A contingency fit model of critical success factors for software development projects

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Ahimbisibwe ◽  
Robert Y Cavana ◽  
Urs Daellenbach
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Software Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Agile Methodologies ◽  
Project Characteristics

Purpose – While the choices available for project management methodologies have increased significantly, questions remain on whether project managers fully consider their alternatives. When project categorization systems and criteria are not logically matched with project objectives, characteristics and environment, this may provide the key reason for why many software projects are reported to fail to deliver on time, budget or do not give value to the client. The purpose of this paper is to identify and categorize critical success factors (CSFs) and develop a contingency fit model contrasting perspectives of traditional plan-based and agile methodologies. Design/methodology/approach – By systematically reviewing the previous literature, a total of 37 CSFs for software development projects are identified from 148 articles, and then categorized into three major CSFs: organizational, team and customer factors. A contingency fit model augments this by highlighting the necessity to match project characteristics and project management methodology to these CSFs. Findings – Within the three major categories of CSFs, individual factors are ranked based on how frequently they have been cited in previous studies, overall as well as across the two main project management methodologies (traditional, agile). Differences in these rankings as well as mixed empirical support suggest that previous research may not have adequately theorized when particular CSFs will affect project success and lend support for the hypothesized contingency model between CSFs, project characteristics and project success criteria. Research limitations/implications – This research is conceptual and meta-analytic in its focus. A crucial task for future research should be to test the contingency fit model developed using empirical data. There is no broad consensus among researchers and practitioners in categorizing CSFs for software development projects. However, through an extensive search and analysis of the literature on CSFs for software development projects, the research provides greater clarity on the categories of CSFs and how their direct, indirect and moderated effects on project success can be modelled. Practical implications – This study proposes a contingency fit model and contributes towards developing a theory for assessing the role of CSFs for project success. While future empirical testing of this conceptual model is essential, it provides an initial step for guiding quantitative data collection, specifies detailed empirical analysis for comparative studies, and is likely to improve clarity in debate. Since previous studies have not rigorously assessed the impact of fit between project characteristics, project environment and project management methodology on project success, additional empirically robust studies will help to clarify contradictory findings that have limited theory development for CSFs of software development projects to date. Originality/value – Previous research for software development projects has frequently not fully incorporated contingency as moderation or contingency as fit (traditional vs agile). This research sets out to develop fully a contingency fit perspective on software development project success, through contrasting traditional plan-driven and agile methodologies. To do this, the paper systematically identifies and ranks 37 CSFs for software projects from 148 journal publications and holistically categorizes them as organizational, team, customer and project factors.

scholarly journals Critical success factors for outsourced software development projects from a vendor's perspective: A structural equation modelling analysis of traditional plan-based and agile methodologies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Arthur Ahimbisibwe
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Agile Methodologies ◽  
Equation Modelling

<p>There are many factors proposed as to why software projects fail, one of them is the inappropriate choice of a project management methodology. Although there is an increased range of available management choices, project managers do not frequently consider their alternatives. They tend to narrowly tailor project categorisation systems and use categorisation criteria that are not logically linked with objectives. To address this, this study develops and tests an integrative contingency fit model for contrasting perspectives of traditional plan-based and agile methodologies specifically for outsourced software development projects. In addition, it takes a vendor‘s perspective, rather than the client perspective that is mostly used. Overall, the research seeks to answer these questions: (RQ1) what are the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for outsourced software development projects from a vendor‟s perspective? (RQ2) What are the differences in these CSFs for traditional plan-driven and agile methodologies towards project success from a vendor‟s perspective?  The IT literature reveals two major distinct categories of methodologies: traditional plan-based and agile. Previous research has identified CSFs with respect to project success with mixed findings. The recent increase in popularity of methodologies has shifted the debate, interest and controversy to CSFs that are the factors which are most important to make a methodology successful. While there is an increasing diversity of project types, project contexts and methodologies, the frameworks or theories connecting these are limited. To date software development projects studies have addressed generally one methodology per study and perceived candidate CSFs as a form of reasons of success amidst a wide range of project success criteria. Although contingency theory has been previously argued for outsourced software development projects, empirical models have frequently not fully incorporated contingency as fit or fit as moderation (i.e. traditional vs. agile). This study sought to fill this research gap.  Cross-sectional data from 984 senior vendor project managers and team leaders was collected by a global web-based survey. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) (a multivariate statistical technique, in which parameters are estimated by minimizing the discrepancy between the model-implied covariance matrix and the observed covariance matrix) was used for data analysis. SEM results provide support for several contingency hypotheses theorizing relationships between candidate CSFs and project success. Project management methodology was found to moderate the effects of various CSFs on project success, and in different ways for various success measures. Similarly, the results show the level of project uncertainty moderates the impact of various CSFs on project success, and in different ways for various success measures. Together these findings provide empirical support for contingency as fit and more fully incorporate fit as moderation.  The study contributes towards understanding the differences between traditional plan-based and agile project management based on the perceptions of vendor respondents with regard to their client organizations, and also to understanding what are the most significant antecedents of success (the CSFs) in different project contexts. The study also examines the indirect and interaction effects, and the findings contribute towards understanding of the contingency perspective as a framework to be used by project managers and organizations. Practical implications of these results suggest that project managers should tailor project management methodologies according to various project types, which is likely to improve current project success rates.</p>

scholarly journals Critical success factors for outsourced software development projects from a vendor's perspective: A structural equation modelling analysis of traditional plan-based and agile methodologies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Arthur Ahimbisibwe
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Agile Methodologies ◽  
Equation Modelling

<p>There are many factors proposed as to why software projects fail, one of them is the inappropriate choice of a project management methodology. Although there is an increased range of available management choices, project managers do not frequently consider their alternatives. They tend to narrowly tailor project categorisation systems and use categorisation criteria that are not logically linked with objectives. To address this, this study develops and tests an integrative contingency fit model for contrasting perspectives of traditional plan-based and agile methodologies specifically for outsourced software development projects. In addition, it takes a vendor‘s perspective, rather than the client perspective that is mostly used. Overall, the research seeks to answer these questions: (RQ1) what are the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for outsourced software development projects from a vendor‟s perspective? (RQ2) What are the differences in these CSFs for traditional plan-driven and agile methodologies towards project success from a vendor‟s perspective?  The IT literature reveals two major distinct categories of methodologies: traditional plan-based and agile. Previous research has identified CSFs with respect to project success with mixed findings. The recent increase in popularity of methodologies has shifted the debate, interest and controversy to CSFs that are the factors which are most important to make a methodology successful. While there is an increasing diversity of project types, project contexts and methodologies, the frameworks or theories connecting these are limited. To date software development projects studies have addressed generally one methodology per study and perceived candidate CSFs as a form of reasons of success amidst a wide range of project success criteria. Although contingency theory has been previously argued for outsourced software development projects, empirical models have frequently not fully incorporated contingency as fit or fit as moderation (i.e. traditional vs. agile). This study sought to fill this research gap.  Cross-sectional data from 984 senior vendor project managers and team leaders was collected by a global web-based survey. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) (a multivariate statistical technique, in which parameters are estimated by minimizing the discrepancy between the model-implied covariance matrix and the observed covariance matrix) was used for data analysis. SEM results provide support for several contingency hypotheses theorizing relationships between candidate CSFs and project success. Project management methodology was found to moderate the effects of various CSFs on project success, and in different ways for various success measures. Similarly, the results show the level of project uncertainty moderates the impact of various CSFs on project success, and in different ways for various success measures. Together these findings provide empirical support for contingency as fit and more fully incorporate fit as moderation.  The study contributes towards understanding the differences between traditional plan-based and agile project management based on the perceptions of vendor respondents with regard to their client organizations, and also to understanding what are the most significant antecedents of success (the CSFs) in different project contexts. The study also examines the indirect and interaction effects, and the findings contribute towards understanding of the contingency perspective as a framework to be used by project managers and organizations. Practical implications of these results suggest that project managers should tailor project management methodologies according to various project types, which is likely to improve current project success rates.</p>

Empirical comparison of traditional plan-based and agile methodologies

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 400-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Ahimbisibwe ◽  
Urs Daellenbach ◽  
Robert Y. Cavana
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Time Budget ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agile Methodologies ◽  
Project Objectives ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Aligning the project management methodology (PMM) to a particular project is considered to be essential for project success. Many outsourced software projects fail to deliver on time, budget or do not give value to the client due to inappropriate choice of a PMM. Despite the increasing range of available choices, project managers frequently fail to seriously consider their alternatives. They tend to narrowly tailor project categorization systems and categorization criterion is often not logically linked with project objectives. The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a contingency fit model comparing the differences between critical success factors (CSFs) for outsourced software development projects in the current context of traditional plan-based and agile methodologies. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model and 54 hypotheses were developed from a literature review. An online Qualtrics survey was used to collect data to test the proposed model. The survey was administered to a large sample of senior software project managers and practitioners who were involved in international outsourced software development projects across the globe with 984 valid responses. Findings Results indicate that various CSFs differ significantly across agile and traditional plan-based methodologies, and in different ways for various project success measures. Research limitations/implications This study is cross-sectional in nature and data for all variables were obtained from the same sources, meaning that common method bias remains a potential threat. Further refinement of the instrument using different sources of data for variables and future replication using longitudinal approach is highly recommended. Practical implications Practical implications of these results suggest project managers should tailor PMMs according to various organizational, team, customer and project factors to reduce project failure rates. Originality/value Unlike previous studies this paper develops and empirically validates a contingency fit model comparing the differences between CSFs for outsourced software development projects in the context of PMMs.

scholarly journals A Review of Critical Success Factors for Offshore Software Development Projects

Organizacija ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 282-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goparaju Purna Sudhakar
Keyword(s):  
Critical Success Factors ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Software Projects ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Efficient Communication ◽  
Contract Type

AbstractOffshore project success is very much important to both customer and the vendor. Based on very less success rate of overall software projects globally, critical success factors (CSFs) for offshore software projects is gaining much importance. In the current study based on literature review, a total of 75 success factors for offshore software projects are identified. Further based on their appearance in literature 20 critical success factors from 10 CSF categories are identified. Finally top six most critical success factors for offshore software projects such as trust, efficient communication, cultural understanding, relationship between client and vendor, contract type and efficient knowledge transfer are identified. The CSFs categories are prioritized in the order of importance. The important CSF categories for offshore projects found are organizational factors (both client and vendor), project factors, cultural factors and environmental factors.

Indicators of best practices in technology product development projects

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 602-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Supachart Iamratanakul ◽  
Yuosre F. Badir ◽  
Sununta Siengthai ◽  
Vatcharapol Sukhotu
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Product Development ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Management Of Technology ◽  
Technology Product

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to rank the importance of the critical success factors (CSFs) for best practices in technology product development in the Thailand electronics industry and to determine the relationships between these factors in terms of their impact on project success. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews with experts and a review of past studies are used to design an instrument for data collection. A case analysis is conducted to classify CSFs. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology is applied to analyze CSFs and investigate their relationships. Findings – The authors identified 14 “driving” and “dependent” factors, which were then classified into four factor categories: linkage, autonomous, dependent, or independent factors. The results show that strategic alignment was the most significant CSF. Three factors which had a high driving power and were less dependent on others were: follow-up work, co-ordination, and relationships with clients. Practical implications – The results may inform and assist technology project management in the little understood business cultures of the developing world. These finding may allow practitioners to prioritize the factors that drive project success when allocating their limited resources. Originality/value – This research contributes to the field of project management by identifying the relative importance of the CSFs which enhance the management of technology projects. Despite the abundance of studies on CSFs, their importance has still not been fully explained. The findings provide insights into the degree of importance of the factors and their interdependencies, which can either drive or undermine project success. In addition, the ISM methodology the authors used is a unique approach in the project management field.

Critical success factors for international development projects in Maldives

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Yamin ◽  
Adriel K.S. Sim
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Critical Success Factors ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of local project teams on critical success factors and project success in the context of international development projects in Maldives. It identifies the critical success factors of international development projects, examines how the success of international development projects in Maldives is perceived by local project team members, and analyzes the relationship between critical success factors and project success from the project teams’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach – A survey questionnaire was used and 41 project team members participated in the study. Correlation analysis and regression analysis were performed to understand the relationship with project success and critical success factors. Findings – The study found out that the levels of success of projects were perceived high among the project teams. The results indicated that monitoring CSF, coordination CSF, design CSF, training CSF, and institutional environment CSF had a significant relationship with project success. However, results of the regression analysis indicated that only monitoring CSF was significant in influencing project success. Research limitations/implications – The limited sample size and optimism bias of respondents were a constraint. Furthermore, further analysis of data may be required to advance analysis. Originality/value – The study looks through the lens of project implementation teams in order to provide insights from their vantage point. The study provides insights based on the Maldivian context which will benefit similar island nation communities implementing similar projects.

scholarly journals EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IN MANAGING WATER INFRASTRUCTRE PROJECTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 531-550
Author(s):  
Mariela Sjekavica Klepo ◽  
Mladen Radujković
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Final Stage ◽  
Early Warning System ◽  
Critical Success Factors ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Critical Success

There is a continuous need to improve existing project management decision-making support models, particularly those for monitoring and control are needed to increase chances for success. In this paper, potential of early warning in project management was focused, along with its connection to project success via project success factors. First, a systematic literature review was conducted, along with the focus group method, in order to identify project success factors. The selected success factors were also collected on 93 water infrastructure projects through a survey. By the means of linear regression analysis, critical success factors were finally determined. The results were integrated in the early warning system algorithm, composed by three modules – detection, validation and response module. The response module is composed by three dimensions: 1) risk, constraint and change management, 2) incorporation of project management competences and 3) application of project management methods, tools and techniques. The proposed early warning system was tested on three infrastructure projects. The results confirmed that improved early warning system can contribute in increase of project management success. As original database is composed by projects from only one country (Croatia), in the final stage of the research proposed approach was checked in five countries from the Central or South East Europe (Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina). The results from the final stage confirmed potential of the proposed approach as declared originally, so it is reasonable to expect success in early warning system’s implementation due to similarities of critical success factors on projects as well as project management problems in general, that countries in regions share. This research presents new and creative way in linking early warning and project success, as well as interpretation of early response through different dimensions in project management. Also, based on the results of this research, it is possible to create a useful practical tool for managing other types of projects.

scholarly journals The impact of project manager on project success — The case of ICT sector

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-281
Author(s):  
Bálint Blaskovics
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Critical Success Factors ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Success Criteria ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Management Attitude

The project management literature on project success is rich. Numerous papers focus on the evolution of the understanding of project success, identification of success criteria and critical success factors. Critical success factors increase the potential for achieving project success, while project success can be evaluated with the help of success criteria. Although the interrelationships between critical success factors and success criteria are rarely analyzed, yet there is a strong demand for it. The aim of this paper is twofold. One of the aims is to identify the impact of one of the critical success factors, the project manager’s project management attitude on project success. The other aim is to highlight the interrelationship between the project manager’s personal characteristics and project management attitude and leadership style, which are three critical success factors. These aim to address the shortcoming mentioned above, which is considering the lack of the interrelationships between critical success factors and success criteria. The research outcomes are drawn from qualitative field research at the Hungarian subsidiaries of multinational companies operating in the ICT sector.

The Software Engineering Discipline

2006 ◽  
pp. 59-97
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Brandon
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Software Engineering ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
It Project Management ◽  
It Projects ◽  
Engineering Discipline

Software engineering is vital for the proper planning of IT projects, although it is not a formal part of project management. The software engineering embedded in the acquired products will significantly affect long-term project success factors, even for IT projects that primarily involve software acquisition and integration instead of software development,. In this chapter I review software engineering and its relation to IT project management.

scholarly journals Software development as a design or a production project

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom McBride ◽  
Brian Henderson‐Sellers ◽  
Didar Zowghi
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Simple Test ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Production Problems

PurposeThe paper seeks to investigate whether project managers regard software development projects as design problems or production problems.Design/methodology/approachProject management literature was examined to determine what evidence there should be to indicate whether a software development project was regarded as a problem to be solved or a product to be produced. Data were then collected through structured interview of project managers currently engaged in managing software development projects. The data were analysed to determine how project managers regarded their projects and whether this matched a theoretical expectation.FindingsThe empirical data indicated that most project managers regard their projects as production problems, where it is assumed that the underlying problem is largely understood, the project encapsulated in a planned schedule of activities and there will be an emphasis on monitoring the project against the planned progress.Research limitations/implicationsOwing to the small sample size of fewer than 30 project managers, external validity is weak. More research is needed to confirm these results over a larger sample and to probe more subtle orientation to production or design projects.Practical implicationsThe research developed a simple test to indicate the degree of novelty of the application to be developed. The test indicates whether the application is novel and should be treated as a design problem, or well known and therefore should be treated as a production problem.Originality/valueThe paper draws attention to the need for project managers to evaluate the type of application to be developed and to adopt an appropriate project management approach. The paper also provides a simple test to achieve that objective.

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