Total Project Control

Bajan-born Steve Devaux is a project management theorist, consultant, and academic. He developed TPC, an ROI-based approach to project planning and analysis, as well as such new techniques as critical path drag and the value breakdown structure (VBS). He founded Analytic Project Management in 1992 and has consulted to industries ranging from software to aerospace. He has an M. Sc. in project management from Northeastern University and has taught graduate courses at Brandeis University, Suffolk University, and University of West Indies at Barbados.

• The Nature of a Project. An Overview of TPC Planning. Overview of Planning the Work. Planning the Scope. Developing the Work Breakdown Structure. Scheduling I – The Critical Path Method (CPM). Scheduling II – The Precedence Diagram Method (PDM). Activity-Based Resource Assignments. Resource Scheduling and Leveling. Tracking and Controlling the Project. Conclusion.

"Stephen Devaux puts forth a manifesto for how project management can drive profits when projects are managed and measured as investments. Not only is Total Project Control a practitioner’s guide, it is also an executive’s overview of how to view projects and invest wisely for returns to the bottom line. The benefit of how Devaux lays out the text is that a project manager can use it a quick resource for any phase of the project without having to read it cover to cover. The first edition of Total Project Control was a breakthrough of insights into effective project management. The second edition crystalizes the concept of how projects must be considered an investment, not just a set of tasks to delivering a product or service."— Edward R. Equi, Senior Research Scientist at MIT"This book provides a lot of food for thought on improving the decision making process which drives business value from projects. Not just from an academic standpoint, but with tools that can be implemented by the project team. I find it to be a valuable contribution to advancing the state of the art in project management."— Bernard Ertl"This is a very unique and interesting textbook for PM practitioners. The author proposes several new metrics such as DIPP, drag, drag cost, DRED, DPI and so on. They were developed through real world experiences and needs. Explanations on building WBS and calculating CPM are also very useful and practical. The author’s view; "the project: is an investment" will lead the readers to awareness of project values. This is very important, since the ultimate objective of project management is to maximize the project value."— Tomoichi Sato, JGC Corporation