performance. Today, one of the most popular methods for supporting an effective performance measurement system is the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), which has been widely and increasingly used in many different kinds of businesses and organizations. This paper discusses the critical factors determining the successful implementation of the BSC, based on a comparative analysis of a BSC consulting firm and a client company implementing the BSC. The methodological approach adopted here was a multiple case study.

Main quality programs characteristics in large size Brazilian companies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships as to complementarities and redundancies of the main quality programs in large Brazilian companies by a comparative and critical analysis of their implementation in those companies.Design/methodology/approach – In the paper the survey methodology was utilized. The data collection was done from “Ranking Valor 1000” list, which comprises the 1,000 largest Brazilian companies; the assumption was that in these companies the embryos of the emerging models in quality management were to be found. The data collected from questionnaires were analyzed through statistical methods.Findings – The findings showed that the large organizations in Brazil have been investing in quality programs.Research limitations/implications – This paper presents the limitations which are inherent to the research method applied, that is, the results should not be generalized because the collected data are not originated in a probabilistic sample.Practical implications ...

Metodologia singular de gestão de projetos: condição suficiente para a maturidade em gestão de projetos?

The world in which organizations operate today is rapidly becoming more complex than ever before. Major shifts in technology and in the business and economic environment present many opportunities, but also many challenges, to organizations striving to manage and thrive in the midst of great change. Projects have become important instruments for change and development in organizations. Project management maturity models have been studied and developed to sustain and drive project management strategies. The project management literature points out that the fact of one organization possesses a singular methodology to manage projects is a vital signal of maturity in terms of project management. This paper will address this issue through a review of project management maturity models and the presentation of a case study developed in a Brazilian subsidiary of a multinational company from the Lighting segment combining both a desk research of the singular methodology practiced by the company and a field research to evaluate its project maturity.