Assignment 1 - Research on Lean Project Management

Task

Write a research-focused report that investigates and discusses how the principles, theory, processes and tools of Lean Production Delivery Systems (LPDS) can be applied to current project management practices.

Overview

There are several global trends, particularly rapid rates of change in technological, social, environmental and economic areas, that expose the inherent difficulties in meeting increasingly stringent clients' needs. Project-based initiatives have been increasingly used as a very good way to deal with rapid rates of change, with a large effort to disseminate project management as a standard way to deliver increasingly sophisticated products. However, the strong emphasis on time, cost and quality may not necessarily ensure that rapid and constantly changing needs can be adequately and comprehensively addressed. Of all the approaches to production management, the theory and principles drawn from Lean Production Delivery Systems (LPDS) seem to be best suited for enhancing project management practices. You will investigate and discuss how the application of lean approaches, such as lean construction, lean manufacturing and lean thinking, to the management of projects and production address these concerns and enhance the value that is delivered to clients while reducing several forms of waste.

Topics

Your investigation and discussion will concentrate on one of the eight topics below:

1. Comparatively assess the advantages and disadvantages of current project management methods and lean production delivery systems (LPDS).

3. Compare methods, processes and tools in current project management approaches and LPDS.

4. Compare the analysis-design-build-delivery approach and the Lean Production System Management process.

5. Compare LPDS and the current methods supported in the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK). Discuss technical, economic and managerial issues that affect how LPDS can be adopted in environments that use current project management methods.

6. Compare how the two approaches (current project management practices and LPDS) produce value for the end client, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.

7. Investigate and discuss the limits of the applicability of LPDS.

8. Investigate and discuss the application of LPDS in sustainable developments.

Report

The title of your report should clearly indicate which of the eight topics you chose to

investigate and discuss.. The presentation of your report must follow the generally accepted style of a research paper, including depth and breadth of discussion and analysis, language, referencing style and layout. The referencing style should follow the Harvard Referencing Guide. You are expected to undertake a rigorous literature search of discovery on your chosen topic, which includes a minimum of five (5) recent and relevant academic refereed publications (which is a mandatory component of the report).