Project management simulation

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Project management simulation is simulation used for project management training and analysis. Project management simulation is often used as training simulation for project managers. In other cases it is used for what-if analysis and for supporting decision-making in real projects. Frequently the simulation is conducted using software tools.

Contents

Training

Project management simulation for training is an interactive learning activity, frequently practiced as a group exercise. The purpose of the simulation is to impart to students the competencies (i.e. knowledge, skills, and attitudes) that will ultimately improve their performance. [1] It confronts trainees with the situations and problems that arise in real world projects. Trainees see the consequences of the decisions they make. They can track the evolution of the project parameters: scope, costs, schedule, and quality, as well as human factors. The simulation provides an opportunity for learners to solve typical project problems, to make mistakes and analyze them. Pedagogic goals of project management simulation can be to teach how to:

Different studies [1] [2] suggest that using simulation-based training for training project managers is superior to other methods.

Analysis

Project management simulation is used to analyze real projects. The goal of the simulation is to show the user the different possible outcomes of his decisions, along with the probability that each outcome will occur. The simulation helps in reducing the project risk and in choosing the best project plan. In a typical simulation the project is first modeled into a software tool along with uncertain variables. A simulation is then run to check the different possible outcomes and their probability as a result of different inputs for the uncertain variables.

See also

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A glossary of terms relating to project management and consulting.

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The ADMS is an emergency and disaster management training simulation system designed to train incident commanders, first responders, and incident command teams in a real-time, interactive virtual reality environment. ADMS was first introduced by Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETCC:US) in 1992. The development of ADMS was in response to the crash of British Airtours Flight 28M at the Manchester airport in 1985, in which 55 people died. Following the accident research indicated that first responder training should include realistic scenarios. The first ADMS system was produced for the UK Ministry of Defence, and delivered to Royal Air Force's (RAF) Manston Facility. Since its inception, ADMS has evolved into a modular, expandable disaster simulation platform, with systems in use worldwide.

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Project team builder (PTB) is a project management simulation tool developed for training and teaching the concepts of project management and for improving project decision making. A number of published books and academic papers are based on the PTB and its predecessors. The PTB won the Project Management Institute Professional Development Product of the Year Award. The PTB is used in universities and business organizations around the world. The simulator is based on an approach that separates the simulation engine from the scenario editor and allows each user to simulate any project. The simulation engine simulates the dynamic stochastic nature of modern projects. The design of the PTB supports the system engineering approach to Problem solving as each scenario presents the requirements, the alternatives that can be selected and the constraints imposed on the solution. The user has to trade off the cost, schedule, risk, and benefits to the stake holders and to find a feasible, robust, good solution for the scenario. The solution is then simulated by the simulation engine while the trainee exercises monitoring and control throughout the execution. A planned project can be simulated using Monte Carlo simulation. This is done in automatic mode and shows the probability to finish the project at any time period or at any cost. Furthermore, based on the Monte Carlo simulation the probability of each activity to be on the critical path is estimated. The Monte Carlo analysis supports risk analysis and decision making. Another characteristic of the simulator is the ability to save points in the history of each run for future analysis or even for testing a different solution from any of the points saved.

References

  1. 1 2 Salas, E., Wildman, J. L., Piccolo, R. F. (2009). "Using simulation-based training to enhance management Education", Academy of Management Learning & Education, 8, 559–573.
  2. Nembhard, D., K. Yip and A. Shtub, "Comparing Competitive and Cooperative Strategies for Learning Project Management" April, 2009, International Journal of Engineering Education, 181–192