Rolls-Royce wins APM award for Project Orpheus
Image courtesy Rolls-Royce / APM
Rolls-Royce plc was named the winner of the Transformation Project of the Year award at the Association for Project Management (APM) Awards, for its Project Orpheus defence concept.
Project Orpheus a two year defence project founded on the principles of creating an innovative small engine concept in under 18 months - a truly transformational project that will change how products and technologies are developed for future combat air systems. The project was launched in May 2020 and delivered by Rolls-Royce Defence based in Bristol.
The winners of the annual Association for Project Management (APM) Awards have been announced at a live awards ceremony which took place in London on Monday 21 November. The awards recognise the very best within the project profession – from project organisations, individuals and projects from across a broad range of sectors across the UK and internationally.
Rolls-Royce plc was named the winner of the Transformation Project of the Year award for Project Orpheus a two year defence project founded on the principles of creating an innovative small engine concept in under 18 months - a truly transformational project that will change how products and technologies are developed for future combat air systems. The project was launched in May 2020 and delivered by Rolls-Royce Defence based in Bristol.
APM's Transformation Project of the Year Award is presented to individual, team or organisation whose project demonstrates the most effective use of project management and the greatest benefits and outcomes to end users in projects providing transformational change, either culturally or organisationally.
To prove a novel approach to product development, the Orpheus project team was challenged to deliver a real project in half the time and half the cost of a typical programme. Orpheus exceeded its original goals with key programmatic innovations being shared across Rolls-Royce and UK industry.
The judges praised Rolls-Royce for adopting a radically different approach to trialling and demonstrating faster product development in the small engine market. The project succeeded in significantly reducing resource, time and cost, and not only benefiting customers with quicker and cheaper supply, but also presenting a clear legacy for a new way of working across the organisation and possibly the industry at large.
Alexander Darvill, Project Leader at Rolls-Royce Defence was named Project Professional of the Year for his work on leading on the team’s delivery of Orpheus.
On receiving the award, Alexander said: “I am truly shocked to have won this award. I would like to thank the great team I work with and the mentors who supported me and helped get me where I am today. The project itself was all about proving that if you truly trust and empower your people they can deliver the impossible.
"There were some really challenging times in the project where it was difficult to see a way out, but again and again the team adapted their approach and succeeded, it was awesome.”
The Project Professional of the Year award is open to project, programme or portfolio managers and practitioners from all sectors. Successful project professionals drive and lead the creation of an environment that makes things happen.
They carefully balance technical and management skills whilst also juggling different views and perspectives, backgrounds and personalities. They progress and focus team performance to deliver benefits to their client and other stakeholders.
Judges were looking for project professionals who can demonstrate these skills in abundance to deliver significant project and/or programme benefits.
Professor Adam Boddison, chief executive of APM, said: “I would like to congratulate Rolls Royce on their success in winning these awards, and for their outstanding achievements within the project profession and project delivery.
“Our awards are all about celebrating the outstanding successes of the project profession, and I would like to congratulate all of this year’s award winners and finalists for their incredible achievements over the past year.”
