The Application of Program Management Principles in Global Vehicle Development (By Andrew Nolan)

The use of Project Management principles in industries such as IT and construction is well documented, whereas its use in some others, including the automotive industry less so. This lecture will look at the disciplined application of some project management principles in the automotive industry to the development of a new vehicle.

Portfolios, Programs, and Projects: A look at these categories in the automotive industry. Does the development of a new vehicle constitute a Portfolio, Program or a Project? We will look at the characteristics of each of these, and answer this question.

Project Scope Management: An insight into some of the decision-making involved in defining scope in the development of a new vehicle.

Project Time Management: The implementation of cross-functional element timing in conjunction with the Critical Path Method (CPM) in vehicle development timing.