Project Decisions, 2nd Edition

Project Decisions, 2nd Edition PDF Author: Lev Virine
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1523085460
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 376

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Book Description
This new edition gives project managers practical methods and tools to make the right decisions while juggling multiple objectives, risks and uncertainties, and stakeholders. Project management requires you to navigate a maze of multiple and complex decisions that are an everyday part of the job. To be effective, you must know how to make rational choices with your projects, what processes can help to improve these choices, and what tools are available to help you with decision-making. An entertaining and easy-to-read guide to a structured project decision-making process, Project Decisions will help you identify risks and perform basic quantitative and qualitative risk and decision analyses. Lev Virine and Michael Trumper use their understanding of basic human psychology to show you how to use event chain methodology, establish creative business environments, and estimate project time and costs. Each phase of the process is described in detail, including a review of both its psychological aspects and quantitative methods.

Project Decisions, 2nd Edition

Project Decisions, 2nd Edition PDF Author: Lev Virine
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1523085460
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 376

Get Book Here

Book Description
This new edition gives project managers practical methods and tools to make the right decisions while juggling multiple objectives, risks and uncertainties, and stakeholders. Project management requires you to navigate a maze of multiple and complex decisions that are an everyday part of the job. To be effective, you must know how to make rational choices with your projects, what processes can help to improve these choices, and what tools are available to help you with decision-making. An entertaining and easy-to-read guide to a structured project decision-making process, Project Decisions will help you identify risks and perform basic quantitative and qualitative risk and decision analyses. Lev Virine and Michael Trumper use their understanding of basic human psychology to show you how to use event chain methodology, establish creative business environments, and estimate project time and costs. Each phase of the process is described in detail, including a review of both its psychological aspects and quantitative methods.

Risk and Decision Analysis in Projects

Risk and Decision Analysis in Projects PDF Author: John R. Schuyler
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781719014236
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 518

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Book Description
Decision analysis (DA) guides executives toward logical, consistent decisions under uncertainty. This book instructs readers in applying DA to feasibility analysis, project estimation, and project risk management.This is a wholly rewritten and expanded successor to the best-selling first and second editions.The entire investment lifecycle is covered, from conception, to the project plan, to the post-project review, and to a look-back analysis of the capital investment decision.DA applies to all manner of project management (PM) decisions for individuals, government, and non-profit organizations. The book uses a business investment perspective and assumes that maximizing value for the project owner is the objective.DA is a problem-solving process. There are four key features: 1) probabilities and probability distributions express best judgments about risks and uncertainties. 2) The organization has a decision policy expressed as a single metric (the objective function). 3) Probabilities and outcome values combine in the probability-weighting expected value calculation. 4) The organization as a policy to choose the best expected value alternative.This book aims to make decision making clear, simple, and logical. A clear decision policy can be elusive, and the author offers suggestions for making trade-offs among conflicting objectives. Converting the three pillars of project management (cost, schedule, and performance) into project value equivalents makes the trade-offs clear.This book is intended for serious PM students and practitioners. This is an essential concepts and how-to book. The scope is quantitative analysis, from project inception to post-project review. Project cost and schedule modeling, in modest detail, is essential to feasibility analysis and risk management. A general background in PM and corporate planning will be helpful. The methods are quantitative and straightforward. The reader should be comfortable with basic algebra and Microsoft(r) Excel(r).The book has eight pages of Suggested Reading annotated references (plus footnote additions), over 250 figures, approximately 600 Glossary definitions, and over 2400 Index entries. Online supplements include several whitepapers and other documents, example calculation spreadsheets, detailed color images of several important figures, four videos (including a critical chain simulation), and the Utility Elicitation Program (a web app, free for most users).Key topics include: Decision trees and Monte Carlo simulation for calculating outcome distributions and expected values * Probability concepts, including Bayes' rule for value of information analysis * Popular probability distribution types and when they apply * Eliciting expert judgments, with attention to potential cognitive and motivational biases * Recognizing the three pillars project in terms of project value * A 10-step decision analysis process * Project modeling concepts and techniques, with special attention to risk drivers and other correlations * Deterministic and stochastic sensitivity analysis * Decision policy that distinguishes objectives, time value, and risk attitude * @RISK(r) with Microsoft(r) Project for project simulations under uncertainty * Logical, consistent risk policy expressed as a utility function * Merge bias when task chains converge at a merge point * Tail estimate bias when estimating highly uncertain quantities * Optimizer's curse, a portfolio forecasting bias * Winner's curse, a bias characteristic of auctions * Using the best of critical chain and Monte Carlo simulation * Stochastic variance between a deterministic and a stochastic model * Modeling risk and uncertainty using probabilities, probability distributions, explicit formula relationships, correlation coefficients, risk drivers, conditional branching, and rework cycles.

Managing Construction Projects

Managing Construction Projects PDF Author: Graham M. Winch
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444314696
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 544

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Book Description
Project management is of critical importance in construction, yetits execution poses major challenges. In order to keep a project ontrack, decisions often have to be made before all the necessaryinformation is available. Drawing on a wide range of research, Managing ConstructionProjects proposes new ways of thinking about project managementin construction, exploring the skills required to manageuncertainty and offering techniques for thinking about thechallenges involved. The second edition takes the informationprocessing perspective introduced in the first edition and developsit further. In particular, this approach deepens the reader’sunderstanding of the dynamics in the construction project process– from the value proposition inherent in the project mission,to the functioning asset that generates value for its owners andusers. Managing Construction Projects is a unique andindispensible contribution to the available literature onconstruction project management. It will be of particular benefitto advanced students of construction and construction projectmanagement, as well as contractors and quantity surveyors. Reviews of the First edition: "A massive review of the art and science of the management ofprojects that has the great virtue of being a good read wherever itis touched. It spills the dirt on things that went wrong,elucidates the history so you can understand the industry's currentstance, draws on other countries experience and explains the latestmanagement processes. Throughout it is liberally sprinkled withanecdotes and case histories which amply illustrate the dos anddon't for practitioners wishing to deliver projects on time toexpected quality and price. A valuable book for students andpractitioners alike." —John D Findlay, Director, Stent "This is a valuable source for practitioners and students. Itcovers the A-Z of project management in a confident contemporarymanner, and provides a powerful and much needed conceptualperspective in place of a purely prescriptive approach. Theengaging presentation introduces a range of challenges toestablished thinking about project management, often by makingcomparisons between practices in the UK and those of othercountries." —Peter Lansley, Professor of Construction Management,University of Reading "A refreshing and unique study of information management and itsimpact upon international construction project management.... Thebook is well presented and written, logical and succinct and isflexible enough to allow readers to either read from start tofinish or to dip into selected chapters. This book deserves to bean established text for any construction or civil engineering under- and/or postgraduate course." —CNBR, 25th November 2003 "Generous use is made of anecdotes andc case historiesthroughout to support the theory. the book illustrates the mistakesmade by others, and the means to deliver projects on time and tocost." —Building Services Journal, April 2004

Project Decisions

Project Decisions PDF Author: Lev Virine
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1523096616
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
Project management is the art of making the right decisions. To be effective as a project manager, you must know how to make rational choices in project management, what processes can help you to improve these choices, and what tools are available to help you through the decision-making process. Project Decisions: The Art and Science is an entertaining and easy-to-read guide to a structured project decision analysis process. This valuable text presents the basics of cognitive psychology and quantitative analysis methods to help project managers make better decisions. Examples that portray different projects, real-life stories, and popular culture will help readers acquire the essential knowledge and skills required for effective project decision-making. Readers will be able to: •Understand psychological pitfalls related to project management •Establish a creative business environment in their organization •Identify project risks and uncertainties •Develop estimates of project time and cost based on an understanding of human psychology •Perform basic quantitative and qualitative risk and decision analysis •Use event chain methodology in managing projects •Communicate the results of decision analysis to decision-makers •Review project decisions and perform adaptive project management •Establish a project decision analysis process in their organization PLUS — Test your own judgment through a quiz that examines your intuition!

Project Management Analytics

Project Management Analytics PDF Author: Harjit Singh
Publisher: FT Press
ISBN: 0134190491
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 412

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Book Description
To manage projects, you must not only control schedules and costs: you must also manage growing operational uncertainty. Today’s powerful analytics tools and methods can help you do all of this far more successfully. In Project Management Analytics, Harjit Singh shows how to bring greater evidence-based clarity and rationality to all your key decisions throughout the full project lifecycle. Singh identifies the components and characteristics of a good project decision and shows how to improve decisions by using predictive, prescriptive, statistical, and other methods. You’ll learn how to mitigate risks by identifying meaningful historical patterns and trends; optimize allocation and use of scarce resources within project constraints; automate data-driven decision-making processes based on huge data sets; and effectively handle multiple interrelated decision criteria. Singh also helps you integrate analytics into the project management methods you already use, combining today’s best analytical techniques with proven approaches such as PMI PMBOK® and Lean Six Sigma. Project managers can no longer rely on vague impressions or seat-of-the-pants intuition. Fortunately, you don’t have to. With Project Management Analytics, you can use facts, evidence, and knowledge—and get far better results. Achieve efficient, reliable, consistent, and fact-based project decision-making Systematically bring data and objective analysis to key project decisions Avoid “garbage in, garbage out” Properly collect, store, analyze, and interpret your project-related data Optimize multi-criteria decisions in large group environments Use the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to improve complex real-world decisions Streamline projects the way you streamline other business processes Leverage data-driven Lean Six Sigma to manage projects more effectively

Project Management for Mining, 2nd Edition

Project Management for Mining, 2nd Edition PDF Author: Robin J. Hickson
Publisher: Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration
ISBN: 087335494X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 782

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Book Description
Before You Put the First Shovel in the Ground—This Book Could Be the Difference Between a Successful Mining Operation and a Money Pit Opening a successful new mine is a vastly complex undertaking, entailing several years and millions to billions of dollars. In today’s world, when environmental and labor policies, regulatory compliance, and the impact of the community must be factored in, you cannot afford to make a mistake. The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration has created this road map for you. Written by two hands-on, in-the-trenches mining project managers with decades of experience bringing some of the world’s most successful, profitable mines into operation on time, within budget, and ethically, Project Management for Mining gives you step-by-step instructions in every process you are likely to encounter. It is in use as course material in universities in Australia, Canada, Colombia, Ghana, Iran, Kazakhstan, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, as well as the United States. In addition, more than 100 different mining companies have sent employees to attend seminars conducted by authors Robin Hickson and Terry Owen, sessions all based around the material within this book. In the years following the first edition, the authors gratefully received a bevy of excellent suggestions from some 2,000 readers in over 50 countries. This helpful reader feedback, coupled with written evaluations from the more than 400 seminar attendees, has been an unparalleled source of improvement for this new book. This second edition is a significant accomplishment that includes 5 new chapters, substantial updates to the original 34 chapters, and 56 new or updated figures, flowcharts, and checklists that every project manager can use.

Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers

Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers PDF Author: Anthony Mersino
Publisher: AMACOM
ISBN: 0814432786
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
You’ve spent years gathering the technical intelligence you need for this challenging career--now separate yourself from the pack by increasing your emotional intelligence! As recent research has indicated that emotional intelligence (EI) now accounts for 70 to 80 percent of management success, there is no doubt that today’s successful project manager needs strong interpersonal skills and the ability to recognize emotional cues to lead their teams to success--the technical expertise the position depended on so greatly in the past simply isn’t enough anymore! Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers introduces you to all facets of EI and shows how emotions can be leveraged to meet project goals. Project managers strong in technical skills but needing help in the EI department will learn how to: Set the tone and direction for the project Communicate effectively Motivate, inspire, and engage their team Encourage flexibility and collaboration Deal productively with stress, criticism, and change Establish the kind of high morale that attracts top performers Now in its second edition, Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers includes several expanded sections on self-awareness and self-management, as well as a new chapter on using EI to lead Agile Teams and a close look at Servant Leadership.

The Project Manager's Guide to Making Successful Decisions

The Project Manager's Guide to Making Successful Decisions PDF Author: Robert A. Powell PhD
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1567263801
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 253

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Book Description
Make Better Decisions While Managing Projects! Decision-making is critical in project management. Lack of decision-making knowledge, avoidable mistakes, and improper definitions can negatively impact your company's ability to generate profit. The Project Manager's Guide to Making Successful Decisions is a practical handbook that focuses on the significance of project decision-making skills that will all you to reach workable and effective results. This valuable resource highlights numerous decisions necessary to support the project management life cycle, presents various techniques that facilitate the decision-making process, provides an overview of decision analysis as it relates to project management, and much more! + Understand different types of decision-making processes and cycles + Recognize how to frame the decision and gather better information + Define alternatives and assessments to make the right decision + Analyze short case studies demonstrating project decision making success

Probability Models for Economic Decisions, second edition

Probability Models for Economic Decisions, second edition PDF Author: Roger B. Myerson
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262355604
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 569

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Book Description
An introduction to the use of probability models for analyzing risk and economic decisions, using spreadsheets to represent and simulate uncertainty. This textbook offers an introduction to the use of probability models for analyzing risks and economic decisions. It takes a learn-by-doing approach, teaching the student to use spreadsheets to represent and simulate uncertainty and to analyze the effect of such uncertainty on an economic decision. Students in applied business and economics can more easily grasp difficult analytical methods with Excel spreadsheets. The book covers the basic ideas of probability, how to simulate random variables, and how to compute conditional probabilities via Monte Carlo simulation. The first four chapters use a large collection of probability distributions to simulate a range of problems involving worker efficiency, market entry, oil exploration, repeated investment, and subjective belief elicitation. The book then covers correlation and multivariate normal random variables; conditional expectation; optimization of decision variables, with discussions of the strategic value of information, decision trees, game theory, and adverse selection; risk sharing and finance; dynamic models of growth; dynamic models of arrivals; and model risk. New material in this second edition includes two new chapters on additional dynamic models and model risk; new sections in every chapter; many new end-of-chapter exercises; and coverage of such topics as simulation model workflow, models of probabilistic electoral forecasting, and real options. The book comes equipped with Simtools, an open-source, free software used througout the book, which allows students to conduct Monte Carlo simulations seamlessly in Excel.

Understanding Project Management, Second Edition

Understanding Project Management, Second Edition PDF Author: Dave C. Barrett
Publisher: Canadian Scholars’ Press
ISBN: 1773382438
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
In the second edition of Understanding Project Management, skilled expert Dave C. Barrett offers a well-updated, practical real-world guide for current and aspiring project managers. Using concise and approachable language, the second edition features new concept illustrations, a greater consistency with the Project Management Body of Knowledge terminology, and additional case studies in the updated instructor resources. Taking the reader through an ongoing case study from initiation to completion, the text reinforces the importance of managing key aspects of a project, including its scope, quality, schedule, and budget, and explores the less tangible challenges that can often derail a project or lead to its success. This newly updated edition offers authentic project management documents produced alongside the project case study and equips readers with a solid understanding of why specific processes are used, why certain decisions are made, and how pieces of project management fit together. Suitable for any discipline or industry, Understanding Project Management, Second Edition, promises to be an engaging and worthwhile read. FEATURES: - Additional key terms, illustrations, practical examples, and references to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Sixth Edition - Readers follow an ongoing case study, gaining insight into the thought processes and resulting actions of a project manager, including the creation of project documents - Robust instructor resources include new case studies that can be used for in-class activities and case study extensions of additional situations and problems to discuss with students