How do winning organizations such as General Electric, Ericsson, and Nokia use project management to reduce time to market, trim inventory and supplier costs, and minimize obsolescence in their product lines? Why do so many companies fail when trying to do the same?In Building Customer-Based Project Organizations, two inter-nationally recognized project management gurus reveal the secrets behind these fabulous successes. Jeffrey Pinto and Pekka Rouhiainen demonstrate that building and maintaining long-term customer relationships is the key to successful project management, offering a method and an implementation strategy that companies can use to streamline their development and supply chain operations.This manual for success shows project managers how to: * Place the customer at the center of the company's operational strategy * Use customer needs to drive project development and supply chain management * Deliver greater value to the customer and the business * Increase efficiency, responsiveness, and profitability By following the clearly stated principles and methodology presented in Building Customer-Based Project Organizations, companies in any business sector can "get it right" the first time and build long-term customer relationships that will continue to increase profitability far into the future.