Mastering Project Discovery: Successful Discipline in Engineering and Analytics Projects

Introducing a comprehensive approach to invigorate project leadership, this book provides a framework – the OUtCoMES Cycle – for developing, managing, advancing, and optimizing engineering and analytics projects. All too often, issues of moral hazard and completion bias prevent engineering and analytics managers and team leaders from asking the critical question 'What’s the problem?', before committing time, energy, and resources to solve it. This book draws attention to the definition, structuring, option consideration and ultimately the addressing of the right problems, exploring the OUtCoMES Cycle framework that facilitates and energizes systematic thinking, knowledge sharing, and on-the-fly adjustment with an explicit focus on the maximization of value and ROI. Each chapter includes discussions and lessons in analytical and engineering problem identification, problem structuring, iterative problem development (mental and computational) and problem resolution, at least three embedded real-world case studies, and a closing 'Practitioner’s Recap' to contextualize key chapter takeaways. Written by a team of established academic scholars and practicing analysts and engineers, this is an accessible and culture-shifting action guide for instructors interested in training the next generation of project and analytics leaders, students of analytics and engineering, as well as practicing project leaders and principals.