Title: Fleet planning and technology upgrade projects: supporting decision-making through visualisation

Authors: Clive Kerr; Simon Ford

Addresses: Centre for Technology Management, Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, 17 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB3 0FS, UK ' Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, 250-13450, 102 Ave, Surrey, British Columbia, V3T 0A3, Canada

Abstract: In project planning, visualisations can be powerful tools for communication and in supporting decision-making between stakeholders. However the graphical elements, in terms of form and presentational style, are typically poorly treated and can therefore diminish both the impact and conveyance of information. Traditional timeline representations need to be adapted and modified in order to meet the requirements of specific stakeholder groups and thus fulfil their role as effective visual boundary objects. This paper describes the visualisation designed and developed for the planning of technology upgrade projects across a fleet of military platforms. A real-world application of the visualisation is provided through an illustrative case study based on the front-line fleet of Type 23 frigates of the Royal Navy.

Keywords: project planning; boundary object; visual communication; visualisation; timeline; roadmapping.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPOM.2018.095294

International Journal of Project Organisation and Management, 2018 Vol.10 No.4, pp.287 - 306

Received: 03 Nov 2017
Accepted: 27 May 2018
Published online: 02 Oct 2018 *

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