Developing a Performance Management System for World-class Project Execution

Lezala, Benjamin Peter (2011) Developing a Performance Management System for World-class Project Execution. [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd (BTUK) is a division of Bombardier Transportation – the global leader in rail technology offering the broadest product portfolio in the rail industry including passenger rail vehicles and total transit systems. BTUK is a project-based company which from 2005 has been required to deliver 11 different and very complex rail vehicle projects. Resources have been stretched and the robustness of internal business processes has been tested. Company performance has suffered with many projects running late and failing to meet financial targets. This poor performance can be attributed in the first instance to a lack of organisation leadership, poor application of the performance management process, and lack of discipline in the governance process. More fundamentally, the poor performance is due to the current performance management system focussing on retrospective financial indicators, resulting in a lack of focus on day-to-day leading operational performance measures. The BTUK experience demonstrates that if the operational performance is not good, the financial and schedule performance will also be poor.

This management project uses leading academic views together with detailed analysis of a particular BTUK project to design and develop a new performance management system for BTUK. The current practices are analysed in detail using lessons learned exercises that were conducted at various phases of the sample project. Project-level strategic objectives are defined together with the leading indicators that operationalise those strategic objectives. A performance management system, together with the supporting governance process, is then developed that is driven by the strategic objectives of the project and heavily focussed on operational performance measures. This ensures the day-to-day activities of the project are contributing to achieving the project strategic objectives. Finally, by developing a simple yet sophisticated reporting tool based on Kaplan & Norton’s Balanced Score card, full transparency of project status is available to both senior management and external stakeholders at any point in the project lifecycle. The objective of this transparency is to ensure management attention can be focussed on the priority areas necessary to ensure world class project execution for all future BTUK projects.

Item Type: Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)
Depositing User: EP, Services
Date Deposited: 11 Nov 2011 09:26
Last Modified: 29 Dec 2017 14:19
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/24715

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