Research on Project Management Features in Robotic Startups

The purpose of this work is to identify the features of project management in robotic startups and to formulate recommendations for project management in robotic startups. The object of the study is robotic startups, and the subject is the process of managing robotic projects in startups. The hypotheses put forward in this study are formulated as follows: 1. The use of elements of classic PM methodologies has a positive impact on the success of robotic startups 2. The use of elements of agile PM methodologies has a positive impact on the success of robotic startups 3. In the early phases of the of robotic startups life cycle, elements of agile PM methodologies are used, in the later phases - classic PM methodologies. 4. Robotics projects in a startup require a special project management method that combines elements of agile and classic PM methodologies. To achieve this goal and test hypotheses, the following tasks were set: 1. Research of the theory and methods of IT project, team and risk management in relation to robotics; 2. Conducting a questionnaire survey among robotics startups regarding the use of project management tools; 3. Research of project management features in robotic startups; 4. Study of the current spread of the use of PM elements in robotic startups; 5. Assessment of the impact of the use of PM elements on the success of projects in robotics; 6. Indentification of project management elements used in different phases of the life cycle of a robotic startup; 7. Conducting an interview with the head of the development team about the experience of using and effectiveness of project management elements in the context of the robotics industry, as well as expert evaluation of the research results; 8. Formulation of practical recommendations for improving project management practices in robotics startups. The scientific novelty of the dissertation is to identify the features of managing robotic projects in startups and develop recommendations for startup managers on how to conduct robotic projects based on a questionnaire survey, cluster analysis and interviews. The work consists of three parts. The first part presents an analysis of the academic literature on the topic of IT project management in the context of the robotics industry. The chapter is divided into four thematic sub-chapters, which discuss the found methods and frameworks for managing robotic projects, methods for managing risks and the team of a robotic project, as well as the theoretical foundations for managing a robotic project within a startup. In the second part of the dissertation, a practical study is presented, including the choice of the research methodology, the description of the questionnaire survey, the explanation of the cluster, frequency and qualitative analysis, the description of the interview with an expert in the field of robotics, the presentation and interpretation of the results. The third part contains practical recommendations for improving the efficiency of managing a robotic project in a startup using the proposed project management framework, which includes the principles of project management, life cycle phases, team roles, recommended project management elements, a workflow scheme for developing an increment module for a robotic product, ways to manage problems caused by the features of robotic projects, and also suggests a further direction for research.