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Managing Multiple Engine Development Projects - A tool for planning, progress tracking, resource forecasts, and presentations

Landén, Oskar LU (2012) MMK920 20121
Innovation
Abstract
Result
This thesis has resulted in a new Project Management (PM) tool for the Scania Engine Development Project Coordination group, customized for engine development long-term test planning and tracking. The PM tool also shows resource use, capacity, and forecast of all Scania’s engine test benches located in Sweden, Germany and Brazil.

Issue of study
As a result of the continuously increasing number of projects and complexity at Scania, the work at the Engine Development Project Coordination office has become heavier with increased administration, for which the current file system for planning and tracking projects is no longer sufficient. Plans, forecasts and tracking documentation are difficult to synchronize, which has lead to... (More)
Result
This thesis has resulted in a new Project Management (PM) tool for the Scania Engine Development Project Coordination group, customized for engine development long-term test planning and tracking. The PM tool also shows resource use, capacity, and forecast of all Scania’s engine test benches located in Sweden, Germany and Brazil.

Issue of study
As a result of the continuously increasing number of projects and complexity at Scania, the work at the Engine Development Project Coordination office has become heavier with increased administration, for which the current file system for planning and tracking projects is no longer sufficient. Plans, forecasts and tracking documentation are difficult to synchronize, which has lead to uncertainty of what document is updated correctly. Much documentation is handled manually and the system has become a collection of non-standardized files in which employees work individually.

Purpose
The purpose with this thesis was to solve the identified problematic and fulfill the needs regarding the engine development project documentation.

Problem summary
• A quantity of files are used for planning, tracking, and forecasting
• Heavy workload of data administration, creating schedules, and updating status
• No professional presentation standard

Needs to fulfill
• One unified system for planning, tracking, and forecasting
• Easy, user-friendly methods for creating plans, data gathering and reporting.
• Standard for reports and visual presentations

Methodology
The thesis was initiated with a deductive approach where a literature study where performed while focus also lied on understanding the problem learning the processes of planning, following-up, and presenting progress. After idea generation and some concept sketches, new methods and visualization techniques were found. This turned the methodology approach into abduction and the development process has been iterative and very process-oriented throughout the thesis duration with interviews, prototypes, tests, and continuous improvements.

Conclusion
In comparison to other project planning tools on the market, the result of this thesis has three major advantages:
• Several projects are scheduled within minimum space
• Updates are numerically measurable and once put in, they instantly update a visual view of the project plans
• Historical activity status can easily be followed-up visually in a plan view

Since all activities for, in this case, an engine are placed on a single row, the main disadvantage is the limitation for visualizing overlapping activities. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Landén, Oskar LU
supervisor
organization
course
MMK920 20121
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Project, multiple projects, Project management, Management tool, Planning system, Scheduling, Tracking, Verifying, Follow-up, Bar chart plan, Bar chart schedule
language
English
id
2970955
date added to LUP
2012-08-13 13:17:41
date last changed
2012-08-13 13:17:41
@misc{2970955,
  abstract     = {{Result 
This thesis has resulted in a new Project Management (PM) tool for the Scania Engine Development Project Coordination group, customized for engine development long-term test planning and tracking. The PM tool also shows resource use, capacity, and forecast of all Scania’s engine test benches located in Sweden, Germany and Brazil. 
 
Issue of study 
As a result of the continuously increasing number of projects and complexity at Scania, the work at the Engine Development Project Coordination office has become heavier with increased administration, for which the current file system for planning and tracking projects is no longer sufficient. Plans, forecasts and tracking documentation are difficult to synchronize, which has lead to uncertainty of what document is updated correctly. Much documentation is handled manually and the system has become a collection of non-standardized files in which employees work individually.

Purpose 
The purpose with this thesis was to solve the identified problematic and fulfill the needs regarding the engine development project documentation.

Problem summary 
• A quantity of files are used for planning, tracking, and forecasting 
• Heavy workload of data administration, creating schedules, and updating status 
• No professional presentation standard 

Needs to fulfill 
• One unified system for planning, tracking, and forecasting 
• Easy, user-friendly methods for creating plans, data gathering and reporting. 
• Standard for reports and visual presentations 

Methodology 
The thesis was initiated with a deductive approach where a literature study where performed while focus also lied on understanding the problem learning the processes of planning, following-up, and presenting progress. After idea generation and some concept sketches, new methods and visualization techniques were found. This turned the methodology approach into abduction and the development process has been iterative and very process-oriented throughout the thesis duration with interviews, prototypes, tests, and continuous improvements. 
 
Conclusion 
In comparison to other project planning tools on the market, the result of this thesis has three major advantages: 
• Several projects are scheduled within minimum space 
• Updates are numerically measurable and once put in, they instantly update a visual view of the project plans 
• Historical activity status can easily be followed-up visually in a plan view 

Since all activities for, in this case, an engine are placed on a single row, the main disadvantage is the limitation for visualizing overlapping activities.}},
  author       = {{Landén, Oskar}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Managing Multiple Engine Development Projects - A tool for planning, progress tracking, resource forecasts, and presentations}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}