Improving Lean Project Management : with Customer Value Centered Practices
Saari, Leena (2016)
Saari, Leena
Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu
2016
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016060311832
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016060311832
Tiivistelmä
The aim of this Masters’ Thesis is to investigate how software development project
managers gain understanding on customer value and ensure customer value goal alignment in their present software development projects and to provide customer value goal utilizing best practices for Fujitsu Finland software development project management.
The thesis theory basis handle customer value and lean project management as a concept, customer value goal setting and monitoring in continuous improvement context and in guiding high-performing project teams.
The empirical part of this action study was conducted at Fujitsu Finland Helsinki Office from September 2015 to March 2016. It started by constructing the present situation of customer value utilization using interviews, queries and workshops with a focus on following three improvement areas; customer value goals, shared understanding of customer value among the project team and customer value driven continuous improvement. After analyzing the areas, a suitable Best Practices Documentation for Understanding and Ensuring Customer Value Alignment in Projects is developed together with a workshop team consisting mainly of software development project managers.
As a result the project managers’ level of customer value understanding was improved and the feedback on the best practices was positive, so the instructions could be accepted for a pilot project to be started after this research.
In conclusion this research argues that customer value goal clarity improves the customer value alignment making the project deliverables more valuable for the customer. The practices respond well to the improvement areas of the research; Quality Function Deployment method applying practices provide steps for project managers to establish clear customer value goals per each project. These goals can be utilized both in sharing the customer value understanding with the software development teams and in planning and checking the direction continuous improvement.
managers gain understanding on customer value and ensure customer value goal alignment in their present software development projects and to provide customer value goal utilizing best practices for Fujitsu Finland software development project management.
The thesis theory basis handle customer value and lean project management as a concept, customer value goal setting and monitoring in continuous improvement context and in guiding high-performing project teams.
The empirical part of this action study was conducted at Fujitsu Finland Helsinki Office from September 2015 to March 2016. It started by constructing the present situation of customer value utilization using interviews, queries and workshops with a focus on following three improvement areas; customer value goals, shared understanding of customer value among the project team and customer value driven continuous improvement. After analyzing the areas, a suitable Best Practices Documentation for Understanding and Ensuring Customer Value Alignment in Projects is developed together with a workshop team consisting mainly of software development project managers.
As a result the project managers’ level of customer value understanding was improved and the feedback on the best practices was positive, so the instructions could be accepted for a pilot project to be started after this research.
In conclusion this research argues that customer value goal clarity improves the customer value alignment making the project deliverables more valuable for the customer. The practices respond well to the improvement areas of the research; Quality Function Deployment method applying practices provide steps for project managers to establish clear customer value goals per each project. These goals can be utilized both in sharing the customer value understanding with the software development teams and in planning and checking the direction continuous improvement.