A new framework for modelling schedules in complex and uncertain NPD projects

Producing reliable schedules for new product development (NPD) projects can be difficult. The uncertainty involved in NPD and the complex relationships between project tasks leads to task repetition. This results in project schedules that are not linear and cannot be predicted using traditional methods. This paper presents a new modelling approach that aims to provide a more accurate and process specific representation of NPD project schedules. The approach was developed in an industrial case study company and addresses the challenges they face producing accurate schedules for their NPD projects. The proposed approach uses a set of process specific variables rather than the subjective iteration probabilities used by earlier approaches. This results in more reliable project schedules accounting for specific project variations. In this paper, a novel approach for the modelling of NPD project schedules using the underlying drivers of iteration is proposed. Using this method helps to produce more accurate schedules for complex and uncertain NPD projects.