Browsing by Author "Oosthuizen, Chiara"

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    Exploring the link between ppm implementation and company success in achieving strategic goals : an empirical framework
    (Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2016) Oosthuizen, Chiara; Grobbelaar, Sara S.; Bam, Wouter
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organisations are constantly under pressure to innovate and grow by successfully executing their business strategies. The ever-increasing rate of change in technology has implications for product lifecycles, cost pressures, expectations of higher quality, and a larger variety of products and services. These trends result in mounting pressures and a huge increase in complexity, as the drivers of technology must be managed to achieve a competitive advantage. Project portfolio management (PPM) is a solution for unravelling the complexities of multi-projects. In theory, PPM assists an organisation to achieve this competitive advantage through implementing its business strategy, balancing its portfolios, maximising value, and ensuring resource adequacy. There is, however, a lack of empirical evidence on the use and success of PPM approaches in South Africa. This article presents a framework that lays the foundation of an empirical study that will aim to explore the link between PPM implementation and company success in achieving strategic objectives. We base our framework on the factors of good practice in PPM, which include 1) single-project-level characteristics and activities; 2) multi-project- level characteristics and activities; 3) the link between projects and strategy process; and 4) availability and quality of project information.
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    Project portfolio management best practice and implementation: A South African perspective
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Oosthuizen, Chiara; Grobbelaar, Sara; Bam, Wouter; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organizations are constantly under pressure to innovate and grow! by successfully executing their business strategies.The ever Pincreasing rate of change in technology has implications for product lifecycles, cost pressures, expectations of higher quality and a larger variety of products and services. These trends result in mounting pressures and a huge increase in complexity, as the drivers of innovation must be managed to achieve a competitive advantage. Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is a solution for managing the complexities of multi projects, and is theorized to assist an organization in achieving this competitive advantage through the implementation of business strategy, balancing portfolios, maximizing value, and ensuring resource adequacy.There is however, a lack of empirical evidence regarding the employment and success of PPM approaches in South Africa. This study presents and validates a framework, and it analyses the link between PPM implementation and!PPM!success in achieving!strategic objectives. The framework is constructed from a thorough literature review regarding the factors of good practice in PPM. This thesis identifies and investigates three areas of PPM!literature: (1) success criteria (2) success factors and (3) challenges in PPM. To address the lack of empirical research in this field for the South African context, the framework and identified areas of literature were!empirically tested. This was done using a mixed methodology approach consisting of two stages: (1) quantitative (surveys) and (2) qualitative (interviews). The! quantitative results from the surveys were based on 342 respondents, yielding a response rate of 17%. The data from the surveys were analysed and followed by 4 interviews to gain better insight and understanding into the results of the surveys. This study contributes to the investigation of the relationship between the best practices of project portfolio management as well as its success. This!study creates a solid platform upon which future studies in the field of project portfolio management can be built.