Ali Shafqat

Engineering‐heavy new product development (NPD) projects face unplanned design iterations, which can cause failure in terms of missed targets for cost, schedule, quality, and customer satisfaction. These unplanned design iterations can be understood as the occurrence of a specific category of engineering project risks. As a result, companies employ structured actions to mitigate these risks in projects. However, even with such strategies in place, projects can still struggle to achieve their targets. This study aims to explore how companies employ risk mitigation actions to manage risks in engineering‐based NPD projects. To investigate this topic, a survey of employees in the aerospace and defense industries was conducted. We analyzed the responses using statistical methods. The results indicate that risk mitigation actions are used according to thematic clusters, in line with our findings from the literature. Furthermore, the selected mitigation measures show collective explanatory power for handling engineering project risks, suggesting that while some projects that employ mitigation actions may still fail, their use of such measures does still reduce the overall impact of risks. Interestingly, the results of the statistical analysis show no significant difference in the employment of risk mitigation actions in engineering‐based NPD projects, whether they employ waterfall or agile NPD methods, or a mixture of both. These results suggest that companies should consider all classes of risk mitigation actions to manage engineering project risks. On this basis, the wider contextualization of individual mitigating actions should be taken into account when planning risk mitigation for engineering‐based NPD projects.

Unplanned design iterations are considered one of the reasons for the high failure rate of new product development (NPD) projects. Generally, organisations employ ‘proactive risk management’ (PRM) and ‘reactive fast learning’ (RFL) to manage unplanned design iterations. This paper aims to explore how organisations employ PRM and RFL approaches to manage unplanned design iterations in the NPD process. To that end, a cross-sectional interview study was conducted in eight organisations. The interview transcripts were analysed as a primary data source using thematic qualitative text analysis technique. For PRM approach, results demonstrate that the design teams were more active in risk monitoring in the design phase as compared to risk identification in the concept development phase. Generally, design teams reduced the likelihood of unplanned design iteration risks by employing learning methods in addition to risk mitigation strategies. For RFL approach, results reveal that organisations lacked a structured approach to select suitable learning methods for fast resolution of unplanned design iterations and to convert new knowledge into organisational learning. We conclude that PRM is more established as compared to RFL in managing unplanned design iterations. We develop recommendations of how organisations can use RFL approaches more efficiently alongside PRM approaches.

In the design phase of product development (PD) process, most new products face significant uncertainties and risks. Uncertainty is typically associated with a lack of information, while learning is a process that acquires information. Therefore, learning fast and at low cost decreases the uncertainty and increases the efficiency of the product design phase. This paper investigates the concept of the cost of learning in PD's design phase. Reviewing the literature, we conceptualize the cost of learning and review the learning methods considering three aspects in the design phase of the PD process: (1) costs associated with learning from mistakes and failures, (2) learning methods and (3) categories of learners. This paper thus provides the conceptual foundations for future work to increase the efficiency of the PD process by reducing the cost of learning from mistakes and failures.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the introduction of 3D-printing of concrete in the construction sector. Design/Methodology/Approach: A survey was conducted to collect professional view on ongoing innovations in the construction sector, including 3D-printing. Participants were selected among the members of Norwegian networks for project and construction management research. Findings: The survey highlighted effective leadership, collaboration with partners and industry-academia collaboration as primary enablers of innovation. Few of the respondents to the survey have used 3D-printing technologies. Research Limitations/Implications: It is difficult to obtain representative samples in this type of research, including this study. The study can be seen as a snapshot of attitudes in the sector. Practical Implications: 3D-printing appear as a potentially interesting technology, especially for unstandardized construction components. Further work is needed to materialise the expectation for technological development in the construction sector. Originality/Value: Most research on 3D-printing has focused on demonstrating technical potential. This study adds a practitioners’ perspective, with a large dose of pragmatism.

Shallow hazard migration post-cementing is a well-known and costly problem worldwide. It is extremely difficult to fix once it has occurred since limited remedial options are available with marginal success rates. Its causes are easy to understand yet it needs careful planning to prevent it. Post-cementing shallow water flow and gas migration may occur due to several collective causes such as poor fluid displacement efficiencies, losses prior/post or during cement placement, and/or underperforming slurry properties. Previously proposed solutions focus only on one of these challenges with various success rate depending on well conditions. Addressing all these challenges together is essential for successful prevention. Due to the nature of these wells containing the high probability of flow from these shallow hazards, the clearances between pore and fracture pressures are narrow. This makes the common mud removal approach of displacement mechanics challenging. It also requires a delicate balance between maintaining sufficient hydrostatic to remain above the pore pressure of the flow zone and losing to the weak formations. Independent of these boundary conditions, the slurry needs to have a given set of performance properties to prevent any influx into the annulus. This paper discuss the successful implementation of cementing solutions and control measures used to prevent shallow hazards migration in Saudi Arabia. This manuscript will discuss the field implementation and operations documenting the step changes success. Introduction The eastern flank of the Rub' al-Khali region (“the Empty Quarter”) is home to the Shaybah and Ramlah fields, and surrounding fields in which there is exploration for hydrocarbons. In the post-Lower Cretaceous time, this region experienced multiple larger sedimentary cycles, with the first cycle terminated by the pre-Aruma Unconformity. The next major cycle took place from the Late Cretaceous into the Middle Eocene period with predominately carbonate deposition, culminating in mixed carbonate-evaporitic systems. This cycle is comprised of the Aruma, Umm Er Radhuma (UER), Rus, and Dammam formations, which include the current aquifer systems in this area.