Agile Construction


Book Description

* Updated version! Now with full color photos, graphs and charts throughout the book. Agile Construction(r) for the Electrical Contractor provides the tools and guidance needed to transform a traditional, reactive project management style to a new, proactive, profitable, and productive business management model - one that can quickly respond to changing industry needs and remain a profitable enterprise, even during the toughest of times. In this groundbreaking new book, Dr. Daneshgari applies proven managerial techniques from other industries to electrical construction through the introduction of Agile construction - a new scientifically-based tracking system based on jobsite dynamics and the bottom-line impact of the three sources of cost drivers: money, materials, and manpower. This practical and accessible guide to improving operating systems and efficiencies is a must-have for construction company owners, CEOs, project managers, and supervisors with its clear set of practical tools, processes and tips for improving productivity.




Agile Software Construction


Book Description

Introduces the core concepts, evaluates how successful they can be, as well as what problems may be encountered Dispels numerous myths surrounding agile development




Agile Construction


Book Description

What is our Agile construction Strategy? How do you use Agile construction data and information to support organizational decision making and innovation? Is the Agile construction process severely broken such that a re-design is necessary? How do you determine the key elements that affect Agile construction workforce satisfaction? how are these elements determined for different workforce groups and segments? Are there any specific expectations or concerns about the Agile construction team, Agile construction itself? Defining, designing, creating, and implementing a process to solve a business challenge or meet a business objective is the most valuable role... In EVERY company, organization and department. Unless you are talking a one-time, single-use project within a business, there should be a process. Whether that process is managed and implemented by humans, AI, or a combination of the two, it needs to be designed by someone with a complex enough perspective to ask the right questions. Someone capable of asking the right questions and step back and say, 'What are we really trying to accomplish here? And is there a different way to look at it?' For more than twenty years, The Art of Service's Self-Assessments empower people who can do just that - whether their title is marketer, entrepreneur, manager, salesperson, consultant, business process manager, executive assistant, IT Manager, CxO etc... - they are the people who rule the future. They are people who watch the process as it happens, and ask the right questions to make the process work better. This book is for managers, advisors, consultants, specialists, professionals and anyone interested in Agile construction assessment. All the tools you need to an in-depth Agile construction Self-Assessment. Featuring 692 new and updated case-based questions, organized into seven core areas of process design, this Self-Assessment will help you identify areas in which Agile construction improvements can be made. In using the questions you will be better able to: - diagnose Agile construction projects, initiatives, organizations, businesses and processes using accepted diagnostic standards and practices - implement evidence-based best practice strategies aligned with overall goals - integrate recent advances in Agile construction and process design strategies into practice according to best practice guidelines Using a Self-Assessment tool known as the Agile construction Scorecard, you will develop a clear picture of which Agile construction areas need attention. Included with your purchase of the book is the Agile construction Self-Assessment downloadable resource, which contains all questions and Self-Assessment areas of this book in a ready to use Excel dashboard, including the self-assessment, graphic insights, and project planning automation - all with examples to get you started with the assessment right away. Access instructions can be found in the book. You are free to use the Self-Assessment contents in your presentations and materials for customers without asking us - we are here to help.




Agile Construction


Book Description

What is our Agile construction Strategy? How do you use Agile construction data and information to support organizational decision making and innovation? Is the Agile construction process severely broken such that a re-design is necessary? How do you determine the key elements that affect Agile construction workforce satisfaction? how are these elements determined for different workforce groups and segments? Are there any specific expectations or concerns about the Agile construction team, Agile construction itself? Defining, designing, creating, and implementing a process to solve a business challenge or meet a business objective is the most valuable role... In EVERY company, organization and department. Unless you are talking a one-time, single-use project within a business, there should be a process. Whether that process is managed and implemented by humans, AI, or a combination of the two, it needs to be designed by someone with a complex enough perspective to ask the right questions. Someone capable of asking the right questions and step back and say, 'What are we really trying to accomplish here? And is there a different way to look at it?' For more than twenty years, The Art of Service's Self-Assessments empower people who can do just that - whether their title is marketer, entrepreneur, manager, salesperson, consultant, business process manager, executive assistant, IT Manager, CxO etc... - they are the people who rule the future. They are people who watch the process as it happens, and ask the right questions to make the process work better. This book is for managers, advisors, consultants, specialists, professionals and anyone interested in Agile construction assessment. All the tools you need to an in-depth Agile construction Self-Assessment. Featuring 692 new and updated case-based questions, organized into seven core areas of process design, this Self-Assessment will help you identify areas in which Agile construction improvements can be made. In using the questions you will be better able to: - diagnose Agile construction projects, initiatives, organizations, businesses and processes using accepted diagnostic standards and practices - implement evidence-based best practice strategies aligned with overall goals - integrate recent advances in Agile construction and process design strategies into practice according to best practice guidelines Using a Self-Assessment tool known as the Agile construction Scorecard, you will develop a clear picture of which Agile construction areas need attention. Included with your purchase of the book is the Agile construction Self-Assessment downloadable resource, which contains all questions and Self-Assessment areas of this book in a ready to use Excel dashboard, including the self-assessment, graphic insights, and project planning automation - all with examples to get you started with the assessment right away. Access instructions can be found in the book. You are free to use the Self-Assessment contents in your presentations and materials for customers without asking us - we are here to help.




Construction Project Management


Book Description

The role of the project manager continues to evolve, presenting new challenges to established practitioners and those entering the field for the first time. This second edition of Peter Fewings' groundbreaking textbook has been thoroughly revised to recognise the increasing importance of sustainability and lean construction in the construction industry. It also tackles the significance of design management, changing health and safety regulation, leadership and quality for continuous improvement of the service and the product. Using an integrated project management approach, emphasis is placed on the importance of effectively handling external factors in order to best achieve an on-schedule, on-budget result, as well as good negotiation with clients and skilled team leadership. Its holistic approach provides readers with a thorough guide in how to increase efficiency and communication at all stages while reducing costs, time and risk. Short case studies are used throughout the book to illustrate different tools and techniques. Combining the theories underpinning best practice in construction project management, with a wealth of practical examples, this book is uniquely valuable for practitioners and clients as well as undergraduate and graduate students for construction project management.




Agile Construction for the Electrical Contractor


Book Description

Agile Construction for the Electrical Contractor provides the tools and guidance needed to transform a traditional, reactive project management style to a new, proactive, profitable, and productive business management model - one that can quickly respond to changing industry needs and remain a profitable enterprise, even during the toughest of times. In this groundbreaking new book, Dr. Daneshgari applies proven managerial techniques from other industries to electrical construction through the introduction of Agile construction - a new scientifically-based tracking system based on jobsite dynamics and the bottom-line impact of the three sources of cost drivers: money, materials, and manpower. This practical and accessible guide to improving operating systems and efficiencies is a must-have for construction company owners, CEOs, project managers, and supervisors with its clear set of practical tools, processes and tips for improving productivity.




Construction Extension to the PMBOK® Guide


Book Description

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK� Guide) provides generalized project management guidance applicable to most projects most of the time. In order to apply this generalized guidance to construction projects, the Project Management Institute has developed the Construction Extension to the PMBOK� Guide. This Construction Extension provides construction-specific guidance for the project management practitioner for each of the PMBOK� Guide Knowledge Areas, as well as guidance in these additional areas not found in the PMBOK� Guide: * All project resources, rather than just human resources * Project health, safety, security, and environmental management * Project financial management, in addition to cost * Management of claims in construction This edition of the Construction Extension also follows a new structure, discussing the principles in each of the Knowledge Areas rather than discussing the individual processes. This approach broadens the applicability of the Construction Extension by increasing the focus on the "what” and "why” of construction project management. This Construction Extension also includes discussion of emerging trends and developments in the construction industry that affect the application of project management to construction projects.




Doing Agile Right


Book Description

Agile has the power to transform work--but only if it's implemented the right way. For decades business leaders have been painfully aware of a huge chasm: They aspire to create nimble, flexible enterprises. But their day-to-day reality is silos, sluggish processes, and stalled innovation. Today, agile is hailed as the essential bridge across this chasm, with the potential to transform a company and catapult it to the head of the pack. Not so fast. In this clear-eyed, indispensable book, Bain & Company thought leader Darrell Rigby and his colleagues Sarah Elk and Steve Berez provide a much-needed reality check. They dispel the myths and misconceptions that have accompanied agile's rise to prominence--the idea that it can reshape an organization all at once, for instance, or that it should be used in every function and for all types of work. They illustrate that agile teams can indeed be powerful, making people's jobs more rewarding and turbocharging innovation, but such results are possible only if the method is fully understood and implemented the right way. The key, they argue, is balance. Every organization must optimize and tightly control some of its operations, and at the same time innovate. Agile, done well, enables vigorous innovation without sacrificing the efficiency and reliability essential to traditional operations. The authors break down how agile really works, show what not to do, and explain the crucial importance of scaling agile properly in order to reap its full benefit. They then lay out a road map for leading the transition to a truly agile enterprise. Agile isn't a goal in itself; it's a means to becoming a high-performance operation. Doing Agile Right is a must-have guide for any company trying to make the transition--or trying to sustain high agility.




Disciplined Agile Delivery


Book Description

Master IBM’s Breakthrough DAD Process Framework for Succeeding with Agile in Large, Complex, Mission-Critical IT Projects It is widely recognized that moving from traditional to agile approaches to build software solutions is a critical source of competitive advantage. Mainstream agile approaches that are indeed suitable for small projects require significant tailoring for larger, complex enterprise projects. In Disciplined Agile Delivery, Scott W. Ambler and Mark Lines introduce IBM’s breakthrough Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) process framework, which describes how to do this tailoring. DAD applies a more disciplined approach to agile development by acknowledging and dealing with the realities and complexities of a portfolio of interdependent program initiatives. Ambler and Lines show how to extend Scrum with supplementary agile and lean strategies from Agile Modeling (AM), Extreme Programming (XP), Kanban, Unified Process (UP), and other proven methods to provide a hybrid approach that is adaptable to your organization’s unique needs. They candidly describe what practices work best, why they work, what the trade-offs are, and when to consider alternatives, all within the context of your situation. Disciplined Agile Delivery addresses agile practices across the entire lifecycle, from requirements, architecture, and development to delivery and governance. The authors show how these best-practice techniques fit together in an end-to-end process for successfully delivering large, complex systems--from project initiation through delivery. Coverage includes Scaling agile for mission-critical enterprise endeavors Avoiding mistakes that drive poorly run agile projects to chaos Effectively initiating an agile project Transitioning as an individual to agile Incrementally building consumable solutions Deploying agile solutions into complex production environments Leveraging DevOps, architecture, and other enterprise disciplines Adapting your governance strategy for agile projects Based on facts, research, and extensive experience, this book will be an indispensable resource for every enterprise software leader and practitioner--whether they’re seeking to optimize their existing agile/Scrum process or improve the agility of an iterative process.




Prefabrication Handbook for the Construction Industry


Book Description

We have written this book as a hands-on, practical, and scalable guide to prefab. Itapplies if you are starting from ground zero, or if you are at the 3% mark and trying to get to 50%. The book is not about "benchmarking" or "best practices"; it is grounded in thereality of what other industrialized industries have passed through, which will happen in construction sooner or later. We can learn from history and the science of work (IndustrialEngineering), to move faster and with fewer mistakes, rather just comparing to the status quo of "best practices" in today's construction environment.Maximum prefab requires a culture of prefab, by understanding the true benefits of prefab which are way beyond saving "hours". Benefits include risk reduction, increasedreliability and predictability of the outcome; reduced uncertainties from the jobsite, anopportunity to train manpower in a controlled environment. Monetarily, the benefits are best quantified as composite rate savings, which reflects a better managed crew ratio and overall productivity improvement.The most valuable part of this book for the majority of our readers will be theAppendices, which is a set of sample and blank forms, and templates for your use, to start or add to your vision and mission of doing more prefab. We will be updating these forms and templates regularly, and have them available electronically on our www.agileprefab.com blog. Please contact us to join and always have access to the latest and greatest.