Project management simulation: A development and comparison of simplified simulation models for practitioners

George Andrew Jonathan Davis, Purdue University

Abstract

Project management is an important and complex endeavor that calls for the use of the best tools available to maximize project “throughput.” Among the best tools for gaining an understanding of an individual project's dynamics is project simulation, a tool commonly used at the highest levels of project management. However, project managers at the middle and lower levels tend not to use simulation due to its complexity and a lack of sufficient knowledge. The complexity is rooted in the difficulty of developing robust input models and other parameters for defining and running simulations. This study proposes to test the limits of simplification in creating a useful simulation tool. The researcher developed a simulation tool that employs all major aspects of a well-designed simulation tool, and then iteratively stripped away or simplified sources of complexity, from the point of view of the user. The researcher then experimented with the resulting simplified approaches to attempt to restore efficacy while maintaining simplicity. With the limits of simplicity clear, the researcher developed a fully integrated simulation tool that provides the simplest user requirements and interface while still providing measurable value to the project manager. This tool integrates into an existing project management software platform, Microsoft Project, and provides an implementation of project simulation that requires only the entering of normal Microsoft Project elements plus a minimum of additional simulation-related data.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Schmidt, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Management|Industrial engineering|Operations research

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