One of the main tasks of project management in complex projects is to master the complexity. Our project management method helps with three steps.
Complexity in Project Management
A complete project management method distinguishes excellent project management from good project management. Planned or unscheduled and desired or mandatory changes in the company can be implemented only with the right combination. Often, the best starting point is specification of the problem. Important terms here are “complicated“ and “complex“.
Complicated and Complex Problems in Project Management
We at [bu:st] – the project management specialists from Munich, Germany and Upstate South Carolina – developed an agile method which considered to distinguish between a complicated or complex problem. But what is the difference?
Simply put, complexity always refers to the individual parts of the system or their logical connection, and it always affects the system as a whole. Complexity refers to the system as a whole.
Complicated tasks can be handled through knowledge, methods, and tools. But only with ability, sense, and experience can complex project management tasks can be mastered.
Problem Domains to Categorize Problems
To comprehend if you are dealing with a complicated or a complex project, it helps to categorize it into one of five problem domains. Of course, there is no 100% selective demarcation between the domains – but usually a problem domain dominates in most situations.
The complexity of a system increases with the number of elements, the number of links between these elements, and the nature and behavior of these links.
Depending on which domain the problem is placed into, it has to be tackled with different methods. The more complex the system, the more experience and sense is needed. In the chaotic domain it’s most important to act.
Important Means of Our Project Management Method: Transparency, Communication, and Rhythm
One of the main tasks of our project management method in complex projects is to master the complexity. These three steps help: transparency, communication, and rhythm.
In the first step, it is useful to show the complexity of the relationships in a transparent way. Communication is the key to recognize and understand the situation. An important factor is the relationships between the persons involved. Last but not least, a good rhythm is needed to work through complex problems. That’s how we create structure and thus, security.
No matter how complex a project is, the [bu:st] project management method brings order to chaos. Because the world is seemingly chaotic, but ultimately it is only complex.
Andreas Lohner
Expert in Additive Manufacturing
