Model‐Based Project‐Product Lifecycle Management and Gantt Chart Models: A Comparative Study

Systems engineering (SE) and project management (PM) are two complementary disciplines that aim at achieving a common goal. In order for systems engineers and project managers to communicate efficiently, there is a need for a common language that balances system performance, quality, stakeholder expectations and needs, cost, and schedule. We use Object Process Methodology (OPM) as the basis for Project‐Product Lifecycle Management (PPLM), where SE and PM are complementary parts of an overarching system. Since the project plan is one of the first artifacts that both SE and PM professionals should agree on, we compared Gantt chart, a commonly used method, and a PPLM project plan. We present a three‐stage comparative research, investigating how differences between a Gantt chart and an OPM model‐based PPLM project plan are perceived by mid‐career systems engineers, who were graduate students in systems engineering academic programs. The outcomes indicate that the comprehension of information contained in the OPM model‐based PPLM project plan is more easily grasped than the same information presented via the Gantt chart. The results suggest that PPLM has the potential to better clarify the intricate relationships between SE and PM involved in developing systems through projects. It can enable better understanding and communication between systems engineers and project managers, thereby improving decision‐making, project outcomes, and product performance.