Project Success Criteria, Critical Success Factors (CSF), and Agile Projects

There have been major developments in project management over the years; however, the success rates of projects are still far from the desired levels. The number of studies focusing on project success has been increasing over the last decades. This chapter reviews the concept of project success, project success criteria, and CSF by narrowing the focus from generic projects to IT and then agile projects. The review revealed that client satisfaction has a critical role in the perceived success of the project, along with iron triangle (cost, budget, scope). It is widely accepted that some CSF are dependent on the context of the project. Top management support, communication, clear and linked project objectives, user involvement, teamwork, and effective planning are critical factors in IT projects. There are two differences in the evaluation of the success between agile and traditional software projects: frequency of the evaluation and a stronger emphasis on ensuring customer satisfaction. There is higher importance on people-related factors and customer involvement in agile projects.

Sponsorship in IT Project Management

Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-026-4.ch567 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 3559-3563

Author(s):

David Bryde ◽

David Petie

Keyword(s):

Project Management ◽

Information Needs ◽

Success Factors ◽

Project Success ◽

Success Factor ◽

It Project Management ◽

Top Executives ◽

Critical Success ◽

Success Criteria ◽

Since the 1970s academics and practitioners in the discipline of project management have sought answers to two inter-related questions: How is project success defined and measured? What are the influences on project success? To answer the first question people have studied project success criteria/key performance indicators. To answer the second, studies have focused on project critical success factors. Daniel (1961) introduced the concept of “success factors,” stating that “in most industries there are usually three to six factors that determine success; these key jobs must be done exceedingly well for a company to be successful” (p.116). Approaches to the management of information have been established using Daniel’s concept. For example, Rockart (1979) developed a Critical Success Factor (CSF) method for meeting the information needs of top executives. This method focused on understanding the objectives and goals of the company and the factors (CSFs) critical to their achievement, and establishing information systems to report on performance in these two areas. A key challenge has been to integrate the definitions and measures of success with CSFs, and in this respect work has been carried out to develop frameworks linking models of success criteria (the measures of success) with CSFs (see, for example, van Veen-Dirks & Wijn, 2002). The concept of CSFs has also been applied to project environments, with project CSFs being “those inputs to the management system that lead directly or indirectly to the success of the project” (Cooke- Davies, 2002, p. 185). Project management theory has also looked for a holistic answer to the questions of “How is project success defined and measured?” and “What are the influences on project success?”, through the development of models linking project success criteria and project CSFs (Westerveld, 2002; Bryde, 2003).

Sponsorship in IT Project Management

Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, First Edition ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-553-5.ch460 ◽

2005 ◽

pp. 2597-2601

Author(s):

David Bryde ◽

David Petie

Keyword(s):

Project Management ◽

Information Needs ◽

Success Factors ◽

Project Success ◽

Success Factor ◽

It Project Management ◽

Top Executives ◽

Critical Success ◽

Success Criteria ◽

Since the 1970s academics and practitioners in the discipline of project management have sought answers to two inter-related questions: How is project success defined and measured? What are the influences on project success? To answer the first question people have studied project success criteria/key performance indicators. To answer the second, studies have focused on project critical success factors. Daniel (1961) introduced the concept of “success factors,” stating that “in most industries there are usually three to six factors that determine success; these key jobs must be done exceedingly well for a company to be successful” (p.116). Approaches to the management of information have been established using Daniel’s concept. For example, Rockart (1979) developed a Critical Success Factor (CSF) method for meeting the information needs of top executives. This method focused on understanding the objectives and goals of the company and the factors (CSFs) critical to their achievement, and establishing information systems to report on performance in these two areas. A key challenge has been to integrate the definitions and measures of success with CSFs, and in this respect work has been carried out to develop frameworks linking models of success criteria (the measures of success) with CSFs (see, for example, van Veen-Dirks & Wijn, 2002). The concept of CSFs has also been applied to project environments, with project CSFs being “those inputs to the management system that lead directly or indirectly to the success of the project” (Cooke-Davies, 2002, p. 185). Project management theory has also looked for a holistic answer to the questions of “How is project success defined and measured?” and “What are the influences on project success?”, through the development of models linking project success criteria and project CSFs (Westerveld, 2002; Bryde, 2003).

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

Society and Economy ◽

10.1556/204.2016.38.2.7 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 261-281

Author(s):

Bálint Blaskovics

Keyword(s):

Project Management ◽

Leadership Style ◽

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.

An ISM Analysis of the Critical Success Factors in ERP Implementation

10.3233/atde210066 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Paul Hankin ◽

Mohammed Almanei ◽

Konstantinos Salonitis

Keyword(s):

Enterprise Resource Planning ◽

Success Factors ◽

Matrix Multiplication ◽

Resource Planning ◽

Interaction Matrix ◽

Management Support ◽

Success Rates ◽

Erp Implementation ◽

Critical Success

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) offers many benefits in aligning business operations. However, these implementations can be problematic and prone to failure. Critical success factors (CSF) which can improve the success rates of implementation have been researched and an interpretive structural modelling (ISM) was conducted to identify the interrelationships between factors. An ISM based model was created and this was achieved by completing the self-interaction matrix (SSIM), reachability matrix and level partitioning. This led to an ISM-based model being created followed by a cross-impact matrix multiplication (MICMAC) analysis to identify the factor’s relative driving power and level of dependence. The project revealed that top management support was the strongest CSF with a high driving power and low dependence. In addition, fourteen other factors displayed strong driving power with high dependence. The findings from the project were summarized into a recommended framework for manufacturing organizations to follow to increase the likelihood of a successful ERP implementation.

Critical Success Factors for Malaysian Construction Projects: An Investigative Review

International Journal of Built Environment and Sustainability ◽

10.11113/ijbes.v4.n2.180 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yee Cheong Yong ◽

Nur Emma Mustaffa

Keyword(s):

Construction Projects ◽

Success Factors ◽

Project Success ◽

Primary Objective ◽

International Standards ◽

Infrastructure Development ◽

Related Factors ◽

Critical Success ◽

Behavioural Aspects

Construction projects play an important role in the advancement of a nation through infrastructure development that leads to economic growth. They are planned carefully to accomplish certain goals. However, not all the projects achieved the goals as per planned. Many factors contribute to the successes and failures, and it becomes an interesting arena for research. The primary objective of this paper is to outline the development trend of project success measurement globally and locally. The research method employed was to make selected reviews on critical success factors' (CSFs) literature and to compare international standards and progress in incorporating human behavioural aspects of project management to the situation in Malaysia. A somewhat similar pattern can be observed in Malaysia where the studies have departed from the usual criteria of time, cost and quality, to define project success in a more holistic way. However, the domestic industry has failed to respond to the emerging trend globally as there has yet been any widely published research on the importance of human-related factors towards project success. A consolidated framework of CSFs has therefore, been proposed in responding to the findings. This paper fulfils an identified need as there has been a dearth of research on the subject matter locally.

The Impact of Human Critical Success Factor on ERP System Implementation

AFEBI Accounting Review ◽

10.47312/aar.v6i01.473 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 47

Author(s):

Fasti Herianty Akhzan ◽

Grace T Pontoh ◽

Arifuddin Arifuddin

Keyword(s):

Success Factors ◽

Project Success ◽

Team Composition ◽

Management Support ◽

Erp Implementation ◽

Erp System ◽

Top Management Support ◽

Critical Success ◽

The Impact

Many researchers have investigated the critical success factors in ERP system implementation. The previous study has examined four primary human critical success factors (competence, behavior, team composition, and communication) and based on study literature performed by the author, there were many studies found that top management support also has crucial role in ERP implementation. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of top management support, competence, behavior, team composition, and communication in ERP implementation.This study was conducted in three stages. First, review sources and scientific literature relevant to this research. Second, analyze the findings and recommendations of previous research to determine the component of variable x. Third, conduct research using a quantitative approach through a questionnaire survey. Questionnaires were distributed to employees from various company that involved directly in ERP implementation. This study found that all five variables positively correlated to project success and only team composition variable that significantly positively correlated to project success. This study offers ERP project managers the crucial factors needed to be concerned for the project success.Keywords: ERP, Human Critical Success Factors.

A Review of Critical Success Factors for Offshore Software Development Projects

Organizacija ◽

10.2478/orga-2013-0026 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 46 (6) ◽

pp. 282-296 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Goparaju Purna Sudhakar

Keyword(s):

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.

Influence of Critical Success Factors over the Performance of Infrastructure Projects in Qatar

10.29117/quarfe.2021.0187 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maryam Hussain Abal-Seqan ◽

Shaligram Pokharel ◽

Khalid Kamal Naji

Keyword(s):

Success Factors ◽

Stakeholder Management ◽

Project Performance ◽

Project Delivery ◽

Management Support ◽

Design Development ◽

Top Management Support ◽

Critical Success ◽

This thesis focuses on developing an understanding of factors that can help in increasing the project performance in Qatar and elsewhere. The understanding leads to focus on factors in the design, development and operation of the project. This research identifies 23 critical success factors in four different groups: top management support, project manager’s skills, project team’s skills, and stakeholder management knowledge. The work also identifies four main project success criteria: project delivery on time, within the budget, with the expected quality, and meeting stakeholder's satisfaction.

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

Journal of Enterprise Information Management ◽

10.1108/jeim-08-2013-0060 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 7-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

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.

RFID use in residential/commercial construction industry

Journal of Engineering Design and Technology ◽

10.1108/jedt-07-2018-0118 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 591-612

Author(s):

James Ogechi Kereri ◽

Simon Adamtey

Keyword(s):

Construction Industry ◽

Radio Frequency Identification ◽

Success Factors ◽

Management Support ◽

Success Rates ◽

Productivity Improvement ◽

Content Type ◽

Critical Success ◽

Adequate Funding

Purpose In the past decade, radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) have attracted the attention of the construction industry, having been proven to be an effective technology for addressing operational challenges in other industries such as health-care, retail and manufacturing. Despite the benefits, the use of RFID in construction industry is limited even in the face of inefficiencies that exist and that the need for improvement is yet to drive the widespread adoption in the residential/commercial construction industry. The purpose of this study is to investigate key drivers and critical success factors for RFID adoption. Design/methodology/approach The study included extensive and systematic literature review, interviews and questionnaire survey. Findings The study revealed that the most important key driver for RFID adoption is productivity improvement, while the most important critical success factors include management support and commitment, having clear RFID strategy, needs and benefits, having strong motivation for improvement, providing adequate funding and proper planning. Practical implications This study provides an exploratory framework that can be used by construction company executives and managers to provide justification for deciding to implement RFID on their projects and to enhance success rates of implementation. Originality/value This study contributes to the knowledge on RFID use in residential/commercial construction industry and provides a basis for further investigation by construction management researchers on the emerging issues regarding RFID use in the construction industry.