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Top 15+ Project Management Case Studies with Examples 2024

Home Blog Project Management Top 15+ Project Management Case Studies with Examples 2024

Having worked for more than 9 years in the dynamic field of project management, I would strongly refer to real-world case studies as invaluable resources for both budding and experienced professionals. These case studies provide critical insights into the challenges and triumphs encountered in various industries, illustrating the application of project management principles in practical scenarios.   I have curated the project management case studies as a part of this article in such a way that it delves into a selection of compelling case studies, ranging from the healthcare sector to infrastructure and technology. Each case study is a testament to the strategic planning, adaptability, and innovative problem-solving skills necessary in today's fast-paced business environment. These narratives not only highlight past successes but also offer guidance for future projects, making them essential tools for anyone eager to excel in project management.

What is Case Study?

A case study refers to an in-depth examination of a specific case within the real-world context. It is a piece of content that sheds light on the challenges faced, solutions adopted, and the overall outcomes of a project. To understand project management case studies, it is important to first define what a project is . A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end, aimed at achieving a specific goal or objective. Case studies are generally used by businesses during the proposal phase. However, they are also displayed on the websites of companies to provide prospects with a glance at the capabilities of the brands. It can even serve as an effective tool for lead generation. In simple words, case studies are stories that tell the target audience about the measures and strategies that the organization adopted to become successful.

What is Project Management Case Study?

A project management case study is a piece of content that highlights a project successfully managed by the organization. It showcases the challenges that the organization faced, the solutions adopted, and the final results. Keep reading in order to explore examples of successful project management case studies.

Top 15 Project Management Case Studies and Examples 

Are you looking for some project management case study examples? If yes, here are some of the best examples you can explore. Let’s dive in! Before diving in, here is the list of top 15 project management case studies: 

• Mavenlink Helps Improve Utilization Rates by 15% for BTM Global
• Boncom Reduces Billing Rate Errors by 100%
• whyaye! Reaches 80% Billable Utilization
• Metova Increases Billable Utilization by 10%
• Appetize Doubles Length of Forecasting Outlook
• RSM Improves Client Satisfaction and Global Business Processes
• CORE Business Technologies Increases Billable Utilization by 35%
• Health Catalyst Improves Business Processes and Increases Consistency in Project Delivery
• Optimus SBR Improves Forecasting Horizon by 50%
• PlainJoe Studios Increases Projects Closing Within Budget by 50%
• RPI Consultants Decreases Admin Time by 20%
• CBI's PMO Increases Billable Utilization By 30%
• Butterfly Increases Billable Time by 20%
• TeleTracking Increases Billable Utilization by 37%
• Taylors Improves Utilization Rates by 15%
• Hospital El Pilar improves Patient Care With implementing Disciplined Agile
• British Columbia’s Ministry of Technology and Infrastructure (MoTI)

1. Mavenlink Helps Improve Utilization Rates by 15% for BTM Global

The case study is all about how Mavenlink helped BTM Global Consulting to save hours of work and enhance utilization with resource management technology. BTM Global Consulting offers system development and integration services to diverse clients. The challenges that the company faced were that tools like Netsuite OpenAir and Excel spreadsheets were not able to meet the customization needs as the company grew. It impacted their overall productivity.

BTM Global saw the following benefits: 

• 15% increase in utilization for project managers
• 10% increase in companywide utilization
• 4-hour resource allocation work reduced to 10 minutes
• 100% Company-wide time tracking adoption

In order to overcome the challenge, the solution they adopted was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was that it increased the utilization of the company by 10% and enhanced project manager utilization by 15%. It also reduced resource allocation work from 4 hours to just 10 minutes.

2. Boncom Reduces Billing Rate Errors by 100% With Mavenlink

Boncom is an advertising agency that collaborates with different purpose driven brands to create goods worldwide. The challenge was that the company relied on several-point solutions for delivering client-facing projects. However, the solutions failed to offer the required operational functionality. An ideal solution for Boncom was to adopt Mavenlink. The result was that the billing rate error got reduced by 100%. Accurate forecasting became possible for Boncom, and the company could generate reports in much less time.

3. whyaye! Reaches 80% Billable Utilization with Mavenlink

Here are the top benefits whyaye got: 

• 6% increase in utilization
• Tripled company size
• Doubled in number of new clients every quarter
• Support through constant business scaling

whyaye is a digital transformation consultancy delivering IT transformation solutions to businesses operating in diverse sectors. The challenge was that whyaye used to manage resources and projects using tools such as emails, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Excel. However, with the growth of the company, they were not able to access project data or gain insights for effective management of the projects . The ultimate solution to this challenge was to make a switch to Mavenlink. The result was an increase in the utilization by 6%, doubling of new clients, tripling of the company size, and seamless support through business growth.

4. Metova Increases Billable Utilization by 10% With Mavenlink

If you are looking for a project planning case study, Metova can be the right example. Metova is a technology firm, a Gold Partner of Microsoft, and an advanced consulting partner of AWS. The challenge was that the company handled several projects at a time. However, its heavy dependence on tools like Google Sheets limited the growth capabilities of the organization. So, the company looked for a solution and switched to Mavenlink. The result was that it was able to increase its billable utilization by 10%, increase its portfolio visibility, and standardize its project management process.

5. Hospital El Pilar improves Patient Care With implementing Disciplined Agile

If you are looking for an example of one of the best hospital related project management case studies, then Hospital El Pilar can be the ideal one. Hospital El Pilar is a private hospital in Guatemala City, Guatemala, that provides comprehensive care to patients in various medical specialties. The challenge was that the hospital’s application development team faced several obstacles in managing and delivering projects, such as unclear priorities, a lack of visibility, little interaction with users, and competing demands. The solution that the team adopted was to use Disciplined Agile® (DA™), a flexible and pragmatic approach to project management that optimizes the way of working (WoW). The result was improved project outcomes, increased user satisfaction, greater transparency, and more trust from stakeholders and customers.

6. British Columbia’s Ministry of Technology and Infrastructure (MoTI) gets its principal corridor for transportation up in 35 days

Reconnecting Roads After Massive Flooding (2022) is a case study of how the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) used a project management approach based on the PMBOK® Guide to restore critical routes after a catastrophic weather event. It is one of the examples of successful project management case studies you can look into. The challenge was that an atmospheric river caused severe flooding, landslides, and bridge collapses, cutting off the lower mainland from the rest of Canada2. The solution was to prioritize the reopening of Highway 5, the principal corridor for transportation of goods and people, by creating scopes, work breakdown structures, and schedules for each site3. The result was that Highway 5 was reopened to commercial traffic in 35 days, despite additional weather challenges and risks4. The construction project management case study we discussed demonstrated the benefits of flexibility, collaboration, and communication in emergency response.

7. Appetize Doubles Length of Forecasting Outlook with Mavenlink

Here the the benefits Appetize got with Mavenlink: 

• Forecasting horizon increases to 12 weeks
• Management of 40+ major projects per quarter
• Support for rapid companywide scaling
• Salesforce integration supports project implementation

Appetize is one of the leading cloud-based points of sale (POS), enterprise management, and digital ordering platform that is trusted by a number of businesses. The challenge of the company was that its legacy project tracking systems were not able to meet the growing needs of the company. They experienced growth and manual data analysis challenges. The solution they found was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was an increase in the forecast horizon to 12 weeks, support for effective companywide scaling, easy management of over 40 major projects, and Salesforce integration for project implementation.

8. RSM Improves Client Satisfaction and Global Business Processes with Mavenlink

RSM is a tax, audit, and consulting company that provides a wide array of professional services to clients in Canada and the United States. The challenge of the company was that its legacy system lacked the necessary features required to support their work- and time-intensive projects and delivered insights relating to the project trends. An ideal solution to this challenge was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was better to risk mitigation in tax compliance, improved client-team communication, templatized project creation, and better use of the KPIs and project status.

9. CORE Business Technologies Increases Billable Utilization by 35% with Mavenlink

Here are the top benefits CORE Business Technologies got with Mavenlink: 

• Simultaneous in-progress projects doubled
• 100% company-wide time entry compliance
• 35% Increase in Billable Utilization
• 50% Increase in Team Productivity

Another top project management case study is the Core Business Technologies. CORE Business Technologies is a reputed single-source vendor self-service, in-person, and back-office processing to the clients. It offers SaaS-based payment solutions to clients. The challenge faced by the company was that its tools like spreadsheets, Zoho, and Microsoft Project led to a hectic work schedule owing to a huge number of disconnected systems. The solution to the challenge was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was the enhancement of team productivity by 50%, time entry compliance by 100%, and enhancement of the billable utilization rate by 35%.

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10. Client Success: Health Catalyst Improves Business Processes and Increases Consistency in Project Delivery with Mavenlink

Here are the top benefits Health Catalyst saw with Mavenlink:   

• Consistency in Successful Project Delivery 
• Improved Interdepartmental Communication 
• Deeper Resource Data Insights 
• Stronger Resource Forecasting

Health Catalyst is a company that delivers data and analytics services and technology to different healthcare organizations. The firm provides assistance to technicians and clinicians in the healthcare sector. The challenge of the company was that the tools like Intacct and spreadsheets that is used for project management were not able to provide the required data insights and clarity for better project management. It also limited effective resource management. The solution was to embrace Mavenlink. The result was better resource forecasting, enhanced interdepartmental communication, consistency in project delivery, and better resource data insights .

11. Client Success: Optimus SBR Improves Forecasting Horizon by 50% with Mavenlink

Optimus SBR is a leading professional service provider in North America. It offers the best results to companies operating in diverse sectors, including healthcare, energy, transportation, financial services, and more. The challenge was that legacy software tools that the firm used gave rise to project management issues. The company was not able to get a real-time revenue forecast or gain insights into its future financial performance. The solution that the company adopted was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was better data-driven hiring decisions, efficient delivery of remote work, and enhancement of the forecasting horizon by 50%.

12. Client Success: PlainJoe Studios Increases Projects Closing Within Budget by 50% With Mavenlink

Here are the benefits how Mavenlink helped PlainJoe: 

• Improved data insights for project success
• Enablement of fast shift to remote work
• Improved budgeting
• Increased rates in billing

PlainJoe Studios is an experimental design studio that focuses on digitally immersive and strategic storytelling. The company has a team of strategists, architects, and problem solvers to create value for the clients. The challenge of the company was that the manual processing of the company affected its ability to grow and manage the diverse project effectively. They lacked clarity about their project needs and profitability. The solution to deal with the challenge was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was an enhancement in the billing rates by 15%, better project closing within budget by 50%, better data insights for the success of different projects, and a faster shift to remote work.

13. Client Success: RPI Consultants Decreases Admin Time by 20% With Mavenlink

If you are looking for an example of one of the best software project management case studies, then RPI Consultants can be the ideal one. RPI Consultants offer expert project leadership and software consulting services for enterprise-level implementation of solutions and products. The challenge was that the task management solutions adopted by the company gave rise to a number of complications. It resulted in poor interdepartmental transparency and time-consuming data entry. The ultimate solution that the company embraced was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was a rise in the utilization rate by 5%, lowing of admin time by 20%, better forecasting and resource management, and a single source for gaining insights into the project data.

14. Client Success: CBI's PMO Increases Billable Utilization By 30% With Mavenlink

CBI is a company that is focused on protecting the reputations, data, and brands of its clients. The challenge that the company faced was that the solutions used were unable to meet the growing needs of the organization. The systems were outdated, data sharing was not possible, and time tracking was inconsistent. The solution to the challenge was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was better interdepartmental alignment, enhancement of time tracking to support business growth, an increase in the billable utilization rate by 30%, and detailed insights for a greater success of the projects.

15. Client Success: Butterfly Increases Billable Time by 20% with Mavenlink

Butterfly is a leading digital agency that provides digital strategy, website design and development services, and ongoing support to businesses across Australia. The challenge was that the different legacy systems used by the agency limited its capability of effective project management and reporting. The systems were time consuming and cumbersome. In order to deal with the challenge, the solution was to make a switch to Mavenlink. The result was the enhancement of billable time by 20%, fast reporting insights, enhancement of productive utilization by 16%, and better Jira integration.

16. Client Success: TeleTracking Increases Billable Utilization by 37% With Mavenlink

TeleTracking Technologies is a leading provider of patient flow automation solutions to various hospitals in the healthcare sector. The challenge of the company was that it used different systems such as Microsoft Excel, Sharepoint, MS Project, Jira, and Netsuite. The use of a variety of solutions created a number of challenges for the company. It had poor forecasting capability, an insufficient time tracking process, and unclear resource utilization. The solution was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was the enhancement of time tracking compliance by 100%, rise in hours to date by 18%, and enhancement of billable utilization by 37%.

17. Client Success: Taylors Improves Utilization Rates by 15% with Mavenlink

This is a perfect example of a construction project management case study. Taylor Development Strategists is a leading civil engineering and urban planning organization in Australia. The challenge that the company faced was that the systems that it used were not able to support the growth of the business. There were a lot of inefficiencies and limitations. The solution to the challenge was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was better global collaboration, an increase in the utilization rate by 15%, consistency of timesheet entry, and in-depth insights relating to utilization and project targets.

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Start Creating Your Project Management Case Study

Not that you have a detailed idea about project management case studies, it is time to prepare your own. When doing the project management case study exercise, make sure to focus on covering all the important elements. Clearly stating the challenges and the solutions adopted by the company is important. If you want to get better at project management, getting a PMP Certification can be beneficial.

Case Study Best Practices and Tips 

• Involve your clients in the preparation of the case study. 
• Make use of graphs and data. 
• Mix images, texts, graphs, and whitespace effectively.

Project Management Case Study Template 

To create a well-crafted and highly informative case study template in the realms of project management, you should start by providing a brief overview of the client's company, focusing on its industry, scale, and specific challenges. Follow with a detailed section on the challenge, emphasizing the unique aspects of the project and obstacles faced. Next, you might want to describe the solution implemented, detailing the strategies, methodologies, and tools used. Then, you would need to present the results, quantifying improvements and highlighting objectives achieved. Finally, please conclude the case study with a summary, encapsulating key takeaways and emphasizing the project's success and its implications for future endeavors. By following this structure, you can present a comprehensive yet concise analysis that is ideal for showcasing project management expertise and insights. You can also refer to the template for crafting a better case study on project management – Template for writing case studies .

By now, you must have gained a comprehensive knowledge of preparing a project management case study. This article elaborately explains the significance of real life project management case studies as vital tools for demonstrating a company's expertise in handling complex projects. These case studies, showcasing real-world scenarios, serve as compelling evidence of a firm's capability to navigate challenges and implement effective solutions, thereby boosting confidence in potential clients and partners. They are not only a reflection of past successes but also a lighthouse guiding future project endeavors in the discipline of project management within the fields of construction, pharmacy, technology and finance, highlighting the importance of strategic planning, innovation, and adaptability in project management. If you are aspiring to excel in this field, understanding these case studies is invaluable. However, you would also need to learn from project management failures case studies which would provide a roadmap to mastering the art of project management in today's dynamic business landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

In order to write a project management case study, keep everything brief but mention everything in detail. Make sure to write it with clarity and include graphs and images. 

A project study must include information about the client, how your company helped the client in resolving a problem, and the results.

The best-case studies on project management have been listed above. It includes BTM Global, Butterfly, Boncom, and more.

Kevin D.Davis

Kevin D. Davis is a seasoned and results-driven Program/Project Management Professional with a Master's Certificate in Advanced Project Management. With expertise in leading multi-million dollar projects, strategic planning, and sales operations, Kevin excels in maximizing solutions and building business cases. He possesses a deep understanding of methodologies such as PMBOK, Lean Six Sigma, and TQM to achieve business/technology alignment. With over 100 instructional training sessions and extensive experience as a PMP Exam Prep Instructor at KnowledgeHut, Kevin has a proven track record in project management training and consulting. His expertise has helped in driving successful project outcomes and fostering organizational growth.

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Project Management Examples: Success Stories Case Studies, and Examples

By Kate Eby | January 3, 2023

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The best real-world project management starts with meticulous planning and ends with achieving goals. Take charge of your next project with the techniques and tools that experts use to avoid failure and deliver stellar results.

In this article, learn about eight real-world project management examples , project success criteria , five famous project management failures , and how modern project management software supports success .

Successful Real-World Project Management Examples

Successful real-world project management examples have one thing in common: they support company strategy. Examples show how detailed research, planning, and organization of resources helped real-world project managers achieve a particular aim that moves the organization forward.

Successful project management examples reveal that, in order to reach the final goal, you must have and maintain a big-picture view. Other success factors include involving stakeholders, reviewing multiple frameworks and solutions, and keeping the lines of communication open.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Case Study: Increased Outpatient Surgical Center Performance

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital is a 357-bed not-for-profit community hospital and trauma center in Santa Clarita, California. Jay Arcilla, Director of the Performance Excellence Office, is charged with studying and adapting the functions and processes to increase the achievement of desired outcomes, better meet patients' needs, and assure quality. 

• Challenge: In every hospital, starting the day's first scheduled in-patient or out-patient surgery on time has a knock-on effect on subsequent surgery timelines. Meeting schedules can always be challenging. The pandemic created even more hurdles, from having the right supplies and equipment on hand to keeping up with documentation and ensuring the right personnel are available to cover every patient's needs. Arcilla focused on raising surgery on-time start times to 70 percent. 

• Work Sessions: A team work session helps frontline staff analyze the root cause and create a consensus-driven, interdisciplinary team.

•  Communication: Disseminating information and encouraging discussion for all stakeholder groups.
•  Accountability: The operating room executive leadership created and enforced an Outpatient Surgery Center First Case On-Time Start (OPSC FCOTS) Escalation Plan, holding all staff accountable for showing up to first cases on time.
• Takeaway: In complex, multi-layered project situations, there is often no single silver bullet. Instead, results manifest over time. In this case, within seven months, monthly performance went past the 70 percent target to 89 percent for April 2022.

Behr Process Corporation Case Study: Paving the Way for Road Show Marketing Achievement 

Behr is one of the largest purveyors of architectural paint and exterior wood care products in the United States and Canada. Lisa Kudukis, Director of Professional Products and Services for the Behr Process Corporation , oversees promotions, including a major road show.

• Challenge: Kudukis created the BehrPro Experience Tour to connect with U.S. contractors. The annual event employs five tour teams covering 75 markets and 500 Home Depot locations in 34 states. Initially, each manager used different tools and organizational tactics to run their activities. Supervising people and processes and collaborating to maximize efforts was challenging. The Behr marketing team needed a way to operate more efficiently and stay on task. 
• Solution: After an exhaustive review, Kudukis chose Smartsheet as the group's project management tool. Everyone on the team now uses a single, custom template. A master dashboard relays information about key initiatives and features a drill-down menu so anyone with access can check on small details.  
• Takeaway: For the team, it is a huge time and money saver since anyone can view the project status and provide assistance if necessary. It also helps the team identify new business development opportunities or obstacles to inform future promotions and projects.

Successful Software Project Examples

Software projects involve generating an overall plan, scheduling, allocating resources, executing, tracking, and delivering quality software and apps. These examples show that successful software projects deliver the product with the pre-agreed level of quality within the given time and cost. 

Software companies create, change or maintain valuable products. Software project management is one of the most complex and fastest-growing endeavors in business today.

Hyland Software: More Responsive Updates and Website Requests

Jacob Huston-Lowery manages web operations at Hyland Software , a content services platform and developer of Onbase, an enterprise content management (ECM) and process management software suite. Hyland cuts dozens of hours from the website request process while capturing data to drive ongoing improvement for its clients. Clients include insurance, manufacturing, higher education, and finance businesses that provide web-based services to their customers.

• Challenge: Providing efficiency and seamless services is paramount to maintaining Hyland's standards. Service requests from internal staff who noticed system issues, along with those on behalf of customers, created log jams and confusion. When Huston-Lowery came on board, there were five different contact forms, and some requesters were bypassing the process and sending emails. 
• Solution: Huston-Lowery turned to Smartsheet to find an easy-to-use solution for the critical challenges his team faced. Using project messaging and alerts within the app helped eliminate email delays. When users complete an online form with an alert for urgent projects, Smartsheet routes website requests to a sheet Huston-Lowery manages. As requests come in, all projects are prioritized, scheduled, and assigned to team members or third-party website management agencies.
• Takeaway: By replacing email trails with built-in alerts and update capabilities, the Smartsheet solution saves communication time and eliminates duplication. The ability to handle requests strategically helps the team implement a support program that runs 24 hours a day, 5 days a week – a process that was impossible before instituting the new project management process.

Examples of Successful IT Projects

Information technology (IT) projects ensure that software, devices, and systems work together to help people get things done. 

Managing IT projects and creating efficient IT project plans involve all aspects of planning, design, implementation, project management, and training.

Convergint: A Single System of Record Improves Processes and Customer Service

Jenn Hilber is the Business Architect, Operations for Convergint , the largest privately held security integrator in the United States. Convergint has more than 175 locations worldwide, providing a range of services, including installation and management of card readers and cameras, alarm systems, fire systems, building controls, and more.

•  Challenge: The company prides itself in creating an outstanding customer experience, but managing all the details seamlessly was difficult. Convergint relied on manual practices and printed playbooks, with no single unified process for most of its activities.
•  Solution: Convergint turned to Smartsheet to capture all of its data, best practices, and resources in a single place. As a result, teams can make strategic decisions and act on customer priorities with confidence knowing that they have the most current and accurate information at their fingertips.
• Takeaway: Convergint teams now enjoy better cross-team and global communication, a clearer insight into customers' needs and status, and greater accountability for internal processes. Customers also experience quicker turnaround time for requests.

Exoft: Shifting to Mixed Methodologies Rescue an IT Project Management Client Relationship

Bohuslava Zhyvko is Head of Marketing for Exoft , a software development services company located in Lviv, Ukraine. Exoft builds robust web and mobile solutions with a focus on increasing clients' efficiency and solving technology challenges. 

• Challenge: Zhyvko began a new assignment with an IT client previously managed by another project manager. Zhyvko learned the IT client didn't want to hear about Agile methodology or process at Exoft; he simply wanted to complete his project ASAP. 
• Solution: Zhyvko immediately requested a kick-off conference call. During the call, she discussed the goal and purpose of the project and clarified the main issues that were creating stress points. After the call, Zhyvko gathered the team and included Exoft's CTO. The weaknesses of the client's planning and reporting systems became apparent, and Zhyvko offered the solution: Agile, after all. The team used a mix of Scrum and Kanban to replace Waterfall , which wasn't the right approach for the nature and goals of the project. They divided the project's scope into milestones and sprints, then switched the look of the workboard in Jira. Zhyvko supplied the client with a process improvement proposal and SOW with all the features he wanted. Zhyvko explained how the project's formal change request procedure worked and shared the documentation, so the client could clearly understand the development process, which they accepted and signed.
• Takeaway: After three months, when two milestones were closed, the client was pleased with the deliveries and the Scrum working process. The project concluded after milestone 11 with a client who was pleased with the outcome. His startup is growing extremely fast, and the company and Zhyvko have an excellent relationship. Solid planning, reporting, and communication can turn around even the most complex project management challenge.

Examples of Successful Completed Business Projects

Efficiently reaching project objectives is a key element of project management success. Efficiency relates to how the project’s limited resources are managed to meet its goals while building good relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Whirlpool: Regional Alignment for Smoother Operations

Thiago Zapparoli is a Senior Planning Engineer at Whirlpool Corporation . The global home appliance company relies on regional project managers to manage its extensive portfolio.

• Challenge: When you're responsible for managing a project portfolio of a global home appliance company — including approximately 400 individual projects across five worldwide regions — you need a comprehensive system to keep everything on track. That's why Zapparoli looked for a way to get project managers, leadership, and other stakeholders on the same page with the laundry and dryer portfolio he manages.
• Solution: Zapparoli knew he needed an effective and unique system for all project managers to aggregate the 400 projects that covered multiple regions around the globe. At a minimum, the project management system needed to identify responsibilities for each project and task; key performance indicators; and open, completed, and delayed tasks. Smartsheet offered an all-up view of an entire region, providing real-time visibility into the overall project status and numerous tasks. First deployed in Brazil, the holistic tracker transformed how the 10 project managers and cross-functional leaders in that region approach their daily work and stay in sync.
• Takeaway: After implementations in Brazil and the United States, Zapparoli’s Smartsheet trackers are used in all three remaining regions and assisted deployment in four other Whirlpool internal organizations. Project managers are engaged because they have control over projects. Cross-functional leaders are satisfied with the visibility, and senior leadership can now see how they can help.

Simplus: Improved Sales Process

Katherine Albiston is a Content Manager for Simplus , an Infosys company that provides a strategic, industry-focused digital transformation for customers in the Salesforce ecosystem. She shares how Simplus’ customer Ziehm Imaging needed to improve its sales process to garner maximum efficiency and profits, as well as the company’s solution for them.

• Challenge: Simplus customer Ziehm Imaging, Inc. was using a legacy configure, price, quote (CPQ) system process for defining new products or modifying bundles. As a result, it took up to a week to go to market. A Microsoft Excel-based process further complicated managing market-specific annual pricing updates, which required a manual price override to apply pricing for each segment. The manual work increased errors, eroded margins, and led to customer communications about pricing adjustments – not good for relationships. 
• Solution: Simplus simplified Ziehm's bundle configuration process and centralized compatibility management rules. It now uses a lookup-based rules setup for products that enforces business policies in real time as sales reps interact with the CPQ system. 
• Takeaway: Streamlining and installing coherent systems decreased Ziehm's quote creation time by 93 percent, troubleshooting time by 87 percent, and the time to add products by approximately 87 percent. The lesson is clear: A holistic approach to process improvement can reap impressive benefits.

designdough: A More Refined Recruitment Process

Molly Govus is the Marketing Manager of designdough , a full-service U.K. design firm. The company tightened its use of project and time management tools to run projects and realized it needed to do the same for managing internal projects.

• Challenge: designdough audited its recruitment process and discovered four key issues: Permanent and temporary staffing ebb and flow was always in flux depending on client project demands. There were no clear start-to-finish timescales, and they lacked transparency with staff regarding project timescales. Staff capacity related to assigned tasks was unclear. Finally, the firm lacked designated client communication points.  
• Solution: They started by planning and documenting every resource and task using a project management tool that provided visibility for all team members. They wanted to clarify the audit's issues and organize information and project processes around recruiting by implementing clearly delineated stages (Administration, Interview, Offer, Induction, and Confirmation). Now, they set start dates for each step and complete tasks before moving to the next stage. Additionally, they add relevant tags, such as meeting , to tasks so they can easily identify who is assigned the task assignment and dates attached to every job. 
• Takeaway: Thanks to a straightforward process and an efficient project management tool, the team met its recruitment project goals. They now encounter fewer bottlenecks and have an easier recruitment process that has improved staff and client satisfaction and relationships.

What Is the Measure of Project Success?

The measure of project success is meeting the initial criteria established by the internal or external client and the project team. Teams use these specs, milestones, and deliverables to evaluate a project after it closes. 

“Project managers are experts at helping people define problems,” notes J. Scott, CEO of 120VC and author of The Irreverent Guide to Project Management . “Data drives and measures success to control the outcome and move the project forward as aggressively as possible, leaving no time or money on the table.”

In its 2020 report, “Ahead of the Curve: Forging a Future Focused Culture,” the Project Management Institute (PMI) found that organizations that operated from mature ROI capabilities geared toward meeting strategic goals, working within predetermined budgets, delivered segments and the entire project on time with limited scope creep . High-maturity companies had 50 percent fewer project failures than low-maturity organizations.      

A success measurement framework includes:

• Buy-In: Worthy projects and outstanding ideas can fail if critical stakeholders aren't behind the effort. With buy-in, resources will be available, and you can move the project forward.
• Strategic Approach: One of the best ways to guarantee buy-in is to make a business case that shows how the project fits into overall company goals and will positively impact the organization’s future. According to an article on the six questions to ask before starting a big project in the Harvard Business Review, a good distribution of resources is 60 percent in support of the core business, 30 percent in the adjacent business area, and 10 percent unrelated to your core business.
• Meticulous Planning: Completing projects on budget and on schedule relies on thorough advanced planning. Professional planning includes defining the scope and objectives of the project and operating from an understanding of the resource and budget limitations that affect your project. 
• Continuous Monitoring: Once the project begins, it's essential to monitor all activities, resources, and expenditures almost constantly. You will likely find that you’ll need to make adjustments to some elements in every project. You will want to monitor the execution of tasks against milestones, keep an eye on quality, track whether you are on schedule, and verify money is spent according to plan. 
• Make Relationships a Priority: Stay in touch with clients, vendors, and internal team members to stay informed about project status and build relationships. Once the project concludes, check in with stakeholders to see what worked and what didn't so that you can apply winning strategies and tactics to subsequent projects.

Setting Success Metrics

For the best results, the only way to measure project failure or success is by collecting and tracking data from the first day until the project closes. "You can't manage what you don't measure" is Peter Drucker’s time-honored adage for setting project success metrics. 

Management consultant Drucker's gold standard in project management metrics is his specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals framework, known as SMART . To start setting those strategic types of project metrics, the Performance Management Institute (PMI) suggests asking three questions to inform the metrics you will use to measure the success of your project .

 The key questions to help set metrics are the following:

• Why is the project needed? Understand the purpose or goal of the project or work.
• What are the success factors? Determine what critical success factors are mandatory for you to succeed and achieve the goal.
• What are the metrics? Identify how you will measure the fulfillment for each critical success factor for the project or program, and collect and share data.

Common Project Management Success Metrics

Metrics for on-target project management track productivity, assess resource utilization, monitor the scope of work changes, and measure quality. Assuring a low number of defects throughout the project and providing a quality deliverable at its end should be a metric for any project. 

Examples of crucial project metrics include the following:

• Resource Utilization: This metric assesses how individual team members or the project team spend their time against the total number of hours allocated for the project. Periodically checking time spent on the project can help assess how human energy is being used. For organizations that bill hours, this is an important metric to monitor and review at the end of a project.
• Schedule Variance: This metric helps project managers determine if projects are running according to the planned budget or ahead of it. A negative schedule variance means the project is behind schedule.
• Cost Performance: This metric measures efficiency. Divide the work performed or earned value by how much money it took to accomplish tasks. Accurate budget estimates rely on forecasting cost performance. 
• Cost Variance: This metric pinpoints how you are operating within a planned budget. The purpose is to see if you are running below or within budget. If cost variance is negative, the project is over budget. If it’s under budget, that means you are achieving budget and project success.
• Gross Margin: A strategically planned project aims to contribute to the company by increasing profits. The gross margin is the difference between the total income and total project spend. It’s best to establish the gross target margin before a project begins and measure it on an ongoing basis. Achieving or exceeding a gross margin is the primary mark of project management excellence.

With project metrics in place and the right tools to track that data, it is easier to crunch the numbers on previous projects to see what went right and what task ended up causing a significant delay.

What Skills and Tools Support Project Management Success?

You need various tools and skills to guide projects to the desired goal. Soft skills are people skills or emotional intelligence. Hard skills are specific to project managers and can be learned through formal training or on the job. 

The exact project management techniques and tools you need depend on your industry, company, and team preferences. The vital foundation for success is to create your project plan and lean into best practices that focus on organization, communication, and team leadership. "There are many methodologies project managers employ," says 120VC’s J. Scott. "Waterfall, Agile, Lean, and more – but the most important skill to have is leadership and a people-centric framework since it is people that get [expletive] done.”

Project management skills and tools to help you meet project management challenges – and win –  include the following:

• Soft Skills: Soft skills are interpersonal skills such as communication, flexibility, leadership, teamwork, and time management.
• Project Management Tools: Tools is another word for software. Purpose-built project management software supports teams in the planning, tracking, and managing of projects to meet stated goals on time and within budget. These also serve as a repository for data that will inform the post-project analysis.
• Project Management Methodologies and Frameworks: The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide describes all the PM methodologies and techniques available to manage projects. Project managers choose frameworks such as Critical Chain Project Management, Lean, Scrum, and Waterfall for their projects.

Reasons Projects Fail and How Modern Project Software Supports Success

Projects fail for many reasons. Those include inadequate preparation, poor documentation and tracking, and poor communication. Modern project software can help solve those problems and support success. 

"Project management, particularly at the enterprise scale, is about getting to desired outcomes as efficiently as possible under any conditions," says 120VC's Scott. "You must be agile (with a lowercase a) to get things done to reach those outcomes." Modern software is the way forward.

“IT projects have an exceptionally high failure rate of 44 percent,” says Scott. “These projects fail due to a lack of alignment between business and project objectives. As software project failure statistics show, the lack of alignment of projects with the business objectives is why nearly half of the strategic initiatives fail.”

5 Famous Project Management Failures and How They Could Have Been Solved

Project management failures are part of most projects. The key is to learn from past failures and track projects closely to get back on track when things go awry. 

1. Citibank Interest Payment Failure Citibank intended to make a $7.8 million interest payment to creditors of its client Revlon. Instead, the company paid $900 million because of errors due to aging software. Citibank's employees set up a transaction as if they were paying off the entire loan to calculate the interest correctly, then check numerous boxes to deliver the majority of the sum to an internal Citibank account. Three different people signed off on this transaction, most of which wasn't due to creditors until 2023, but the Citibank employees didn’t check all the proper boxes. Creditors kept more than $500 million of the payment. A judge ruled that they didn't have to return the money because he said it was not believable that one of the largest and most sophisticated financial institutions on earth could make such a mistake. 

• Takeaway: The big lesson is to modernize your software and user interfaces, so employees can perform their duties in a streamlined, logical fashion. Remember: You might suffer less when you make mistakes if people aren't angry enough to take advantage of those errors.

2. J.C. Penney Rebrand Failure Ron Johnson, who has a successful branding track record, took over as J.C. Penney's CEO in 2011. Johnson's "cheap chic" rebranding for Target was enormously successful, as was his previous work with Apple to generate its outstanding and consistent brand experience. Defying expectations, Johnson's rebrand for Penney's was a dismal failure. His goal was to revitalize the chain by making "hip" changes. He wanted to shake things up at the company by doing away with sales and coupons, nixing some of the legacy merchandise, and modernizing the store’s physical layout. It failed miserably. Revenues dropped from an already low level, and after 17 months, Johnson was out.

• Takeaway: No matter how cool or innovative a new brand concept seems, robust market research is mandatory. J.C. Penney's poor financial state forced Johnson to act too quickly. As such, he failed to align the likes and dislikes of J.C. Penney's loyal existing customer base with new tactics. That's not to say the change involved in rebranding has to be totally at the mercy of your customers' extant preferences. When a brand has long-standing customer favorite factors such as discounts and coupons, it may be best to roll out changes slowly rather than all at once to acclimate existing customers to a new direction.

3. McDonald's Arch Deluxe Burger The fast food giant put an unprecedented $150 million into advertising for the Arch Deluxe Burger, only to discover its customers weren't interested in the sophisticated, ”gourmet” menu option. Mistakes include marketing to a new, disinterested Gen X demographic while neglecting the brand's core audience, overpricing the burger to cover the additional costs it took to create, and franchisee disinterest. 

• Takeaway: The message is to never ignore your buying base and pick the right metrics when you start and run a project. If McDonald's had a more accurate picture of what its customers wanted and conducted more testing with existing customers, the company could have saved its money, resources, and reputation. 

4. Dyson Electric Car James Dyson spent a small fortune – more than $600 million – on a seven-seat electric car with a 600-mile range. Then Dyson scrapped it before the prototype ever hit the road. Electric vehicles are costly, and the battery, battery management, electronics, and cooling system are much more expensive than an internal combustion engine. Tesla — hailed as a success by many — has burned through $19 billion of investor cash and is still not profitable. It turned out that each Dyson would have had to fetch roughly $183 million to break even. 

• Takeaway: The British government wants to ban sales of all fossil-fuel cars by 2035, so Dyson shifted its focus. The company continues to work on solid-state battery manufacturing. Solid-state batteries are the key to making electric vehicles functional and desirable. Highly efficient, as well as smaller and lighter than ion batteries, solid-state batteries generate less heat and are easier to recycle. Dyson says he could return to electric vehicle production when commercial and financial circumstances change.

5. Coca-Cola and New Coke The company tested New Coke with 200,000 consumers. Most people who tried it preferred New Coke over the traditional product. Based on that information, Coca-Cola launched New Coke in 1985. But the new product did not sell, and product loyalty and people’s old-fashioned habits got in the way. The cost to the company was $30 million in unsellable backstock and $4 million lost to development. New Coke remains one of the most famous failures in marketing history.

• Takeaway: While Coca-Cola researched the market, it missed the mark when assessing the power of brand loyalty. Understanding customers is imperative in product development. Ensure your information is comprehensive and those insights are realistic and accurate.

How Modern Project Management Software Cures Common Project Woes

Modern project management software provides real-time visibility into work conducted across projects, programs, and processes. Store, track, manage, and automatically report on all work, so you can save time and help your team focus on the work that matters most.

Take Charge of Your Next Project with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet

From simple task management and project planning to complex resource and portfolio management, Smartsheet helps you improve collaboration and increase work velocity -- empowering you to get more done. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed.

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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Exploring Project Management Case Studies: A Comprehensive Guide

• January 25, 2024

Project management has become an essential skill for organizations to achieve their goals efficiently. By effectively managing projects, businesses can streamline processes, improve productivity, and ultimately drive success. To understand the intricacies of project management, it is crucial to explore various case studies that offer real-life insights into successful project management practices. This comprehensive guide aims to provide a deep dive into project management, highlighting key principles, methodologies, and the role of a project manager.

Understanding the Basics of Project Management

Project management is a crucial discipline that involves the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities. Its primary goal is to meet specific project requirements by carefully planning, executing, controlling, and closing projects within defined constraints. These constraints typically include factors such as time, cost, and scope. By effectively managing these elements, project managers aim to achieve predetermined objectives while ensuring efficient resource utilization.

Defining Project Management

At its core, project management is a multifaceted process that requires a comprehensive understanding of various project elements. It encompasses the coordination of tasks, resources, and stakeholders to achieve project goals. By employing proven methodologies and strategies , project managers can effectively navigate the complexities of project execution.

Successful project management involves breaking down complex projects into manageable tasks, establishing clear project objectives, and developing a well-defined project plan . This plan serves as a roadmap for the project, outlining the necessary steps, timelines, and deliverables. By having a solid plan in place, project managers can effectively allocate resources, manage risks, and monitor progress throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Principles of Project Management

Project management is guided by a set of key principles that serve as the foundation for successful project execution. These principles include:

• Clear Project Objectives: Clearly defining project objectives is essential for project success. By having well-defined goals, project managers can align project activities and ensure that everyone is working towards a common purpose.
• Effective Communication: Communication is a critical aspect of project management. Project managers must establish open lines of communication with stakeholders, team members, and other relevant parties to ensure that information flows smoothly and that everyone is kept informed about project progress.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle is vital. By involving stakeholders in decision-making processes and keeping them informed, project managers can gain valuable insights and ensure that project outcomes meet stakeholder expectations.
• Risk Management: Identifying and managing risks is an integral part of project management. Project managers must proactively assess potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them. By addressing risks early on, project managers can minimize their impact on project outcomes.
• Continuous Improvement: Project management is an iterative process that requires continuous improvement . Project managers should regularly evaluate project performance, identify areas for improvement, and implement corrective actions. By embracing a culture of continuous improvement, project managers can enhance project outcomes and drive organizational success.

The Role of a Project Manager

A project manager plays a pivotal role in the success of any project. They are responsible for planning, organizing, and overseeing all project activities. Key responsibilities of a project manager include:

• Planning: Project managers develop comprehensive project plans that outline the necessary tasks, timelines, and resources required for successful project execution. They establish project objectives, define deliverables, and allocate resources accordingly.
• Team Management: Project managers are responsible for assembling and managing project teams. They assign tasks, provide guidance, and ensure that team members have the necessary resources and support to complete their work effectively.
• Communication: Project managers serve as the primary point of contact for all project-related communication. They facilitate effective communication between team members , stakeholders, and other relevant parties to ensure that everyone is aligned and informed.
• Decision-making: Project managers make critical decisions throughout the project lifecycle. They analyze information, evaluate options, and make informed choices that align with project objectives and stakeholder expectations.
• Monitoring and Control: Project managers continuously monitor project progress, track performance against established metrics, and implement necessary control measures. They identify deviations from the plan and take corrective actions to keep the project on track.

By fulfilling these roles and responsibilities, project managers act as leaders, decision-makers, and facilitators. They work closely with stakeholders to ensure that project goals are met, deliverables are achieved, and project outcomes align with organizational objectives.

The Importance of Project Management

Project management plays a crucial role in the success of organizations. It is a discipline that involves planning, organizing, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals and objectives. Effective project management ensures that projects are executed efficiently, meeting the desired outcomes while staying within the allocated budget and time frame.

Benefits of Effective Project Management

Effective project management offers numerous benefits to organizations. Firstly, it enhances collaboration among team members. By establishing clear roles and responsibilities, project managers facilitate effective communication and coordination, ensuring that everyone is working towards a common goal. This collaboration fosters innovation, creativity, and synergy among team members, leading to higher productivity and better outcomes.

Furthermore, effective project management promotes efficient resource allocation . Project managers carefully analyze the project requirements and allocate resources, such as manpower, equipment, and materials, in the most optimal way. This ensures that resources are utilized effectively, minimizing waste and maximizing productivity. By efficiently managing resources, organizations can achieve cost savings and improve their overall operational efficiency.

In addition, effective project management minimizes risks. Project managers identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them. They create contingency plans and establish risk management processes to address any unforeseen events or challenges that may arise during the project. By proactively managing risks, organizations can minimize disruptions, avoid costly mistakes, and ensure the successful completion of projects.

Moreover, effective project management enables effective decision-making. Project managers gather relevant data, analyze information, and make informed decisions based on the project’s objectives and constraints. They consider various factors, such as cost, quality, and time, to make decisions that align with the organization’s overall strategy. This ensures that projects are executed in a way that maximizes value and achieves the desired outcomes.

Lastly, effective project management ensures projects are completed on time and within budget. Project managers develop detailed project plans, set realistic timelines, and monitor progress to ensure that projects stay on track . They closely monitor project costs and implement cost control measures to prevent budget overruns. By delivering projects on time and within budget, organizations can enhance customer satisfaction, build trust, and maintain a competitive edge in the market.

Consequences of Poor Project Management

Scope creep.

On the other hand, poor project management can have severe consequences for organizations. When project management is not effectively implemented, it can result in scope creep. Scope creep refers to the continuous expansion of project requirements beyond the initial scope, leading to increased costs, delays, and a loss of focus. This can strain relationships with stakeholders, as their expectations may not be met, and can ultimately lead to project failure.

Budget overruns

Poor project management can also result in budget overruns. Without proper planning and control, projects can exceed their allocated budgets, causing financial strain on the organization. This can lead to reduced profitability, cash flow issues, and potential financial losses. Additionally, budget overruns can negatively impact the organization’s reputation, as stakeholders may view the organization as inefficient or unreliable.

Missed deadlines

Missed deadlines are another consequence of poor project management. When projects are not effectively managed, timelines may not be realistic or properly monitored. This can lead to delays in project completion, causing frustration among stakeholders and potentially impacting the organization’s ability to deliver products or services on time. Missed deadlines can also result in missed business opportunities, as competitors may gain an advantage by delivering similar projects more efficiently.

Strain relationships with stakeholders

Furthermore, poor project management can strain relationships with stakeholders. When projects are not effectively communicated or managed, stakeholders may feel excluded or uninformed. This can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and a lack of trust in the organization’s ability to execute projects successfully. Strained relationships can have long-term consequences, as stakeholders may choose to disengage from future projects or seek alternative partnerships.

Damage a company’s reputation

Ultimately, failed projects can damage a company’s reputation. When projects fail to meet their objectives, it can erode customer confidence and trust in the organization’s ability to deliver on its promises. This can result in a loss of business opportunities, as potential customers may choose to work with competitors who have a track record of successful project execution. Additionally, failed projects can demoralize employees and create a negative work environment, impacting overall organizational performance.

In conclusion, effective project management is vital for organizations to achieve their goals and objectives. It offers numerous benefits, including enhanced collaboration, efficient resource allocation, risk mitigation, effective decision-making, and timely project completion. On the other hand, poor project management can have severe consequences, such as scope creep, budget overruns, missed deadlines, strained relationships, and damage to the organization’s reputation. Therefore, organizations should prioritize investing in project management practices and ensure they have skilled project managers who can effectively lead and execute projects.

Diving into Project Management Processes

Initiation phase.

In the initiation phase, project managers work closely with stakeholders to define project objectives and analyze feasibility. This phase involves identifying the project scope, clarifying deliverables, and assembling the project team. It sets the stage for the successful execution of the project.

Planning Phase

The planning phase is a critical stage where project managers develop a detailed roadmap for project execution. It involves defining project activities, estimating resources and timelines, identifying risks, and developing contingency plans. Effective planning ensures all project stakeholders have a clear understanding of project requirements and paves the way for seamless execution.

Execution Phase

In the execution phase, project plans are put into action. Project managers coordinate and oversee the project team, allocate resources, and monitor progress. Effective communication and collaboration are crucial during this phase to address any issues that may arise and keep the project on track.

Closure Phase

The closure phase signifies the completion of the project. Project managers conduct a final review to ensure all deliverables have been met, obtain stakeholder feedback, and document lessons learned. This phase allows organizations to celebrate successes, evaluate performance, and gather valuable insights for future projects.

Project Management Methodologies

Waterfall methodology.

The waterfall methodology is a linear approach to project management, where tasks are completed sequentially. It involves distinct phases, with one phase starting only after the previous one is finished. This methodology is ideal for projects with well-defined requirements and limited changes expected throughout the project lifecycle.

Agile Methodology

The agile methodology is an iterative and flexible approach to project management. It emphasizes adaptability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Agile projects are divided into short iterations called sprints, with frequent feedback loops, allowing for rapid adjustments and enhancements as the project progresses.

Hybrid Methodology

The hybrid methodology combines elements of both waterfall and agile methodologies. It allows project managers to tailor their approach based on project requirements and complexity. A hybrid approach offers the flexibility of agile methodologies while still incorporating structured planning and control from the waterfall model.

By delving into project management case studies, we can uncover valuable insights and lessons from successful projects. Understanding the basics of project management, recognizing its importance, and following established processes and methodologies sets the stage for achieving project goals efficiently. Whether you choose a traditional waterfall approach, an agile methodology, or a hybrid model, the key to project management success lies in effective leadership, collaboration, and adaptability.

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Case Studies

Relevant, detailed case studies from PMs solving real-world project challenges.

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The latest project management case studies.

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Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies of 2021

Two cases about Hertz claimed top spots in 2021's Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies

Two cases on the uses of debt and equity at Hertz claimed top spots in the CRDT’s (Case Research and Development Team) 2021 top 40 review of cases.

Hertz (A) took the top spot. The case details the financial structure of the rental car company through the end of 2019. Hertz (B), which ranked third in CRDT’s list, describes the company’s struggles during the early part of the COVID pandemic and its eventual need to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

The success of the Hertz cases was unprecedented for the top 40 list. Usually, cases take a number of years to gain popularity, but the Hertz cases claimed top spots in their first year of release. Hertz (A) also became the first ‘cooked’ case to top the annual review, as all of the other winners had been web-based ‘raw’ cases.

Besides introducing students to the complicated financing required to maintain an enormous fleet of cars, the Hertz cases also expanded the diversity of case protagonists. Kathyrn Marinello was the CEO of Hertz during this period and the CFO, Jamere Jackson is black.

Sandwiched between the two Hertz cases, Coffee 2016, a perennial best seller, finished second. “Glory, Glory, Man United!” a case about an English football team’s IPO made a surprise move to number four.  Cases on search fund boards, the future of malls,  Norway’s Sovereign Wealth fund, Prodigy Finance, the Mayo Clinic, and Cadbury rounded out the top ten.

Other year-end data for 2021 showed:

• Online “raw” case usage remained steady as compared to 2020 with over 35K users from 170 countries and all 50 U.S. states interacting with 196 cases.
• Fifty four percent of raw case users came from outside the U.S..
• The Yale School of Management (SOM) case study directory pages received over 160K page views from 177 countries with approximately a third originating in India followed by the U.S. and the Philippines.
• Twenty-six of the cases in the list are raw cases.
• A third of the cases feature a woman protagonist.
• Orders for Yale SOM case studies increased by almost 50% compared to 2020.
• The top 40 cases were supervised by 19 different Yale SOM faculty members, several supervising multiple cases.

CRDT compiled the Top 40 list by combining data from its case store, Google Analytics, and other measures of interest and adoption.

All of this year’s Top 40 cases are available for purchase from the Yale Management Media store .

And the Top 40 cases studies of 2021 are:

1.   Hertz Global Holdings (A): Uses of Debt and Equity

2.   Coffee 2016

3.   Hertz Global Holdings (B): Uses of Debt and Equity 2020

4.   Glory, Glory Man United!

5.   Search Fund Company Boards: How CEOs Can Build Boards to Help Them Thrive

6.   The Future of Malls: Was Decline Inevitable?

7.   Strategy for Norway's Pension Fund Global

8.   Prodigy Finance

9.   Design at Mayo

10. Cadbury

11. City Hospital Emergency Room

13. Volkswagen

14. Marina Bay Sands

15. Shake Shack IPO

16. Mastercard

17. Netflix

18. Ant Financial

19. AXA: Creating the New CR Metrics

20. IBM Corporate Service Corps

21. Business Leadership in South Africa's 1994 Reforms

22. Alternative Meat Industry

23. Children's Premier

24. Khalil Tawil and Umi (A)

25. Palm Oil 2016

26. Teach For All: Designing a Global Network

27. What's Next? Search Fund Entrepreneurs Reflect on Life After Exit

28. Searching for a Search Fund Structure: A Student Takes a Tour of Various Options

30. Project Sammaan

31. Commonfund ESG

32. Polaroid

33. Connecticut Green Bank 2018: After the Raid

34. FieldFresh Foods

35. The Alibaba Group

36. 360 State Street: Real Options

37. Herman Miller

38. AgBiome

39. Nathan Cummings Foundation

40. Toyota 2010

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Project Management

The teaching cases in this section address the challenges related to implementation and scale faced by project managers in a variety of settings.

Shoring Up Child Protection in Massachusetts: Commissioner Spears & the Push to Go Fast

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Publication Date: October 17, 2016

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Lesotho Hospital and Filter Clinics: A Public-Private Partnership

Publication Date: October 03, 2013

This case looks at a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Health Ministry for the government of Lesotho and a private consortium headed up by Netcare, a South African company, to build and operate a new referral hospital and four feeder...

TransMilenio: The Battle Over Avenida Séptima

Publication Date: May 10, 2011

In August of 2007, the mayor of Bogotá, Luis Eduardo Garzón, had to decide whether to proceed with plans to build a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line in Avenida Séptima, one of the most important transportation corridors in the...

California High-Speed Rail

Publication Date: November 18, 2010

In January 2010, the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) was waiting to hear whether the Obama Administration would approve its application for $4.7 billion in federal stimulus funding to begin the construction of a $50-billion,...

Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator: A Model for Reducing Unemployment in South Africa

Publication Date: April 20, 2023

 In the fourth quarter of 2021, South Africa's unemployment rate rose to 35%, the highest since 2008. Though some of the job losses could be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, the country had already been experiencing high unemployment...

Health Care & the Isolated Poor in the Lower Rio Grande Valley: The Quest to Make a Lasting Change (Sequel)

Publication Date: December 14, 2006

The spring of 2005 marked a tricky juncture for the leaders of a program designed to improve health care access for thousands of residents living in impoverished, isolated settlements just north of the Mexican border in the Lower Rio Grande...

Health Care & the Isolated Poor in the Lower Rio Grande Valley: The Quest to Make a Lasting Change

To What End? Re-thinking Terrorist Attack Exercises in San Jose (Sequel, part 2)

Publication Date: November 03, 2005

This case study tells the story of San Jose, California, one of the first 27 cities in the country to participate in a federal domestic preparedness program. Between 1997 and 1999, a specially created city task force mounted several full-scale...

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Top 10 Project Management Case Studies with Examples!

Real cases are the concrete material for those who want to go into professions. The ten real-world project management case studies with examples look into successful project management strategies and emphasize the need for proper planning, communication, and problem solutions. They show us different sectors of the economy, from technology, construction, health, and many others. The case studies will help you develop a deeper knowledge of how project management tools are implemented in different situations. It doesn’t matter whether you are a project manager or aim to get certified as a PMP ; the case studies will be instrumental in that. Through this analysis, high project management significance is demonstrated and the strategies as well as means of achieving project success become clearer.

Brief Overview of Project Management

Process management involves scheduling, execution, and completion of tasks in a planned and interconnected way to achieve desired goals in a timely. Practical application: utilizing knowledge, resources, and processes to achieve project objectives efficiently. Moreover, project management aims to deliver customized outcomes within specified constraints like scope, time, cost, quality, and risk.

Lastly, the matter fact that effective project management needs good leadership skills, excellent communication, risk management, and the ability to change according to the circumstances becomes vital. Therefore, various project management methodologies , such as Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall, provide frameworks for guiding through their project life cycles.

Top 10 Project Management Case Studies and Examples

The following are the summaries of ten project management case studies and examples that highlight various aspects of successful project execution and lessons learned:

Case Study 1: The Sydney Opera House

The renowned Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s iconic symbols for architecture. This particular place is situated in Sydney, Australia. The project took off in the middle of the 1950s to produce a world-class entertainment facility towering the city skyline. The competition for the structure design was won by the Danish architect, Jørn Utzon with him becoming the lead of the building team, and the construction commenced immediately the following year.

Also, the design of the Opera House returns its shell-like constructions that are quite problematic both esthetic and engineering. It intended to produce a space that would be home to a diverse range of performing arts activities and become a symbol of Sydney, achieving this goal through a combination of its function and transformative design.

Subsequently, the Sydney Opera House case study is regarded as an important source of experience for project managers and they continue to underline the necessity of developing a holistic approach that involves leading practicians, highly efficient teamwork, and powerful project governance to be able to manage this kind of project successfully.

Case Study 2: NASA’s Mars Rover Mission

NASA farms the Mars Rover mission to discover and gain insight into the surface of the planet. Within these tracked roving vehicles are two-wheeled Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity alongside the most recent one Perseverance. All rovers had these instruments on board for Martian surface analysis, looking for traces of space biology, and studying the core history of the planets.

In addition, the program involves all-encompassing planning, impeccable calculations, and sophisticated technology to deliver impeccable results. For the discovery of the Moon’s geological dynamics, each rover was a testament to space exploration as well as robotics in scientific investigations.

Astronauts aboard Mars Rover involve the use of effective project management , risk identification, and adaptability, which are the keys to space exploration. This is another example of how such missions provide a learning and also development opportunity for future space exploration endeavors.

Case Study 3: The London Olympics 2012

Its aim was an uncomplicated worship of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games which accepted athletes and spectators from the whole world as the participants. These world-changing constructions revolutionized and greatly influenced the everyday life of Londoners, shaping their way of life significantly.

Nevertheless, the London Olympics set a legacy beyond the lasting success of the event. Furthermore, authorities converted and repurposed the infrastructure surrounding Olympic Park for public use, stimulating urban regeneration efforts. The project management best practices for event planning are centered around environmental conservation measures, economic impact, and community intervention.

Case Study 4: Apple’s iPhone Development

Apple inc.; making the iPhone is the epitome of complex product development. There was no such thing as the iPhone in 2007, just a phone that was much more than that magical device that incorporated a phone, iPod, and internet communication appliance into a single thing. 

Designing a quality product involves integrating high-tech hardware, software, intuitive user interfaces, and various technologies seamlessly.

Apple’s iPhone exemplifies agile innovation, quality-speed balance, and lasting market impact, driving unparalleled business success.

Case Study 5: The Panama Canal Expansion

The 2016 announcement of the Panama Canal Extension addressed the need for accommodating larger vessels amid global seaborne trade growth. The first canal built, finished in 1914, could not have been a passageway for the size and capacity of these days’ ships. Additionally, the extension project targeted these inadequacies and intended to uplift the channel’s performance in terms of time-saving and upgrading the global shipping sector.

To conclude, the Panama Canal is an excellent example of how much infrastructure developments are needed as the world is rapidly changing. The project that stands behind the success of global collaboration and project risk management became the vehicle of a plan that influenced the way of doing international trade, and the Panamanian economy.

Case Study 6: The London Crossrail Project

The Crossrail London project, also called the Elizabeth Line, improves transportation connections in London through extensive rail network construction. The main goal is to design a straight east-west railway, spanning key city districts and neighboring territories.

Moreover, the London Crossrail line confronting the delays and overflows of funds, at last, created a disruptive shift in London public transport. In that respect, the positive results and public benefits show the role of major projects that focus on green transit infrastructure in creating urban connectivity and driving ecological and social development.

Case Study 7: The Big Dig – Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project

The Big Dig, of the Boston, Massachusetts, Central Artery/Tunnel Project was this outstanding public works effort. The project aimed to enhance urban transportation by replacing the Central Artery with tunnels, bridges, and interchanges to expedite traffic.

The project required innovative engineering to tackle tunnel construction, soil conditions, and water management challenges. Moreover, effective public and political expectations management was critical, necessitating extensive public engagement, transparent communication, and collaboration across government entities.

Despite facing delays and cost overruns, completing the Big Dig in 2007 marked a transformative moment for Boston. The project achieved its goals of improving traffic, revitalizing urban areas, and driving economic growth through new developments. Therefore, the success of the Big Dig serves as a case study in adaptive project management, overcoming technical complexities, and achieving positive urban and economic outcomes in large-scale infrastructure projects.

Case Study 8: The Hoover Dam

Planners began the Hoover Dam project in 1936, aiming to meet water and electricity needs in the southwestern USA. Additionally, technologically innovative, the dam featured an arch-gravity design and introduced advanced concrete construction methods. Engineers overcame desert conditions using continuous pouring and refrigeration to counter high temperatures during construction.

Moreover, the Hoover Dam’s enduring impact includes water supply management by creating Lake Mead, one of the largest U.S. reservoirs. The power plant at Hoover Dam generates electricity for the regional grid, serving as a reliable and ongoing energy source. The dam has gained significance beyond its strict utilitarian role. The dam symbolizes America’s resilience and cleverness, drawing millions of visitors to appreciate its cultural, historical, and engineering significance.

Case Study 9: The Airbus A380 Project

The Airbus A380 holds this exceptional record and thereby symbolizes a development breakthrough in the aviation industry in 2007 respectively. The designers created the twin-deck, wide-body aircraft for maximum capacity and comfort, making it ideal for long-distance travel.

Also, it serves the global collaboration in aerospace engineering evidenced by the contributions of different countries as the project was taken as a whole.  Moreover, the Airbus A380 project portrays the complexities of global collaboration, overcoming technical difficulties, and embedding oneself in the competition of the aerospace industry as well. The A380’s impact on aviation underscores lessons in adaptation and environmental consciousness for shaping tomorrow’s airline transportation.

Case Study 10: The Hubble Space Telescope Repair Mission

The HST Mission repaired the telescope’s optical issues, unleashing its full astronomical potential and overcoming initial obstacles. Starting in 1990, Hubble had a manufacturing problem in one of the primary mirrors, which caused blurred images. As a consequence of that day, NASA carried out the first mission of servicing (STS-61) in 1993. Astronauts conducted a complex EVA to install WFPC-2 optics on Space Shuttle Endeavour, addressing Hubble’s optical issues.

However, this repair mission showcased the collaborative efforts of NASA and astronauts, emphasizing meticulous training, communication, and problem-solving skills. The success of the mission marked a turning point for Hubble, transforming it into a premier astronomical observatory. Subsequent servicing missions further upgraded instruments, extending Hubble’s lifespan and contributing to groundbreaking scientific discoveries. 

These top 10 project management scenarios showcase real-world industry challenges in action. Thus, from the dissertation of the given cases, you can be more capable of leading your projects appropriately. Would you like to elevate your expertise? Join our project management course package now, which covers everything from detailed instructions to hands-on experience.

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Project Management Case Studies, 5th Edition

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THE #1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES BOOK NOW FEATURING NEW CASES FROM DISNEY, THE OLYMPICS, AIRBUS, BOEING, AND MORE

After on-the-job experience, case studies are the most important part of every project manager's training. This Fifth Edition of Project Management Case Studies features more than one hundred case studies that detail projects at high-profile companies around the world. These cases offer you a unique opportunity to experience, first-hand, project management in action within a variety of contexts and up against some of the most challenging conditions any project manager will likely face. New to this edition are case studies focusing on agile and scrum methodologies.

• Contains 100-plus case studies from companies that illustrate both successful and not-so-successful project management
• Represents an array of industries, including medical and pharmaceutical, aerospace, entertainment, sports, manufacturing, finance, telecommunications, and more
• Features 18 new case studies, including high-profile cases from Disney, the Olympics, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and Airbus 380
• Follows and supports preparation for the Project Management Professional (PMP) ® Certification Exam

Experienced PMs, project managers in training, and students alike will find this book to be an indispensable resource whether used as a standalone or combined with the bestselling Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 12th Edition.

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HAROLD KERZNER, P H D, is Senior Executive Director for Project Management at the International Institute for Learning, Inc. (IIL), a global learning solutions company offering professional training and consulting services worldwide. Dr. Kerzner's profound effect on the project management industry inspired IIL to establish, in coordination with the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Kerzner International Project Manager of the Year Award, which is presented to a distinguished PMP ® credential holder or global equivalent each year.

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Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects (2013)

Chapter: a--case study summaries.

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

136 The researchers investigated 15 projects in the United States and three international projects through in-depth case studies to identify tools that aid complex-project man- agers to deliver projects successfully. These 18 projects represent various project types, locations, project sizes, and phases of project development. The case study summaries are presented in alphabetical order by the name used for each project by the researchers. Each case study summary includes a project overview, project complexity details (including a complexity map or radar diagram), and a para- graph listing the primary methods and tools used for the project. CAPITAL BELTWAY Project Overview The Capital Beltway project is a complex project in northern Virginia consisting of 14 mi of four high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) and high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, lane connections, construction or reconstruction of 11 interchanges, and replacement or improvements of more than 50 bridges. The total awarded value of the project for construction and administration is $1.4 billion. When fi nancing and design are included, the total awarded value of the project reaches $2.2 to $2.4 billion. Project planning began in 2003. One interesting fact about this project is that it resulted from an unsolicited proposal issued in 2004 and is an owner-negotiated public–private partnership (PPP). Actual construction began in July 2008, and the project is scheduled to be completed in 2013. Tolling and revenues are expected to start on December 21, 2012. A CASE STUDY SUMMARIES

137 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES CASE STUDY SUMMARIES Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include assembling project team, pre- paring early cost model and finance plan, and establishing public involvement plans. Project Complexity The Capital Beltway HOV/HOT Lanes Project was delivered by PPP with the design– build (DB) method. The Virginia Department of Transportation (DOT) mega-project team had previous experience with DB, but there was still some unfamiliarity, which made the project delivery method more complex than a typical project. Developing the HOT network and switchable hardware to accommodate HOT and HOV users was a challenging task for intelligent transportation systems person- nel. There were many technical factors to consider, such as pass type (electronic pass, no pass, or both), how to recognize the number of people in the vehicles, how to distinguish animals or “dummy” passengers from human passengers, and many other technical issues. In addition to the technical matters, laws needed to be considered to ensure the developed system was not illegal. For example, the legal issues involving use of photos for toll enforcement needed investigation before application. Different sources of funding and atypical financing processes related to the PPP were challenging. The complexity diagram in Figure A.1 shows the dimensional com- plexity scores that interviewees provided. Figure A.1. Capital Beltway complexity diagram. Figure A.1. Capital Beltway complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule

138 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS DETROIT RIVER INTERNATIONAL CROSSING Project Overview The purpose of the project is to provide a new Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) connecting Detroit, Michigan, with Windsor, Ontario, Canada. This bridge would complement an existing, privately owned, 81-year-old toll bridge ( Ambassador Bridge) and an existing 80-year-old tunnel (the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel) that has usage limitations for commercial vehicles. The project will also provide a freeway-to- freeway connection between I-75 in Detroit and Highway 401 in Windsor. The overall project has 10 primary components and various funding sources asso- ciated with each component. The project is needed to provide redundancy for mobil- ity and trade between the two countries, support economies by connecting the major freeways, and support civil, national defense, and homeland security emergency needs. Project Complexity Multiple agencies are involved in the project (the Michigan DOT and the Federal Highway Administration in the United States and the Ontario Ministry of Transpor- tation and Transport Canada in Canada), and separate documents are required for each country. Multiple stakeholders showed interests and involvement in each country. Project funding is from multiple sources, including tolling. Political issues also made this project complex, as shown in Figure A.2. Those issues included a need for legislation authorizing PPP for the project, pressure related to the competing interests associated with the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, and national attention to the project to support streamlining of the delivery. Projected financial cost for the project is more than $1.8 billion. Figure A.2. Detroit River International Crossing complexity diagram. Figure A.2. Detroit River International Crossing complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule

139 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include selecting project arrangements on the basis of project outcomes and establishing public involvement plans. DOYLE DRIVE Project Overview The Doyle Drive project is a unique project that forms one gateway to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. The 1.5-mi Doyle Drive corridor, also known as Presidio Parkway, was built in 1936 to usher traffic through the Presidio military base to connect San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Doyle Drive is located in a high–seismic hazard zone, and the original structure was not built to withstand projected earthquakes. A seismic retrofit intended to last 10 years was completed in 1995. The current project has eight contracts that will result in a new roadway, new structures including bridges and tunnels, and a depressed roadway section. Project Complexity The number of different financing sources being used for this project contributes to its complexity, as shown in Figure A.3. In addition, one of the contracts still in the plan- ning phase is expected to be PPP. Figure A.3. Doyle Drive complexity diagram. Figure A.3. Doyle Drive complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule

140 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include selecting project arrangements, which included multiple contracts; different project delivery methods; incentives to accelerate project delivery; value engineering; contractor-initiated changes and sugges- tions; and extensive, thorough monthly progress reports. GREEN STREET Project Overview The Green Street project for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, consisted of recycling of asphalt and portland cement concrete rubble into high-value-added mate rials. The project focused on the development of high-value substructure aggre- gates that are structurally superior to conventional aggregates. The scope also included mechanistic-based structural asset management and design protocols. The project executed several field test sections to provide field vali- dation of the structural designs. Project Complexity Use of recycled rubble as structural material is unproven and does not fit conventional road building practice. Therefore, the project used design–supply–build principles that incorporated mechanistic design and field validation of the system developed. Figure A.4 illustrates the complexity of this project. Figure A.4. Green Street complexity diagram. Figure A.4. Green Street complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include establishment of flexible design criteria and selection of project arrangements on the basis of project outcomes.

141 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES HEATHROW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL 5 Project Overview The Heathrow International Airport Terminal 5 (T5) project in London includes con- structing a new terminal building, a new air traffic control tower, ground traffic infra- structures (e.g., rail, underground, road, and guideways), and other auxiliary facilities (e.g., water tunnels). The planning phase of the project dates back to 1986, and the first phase of the project was completed in 2008. A second satellite building was still under construction and expected to be delivered by 2011. Project Complexity This project is one of the largest projects in Britain’s engineering history and is the big- gest construction site in Europe. Since project proposal approval in 1986, the planning and design phases of the T5 project have experienced turbulent changes (e.g., changes in technology, economic conditions, ownership, user requirements), creating signifi- cant management challenges for a project of this scale. Furthermore, the total cost of the project is £4.3 billion ($6.7 billion), and numer- ous contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, subsuppliers, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders are involved. The project is financed from a variety of revenue sources, with huge uncertainties. Figure A.5 depicts the complexity of this project. Figure A.5. Heathrow T5 complexity diagram. Figure A.5. Heathrow T5 complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include performing comprehensive risk analysis, assembling project team, and defining project success by each dimension as required.

142 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS HUDSON-BERGEN LIGHT RAIL MINIMUM OPERABLE SEGMENT Project Overview The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit System is a 20.3-mi-long light rail project that connects the densely populated Hudson River waterfront communities in New Jersey. The project also supports significant economic development that continues to take place in the region. The transit system was built in three minimum operable segments (MOSs). MOS2, which was the subject of this case study, is a 6.1-mi-long system extending from Hoboken to the Tonnelle Avenue park-and-ride facility in North Bergen and an exten- sion between 22nd Street and 34th Street in Bayonne. MOS2 features a major tunnel (the 4,100-ft Weehawken tunnel) that includes the new Bergenline station at a depth of 160 ft from the surface. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit System started as a traditional design–bid– build project. In 1994, it was determined that by using this traditional approach, the first operating segment would not be in service until 2005 because of funding con- straints and other considerations. Because of these concerns, New Jersey Transit decided to use the design–build– operate–maintain (DBOM) approach for project delivery. With this approach, it was possible to shave more than three years from the MOS1 duration. For MOS2, New Jersey Transit decided to retain the services of the DBOM contractor of the first segment, the 21st Century Rail Corporation (a subsidiary of Washington Group International). As a result, the MOS2 DBOM contract was negoti- ated as a large change order to the MOS1 contract. Project Complexity Hudson-Bergen Light Rail is the first public transit project in the nation to use the DBOM construction methodology. To obtain the funds to make the project feasible, grant anticipation notes and several bonds were issued, given that a full funding grant agreement pays according to a multiyear schedule. In addition, the project was constructed in populated and built-up areas, an envi- ronment that was challenging. Moreover, the length of the project contributed to the complexity in that the number of municipalities the project had to go through was significant compared to projects undertaken before. Figure A.6 shows the complexity of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail project.

143 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include selecting project arrangements on the basis of project outcomes, developing project action plans, determining involve- ment in right-of-way (ROW) and utilities, and establishing public involvement plans. I-40 CROSSTOWN Project Overview The I-40 Crosstown project consists of the relocation of 4.5 mi of the I-40 Crosstown in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, from approximately May Avenue to the I-35 inter- change. This segment includes five major bridge structures. The project consists of 10 lanes designed to carry 173,000 vehicles per day at 70 mph. The case study project included 4.5 mi of new Interstate, ROW acquisition, agreements with the railroad, and 23 separate work packages in the construction phase. Project Complexity The I-40 Crosstown project was complex because of the challenge of matching the capabilities of the local design and construction industry to the scale of the project. In addition, the availability of funding and stakeholder impact, which included relations with the railroad and ROW issues, added to the complexity of the project, as shown in Figure A.7. Figure A.6. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail complexity diagram. Figure A.6. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule

144 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include defining project success by each dimension as required, assembling project team, and establishing public involve- ment plans. I-95 NEW HAVEN HARBOR CROSSING CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT Project Overview The I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement program, in New Haven, Connecticut, comprises seven completed and three current projects. The total program is estimated to cost $1.94 billion. This multimodal transportation improve- ment program features public transit enhancement and roadway improvements along 7.2 mi of I-95 between Exit 46 and Exit 54. The currently active projects include the following: • Replacement of the existing bridge with a new signature structure, the Pearl Har- bor Memorial Bridge ($416 million); • Main span foundations and northbound west approach ($137 million); and • Route 34 flyover ($97 million). Figure A.7. I-40 Crosstown complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule Figure A.7. I-40 Crosstown complexity diagram.

145 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES Project Complexity The Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge is the first extradosed bridge in the nation, which could add to the complexity of the project from a technical point of view. The mag- nitude of the project and its first-ever use in the United States caused the first bidding process to result in no bids. Receiving no bids required the owner to replan and repackage the project at great cost and delay. Furthermore, there are multiple packages in the program consisting of transit and highway work in a densely populated area spanning several municipali- ties. The construction work is conducted while the highway remains open to traffic. Figure A.8 shows the complexity for this project. Figure A.8. I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor complexity diagram. Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include performing comprehensive risk analysis, colocating team, and determining involvement in ROW and utilities. I-595 CORRIDOR Project Overview The I-595 Corridor Roadway Improvements Project (Florida DOT I-595 Express) consists of the reconstruction of the I-595 mainline and all associated improvements to frontage roads and ramps from I-75 or Sawgrass Expressway interchange to the I-595 and I-95 interchange, for a total project length along I-595 of approximately 10.5 mi and a design and construction cost of approximately $1.2 billion. Figure A.8. I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule

146 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS The project improvements will be implemented as part of a PPP with I-595 Express, LLC, a subsidiary created by ACS Infrastructure Development, being awarded the con- tract to serve as the concessionaire to use the design–build–finance–operate–maintain approach for the project for a 35-year term. This project delivery method was chosen as a result of initial findings that the project would take up to 20 years to complete if funded in the traditional way. The Florida DOT found that, if it could deliver the project using the design–build– finance–operate–maintain approach, it could reap considerable cost savings over the life of the project, as well as reach traffic capacity 15 years sooner than by using tradi- tional methods. The Florida DOT will provide management oversight of the contract; install, test, operate, and maintain all SunPass tolling equipment for the reversible express lanes; and set the toll rates and retain the toll revenue. Project Complexity The Florida DOT has been challenged to find the right level of oversight for the project. The process has been a learning experience for both the department and the conces- sionaire. It is very important to partner with local companies to learn the local culture and the processes of involved agencies on the part of the concessionaire. Figure A.9 shows the project complexity. Figure A.9. I-595 Corridor complexity diagram. Figure A.9. I-595 Corridor complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule

147 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include assembling project team, pre- paring early cost model and finance plan, colocating team, evaluating flexible financ- ing, and establishing public involvement plans. INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR Project Overview The InterCounty Connector project consists of 18 mi of construction on a new align- ment and incorporates some reconstruction of interchanges and the existing corridor that intersects the new project. The purpose of the project is to provide a limited- access, multimodal facility between existing and proposed development areas in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland. Currently, the project is broken into five construction contracts and 47 envi- ronmental stewardship and mitigation contracts. The total anticipated cost is about $2.566 billion, with the environmental contracts accounting for $109 million. The initial environmental studies began in 2004, and the first construction seg- ment of the project started in November 2007. Only three of the five construction contracts have been fully let, all of which have used DB procurement. Each segment is scheduled to open incrementally; the currently contracted projects were expected to be finished in late 2011. The final two contracts are yet to be deter- mined for letting periods and anticipated completion. Nine interchanges, one intersection, two bridges, 4 mi of existing highway recon- struction, and 4.9 mi of resurfacing are slated to be completed during this project, along with the 18 mi of mainline construction. The project is using multiple funding sources and will be part of Maryland’s toll- ing network on completion. Grant anticipation revenue vehicle bonds, Maryland DOT pay-as-you-go program funds, special federal appropriations, Maryland Transporta- tion Authority bonds, Maryland general fund transfers, and a Transportation Infra- structure Finance and Innovation Act loan are all sources of funding for this project. Project Complexity The use of the DB method and multiple separate contracts, as well as construction through an environmentally sensitive area, made this project complex, as shown in Figure A.10.

148 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include preparing early cost model and finance plan, identifying critical permit issues, and evaluating flexible financing. Figure A.10. InterCounty Connector complexity diagram. Figure A.10. InterCounty Connector complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule TABLE A.1. INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR COMPLEXITY RANK AND SCORE COMPARISON Dimension Rank Complexity Score Cost 1 70 Schedule 2 85 Technical 4 55 Context 3 85 Financing 5 85 An extensive financial plan is required, a d multiple funding sources are being used. Immense scope, multiple stakeholders and funding sources, and 50-year-old original project discussions are issues that the owner lists as reasons for treating it as a complex project. In this case study, there was a discrepancy between the complexity rank of each dimension and the score of the overall complexity for the dimensions, as shown in Table A.1.

149 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES JAMES RIVER BRIDGE/I-95 RICHMOND Project Overview The project consists of the restoration of the 0.75-mi-long James River Bridge on I-95 through the central business district of Richmond, Virginia. The bridge’s six lanes were originally designed and built in 1958 to carry one-third of the 110,000 vehicles per day that it was carrying when it was rebuilt in 2002. The contractor proposed using preconstructed composite units that consisted of an 8.7-inch-thick concrete deck over steel girders fabricated in a yard off site. Crews cut the old bridge spans into segments, removed them, and prepared the resulting gaps for the new composite units. Crews finished the process by setting the new pre- constructed unit in place overnight. The case study project includes the following: • 0.75 miles of Interstate bridge restoration • Improvements on Route 1 that include widening to six lanes and signalization • High-mast lighting system • Robust public information program • Agreements with the Richmond Downtown Chamber of Commerce Project Complexity The project was regarded as complex because of construction scheduling restrictions resulting from location, volume of traffic, and potential impact on the public, as shown in Figure A.11. Project visibility was significant because of the immediate proximity to both the state legislature offices and the Virginia DOT central office. In addition, implementation of an untried construction method and an untried incentive and dis- incentive contract structure was complex. Figure A.11. James River Bridge/I-95 Richmond complexity diagram. Figure A.11. James River Bridge/I-95 Richmond complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule

150 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include defining project success by each dimension as required, selecting project arrangements on the basis of project outcomes, and establishing flexible design criteria. LEWIS AND CLARK BRIDGE Project Overview The Lewis and Clark Bridge spans the state line between Washington and Oregon pro- viding a link for motorists between the states. The cost of the deck replacement was split evenly by both states. The bridge is 5,478 ft long, with 34 spans carrying 21,000 vehicles per day. The bridge was built in 1929. At the time of construction, it was the longest and highest cantilever steel truss bridge in the United States. To extend the life of the existing bridge by 25 years, a full-depth precast deck replacement was designed and executed. The final total value of the project is about $24 million. Project Complexity The Lewis and Clark Bridge is the only link between Washington and Oregon within at least a 1-hour distance. This factor greatly increased the context dimension complexity of the project. The owner had to seek solutions to minimize traffic impact. User benefits were the major driver behind the decision to use a more-complex construction strategy (such as an incentive contract, which the owner had not used before), night and weekend full closure of the bridge, and precast deck replacement. Figure A.12 shows the project complexity. Figure A.12. Lewis and Clark Bridge complexity diagram. Figure A.12. Lewis and Clark Bridge complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule

151 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include defining project success by each dimension as required, selecting project arrangements on the basis of project outcomes, and establishing flexible design criteria. LOUISVILLE–SOUTHERN INDIANA OHIO RIVER BRIDGE Project Overview The Ohio River Bridges project in southern Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky, is a complex project that was entering the final stages of the design phase. The project consists of two long-span river crossings (one in downtown Louisville and one on the east side of the metro), a new downtown interchange in Louisville, a new approach, a 4.2-mi-long highway on the Indiana side, a new east-end approach on the Kentucky side (including a 2,000-ft-long tunnel), and reconfiguration of existing interchanges to improve congestion, mobility, and safety. Project Complexity The project is regarded as complex because of the very large scope of work, insufficient funds, undefined financing plans, the presence of several historic districts and neigh- borhoods, multiple jurisdictions, political and environmental issues, and requirements for ongoing public involvement. Design was virtually complete, but estimated construction costs ($4.1 billion) far exceeded available funds. Construction schedule, procurement, contracting, and so forth would depend on funding and financing plans that were under development (with recommendations due January 1, 2011). Figure A.13 shows the project complexity. Figure A.13. Louisville–Southern Indiana Ohio Bridge Crossing complexity diagram. Figure A.13. Louisville–Southern Indiana Ohio Bridge Crossing complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule

152 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include determining involvement in ROW and utilities, determining work packages and sequencing, and establishing pub- lic involvement plans. NEW MISSISSIPPI RIVER BRIDGE Project Overview The New Mississippi River Bridge project between St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois, is a complex project consisting of building a new, four-lane, long- span, cable-stayed bridge across the Mississippi River 1 mi north of the existing Martin Luther King Bridge. In addition, the project includes a new North I-70 interchange roadway connec- tion between the existing I-70 and the new bridge, with further connections to the local St. Louis street system at Cass Avenue. On the Illinois side, the project includes a new I-70 connection roadway between the existing I-55, I-64, and I-70 Tri-Level Interchange and the main span and signifi- cant improvements at the I-55, I-64, and I-70 Tri-Level Interchange in East St. Louis, which will connect to I-70. The 1,500-ft main span will be the second-longest cable- stayed bridge in the United States upon completion. Project Complexity From the beginning, this project had several reasons to be considered a complex project, including time and cost constraints, technical complications, large scope, rail- road and utility coordination, and special appropriation (use it or lose it) funding. Crash incidence near the existing bridge was triple the national average, and the bridge ranks among the 10 worst corridors in the country in terms of congestion. Therefore, redesign and expansion of capacity were critical. Severe traffic (capacity, safety, and mobility) conditions also made the schedule a priority. The original project plan had to be re-scoped into viable phases, given available funding, without sacrificing the overall project vision. The risk of cost and schedule overruns had to be mitigated to protect funding opportunities. Figure A.14 shows the project complexity.

153 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include designing to budget, perform- ing comprehensive risk analysis, and colocating team. NORTH CAROLINA TOLLWAY Project Overview In 2002, the North Carolina General Assembly created the North Carolina Turnpike Authority to respond to growth and congestion concerns in North Carolina. Two of the nine authorized projects are the Triangle Parkway and the Western Wake Parkway, which compose the Triangle Expressway. These two projects combine for a total of approximately 19 mi of new roadway on one side of Raleigh, North Carolina. These projects will be North Carolina’s first experience with modern toll facilities. Both projects were advertised initially in 2007, and completion is expected in 2011. The total awarded value of the project is approximately $583 million. Project Complexity This is the first tollway in North Carolina. Schedule and financing are keys to this project. It is important to get the project open to start collecting toll revenue. Figure A.15 shows the project complexity. Figure A.14. New Mississippi River Bridge complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule Figure A.14. New Mississippi River Bridge complexity diagram.

154 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include preparing early cost model and finance plan and establishing flexible design criteria. NORTHERN GATEWAY TOLL ROAD Project Overview The Northern Gateway Toll Road was the first electronic toll road in New Zealand. This construction project was one of New Zealand’s largest, most challenging, and most complex to date. The project extends the four-lane Northern Motorway 7.5 km further north from Orewa to Puhoi through historically rich and diverse landscapes, steep topography, and local streams, and provides an alternative to the steep two-lane winding coastal route through Orewa and Waiwera. The $360 million extension of State Highway One was constructed to provide a straight and safe drive between Auckland and Northland. The project was delivered by the Northern Gateway Alliance (NGA), which comprised Transit New Zealand, Fulton Hogan, Leighton Contractors, URS New Zealand, Tonkin & Taylor, and Boffa Miskell. The road, which opened in January 2009, has become a visual showcase of environmental and engineering excellence. NGA was appointed by the New Zealand Transport Authority to deliver a major realignment and extension of the Northern Motorway approximately 30 km north of Auckland. This contract was the largest single contract to date ever awarded by the transport authority, which formed NGA in 2004 to design, manage, and construct the Figure A.15. North Carolina Tollway complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule Figure A.15. North Carolina Tollway complexity diagram.

155 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES State Highway One Northern Motorway extension. The project is being constructed through an area of very high environmental sensitivity and complex geology and topography. Project Complexity Funding was not in place at the start of the project, and environmental requirements insisted (forced) an early start of construction. Tunneling had not been done by the agency in decades, and the geotechnical situation was largely unknown. Consent condition was dependent on schedule. Immediate proof of starting con- struction was needed. Alliancing gave the option to start construction after initial design concepts. Year-by-year extensions were given by the environmental court to proceed. Funding was partly taken away before the start of construction. A business case was made to the Treasury, and the remaining money was borrowed in exchange for tolling rights for 35 years. The risk for this income was transferred to the Treasury. The alliance partners were aware that approval of this money was pending and the risk of the project being halted was shared. Figure A.16 shows the project complexity. Figure A.16. Northern Gateway Toll Road complexity diagram. Figure A.16. Northern Gateway Toll Road complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include defining project success by each dimension as required, selecting project arrangements on the basis of project outcomes, and establishing public involvement plans.

156 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS T-REX SOUTHEAST I-25 AND I-225 Project Overview The Transportation Expansion (T-REX) project in Metro Denver, Colorado, consists of 17 mi of highway expansion and improvements to I-25 from Logan Street in Denver to Lincoln Avenue in Douglas County and to I-225 from Parker Road in Aurora to a newly configured I-25 and I-225 interchange. The project also included 19 mi of light rail developments along those routes. DB project delivery was selected because of its ability to reduce schedule and assign a single point of responsibility. The original cost for the project was $1.67 bil- lion, which included the following costs: • DB contract: $1.2 billion • Maintenance facility: $40 to $50 million • Siemens light rail vehicles: $100 million • ROW and administration: $100 million Project Complexity The project was considered complex because of the challenging work environment and the need to keep the highway open during construction, along with tracking of funding (highway versus traffic dollars) and the need to maintain bipartisan support, which created sensitive issues. Political parties did not want to lose elections because the T-REX project had failed. Figure A.17 shows the project complexity. Figure A.17. T-REX complexity diagram. Figure A.17. T-REX complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule

157 Appendix A: CASE STUDY SUMMARIES Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include selecting project arrangements on the basis of project outcomes, assembling project team, determining involvement in ROW and utilities, and establishing public involvement plans. TEXAS STATE HIGHWAY 161 Project Overview The Texas State Highway (TX SH) 161 project consists of construction of an 11.5-mi- long north–south tollway and frontage roads midway between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. The project will be built in phases with an overall construction cost of approxi- mately $1 billion. The southern terminus is at I-20 and runs north, with a full direct connector inter- change with I-30, and connects to the existing TX SH 161 on the north end with an interchange at TX SH 183. The case study project includes four phases and at least six subprojects. Project Complexity This project was complex because of its magnitude, multiple sources of financing, context (political influences), accelerated scheduling requirements, environmental con- cerns, and railroad involvement, as shown in Figure A.18. Figure A.18. Texas State Highway 161 project complexity diagram. Figure A.18. Texas State Highway 161 project complexity diagram. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Technical Cost FinancingContext Schedule Primary Methods and Tools Primary methods and tools used for the project include defining project success by each dimension as required, incentivizing critical project outcomes, and establishing public involvement plans.

TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Report S2-R10-RW-2: Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects facilitates the application of a five-dimensional management approach for complex projects. The objective of the guide is to identify and communicate the critical factors involved in successfully managing complex transportation design and construction projects. A training course based on the information in the guide was also developed.

In addition, SHRP 2 Renewal Project R10 developed two other reports:

• Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects , which describes the five-dimensional management approach for complex projects. The goal of the five-dimensional approach is to identify issues that should be planned and managed proactively, rather than retroactively. The five areas of the new project management approach address cost, schedule, engineering requirements, external influences, and financing; and
• Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects: Case Study Report , which includes case studies of 15 projects in the United States and three international projects that used tools that aid project managers in the delivery of complex projects.

Software Disclaimer: This software is offered as is, without warranty or promise of support of any kind either expressed or implied. Under no circumstance will the National Academy of Sciences or the Transportation Research Board (collectively "TRB") be liable for any loss or damage caused by the installation or operation of this product. TRB makes no representation or warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, including without limitation, the warranty of merchantability or the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, and shall not in any case be liable for any consequential or special damages.

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Waterfall methodology, also known as the linear sequential lifecycle model, is defined by its linear, structured approach to project management. It is made up of a series of steps that are completed in sequential order within the software development life cycle (SDLC). These steps are typically tracked through Gantt chart visualizations. Dr. Winston W. Royce is credited with developing this approach, which he documented in his 1970 paper, “ Managing the Development of Large Software Systems " (link resides outside ibm.com).

Since its publication, variations of waterfall have emerged, but there is general consensus around the following steps within the process:

• Gathering of requirements : This stage demands upfront documentation between the development team and the client or end user. During this phase, the product features within the project plan are documented in great detail, enabling the team to determine a clear cost and timeline. After both parties align on the requirements, there is limited to no correspondence between the development team and client until the project is completed.
• Design: The design phase is comprised of two steps: logical design and physical design. In logical design, the team brainstorms possible ways to tackle the client problem. When the development team agrees on a solution, these ideas are translated into specific technical tasks, which are then distributed across the team to construct the physical design.
• Implementation: In next phase, developers start coding based on specifications that were developed in the prior steps.
• Verification: This stage tests ensures that the code functions as intended and that the requirements in the scoping document have been met. The development team checks for bugs in the code and a final validation is conducted by the client to ensure that functionality met expectations.
• Maintenance: As users onboard and use the end product, there will be a need for ongoing support as new issues arise.
• Detailed product requirements and documentation enable new programmers to onboard quickly and easily.
• Documentation provides a clear scope to the project, enabling project managers to communicate budgets, timelines, and key milestones to interested parties.
• Clients can find it difficult to outline all of their requirements at the beginning of the project, leading to gaps in documentation.
• Minimal customer collaboration during the development process can lead to costly changes if the product does not meet expectations.
• Testers report issues and bugs later in the process, which could have informed an alternative program architecture.

In contrast to waterfall development, agile is defined by its iterative approach to project management. Instead of drafting lengthy project requirements at the onset, an agile team breaks out the product into specific features, and they tackle each one under a specific time constraint, known as a sprint.

Agile project management requires a cross-functional, self-organizing team that typically consists of five to nine members. Together, they develop a workable piece of software during each sprint, which combines with other functional code from previous iterations. By the end of the sprint timebox, the team demos their work to stakeholders for feedback, allowing them to be flexible in their approach to software development. Since the team has access to frequent feedback, they can adapt the product roadmap during the development lifecycle to ensure that functionality truly meets user expectations. In a waterfall approach, customer involvement typically coincides with the delivery of the final product, which can be costly when requirements are misinterpreted or documented incorrectly.

There were 17 individuals who found the waterfall project management system to be a highly ineffective, and in 2001, their ideas around the software development process culminated in a piece of work known as the “ Agile Manifesto  (link resides outside ibm.com).” This document highlights specific values and principles to prioritize within software development workstreams, and it has yielded a number of popular agile frameworks, such as Scrum, Kanban, Feature Driven Development (FDD), and Extreme Programming. Since then, agile software development has increased in popularity, especially when compared to the waterfall model.

Inspired by the game of rugby, agile scrum emphasizes teamwork to meet deliverables, similar to the way that forwards need to work together in a scrum to gain possession of a rugby ball. The skillset of the agile scrum team varies, but they usually include the following roles:

• Product owner:  This team member represents the needs of both the customer and the business. By crafting user stories, the team can understand how a feature request can help resolve a specific problem, and these stories formulate the backlog of tasks for the team to tackle. This person also prioritizes the stories by their value to the customer, which should, in theory, translate into value for the business. While the product owner leads the team in this way, they do not set deadlines or instruct the team on how work should be delivered.
• Scrum master:  This team member facilitates the overall agile development process. Similar to a project manager, this person keeps the team on task, ensuring that the team remains focused during the project. They can also act as a neutral party to mediate disagreements among team members. For example, team members may disagree on how much to take on in a given sprint. Product owners, in particular, may pressure teams to commit to more than they can deliver within a given timeframe. In these cases, scrum masters can remind team members the scope of their role on the team.

Other team members of an agile team can vary, but they typically include users from a variety of disciplines, such as design, analytics, QA, and development. These individuals collaborate together to decide on how much work to take on and how they will complete it.

Agile methodologies are also defined by the ways in which the team comes together. There are specific meetings which help facilitate the workflow across the team. Some of them include the following:

• Sprint planning:  During this meeting, the team comes together to determine which stories will be part of the current sprint. The product owner will prioritize the user stories, but the rest of the team will need to agree on how many and which user stories they can complete during that set time period.
• Daily standup:  These brief meetings are also known as daily scrums. During these check-ins, each team member communicates their individual progress, such as completed tasks, upcoming ones, and any blockers or dependencies which may result in delays.
• Demo:  This meeting showcases the working software that the team completed over the course of the sprint, which can range between two- to four-week increments. The product owner will determine if a user story has met the definition of “done.” If not, the product backlog may be groomed to account for anything missing. This is also an opportunity for the team to present to stakeholders for feedback.
• Retrospective:  This time is reserved for team introspection, where the team identifies how they could improve upon their workflow to achieve better results in the future
• Team design facilitates more collaboration.
• Product development takes an adaptive design approach.
• Since code is tested with each iteration in the development phase, code defects can inform future design of the software.
• Tends to yield higher customer satisfaction since frequent feedback leads to increased prioritization of customer needs.
• Enables  continuous integration  as each feature is its own workable piece of software.
• This lean type of software development can lead to lower costs as there is less risk of customer and product misalignment.
• An agile approach can lack comprehensive documentation. This makes it difficult to onboard new developers, project timelines to stakeholders, and provide accurate cost estimates.
• Can be difficult to scale.

While development teams have been successful under either project management approach, there is certainly more momentum around agile processes. It’s not hard to see why when we observe the benefits that it can offer companies today. While there are a number of project management tools that can help teams track progress, IBM can also provide systems to enable developers to code in a more agile way.

Learn more on how your team can build your next development project within an agile environment .

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Home › Insights › Case Studies › Case Study: Optimizing Financial Management – A Labor Union’s Third-Party Accounting Transformation

Case Study: Optimizing Financial Management – A Labor Union’s Third-Party Accounting Transformation

Download a PDF of this case study

Executive Summary

The Labor Union had several turnovers within their accounting department, causing them to fall into trusteeship due to their financial mismanagement. Withum’s Outsourced Accounting Systems and Services (OASYS) team intervened, rectifying the accounting records and paying overdue bills, transitioning their accounting system to a cloud-based platform and introducing an online bill payment system. What began as an urgent reconstruction task evolved into a routine monthly upkeep of their accounting and financial operations.

Client Challenges

A Local Union in the Midwest had several turnovers within their accounting department. The Union’s Treasurer, lacking accounting experience, attempted to assume the role, but International supervision and trusteeship could not be avoided. Since there was no accounting department, bills were unpaid, financial reports and the accounting system were inaccurate and a budget wasn’t being developed nor tracked.

Strategic Approach And Solution

The Withum’s OASyS team came in on-site at the Local and helped them print checks for bills that were the most pressing (for example: rent). Withum implemented an online bill payment platform, moved their accounting system from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, and did a reconstruction of the accounting records for the period they were missing and got them up to date.

With the Union’s reports now accurate, the trustees were able to examine the Local’s true financial situation, allowing for proper management of the Union. We were retained to do ongoing monthly maintenance of the accounting and finance functions so that everything remains clean, accurate and up-to-date.

The Results, ROI

Through Withum’s involvement and the implementation of key solutions, the labor union experienced a significant transformation in its financial management:

Seamless Operation of Accounting and Finance Functions

By leveraging Withum’s expertise and solutions, the Labor Union does not have to worry about turnover or the need for continuous training of new personnel. This allowed the Union leaders to redirect their focus on representing their members and growing the Union, rather than investing time and resources into staffing and managing an in-house accounting and finance department.

Establishment of Online Bill Pay

With Withum’s assistance in implementing the online bill payment platform, trustees can sign checks from anywhere instead of having to be on-site. This streamlined the payment process, boosting efficiency and ensuring timely bill settlements.

Overall, the Labor Union saw tangible improvements in financial stability and efficiency through Withum’s assistance. This collaborative approach provided them with the necessary tools and support to effectively manage their financial responsibilities.

For more information, please contact a member of our team.

Glazier to Union Leader: An Interview With Trailblazer Madison Hull

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Withum’s Multiemployer Benefit Plans and Labor Unions Service Partner, Jessica Roster, had an insightful conversation with Madison Hull, the Director of Service and President […]

Labor Unions

Focusing on all the areas of your labor union’s operations can hold many challenges. Government regulations are continually changing and keeping pace with those changes while having your members’ best […]

Outsourced Accounting Systems and Services (OASyS)

As your business grows, you want to focus on your growth and clients while having solid financial management in place. This is where outsourced accounting systems and services (OASyS) and […]

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Simulation and optimal scheduling of water quality in urban and rural water supply systems: a case study in the northwest arid region of china, 1. introduction, 2. materials and methods, 2.1. research area and project overview, 2.2. methodologies, 2.2.1. water-quality analysis methods, 2.2.2. simulation of water supply system optimization model, pipe network water quantity model, pipe network water-quality model, model calibration validation, 3. results and discussion, 3.1. overall water quality, 3.2. water-quality investigation and evaluation of zhongzhuang reservoir, 3.3. water-quality investigation and evaluation of intake points, 3.3.1. water-quality changes from 2019 to 2022, 3.3.2. water-quality trend of key factor (tn) from 2020 to 2021, 3.4. optimization scheduling of the water supply system, 3.4.1. design schemes, 3.4.2. simulation analysis of scheduling scheme, zhongzhuang reservoir simulation results analysis, simulation analysis of water diversion tunnels, 4. conclusions.

• Water-Quality Evaluation of Intake Points: The results indicate that the overall water quality in the intake area is good, with most indicators meeting Class III water-quality standards. However, there are instances of excessive total nitrogen and sulfate levels, particularly in Baijia Valley, where sulfate and dissolved solids concentrations exceed the standards to a considerable extent. Therefore, further efforts are needed to enhance water environment management and governance.
• Water-Quality Evaluation of Zhongzhuang Reservoir: The results show that the overall water quality of Zhongzhuang Reservoir is good, except for consistently high total nitrogen levels. Other monitored factors meet Class III water-quality standards. After water from the intake points mixes and degrades along the route, the total nitrogen concentration upon reaching Zhongzhuang Reservoir is close to the Class III standard.
• Water-Quality Simulation Results: The simulation results reveal that using the design water intake volume specified in the “Preliminary Design of Urban and Rural Drinking Water Safety Source Project 2012,” the predicted annual total nitrogen concentration in Zhongzhuang Reservoir exceeds the standards throughout the year, with an over-standard rate of up to 52.89%. After the optimization scheme was adopted, the annual predicted total nitrogen concentration in Zhongzhuang Reservoir significantly decreased, with the maximum reduction rate reaching 78.81% and all simulation results meeting the Class III standards of the “Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water”.

Author Contributions

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Zhang, Y.; Hu, T.; Xue, H.; Liu, X. Simulation and Optimal Scheduling of Water Quality in Urban and Rural Water Supply Systems: A Case Study in the Northwest Arid Region of China. Water 2024 , 16 , 2181. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152181

Zhang Y, Hu T, Xue H, Liu X. Simulation and Optimal Scheduling of Water Quality in Urban and Rural Water Supply Systems: A Case Study in the Northwest Arid Region of China. Water . 2024; 16(15):2181. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152181

Zhang, Youjia, Tao Hu, Hongqin Xue, and Xiaodong Liu. 2024. "Simulation and Optimal Scheduling of Water Quality in Urban and Rural Water Supply Systems: A Case Study in the Northwest Arid Region of China" Water 16, no. 15: 2181. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152181

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