An improved visualization-based approach for project portfolio selection

We propose a 2-step interactive approach for solving a project portfolio selection problem as a single-criterium optimization problem. Our approach innovates by using two coordinated charts: an interactive project timeline with drag-and-drop functionalities for project reallocation in time; and an interactive cost and risk chart that combines line charts and bar charts in order to present multidimensional time-based datasets. We also use bar charts related to the allocation of man-hour resources. These functionalities enable users to refine the model that is fed into optimization software in order to achieve results that better correspond to their expectations. We discuss results of a heuristic-based usability evaluation of our prototype, its use in real scenarios, and present preliminary positive feedback from users. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.