Project Management: The Game

bas says : [font=Times New Roman>[size=3>If we want to develop a better method for project management (which I do ;-)) it is important to have the right view of the matter (model). I sympathizes with Agile Project Management (see this thread:
[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>[/size>[/font> ) that viewing the area at hand as a complex adaptive system is the right way to go.[/size>[/font>

[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>But than, before stating obvious principles for project management, I want to look a little deeper in the subject, by visualizing this type of system… The best thing that comes to my mind is the game: The SIMS. [/size>[/font>

[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>This game emulates indivduals that behave depending on interactions with other actors in the system. Perhaps some insight in how such a behavioral game engine is constructed does help us to crack to code to a proper model.[/size>[/font>

[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>The explanation below is a simplifcation of such engines…[/size>[/font>


[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Consider actor (actress) Simone in the game. She has as other objects attributes. [/size>[/font>

[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>E.g.[/size>[/font>
[list>
[*>[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Gender (M/F)[/size>[/font>
[*>[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Age (number)[/size>[/font>
[*>[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Lust (number)[/size>[/font>
[*>[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Angry (number)[/size>[/font>
[*>[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>State[/size>[/font>
[/list>
[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Simone can be viewed as a finite state machine. States can be e.g. sleeping, drinking, showering, etc.[/size>[/font>


[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>For all actors in the game there is a goal list. E.g. the goal “kiss someone”. The goals includes information on who it applies to.[/size>[/font>


[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Goal::Kiss someone[/size>[/font>
[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>State=all[/size>[/font>
[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Threshold=lust>90[/size>[/font>

[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>In this case all actors that have a lust bigger then 90 apply for the job ;-)[/size>[/font>

[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Second, the target (with whom to interact) is specified:[/size>[/font>

[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Target: gender=M; lust>90[/size>[/font>

[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>So all males with a lust larger then 90 can be a target.[/size>[/font>

[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Finally the goals states a couple of actions that Simone has to perform on the target… (walk towards, say hi, etc).[/size>[/font>


[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Notice that the goals (rules) apply locally for all elements… a true complex system.[/size>[/font>



[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Raise the comments everyone![/size>[/font>



[font=Times New Roman>[size=3>Bas[/size>[/font>

Erwin says : This would be an interesting game...

Imagine you could input number and type of project members, goal and action of the project, client type, etc... and let it run.

See when the project goal is met, if at all. When the project runs out of money, which members work > 100% while others are falling asleep...

Wow.

Imagine.......

Best,

Erwin.

bas says : Hi Erwin,

You get the idea :)

Why I want to do this excersise is very simple (well uhrr not):
There is no 1 good pm method, not 1 good pm technique, there success all depends on the circumstances..

Even Cockburn, THE agile guru writes:

[color=black>[size=4>"[color=#003366>[font=Verdana>Similarly, there are life-critical type systems where the safety factors are of such overriding importance that agility becomes one of the minor priorities and not one of the top priorities. Under those circumstances, a number of items out of the agile library can be used, but certain agile policies won't be used because of the life-critical nature of the project. "[/font>[/color>[/size>[/color>

So the BIG question is "what make up the circumstances"... well the number one asnwer is people. So in order to say something usefull to "project management" we need a way to analysize a situation and based upon that analysis we can recommend stuff from all PM methods available...

The project people as complex adaptive system as in my view the most suited (most complex also :) ) model available.

So, lets dig in... image we can crack this code... WOW

Bas

bas says : A lot of my posts are more or less theraputic ;-) to get my own thoughts clear... like this one.

I will give an example:
Fixe price software project and the customer responsible for functionality keeps on delaying, dragging on, twist and turn...
Most likely:
Fixed price is done because people think that that will be the end price. No more budgets available etc. Suppliers will only do this with a hammered spec. As we all know, requirements will be wrong :D Customers sees that comming nearing the end, but has no more budget, so keeps stalling and dragging along (seeking for stupid arguments).

You see the kind of situation that I am trying to capture in a model... sick not ;)