Project Management for Continuous Innovation

Traditional project management overwhelmingly focuses on techniques and procedures for planning and controlling. This creates a framework to confine project team members to operate within a set of processes and measurements. However, most projects require project team members to be innovative and creative. It is difficult to ask employees to think outside of the box while using a “box” style system to manage projects. In addition, much of the focus of such system is to achieve a success result in every project. Such emphasis discourages risk-taking because employees may not want to initiate projects unless they feel the chance of success is high. Inhibited risk-taking constrains learning opportunities and innovation.

This book presents a strategic approach called “Management by Project Mapping” (MBPM), which systematically utilizes project management to transform a company’s organizational system, culture and capability, creating a foundation upon which to achieve long-term sustainable innovation. It then presents situational practices and tools to manage different types of projects since no single project management approach is suitable for all projects. Emphasizing effectiveness and velocity with reduced administrative processes and activities in project management, this book introduces a new approach for managing people, information, tasks and schedule in projects.

Chapter 1 Corporate Innovation

T Section: Defining Corporate Innovation, Page 1

M Section: Measuring Corporate Innovation, Page 4

L Section: The Journey of Innovation, Page 9

Chapter 2 The Project Management Field

T Section: Project Management and Innovation, Page 19

M Section: Strategic Use of Project Management, Page 22

L Section: Project Management Approaches: Traditional, Agile and Extreme, Page 27

Chapter 3 Management by Project Mapping

T Section: The Concept of MBPM, Page 41

M Section: Strategic Elements of MBPM, Page 44

L Section: Categorizing and Mapping Projects, Page 50

Chapter 4 Building the Foundations for Innovation

T Section: Corporate System, Culture and Capability, Page 63

M Section: Key Ingredients for Innovation, Page 66

L Section: Building an Agile, Balanced and Open System; Establishing a Willing Corporate Culture; Creating Leading and Sustainable Capabilities, Page 73

Chapter 5 Project Information Management

T Section: Information Creation and Management, Page 103

M Section: From Ideation to Retrospective, Page 107

L Section: Ideation; Collaboration and Communication; Decision-making and Problem-solving, Page 114

Chapter 6 The New WBS for Task Management

T Section: The New First Step in Project Planning, Page 145

M Section: Breakdown versus Buildup, Page 148

L Section: Developing the Work Buildup Structure, Page 153

Chapter 7 Scheduling for Better Time Management

T Section: Managing Schedule without Managing Due Dates, Page 171

M Section: Eliminating Bad Behaviors in Time Management, Page 174

L Section: Developing and Managing Project Schedules, Page 180

Chapter 8 Managing Path-finding Projects

T Section: Vision from Passion, Page 203

M Section: Emerging Technology and Market, Page 208

L Section: Creating Value and Knowledge, Page 214

Chapter 9 Managing Core Projects

T Section: Prioritization and Focus, Page 235

M Section: Quality and Velocity, Page 239

L Section: Executing to Achieve Results, Page 244

Chapter 10 Managing Continuous Improvement Projects

T Section: Strategy for Participation and Engagement, Page 265

M Section: Inclusion, Coordination and Prioritization, Page 270

L Section: Autonomous Culture of Innovation, Page 276

Chapter 11 Epilogue

T Section: Overview of This Book, Page 297

M Section: Abridgment of This Book, Page 299

L Section: Practicing the Concepts of This Book, Page 318

Bibliography, Page 320