ABOUT THE COMPANY
IAD was founded in the mid-nineties by Peter Dexner who at the time worked as a lecturer in computer science and economics. This work included education within the project area, which was, and still is, the most common form of organization to develop new software. Among the most common problems in software projects was that they were often more expensive than expected, delayed and also did not function as you had wished.
Since Peter had 10 years of experience running his own IT business, it was natural to analyze the working methods in order to identify opportunities for efficiency improvements. He focused on the wide range of project models and project methods used in the industry. It was obvious that there was a need for a generic project model that covered the period before and after the project, and worked to support learning in the projects. The work resulted in what would later become IAD Focus ® model and method.
Ambitious employees from companies such as ABB and Volvo studying at the university in addition to their regular work came to pay attention to the model. The appreciated its unique components that are simple but clear structure, the attention to the soft components of success and the learning process in the project and the knowledge management. This became the start of more and more companies discovering and appreciate the project model and in 1995 the company IAD Svenska AB was established. The business expanded rapidly with many of our largest Swedish companies and organizations on the reference list. These international customers asked us to bring the IAD Focus model to countries in Europe, USA, Russia and Asia where they were operating. In response to the international demand the sister company IAD International Inc. was established in 1999 to serve the U.S. market.
As IAD was involved in more of customer’s internal projects and grew together with the client, IAD’s role came to be about more than just implementing a project-organization – it was more about organizational development. Although it was originally individual projects that initiated IAD’s work, it later came to be as much about soft components such as team working, conflicts, personality analysis and getting different coworkers to interact. The tools and methods that IAD brought with them had great relevance, not only in projects but just as much – or even more – in any functional organization.
The complex issues and challenges that companies today are faced with does of course not stop only with the organization and development of the same. Just as the project model and method increasingly turned to organizational development, IAD is today also active in management consulting and senior advisory.
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