Hi! Thanks for the question.
I will try to answer your question in a point-by-point manner.
1. What are project-driven organizations?
“First, those project-driven organizations whose primary business is
in fact made up of projects. Examples of this class include
architect/engineer/constructor, general contractor, and specialty
contractor firms; software development firms who sell their products
or services on a contract basis; telecommunications systems suppliers;
consultants and other professional services firms; and other
organizations that bid for work on a project-by-project basis. Growth
strategies in such organizations are reflected in the type, size,
location and nature of the projects selected for bidding, as well as
the choices made in how the required resources will be provided
(in-house or out-sourced) to carry out the projects, if and when a
contract is awarded or the project is otherwise approved for
execution.”
“Implementing Business Strategies Through Projects”
http://www.maxwideman.com/guests/ceo/strategies.htm
2. How do project driven organizations develop and how do they
operate?
The book “Succeeding in Project-Driven Organizations: People,
Processes, and Politics” by Joan Knutson provides a very good and
in-depth discussion of project-driven organizations. The Wiley Europe
website has a free 36 page sample excerpt from its website. The
following document will provide an extensive answer to your second
question. Due to copyright restrictions, I can only provide a few
paragraphs here so it would be best for you to read the whole document
to get a better grasp of the concepts.
a. Evolution of Project-Driven Companies (Start at Page 4)
“Many businesses have always been project-driven. Organizations
dedicated to construction, high technology, and consumer products do
projects exclusively.
Construction companies build a single building or a complex of
buildings.”
“Service organizations and information companies have always been
transaction-driven. For example, banks process checks, insurance
companies process claims, hotels and airlines process reservations,
and the stock exchanges process buys and sells. These
transaction-driven organizations have just recently recognized that in
today’s business world they are project-driven.”
Processing transactions is a necessity that keeps these companies
alive. They have been doing this basic processing for so long that it
is no longer a challenge. But every time a new process is implemented,
or a new system is installed, or a new product or service is
introduced to the marketplace, a project is initiated. New projects
keep these organizations growing and competitive in the marketplace.”
“Projects may originate from the top of an organization, as a result
of the strategic planning process. They may also come from the bottom;
an individual or a group may initiate a project because of a belief
that it will add organizational value in some way. Some projects are
initiated externally by a customer or a client.”
b. How project-driven organizations operate? (Start at page 19)
The operation of project-driven organizations can be describes by its
two inherent life cycles.
“The product development life cycle focuses on the product or the
deliverable that is to be produced by the project. This life cycle
also includes tasks such as defining the specifications of the
product, designing the product (a widget, a software system, a
marketing campaign), managing the work to develop/ produce the
product, and at the end of the project evaluating the product and the
lessons learned in its development.”
“A Project Management (PM) life cycle emphasizes the process used to
manage a project rather than focusing on the creation or generation of
the product. This life cycle is a generic process that is applicable
in any industry and in any project-driven organization. The generic PM
life cycle has four major phases: (1) the initiation and definition
phase, which sets the objectives and scope of the project; (2) the
planning phase, which establishes the baselines; (3) the execution
(and controlling) phase, during which the plan is monitored, tracked,
and revised, as necessary; and (4) the closeout phase.”
“Succeeding in Project-Driven Organizations: People, Processes, and
Politics”
http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/42/04713803/0471380342.pdf
3. Future Challenges
In terms of future trends and challenges, opinions vary widely among
project-driven organizations. Plus based on research and documents
found project management is tied to the concept of project-driven
organizations so these trends and challenges will be based on project
management concepts.
a. In terms of the global arena here are the following challenges:
a. “An International Project Management Body of Knowledge”
b. “An International Project Management Organization, and”
c. “Professional Certification”
“Dispatch From the Future”
http://www.maxwideman.com/guests/globalization/future.htm
b. Future trends that must be addressed:
a. “Consolidation, increasing complexity and regulation,
globalization, and requirements to self-finance projects were given as
reasons for a trend towards larger companies. At the same time, a
trend towards smaller companies was justified by increasing
specialization, improved coordination technology and management
skills, collaboration in alliances of networked organizations, and
improved efficiency requiring fewer employees.”
b. “Most respondents said that the need to meet face-to-face and to
visit the project site will be reduced through IT, with a third
indicating that the reduction will be “significant”. Many people
reinforced the importance of meeting face-to-face and on job sites,
but there was widespread confidence that various "tele-presence"
technologies will reduce this need, and some envisioned a very
different future”
c. “A very high percentage responded that new computer technologies
will have a positive impact on the market potential/competitive
advantage (94%, see Figure 1) and the effectiveness in managing
projects (98%).”
d. “62% of the respondents suggest that the size of project
management teams will be smaller in 2020.”
“Future Trends in Information Technologies for Project Management “
http://www.civil.ubc.ca/~tfroese/pubs/fro01b_pm2020/fro01b_pm2020_full.pdf
Social challenges:
a. “Another important change, not yet complete, has been the change
from the predictable model of project management to the unpredictable.
In the early days we assumed that projects could be carried out in
accordance with the original plan if the planning was good enough. We
assumed that project clients would not change their minds about what
they wanted. If they did, it messed up our projects and it was their
fault. We tried to impose design freezes. We assumed that the client’s
objectives, his organisation and his people would not change whilst we
did their project.”
b. “The very rapid growth of interest in managing the interfaces
within projects is a phenomenon of today which I predict will run
further until it has run its course. It has led to project managers
concerning themselves with contracts, with procurement and with supply
chain management.”
“A long term view of project management – its past and its likely
future”
http://www.pmforum.org/library/papers/MARTIN%20BARNES%20Berlin%20June%202002%20revised%20post%20conference.htm
Search terms used:
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Easterangel-ga
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