Continuous Adjustments and the Reality Test in Managing Complex Projects

Authors

  • Leonard Anthonie van Gunsteren Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) Netherlands

Keywords:

Project Management, Project Execution, PERT, Complex Construction Projects

Abstract

The state-of-the-art in the practice of probabilistic network planning for complex construction projects PERT (Program Evaluation Review Technique) is evaluated along the lines of thought of the reality test that was introduced in the workshop “Error in the Sciences”, Lorentz Center, Leiden University, 2011. The conclusion is that the application of the PERT-methodology during project execution can be improved by: including in the planning software the actual durations of the activities as soon as these are finished; monitoring progress by keeping the probability of timely completion just over 50%; and adopting risk ranking for prioritising managerial attention.

Author Biography

  • Leonard Anthonie van Gunsteren, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) Netherlands

    Lex A, van Gunsteren is a business consultant, lecturer and innovator in marine propulsion. He graduated as a naval architect and received his PhD from Delft University of Technology, where in 1981 he was also appointed as Professor in Management of Technology. He was one of the pioneers of the Rotterdam School of Management where he taught R&D management and crisis management.

    After his military service as an officer in the ship design unit of the Royal Netherlands Navy, Lips Propeller Works employed him, initially as an industrial scientist and later in various managerial positions. In the shipbuilding group IHC Holland, he was managing director of their shipyard Gusto, specialised in off shore equipment. In the Royal Boskalis Westminster Group he served as director of corporate planning and R&D.

    In the late eighties, he founded the innovation company Van Gunsteren & Gelling Marine Propulsion Development for the further development of his invention of the slotted nozzle (duct with a slot at the front), which ultimately led to the successful application of the wing nozzle (duct with a slot at the rear).

    He served on various boards for monitoring R&D subsidies, among others as vice chairman of the board of the Dutch Foundation for Technical Sciences ‘STW’. Since 1997, he lectures, at Delft University, computer aided support in architecture, urban planning and project management. His publications include eight patents and ten books.

References

J. Barzilai. “Preference Function Modelling: The Mathematical Foundations of Decision Theory”. In M. Ehrgott, J.R. Figuaira, and S. Greco, Editors, Trends in Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis, chapter 1, pages 57-86, Springer, 2010.

R.P. de Graaf and L.A. van Gunsteren. “Incorporation of Mitigations on-the-run in Probabilistic Network Planning”. In EUROPIA12 Conference, Paris, 2009.

O. Doughan, R.P. de Graaf, and L.A. van Gunsteren. “Planning of construction projects for the Olympic games taking into account mitigations on-the-run”. In PM Congress 2019: Research meets Practice, Delft, April 10th-12th 2019.

L.A. van Gunsteren. Stakeholder-oriented Project Management: Tools and Concepts, IOS Press, chapter 4, pages 26-39, 2011.

L.A. van Gunsteren. “Economic Theory and the Reality Test”, in workshop: “Error in the Sciences”, Lorentz Center, Leiden University, October 24-28, 2011.

L.A. van Gunsteren. “A contribution to the solution of some specific ship propulsion problems - A reappraisal of momentum theory - “, Doctoral Thesis, Delft University of Technology, chapter 5, pages 81-98, 1973.

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Published

2022-05-20

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2020): The Journal of Modern Project Management

Section

Articles-JMPM

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Leonard Anthonie van Gunsteren

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Continuous Adjustments and the Reality Test in Managing Complex Projects. (2022). The Journal of Modern Project Management, 8(1). https://journalmodernpm.com/manuscript/index.php/jmpm/article/view/JMPM02305

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