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The essential investments in new product development (NPD) made by industrial companies entail effective management of NPD activities. In this context, performance measurement is one of the means that can be employed in the pursuit of effectiveness.

The focus of this paper is on life‐cycle objective‐based project management systems in general, and SPMIS in particular. SPMIS (short for Smart Project Management Information System), has been designed: (a) to facilitate the employment of life‐cycle objective‐based project management approaches; and (b) to support concurrent engineering and construction, thus promoting greater integration of the processes under which projects are proposed and implemented. In order to validate the functions designed for SPMIS the authors undertook a detailed case study of a large capital project. The actual project management functions employed by the project team on the case project were researched and charted using the best current PM practices as the guide. While this field research shed light on the actual needs and requirements, the design of the SPMIS functions was approached from first principles in order to incorporate the basic shift from the traditional objectives of cost, time, and quality to life‐cycle objective functions, such as return on investment, facility operability, and life‐cycle integration. This paper describes the fundamental philosophy and framework for the development of life‐cycle objective function‐based project management systems in general, and contrasts these with the existing PM methods.

For many types of buildings, prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) is increasingly becoming a preferred alternative construction approach. Empirical evidence of project performance has consistently demonstrated that the ultimate success of PPVC projects is directly linked to the key decisions made at the outset of the PPVC project life cycle. However, there is limited knowledge of how to successfully manage these early stages. This research identified and evaluated the critical success factors (CSFs) required for the management of the conception, planning and design stages of the PPVC project life cycle.

A multistage methodological framework was adopted to identify and evaluate the CSFs for management of the early stages of the PPVC project life cycle. Based on a comprehensive literature review and expert review, a list of the 9 CSFs relevant to the early stages of the PPVC project life cycle was established. Drawing on an online-based international questionnaire survey with global PPVC experts, the CSFs were measured. The data set was statistically tested for reliability and analyzed using several techniques such as mean scores, relativity weightings and significance analysis.

The analysis revealed that the top 5 most influential CSFs for management of the early stages of the PPVC project life cycle include robust design specifications, accurate drawings and early design freeze; good working collaboration, effective communication and information sharing among project participants; effective stakeholder management; extensive project planning and scheduling; and early engagement of key players. The research further found correlations among the CSFs and proposed a conceptual framework for the management of the early stages of the PPVC project life cycle.

The research recognizes that data quality and reliability risks are the major drawbacks of online questionnaire surveys but the engagement of experts with substantial theoretical and hands-on experiences in PPVC projects helped to minimize these risks. Although small, the sample size was justified and compared with studies that adopted the same data collection approach but analyzed even smaller samples. However, the results should be interpreted against these limitations.

The findings suggest that effective management of the early stages of the PPVC project lifecycle requires early commitment to the PPVC approach in a project; detailed planning and assessment of the suitability of PPVC for the given project; and collaborative design with manufacturers and suppliers to address module production challenges at the detailed design stage. These findings practically instructive and may serve as management support during PPVC implementation.

This research constitutes the first exclusive attempt at identifying the CSFs for successful management of the early stages of the PPVC project life cycle. It provides a fresh and more in-depth understanding of how best to manage the early stages of the PPVC project life cycle. Thus, it contributes to the practice and praxis of the PPVC project implementation discourse.

New management techniques such as ‘just‐in‐time’, ‘lean manufacturing’ and ‘Six Sigma’ allow management accountants to shift their focus from the management and control of production processes to the management of strategic issues. This paradigm shift resulted from shorter product life cycles, due to technological advances and a more competitive business environment. Recent revisions to the International Accounting Standards which are particularly supportive of life cycle costing and project management are likely to increase the focus on strategic management accounting further. This article describes developments in management accounting and the recent convergence of financial reporting in terms of International Accounting Standards with strategic management accounting and project management techniques. Strategic management accounting (particularly life cycle costing) involves applying project management techniques and using the calculus of investment to manage the project as a whole. This contrasts with managing only costs and revenues during the manufacturing phase of a project. The article demonstrates that project management techniques and the calculus of investment provide the information needed to account for the value of a project in terms of IAS 38: Intangible Assets. This will ultimately give rise to both improved decision‐making and more relevant financial reporting.

The purpose of this paper is to propose to redefine the concept of project lead time (PLT) to encompass the time between the project initial idea and the moment in which success is being assessed, which can be beyond the project close-out, using whatever criteria is appropriate for the stakeholder at that moment in time. The conventional project life cycle does not count for the long-term effects of the megaproject, which can have a significant impact on its perception of success. Thus the megaproject life cycle should include a significant part of the operational life cycle of the end product or result, and the criteria of success should include the long-term benefits of the project (measured along various years after the delivery of the end product or result).

The paper uses three illustrative cases of megaprojects: Airbus A380, London Heathrow Terminal 5 and London Olympic Games 2012. These megaprojects, despite their problems in achieving objectives of time, cost and quality (the triple constraint), can be viewed as success or failure depending on the performance and benefits of the resulting product/infrastructure analysed over a long period of time after its delivery.

In order to reconcile the usual distinction between project and product life cycle, and the various definitions of success in different moments of the project/product life cycle, the authors propose to redefine the concept of PLT to encompass the time between the project initial idea and the moment in which success is being assessed, beyond the project close-out, using any criteria which is appropriate for the stakeholder at that moment in time.

When assessing the success of the megaproject it is important to define the PLT under which success is being assessed. As pointed out earlier, in findings, the authors propose to redefine the concept of PLT to encompass the time between the project initial idea and the moment in which success is being assessed, beyond the project close-out, using any criteria which is appropriate for the stakeholder at that moment in time.

This research focuses on examining the dynamics of task and interpersonal conflict related to the creativity of teams over five stages of a project's life cycle. Data were collected from 142 respondents of information system development project teams of a service‐driven type, and from 106 respondents of new product development teams of a technology‐driven type. Results indicate that interpersonal conflict has a negative impact on creativity for a service‐driven project team. However, task conflict has a positive impact on creativity for a technology‐driven project team. The findings suggest that managing different types of project teams necessitates concern with the variations of conflict and creativity over a project's life cycle.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relative importance of project management (PM) competences across the different stages of a software project life cycle to identify competence development gaps and opportunities.

A deductive and quantitative approach was adopted to address the research questions with a web-based survey for data collection.

After reviewing the context of competences and PM competences, the importance of the PM competences overall and for specific stages in the project life cycle was analysed. The result highlights that functional and meta-competences are perceived to be the most important competence dimensions for software project practitioners.

This study makes three contributions. First, it consolidates PM competences into a set of 20 within four competence dimensions. Second, it prioritises these competences across the software project life cycle. Third, it identifies the significance of the inter-relationship between PM competences and project life cycle to reveal PM competence development gaps and opportunities.

To provide an overview of research published in the management accounting literature on methods for cost management in new product development, such as a target costing, life cycle costing, component commonality, and modular design.

The structured literature search covered papers about 15 different cost management methods published in 40 journals in the period 1990–2013.

The search yielded a sample of 113 different papers. Many contained information about more than one method, and this yielded 149 references to specific methods. The number of references varied strongly per cost management method and per journal. Target costing has received by far the most attention in the publications in our sample; modular design, component commonality, and life cycle costing were ranked second and joint third. Most references were published in Management Science; Management Accounting Research; and Accounting, Organizations and Society. The results were strongly influenced by Management Science and Decision Science, because cost management methods with an engineering background were published above average in these two journals (design for manufacturing, component commonality, modular design, and product platforms) while other topics were published below average in these two journals.

The scope of this review is accounting research. Future work could review the research on cost management methods in new product development published outside accounting.

The paper centers on methods for cost management, which complements reviews that focused on theoretical constructs of management accounting information and its use.

Defines life cycle costing, which gives rise to Life Cycle Cost (LCC). Defines LCC as “The total cost of the system or product under study over its complete life cycle or the duration of the period of study, whichever is the shorter”. Stresses that LCC can be used at whatever level is chosen (estate or, say, a boiler). Explains the timing and mechanism of measurement. Argues that the application of LCC at an early design stage will greatly enhance system design and operation. Offers other pertinent definitions.

The purpose of this paper is to present a way of working with open-standard building information modeling (BIM), object type libraries, systems engineering and an Information Delivery Manual for the management of information over the life-cycle of infrastructure assets. The concept is presented as a source of inspiration, proof of concept and to underpin the value of different parts of the concept leading to an integrated approach to life-cycle information management.

The paper presents a concept for a way of working. A proof of concept is provided in the form of a case study in which this concept is operational. It shows that this way of working using open-standard BIM can be applied to manage information in the life-cycle. It does not provide, nor suggest to provide, empirical evidence for specific benefits in terms of efficiency.

The paper shows that open-standard BIM can be applied for information management in the life-cycle of (construction) assets. The specific approach that is applied in practice in a Dutch Infrastructure Project is explained including a case project.

The example of Traverse Dieren attests to a implementation of the approach in practice. From this case it can be concluded that the suggested approach is feasible in the initiation and design phase and applicable during realization. Based on the example as described in this paper it cannot be concluded to what extent the known information management problems in the life-cycle are solved. Therefore a detailed evaluation on the information exchange would be required which is beyond the scope of this paper.

This paper shows how different (theoretical) concepts are successfully combined and implemented in practice to attain the defined BIM goals.

This paper shows a practical case implementation of open-standard BIM (using COINS). It provides a way of working that combines BIM, systems engineering, libraries and contractual arrangements for the management of information over the life-cycle of infrastructure assets.