Project Management in Manufacturing and High Technology Operations

Book excerpt: Project management is a system originally developed within the construction industry for controlling schedules, costs, and specifications of large multitask projects. In recent years, manufacturers have discovered that project management's time-tested techniques dovetail neatly with the current thinking on quality control and management in a highly competitive global marketplace. The system has been increasingly recognized for its suitability in the manufacturing process and is now applied in virtually every area of production. One of the foremost proponents of this trend is Adedeji Badiru, an internationally recognized authority on project management, whose books have helped thousands of companies adapt the system to their particular needs. This completely revised Second Edition of Badiru's breakthrough publication, Project Management in Manufacturing and High Technology Operations, focuses on the dramatic increase in the use of high-tech machinery in industrial operations, and seamlessly integrates high-tech themes into a general discussion of project management. An introductory chapter on manufacturing analysis investigates how the latest concepts and techniques of project management are applied to manufacturing. The main body of the book offers a wealth of new material, including discussions of learning curve analysis, basic models for forecasting and inventory control, economic analysis of manufacturing, techniques for data analysis, and the application of expert systems. The chapter on computer applications in project management is completely revised and updated to reflect the enormous strides taken in this area in recent years. This book presents an up-to-date, practical approach to project management in manufacturing. Written by a pioneer in the application of project management to the manufacturing industries, this revised and expanded Second Edition of Project Management in Manufacturing and High Technology Operations reflects the increased use of high-tech machinery in industrial operations and the trends of recent years to apply project management methods to every phase of production. Complete with numerous illustrations, as well as exercises to wrap up each chapter, this Second Edition features: An emphasis on practical examples, including many new case studies, and a full chapter on the lessons learned from the space shuttle Challenger disaster Many new project management concepts and techniques that focus on manufacturing but can be applied to any project A new chapter on manufacturing systems analysis that provides the backdrop for the project analysis that takes place throughout the book Expanded discussions of the latest quantitative and managerial approaches, including learning curve analysis, basic models for forecasting and inventory control, economic analysis of manufacturing, techniques for data analysis, and the application of expert systems A strong international perspective, useful for multinational companies and for academic purposes This book equips engineers and managers with the tools to effectively manage all aspects of a project, including quality control, schedules, and expenses. Used as a text in engineering or business courses, it offers absorbing supplemental reading for students at the upper undergraduate and graduate levels. Professor Badiru has been widely praised for his incisive and highly relevant case studies. In this Second Edition, the case-study approach is expanded so that chapters typically include two real-world examples of the project management techniques or issues in question. In the final chapter, Badiru takes a close and painful look at a high-tech disaster, the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. He offers rare and instructive insight into the devastating failure of a high-tech project—still poignant, despite the passage of time. Communicative throughout, this volume provides a solid, up-to-date reference for engineers and managers in manufacturing, as well as for consultants and administrators in related fields. Professor Badiru's proven reputation for providing interesting lecture material also makes Project Management in Manufacturing and High Technology Operations especially useful as a technology management text in both engineering and business schools. Cover Design/Illustration: David Levy