Link to thesis - Concept - NTNU

3. Flexibility in different project phasesHighDegreeof freedomto manoeuvreAccumulated cost/Available information/Amendment costABDesiredroom formanoeuvringLowProject time, tt 1Figure 4. Consequences of different values of the uncertainty, significance ofdecisions and the degree of freedom to manoeuvre compared to the desired roomfor manoeuvring in different project phases. (Paper 7, fig. 6. Based on Eikeland2001: 40)With regard to Figure 4, this thesis has addressed two aspects. First, an attempt wasmade to quantify curves in the figure, as described earlier. Second, the work on thethesis has been a search for project management strategies that utilise the area shownas A. It should be noted that the critical measure is not necessarily the size of area Aand B, but the time t 1, when the curves for actual and desired freedom to manoeuvrecross. Area A actually represents a ‘flexibility surplus’ and area B a ‘flexibilityundersupply’.Based on product development projects, Midler (1995), Verganti (1999) and Bahrami& Evans (2005) identify strategies to increase area A and to reduce area B shown inFigure 4. The purpose is to avoid changes but to keep options open to satisfy as muchas possible of the anticipated need for manoeuvring. Midler (1995) describes amanagement strategy for concurrent engineering projects. First, early commitment isprevented while as much information as possible is gathered on the project. In thesecond phase, the project is locked as precisely as possible. Finally, at the end of theproject, speed is given maximum priority in order to solve the remaining technicalobstacles.Paper 1 and Paper 8 study observed flexibility in 18 projects. Most of these projectswere subject to changes, extensions and iterations, i.e. they were in area B in Figure 4.When analysing project flexibility over time, there was also need to make adistinction between planned and actual approaches to flexibility. Approaches toflexibility changed during the projects and the actual approaches were not necessarilythe same as the planned ones.Earlier in this chapter, it was noted that different stakeholders have differentperspectives on projects flexibility in different project phases. This leads to the nexttopic: project stakeholders.15