Search results

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the empirical research on project management (PM) maturity assessments, specifically based on a maturity model.

The empirical data are based on a case study including in-depth interviews with a semi-structured approach, followed by a focus group interview. A survey was distributed within a project-based organisation (PBO) and to client and stakeholder representatives, and then analysed. The organisation in the case study is a project department within a Swedish mining company.

Careful considerations are needed when choosing a PM maturity model (PM3) as the model structure can influence the assessment’s focus. It is also important to include both internal and external project stakeholders in the assessment to achieve an efficiency and effectiveness perspective when analysing PM capabilities. Valid information from an assessment is crucial, therefore, clear communication from management is important in order to motivate the participants in the assessment.

Improved understanding for implementing and applying a PM3 contributes to the increased knowledge of drivers, enablers and obstacles when assessing PM maturity, which also creates a basis for further research initiatives.

An increased knowledge of drivers, enablers and obstacles should be valuable for practitioners introducing and applying a PM3.

Projects are a common way of working in many businesses. Activities which aim to improve PM capabilities should contribute to more effective and efficient project performance.

This case study gives an in-depth insight into the implementation of a PM3 within a PBO. Through conducting a literature review, it was found that this type of empirical research is rare.

Despite the multitude of publications concerning the process maturity assessment models applied in the private sector, the matter of the choice of a process maturity assessment model is not so unambiguous in the public sector. The goal of this article is to identify process maturity assessment models applicable to the public sector.

Literature review, enabling identification of process maturity assessment models applicable to the public sector. Comparative analysis, making it possible to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the selected maturity assessment models.

Models enabling assessment of process maturity and e-government maturity applicable to the public sector have been identified. Potential benefits and limitations specific to the analysed models have been established.

The publication indicates which process maturity assessment models can be successfully applied in the public sector. As such, it provides important support for the public sector in the decision-making process concerning the choice and implementation of a specific process maturity assessment model.

This is one of the few study which refers to a comprehensive review and analysis of process maturity assessment models applicable to the public sector. As the relevant contribution, it clarifies the relationships and differences between process and e-government maturity assessment models. This study provides important aid to both practitioners and theorists in terms of the selection of a process maturity assessment model against specific research needs.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of contract management process maturity assessments in the US Navy using a process capability maturity model. The maturity model is used to benchmark an organization’s contract management process maturity and to use the assessment results to develop a road map for implementing process improvement as well as knowledge-sharing initiatives.

This is survey-based research on benchmarking contract management processes in the US Navy. A web-based assessment tool was deployed to US Navy contracting officers located at aeronautical systems, sea systems, and logistics support contracting agencies. The assessment tool consists of survey items related to the use of contracting best practices. The survey responses are then used to calculate the agency’s contract management process maturity level.

The benchmarking results reflected higher maturity levels in the pre-award contracting processes (Procurement Planning, Solicitation Planning, and Source Selection), while lower maturity levels were reflected in the post-award contracting processes (Contract Administration and Contract Closeout). The research findings related to process capability enablers also reflected higher mean scores for the pre-award processes and lower mean scores for the post-award processes. These maturity levels and process capability enabler scores reflect the extent of the implementation of contracting best practices within the Navy contracting agencies.

This research uses a purposeful sampling approach designed to acquire data on organizational contract management processes. The assessment survey was administered only to qualified Navy contracting officers. The Navy contracting agencies are responsible for procuring billions of dollars in supplies and services in support of the Navy mission. Although the assessed contracting agencies procure different types of systems, supplies, and services, the contract management processes used are common to all Navy, Army, Air Force, and other US federal government agencies. The conclusions based on the analysis of these benchmarking assessments may be applicable to Department of Defense (DoD) and other government agencies.

The findings suggest that benchmarking can be effective in measuring and improving contracting process capability within the Navy. Benchmarking contracting processes can have far-reaching effects throughout the DoD. The Under Secretary of Defense’s has mandated initiatives related to improving both pre- and post-award contracting processes. The use of these benchmarking assessments can be instrumental in tracking the achievements of these process improvement initiatives. Additionally, the US Congress is leading the push for auditability in procurement operations. By benchmarking and improving its contracting processes, the DoD will be winning the battle toward integrity, accountability, and transparency of its financial operations.

Benchmarking contracting processes can also have far-reaching effects in society. Many governments are focussing on integrity, accountability, and transparency in public procurement. International organizations such as Transparency International (TI) have identified process capability and process integrity as key for reducing the potential for procurement-related fraud, waste, and abuse. Additionally, NATO member countries and partner nations are focussing on the value of assessing and improving procurement processes for strengthening transparency and accountability. The value of benchmarking and improving contracting processes is gaining much attention in global public procurement agencies as they strive for accountability, integrity, and transparency in their governance processes.

There are multiple reports on deficiencies in DoD’s contract management processes, identifying poor contract planning, and Contract Administration as just some of the critically deficient areas. In response, the DoD is increasing its emphasis on developing its workforce competence through education initiatives. However, very little attention is being paid to benchmarking contract management processes. This research reflects the value of benchmarking DoD’s contract management process maturity and using the results for implementing process improvement initiatives. Using process benchmarking data, agencies can identify process improvement initiatives that will ensure government tax dollars are spent in the most effective and efficient ways.

The paper proposes a maturity assessment method to measure the state of maintenance practices in a company.

The method assumes that a maintenance department is evaluated in terms of its managerial, organizational and technological capabilities. By its adoption it is possible to analyse the maturity level reached by a company, in order to classify the criticalities in its maintenance processes; a company can also make a benchmark with the best companies of a reference sample.

The paper presents the method as a support to identify the levers to improve the maintenance management system. The method is demonstrated on a company whose maturity is assessed before making a benchmark against a sample of other manufacturing companies located in the Northern Italy.

The paper presents a scoring method for maturity assessment and a procedure to use it in order to identify the criticalities in maintenance processes and to subsequently drive the improvement of the maintenance management system. The paper should be useful both to researchers and maintenance professionals interested in using new methods for long‐term planning in maintenance.

One of the main challenges of organisations today is how to navigate their development into ideal sustainable organisations. However, each readiness level requires a different rubric of indicators. Therefore, this study develops a corporate sustainability maturity model (CSMM), which can be used by organisations to conduct self-assessments, identify their current sustainability maturity levels and transition into mature sustainable organisations.

This CSMM comprises various maturity domains, sub-domains and levels as well as a rubric of indicators for assessing the maturity of corporate sustainability. In its development, a systematic literature review examined existing maturity models, after which a pilot study, based on the literature review, content analysis and expert interviews, was used to create a prototype of the CSSM. Finally, the model was refined and expanded by considering practitioners' feedback and the tendencies of other sustainability maturity models.

On the basis of the findings, some Indonesian organisations conducted sustainability activities, without having a strategic plan. Moreover, the factors driving organisations to conduct sustainability efforts included external and internal pressure. However, typical factors, such as awareness of sustainability and organisational reputation gained from conducting sustainability activities, were insignificant in the sample.

This CSMM is the first sustainability maturity model developed for readiness assessment in an Indonesian context. Through this CSMM, organisations can determine their current readiness level of sustainability maturity and choose the correct indicators to help improve each sustainability domain in the matrix.

The assessment of COBIT process maturity levels is fraught with a number of problems regarding the objectivity of the assessment results. Unlike ISO/IEC 15504, COBIT does not define an assessment model. The purpose of this paper is to align the behavioural aspects of the six COBIT process attributes with achievement results defined for the nine process attributes associated with the ISO/IEC 15504‐2 measurement scale. The authors believe that this alignment permits a translation of the ISO/IEC 15504 assessment data into an objective COBIT process maturity rating.

The tables presented in the paper identify the COBIT process attributes, the applicable ISO/IEC 15504 process attribute achievement results and the aggregated rating that pertains to the selected achievement results. A final table lists the derived COBIT process maturity level in terms of the ratings for the ISO/IEC 15504 process attribute achievement results for an assessed process.

The objectivity of the aggregated result (COBIT process maturity level) appeals strongly to end‐users of this measurement result, particularly where contractual obligations must be satisfied.

The method is useful where measurement rigour must be demonstrated in the computation of the COBIT process maturity levels.

This assessment and computational method was developed and trialled in the second half of 2010 in the context of the assessment of 13 information technology (IT) service management processes at two different customer sites. The material is of special value to service managers in companies that have outsourced IT service management processes to external IT service providers.

This paper aims to present and discuss the results of the assessment of maturity of facilities management (FM) industries (FMi) in five countries, namely, Denmark, Hong Kong, Norway, Tanzania and the UK. The analysis is based on the “Integrated Feeder Factors Framework (I3F)”. I3F analyses maturity by assessing the progression and integration of the key factors essential for the maturity of the FMi, which are organisations practice, supply market, education, professional bodies, research and business environment.

FM experts in respective countries were interviewed. Data were also gathered from official documents and websites. The collected evidences were analysed using pattern matching.

The FM industry in the five case study countries are found at various levels of maturity. The UK exhibited high levels of maturity compared to other countries. Norway, Hong Kong and Denmark were at the same level with some notable differences, while Tanzania was at the lowest level.

The research successfully tested the I3F. This sets foundation for assessing maturity of the FM industry at a country level. The assessment of maturity at a country level is important to FM stakeholders in charting out plans for its development and longevity.

This is the first research which has assessed the maturity of FMi in five countries using an I3F. The results show the strength and weaknesses of the FMi in the five countries and point out areas which require stakeholders’ efforts to be improved or maintained.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel maturity model for health-care cloud security (M²HCS), which focuses on assessing cyber security in cloud-based health-care environments by incorporating the sub-domains of health-care cyber security practices and introducing health-care-specific cyber security metrics. This study aims to expand the domain of health-care cyber security maturity model by including cloud-specific aspects than is usually seen in the literature.

The intended use of the proposed model was demonstrated using the evaluation method – “construct validity test” as the paper’s aim was to assess the final model and the output of the valuation. The study involved a literature-based case study of a national health-care foundation trust with an overall view because the model is assessed for the entire organisation. The data were complemented by examination of hospitals’ cyber security internal processes through web-accessible documents, and identified relevant literature.

The paper provides awareness about how organisational-related challenges have been identified as a main inhibiting factor for the adoption of cloud computing in health care. Regardless of the remunerations of cloud computing, its security maturity and levels of adoption varies, especially in health care. Maturity models provide a structure towards improving an organisation’s capabilities. It suggests that although several cyber security maturity models and standards resolving specific threats exist, there is a lack of maturity models for cloud-based health-care security.

Due to the selected research method, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, future research studies can investigate the propositions further. Another is that the current thresholds were determined empirically, although it worked for the case study assessment. However, to establish more realistic threshold levels, there is a need for more validation of the model using more case studies.

The paper includes maturity model for the assessment management and improvement of the security posture of a health-care organisation actively using cloud. For executives, it provides a detailed security assessment of the eHealth cloud to aid in decision making. For security experts, its quantitative metrics support proactive and reactive processes.

The paper fulfils a recognised requirement for security maturity model focussed on health-care cloud. It could be extended to resolve evolving cyber settings.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically validate a model for assessing demand planning maturity in organisations.

The authors developed a maturity assessment model for demand planning through iterations of theoretical and empirical work, combining insights from literature and practitioners. An online survey is developed to validate the model using data from different industries.

The authors identify six dimensions of demand planning maturity: data management, the use of forecasting methods, the forecasting system, performance management, the organisation and people management. The empirical study indicates that demand data are well managed and organisation readiness is high, yet improvements in the forecasting system and the management of forecast performance are needed. The results show a positive relationship between the size of an organisation and its demand planning maturity.

The contribution of this work is to propose an assessment model and survey instrument for demand planning maturity. This will help the practitioner to understand the current level of maturity of the demand planning process, reflect on the desired level and develop action plans to close the gap.

There is broad literature on process maturity assessment in general and on sales and operations planning (S&OP) maturity in particular. However, there is no comprehensive model for assessing the maturity of demand planning, which is a specific and critical process within the overall S&OP process. The authors fill this gap by offering a demand planning maturity model.

Over the years, several business process management maturity models (BPM-MMs) have been proposed. Despite great advances, some issues concerning the effectiveness of their practical functionality still need to be addressed. These are related to three important aspects of BPM maturity assessment and improvement: their mechanisms for evaluating maturity (clarity, availability and accuracy), their flexibility (compliance) and their structure (path to maturity). The main goal with this article is to address such issues by introducing a new concept to evaluate and improve BPM maturity.

The authors proceed in accordance with a design science research (DSR) integrating multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) with intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs).

The authors’ proposal provides a practical BPM maturity framework and its assessment procedure to support organizations to determine and improve their initiatives appropriately, which means that it fully or partially addresses all the issues raised. To demonstrate the applicability of this framework, a real application was conducted, and a parallel between existing BPM-MMs is presented to emphasize its advances.

It is the first time that the MCDM approach has been used to support BPM maturity assessment. This approach not only takes into account the uncertainties and subjectivities inherent to this type of decision problem but also allows it to be treated quantitatively, thus making it possible to obtain more accurate results even with less experienced teams.