Discussion of Metrics for Distributed Project Management: Preliminary Findings

Project-based activities are at the heart of the virtual organization concept, which implies working in a limited timeframe with distributed teams. Although distributed projects provide major benefits in terms of tapping partners’ competencies, they represent a significant challenge for coordinating and monitoring teams’ performance. This paper investigates distributed projects with a specific focus on performance metrics. This topic is central to performance measurement and control, particularly in cases where several organizations are involved. At this stage, very few studies have looked at this issue. We offer an exploratory discussion based on three dimensions that could eventually assist in the development of performance metrics for distributed projects. These dimensions refer to the concepts of project value chain, balanced scorecards, and a focus on the end user’s requirements. The dimensions are explored using the example of a re-manufacturing project—a typical industrial project involving a series of actors working together in a distributed mode.