Project Management in the Aviation and Aerospace Industry

Introduction

Today, project management should be a planned, organized effort dedicated to achieving a specific, often one-time goal. Such projects can range from a simple task to a complex multidisciplinary effort, but they all require careful attention to detail and process to be successful. To see what is involved, this paper reviews relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning opinions and recommendations related to large-scale project management. For this purpose, the aviation and aerospace industry is used as the basis for illustrating project management considerations. A summary of the research and important findings is presented in the conclusion.

Background: Evolution of Project Management Approaches

Regardless of complexity, all projects require a project plan. The more complex the project, the greater the need for a plan that defines objectives, resources, assignments, budgets, timelines, and deliverables. Controls must be in place to ensure the project stays on the critical path. Project management typically follows major phases including feasibility study, project planning, implementation, evaluation, and support/maintenance, among others. The challenge of properly managing a project increases with the complexity of its goal.

The aerospace industry's projects are typically very complex and expensive. Staggering financial damage can result when a cost or schedule overrun occurs. According to Massue (2004), "Bombardier of Canada wasn't a believer in project management offices. It soon changed its mind when two large projects, worth US $100 million and $30 million, ran over budget by nearly 100 percent" (p. 1).

Various project management approaches have been tried in the past. For example, the Manhattan Project is reported to have used a direct reporting structure — that is, everyone on the project worked directly for the project manager. The initial aerospace projects used a more hierarchical approach. Compact groups were established and assigned a manager who had responsibility for a specific portion of the project; however, top management retained overall responsibility. This approach was successful but often contentious. Aerospace projects became increasingly complex and required the effective integration of multiple technologies to achieve their goals. Large, complex projects simply overwhelmed the customary approaches, and a new management model was needed. The aerospace industry provided the perfect opportunity. According to Stuckenbruck (1981), "the Atlas program has been said to be the beginning of modern project management" (p. 15).

Regardless of the project management approach in use, there is general agreement that a common skill set is required — good people skills. Perhaps this is best summarized by Wysocki, Lewis, and Decarlo (2001), who advise: "This means that the only way they will get anything done is through the exercise of influence, persuasion, negotiation, and maybe a little begging at times. So interpersonal skills are at the top of our list" (p. 37). Assuming the project manager possesses these skills, the focus then becomes how best to support them throughout an ongoing project. The challenge lies in the vast quantity of data present in a large project and how to effectively monitor its status.

The Aerospace Industry's Focus on Project Management

The volume and value of projects in progress worldwide defies estimation; however, success is more easily identified and measured. As Massue (2004) noted, "A recent 'Chaos Report,' published by industry analyst Standish Group, estimates that one-third of projects can be deemed 'a pass'; two-thirds are either 'challenged' or 'outright failures'" (p. 1). These rates represent a clearly disappointing assessment of the effectiveness of project management today. Key influencers within the project management community recognized the risk and responsibilities of their chosen profession. Over time, the profession's response has been to organize, educate, certify, and adapt as conditions warranted.

One significant development was the formation of professional associations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI), whose membership has reached 240,000 professionals in over 160 countries. A large number of PMI members formed a subgroup for the aerospace industry — the PMI Aerospace and Defense Special Interest Group (SIG) — which has as one of its goals "to advance the state-of-the-art of project management for aerospace and defense project management professionals" (Mission and vision, 2007).

It should also be noted that NASA hosts an annual project management conference through its Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership (APPEL). One keynote address examined the theme of "Five Questions a Project Manager Should Ask about Every Estimate," reflecting how attentive the aerospace industry is to rigorous project management practice.

Conclusion

Useful tools are defined for project management. Prior to initiation, there are tools for ensuring that all parties agree on the goal, the approach, the costs, the personnel, the timetable, and the deliverables. Yet only when these elements are defined and agreed upon can project planning begin — and only when the plans are defined and agreed upon can the project actually commence. This makes clear why project management is discussed in terms of distinct phases.