A COORDINATION STRUCTURE APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF PROJECTS

The paper uses object based models to capture and make visible the sys tem level coordination structure of complex projects. These models fac ilitate the development of a shared view necessary for effective proje ct management. In the paper, development and use of the models are ill ustrated using examples drawn from the design of custom silicon. We ex amine three custom silicon design projects to identify the significant coordination problems encountered as well as the difficulties of usin g activity based project management tools. Then we develop object base d models of coordination structure as a tool to overcome these difficu lties. We use these models to capture a project manager's view of the four stages of the custom silicon design cycle: design definition, chi p design, prototype manufacture, and system integration. We conclude b y discussing the relationship between the coordination structure appro ach and other project management tools, and the managerial advantages of the proposed approach in the management of complex projects. The ap proach has particular value for the management of projects in which th e task structure is complex, uncertain, and unstable, as is typically the case in new product development.