DYNAMIC MODELING OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES

Successful development projects are critical to success in many indust ries. To improve project performance managers must understand the dyna mic concurrence relationships that constrain the sequencing of tasks a s well as the effects of and interactions with resources (such as labo r), project scope and targets (such as delivery dates). This article d escribes a multiple-phase project model which explicitly models proces s, resources, scope, and targets. The model explicitly portrays iterat ion, four distinct development activities and available work constrain ts to describe development processes. The model is calibrated to a Sem iconductor chip development project. Impacts of the dynamics of develo pment process structures on research and practice are discussed. (C) 1 998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.