Enhancing Multi-Project Management Through Product Management Integration

Abstract

This research focuses on the integration of product and project management in manufacturing companies operating within a multi-project environment. This integration is crucial for enhancing efficiency, reducing resource conflicts, and aligning project activities with organisations’ strategic goals. The study addresses the problem of inefficient project and product management integration within MPEs, where multiple projects compete for shared resources, often leading to conflicts and suboptimal outcomes in projects and in the new product development. The scope includes examining current project and product management practices, identifying areas for optimisation, and proposing a framework that integrates product and project management processes to better support companies’ strategic objectives. The key focus areas of this research include identifying the existing challenges in project management practices, optimising resource management, and examining the integration of a new approach to product management and the project management process in the target company of this research. Through targeted interviews and analysis, the study highlights the importance of structured management practices and adaptive strategies to align internal processes with external stakeholder requirements. The findings underscore the critical role of communication and collaboration in managing multi-project environments, ensuring successful project outcomes and competitive advantage. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study with a deductive approach. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews with key persons of the target company. The interview questions were developed based on the research objectives and the insights gained from the literature review. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically coded to identify recurrent patterns and unique responses. In the analysis the findings of the interviews were compared with the existing literature in order to draw up concrete insights and recommendations. The study identified several key findings, including the critical need for clear communication and collaboration both internally and with customers to optimize the integration of project and product management. Effective resource allocation and schedule management were found to be necessary to align parallel projects and new product development schedules, reduce resource overload and increase efficiency. In addition, the introduction of predetermined evaluation practices and structured management frameworks was emphasised as necessary to improve process discipline and thereby also to ensure operation in accordance with the goals of product management. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a comprehensive framework for integrating project and product management within MPEs. It highlights the importance of clear communication, flexibility, and structured management practices. Practically, the findings offer actionable recommendations for organisations to enhance their project and product management processes, ensuring better alignment with strategic goals and improved project outcomes. The study also lays the groundwork for future research to further refine and build upon this integration model.