INL1
ITE424 – Project Management in
Innovation and Design
Master in Innovation and Design
IDT, Mälardalen University
A co-productive
study of Energy
Evolution Center
Project
Management
Maria Alejandra Paz Salhuana
mpa21003@student.mdh.se
-
Muhammad Khurram Shahzad
mmd21007@student.mdh.se
-
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
Abstract
This paper presents the challenge of Eskilstuna effects optimization project and analyzes its
Project management method to solve their challenge. For this, a pre-study was first carried
out, the leadership style of the project manager was analyzed and finally their Project
management method. With the information collected, the conclusion was reached that the
agile method is the best method for the proposed new Project plan.
Keywords: Innovation, design, co-productive, agile method
1. Introduction
How can we develop a sustainable society with more electrical needs increasing every
day? This is the objective the municipality of Eskilstuna is trying to solve, specifically in
the Center for Energy Evolution. The Swedish power grid was amplified during the 1950s
and 1980s, however for that time no one thought that we can produce electric cars or
even create vehicles such as trucks or excavators that work with electricity (Magasinet
Hos Osso, 2021). That is why the new demands of the habitants of this city imposes new
requirements on the electric power of the municipality of Eskilstuna.
According to Tonnquist (2018) the purpose of a company is to achieve increased
efficiency. The goal is to optimize the usage of the resources available. Resources are
always limited, whatever the size of the organization. Following this line, Eskilstuna
Municipality decided to create the area of: Energy Evolution Center in such a way that
this area is specifically in charge of solving the energy problem that the state of
Eskilstuna currently presents. The Energy Evolution has several projects in charge such
as:
1. Office rental: Co-working offices where you can have access 24 hours a day with
different rates according to your needs.
2. Reserve energy advice: The municipality advises you on how you can reduce the use
of electricity in your company and therefore reduce its cost.
3. Eskilstuna Effects Optimization: A collaborative project to unleash the capacity of the
electrical grid to enable higher energy use and more facilities in Eskilstuna.
The third project: Eskilstuna Effects Optimization is the one that we will focus on
throughout this work. This Project seeks to create innovative solutions that lead to a real
energy conversion, creating an attractive supply of electricity to attract new companies
and ensure the long-term supply of electricity.
This work will show the challenge to create sustainable energy and solve the short-term
problem of the lack of electricity in certain peaks and will analyze the Project
management style created to this specific Project: Optimization of Eskilstuna effects and
finally our proposal from an innovation and design management perspective to work
with the challenge
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
2. Pre-study
2.1. Eskilstuna effects optimization as a project
According to Tonnquist (2018), the project is a form of work with a strong focus on goals,
carried out before the deadline, with specific resources (independent budget) and a
temporary organization (group of people). The Eskilstuna Project accomplish this
definition because as Linda Werther Öhling mentioned: “it is a Collaborative Project with
the energy agency and with the financial support from the European regional
development fund”.
Projects can be initiated for many different reasons like a problem someone wants to
solve, a product or service that must be developed or a query on how to streamline work
in the organization. The Eskilstuna effects optimization project start with a problem: the
lack of energy in certain pics of time that should be solved in a short time. Therefore,
the project could be categorized like: Rationalizing
Fig. 1: Positioning map
Eskilstuna
effects
optimization
project
Reference: Tonnquist (2008)
According to Fig.1. The optimization of effects Eskilstuna project will provide high
economic value and low strategic value, so it is Rationalizing. This project will streamline
the operations in a short term.
2.2. Eskilstuna effects optimization project: background, purpose, and goal
According to Tonnquish (2008): The background is a historical perspective on why you
want to achieve a change. El Riksdag has decided that Sweden will be fossil-free by 2045.
Good access to electricity is one of the most important prerequisites for achieving the
goal. Under this scenario, the Municipality of Eskilstuna faces the challenges that its
population is growing, the arrival of electrified vehicles and electricity-intensive
industries. (Kjell Andersson,2021).
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
As you can see, our electricity consumption is increasing and in the future, we will use
even more electricity than today. This is the challenge of the Energy evolution center,
which must manage the delivery of energy in the short term and in the future the
electrical networks must be expanded and updated.
The purpose is the reason that the project will be executed. The Energy evolution center
looks for:





Achieve national climate and energy goals through resource efficient energy use
Increased use of innovative energy solution in companies, businesses, and real
state
More jobs and strengthened companies in Eskilstuna, the region and Sweden
Secure access to a competent workforce for energy related activities
Obtain more electricity through existing resources to supply them to companies
and thus achieve greater investments from companies in Eskilstuna
A goal setting describes what should be done. The gold formulation should aim at clarity,
realism, measurability and establishing. According to Linda Werther Öhling (2021):
“Reach an agreement with the aggregators so that they can collect the energy from the
household and distribute it to the companies within a year"
2.3. Eskilstuna effects optimization project: scope
A Work Breakdown Structure facilitates the work of identifying activities and planning
product backlog. A possible work scheme is being presented to measure the scope of
the project.
Fig. 2: Collecting energy
Effect
optimization
project
Possible
agregators
Team members
Task of the
selected
agregator
Team Leader:
Linda
Company that sell
energy to
households
Collect energy
from the user
2 municipality
members
Providers of
electric batteries
for cars
Sell the energy to
the Eskilstuna
Municipality
2 representatives
of energy
company
Reference: self-made
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
2.4. Eskilstuna effects optimization project: situational analysis

The SWOT models. Opportunities and business risks.
Depending of the solution selected for reaching the goal, various opportunities,
threats and risks will arise.
Fig. 3: SWOT model
Strengths
Weaknesses
It will take time to implement the
A good team compromised to select
the best solution about the lack of solution and to get more energy for
new companies
energy
Founded by the Swedish government
Opportunities
Threats
Many vendors interested in helping
Eskilstuna municipality with the lack
of power
Growth based on good demand
projections
Unsure about the ethics about this
company and if they are going to
provide all the information to
households
Possible resistance of household
about new devices controlling the
energy of their homes.
Reference: self-made
•
Stakeholders are all those who in some way influence and are affected by the
project. Stakeholders can be classified as core, primary and secondary. In
relation to the Eskilstuna effects optimization project, the stakeholders founded
are:
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
Fig. 4: stakeholders
Reference: self-made
2.5. Eskilstuna effects optimization project: communication
It is important to communicate with the main stakeholders in order to achieve the goals.
As we can see in the Fig 5. The Eskilstuna Project should focus on the household that are
from where the energy come from to give to the new companies and also give trust to
the current and new companies that want to stablish at Eskilstuna. The municipality
should provide trust that they will be able to provide the energy that all the new
companies will required now and in the future.
Fig 5. Stakeholders that the project should focus
households
Companies
Reference: Tonquish (2008)
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
3. The challenge
The municipality of Eskilstuna has been experiencing in recent years an energy shortage
(little electricity supply) because the current environment in which we live has changed.
Among the reasons we have: Greater demand for energy by users of Eskilstuna and
companies that want to establish themselves in Eskilstuna. The main problems
Eskilstuna municipality is facing in relation to energy are:
1. Energy shortfall specifically during peak hours and months.
 Peak Hours: 7AM to 9AM & 4PM to 6PM
 Months:
December and January
Energy issue rises during 7AM to 9AM when most of the people go to their offices and
workspaces and during 4PM to 6PM when they come back from their offices and start
charging their electrical vehicles, cooking, etc.
2. Limitations in transmission capacity from overhead networks (main grid and regional
grid). The main grid cannot provide more energy and construct a new one or improve
the existing could take years and will not solve the problem they are facing now.
3. They want energy users take an active part and use energy in an efficient way that
allows the municipality to depend only on renewable and clean sources of energy.
The challenge is: how to secure long tern supplied of energy with the existing grid in
order new companies move to Eskilstuna and how to make the people specifically the
household take an active role instead of passive role to obtain the missing energy. The
energy needs to be obtained from clean resources and help the Municipality achieve
national climate and energy goals as a contribution to a sustainable energy transition.
To address this challenge from an innovation and design management perspective,
the municipality have two options. First solution is to control heat pumps from houses
(water-based system) that are connected to a water based system for a couple of hours
during peak hours. The inertia heating system means that they will hardly notice the
control. For example, the aggregator comes and takes 2 hours and the temperature of
your house instead of 23 goes down to 20 for some hours
Aggregators:
 NGENIC (deal with heating pumps)
 Krafthem (deal with solar energy)
The second solution is to control electric car chargers for short periods so that there is a
minimal impact on your own charge. Cars normally charge between four to five hours
normally. For this specific assignment the first approach will be developed: Obtaining
energy from household through aggregators.
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
4. Organizations Project management style
To categorize the project management style of The Eskilstuna project, it is used the
model of Dr. Paul Hersey (2000). The situational leadership model is a flexible tool that
can help leaders of every kind, superiors, project managers, sales representatives
employees, teachers and parents to influence others more effectively. The model focus
primary in the relationship between managers and employees.
Fig 6. Management style
Linda Werther
Öhling
Reference: Tonquish (2008)
The style of leadership of Linda is delegating. Their team that is small have high level of
knowledge and capacity to do the task assigned. For example, Linda Werther (2021)
mentioned: each of their five members in the Eskilstuna effects optimization project
have a specific task to achieve the goal of the lack of electricity. One member was in
charge of selecting the finals Aggregators and Linda gave the final approval of the
selected vendors. As Anantatmula, V. S. (2010) mentioned, defining project processes and
roles is the first and most important step for managing and leading projects successfully.
Also, as Tonnquist (2018) mentioned: the project manager must determine which tasks
are suitable for delegation and who can perform these task. Delegation should not be
punishment, but a way to challenge and encourage.
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
5. Project Plan
5.1 Project Plan of Eskilstuna effects optimization project
According to Tonnquist (2018), each project requires its own plan to ensure that
resources are used optimally within given limits. The Eskilstuna effects optimization
project has well defined the closest time period of the project while later parts of the
projects are planned at a general level. As Linda Werther Öhling mentioned: “we have
well stablished who is going to be our aggregator however we have not decided yet how
we are going to execute the program and promote it to the households to get the
energy”. This model is similar to Rolling wave planning. It is a tried and tested method
focusing on the closest time period of the project. Things that are done at an early stage
are planned in detail (Tonnquist, 2018). What we mean is for example you expect to
complete a project in eight months, but you only have clarity for the first three months.
So, the first three months are planned. As the project progresses and greater clarity is
achieved, the following months can be planned.
Fig 7. Current Project Plan – Rolling wave planning
5.2 Switching to agile: Resolution to the challenge
How can Eskilstuna effects optimization project ensure achieves its goals on time and
on budget? This makes us wonder if the Rolling Wave method is appropriate for the
Eskilstuna project.
While it is true, rolling wave planning is a good model for Eskilstuna effects optimization
project due to needless planning is avoided and things that are done at an early stage
are planned in detail while later parts of the project are planned at a general level. As
Linda Werther Öhling mentioned: “the project is still in development, so it is difficult to
plan the future steps”, so the Rolling wave is the one that adapt to their current needs.
However, we belief Eskilstuna project will benefit more in the long term if they acquire
the agile method. In the Fig 8. We present the main opportunities and challenges for
implementing the Agil Method.
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
Fig 8. Opportunities and Challenges: Agil Method
Opportunities
Challenges
Business people and developers must
work close together in order to
develop and design the best tool to
collect energy from households
You need a forgiving climate that is
both inclusive and permissive of
curiosity, while being challenging and
caring
Little involvement from users. As
Deliver frequently. Frequent meeting Linda mentioned not all the members
between the aggregator and are involved in the same capacity and
time.
Eskilstuna team.
It is hard to tell what the final product However, this model does not
eliminate the need for a schedule for
will look like
the entire project at a general level .
We can include main activities and
important delivery points
Reference: self made
One of the most valuable characteristics of agile methodology is the multidisciplinary
team that works together, code by code, throughout the process. Thus, for example, the
head of marketing can give feedback of the specific requirements household are looking
for in the electric device that collect energy. So, the technique can improve the design
of the device. In this way, the resulting product is exactly what the market demands. In
the case of the Eskilstuna Project, the "aggregator" will have frequent contact with the
end users (household). Aggregator can improve the type of product that is going to be
implanted in the water pumps to obtain electricity and this increase in the product will
be accelerated solving the problem of electricity in a shorter time.
Agile teams hold daily sessions in which each member must explain the following: what
tasks they have completed, which ones they are going to do and, if any, point out the
impediments that have not allowed them to progress. These daily meetings serve so
that all team members know at what point of work each one is and are aware of how
they can collaborate so that the project continues to advance. This would be a great
advantage for the project since currently the project has been taken more than a year
and if the agile method is implemented, the project could take less time to complete.
For collecting energy, the Eskilstuna Project can make it by the implementation of a
control device in home energy pumps. Given that the Eskilstuna Project group has only
five members, it is an important to track their work in progress. This project has been
on the market for more than two years and with the implementation of the agile
method: the problem of energy failure will be solved in a short time. Part of the Agile
method is visualizing progress on boards. For this we use Kanban boards (Fig 09). The
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
goal is to visualize tasks that are recurrently being executed, to improve team members
focus.
Fig 09: Kanban board of Eskilstuna effects optimization project- collecting energy from households
TO DO
DOING
DONE
Train household with the
new device
Decision group approve
the selected aggregator
Solution for the project:
Implement the device for
collecting energy from
household
Promote the new device
along companies so they
decide to invest in
Eskilstuna
Pick the aggregator to
implement the device
Advertise the new device
for collecting energy
Reference: self made
As we can see Agile methods primarily belong in the development phase and execution
level in the project model. The complex project is divided into bite-sized pieces, making
the project more manageable, allows teams to ship high quality work faster and
frequently, and gives them more flexibility to adapt and change. Also, by sectioning the
project helps to reduce risk and cost, get fast feedback from households, increase speed
to market resulting in seeing value quicker: Launching the device to household quicker.
See Fig 10
Fig 10. Project Plan Resolution: Agil Method
Reference: self-made
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
Another advantage of Agil method is give teams the sense of regular tangible progress
with the Kanban, this helps them stay focused and energized which increases employee
engagement and satisfaction. However, this model does not eliminate the need for a
schedule for the entire project at a general level. We can include main activities and
important delivery points.
Finally, another characteristic of Agil method is the group must have a clear, common
goal. For Eskilstuna project, for an energy and resource efficient society, collaboration is
needed between energy production, energy distribution and energy users: Energy
evolution center – Eskilstuna logistic- Eskilstuna kommun- Eskilstuna energy &mijosebab). For the reasons mentioned we conclude the agile method is the best model in
the long term.
6. Concluding remarks
The main goal of the project was to analyze the current project management method
used by Eskilstuna municipality specifically in their project: effects optimization and
determinate the project management style of the leader: Linda Werther Öhling.
First it was done a pre-study where the scope of the project was determined (objectives
to be achieved by the project and steps to follow to develop it), the strengths and
weaknesses of the project and the main stakeholders were determined. With this
information it was possible to clearly see what is the main challenge facing the project:
How to collect energy in the short term through household without affecting the heat
of the family?
Which led us to analyze if the Rolling wave planning model is the correct one for the
effect optimization Project. Weaknesses and strengths founded when further analyzing
this model.
Weaknesses
Strengths
Not good for projects that you have to
plan all the cost in advance. For example,
not good for huge projects where the
money invested is so high that any
mistake can represent massive losses
Ensuring the team members are well
informed about the near-term
Allows the team to course correct as
new information arrives and new risks
are identified.
Finally, the project group created a final visualization to present the company´s project
management method and their precise style. A visualization was also done to show how
the Agile method is the best method for the Effect optimization project in the near
future to solve their challenge. The agile method will help to finalize the problem in one
year because you can track the project that is divided into sprints. (Fig 10). Also, with
the Kanban board the manager can check the project that have been done by each
member (Fig 09).
ITE424: Project Management in Innovation and design, Autumn 2021
Assignment INL1: A co-productive study with Eskilstuna Municipality Energy Evolution
Center Project Management
7. References
Anantatmula, V. S. (2010). Project manager leadership role in improving project
performance. Engineering Management Journal, 22(1), 13-22.
Eskilstuna web page (2021) Link: https://www.eskilstuna.se/ Accessed on 1812-2021
Energy evolution center (2021). https://www.energyevolutioncenter.se/
Accessed on 17-12-2021
Kjell Andersson (2021). Link: https://etunanytt.se/2020/03/14/kjell-anderssonny-vd-for-eskilstuna-strangnas-energi-och-miljo/
Hos Oss (2021). https://www.eem.se/privat/kundtidningen-hos-oss/hallbartsamhalle-med-elektrifiering/
Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. H. (2000) Management of organizational behavior :
leading human resources. 8. ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall.
Pressmachine (2021). Link:
https://www.pressmachine.se/pressrelease/view/projekt-effektoptimering-eskilstunaska-mojliggora-hallbara-etableringar-31851. Posted: 2021-05-03 09:00 CEST
Tonnquist, Bo Project management: [a guide to the theory and practice of
project methodology and agile methods] 4th. : Stockholm : Sanoma utbildning, 2018 502 s. ISBN: 9789152355992