Requirements for developing a culture of small information technology projects among university students in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The current study aimed to develop mechanisms for developing the culture of small information technology projects among university students in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution by integrating the development of the culture of small information technology projects in the university’s vision, objectives and strategy, and localizing it in the university environment, activating it in the university’s teaching and learning processes, and strengthening the university’s partnership and the outside community to achieve this. The study used the descriptive approach, and the researcher applied a questionnaire consisting of (37) phrases distributed over (4) axes, and the sample amounted to (136) university professors from (5) Egyptian universities. The study found: The need for the university to emphasize in its objectives the teaching of students to build and manage small information technology projects through the development of knowledge and awareness of it, consolidating the values ​​and beliefs that support them, and that the university is interested in formulating a strategy that supports innovation and creativity among faculty members and students, and that the promotions of teachers and assistant professors be linked to their supportive activities for educating students with small IT projects, and to provide paper or digital brochures on opportunities to build small IT projects in the surrounding environment, and to support the practice of cultural activities, and spread the culture of patent in the information technology sector among its students, and that the university’s learning outcomes target the need for graduates to possess positive attitudes and values ​​towards them. and pay attention to educating students about the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on small IT projects, and that the university link the teaching and learning processes, building and managing small information technology projects, and directing its faculty members towards linking the contents of the curricula with the skills of building and managing small information technology projects, with the need to achieve partnership with the external community through the establishment of exhibitions and platforms for marketing information technology projects, and hosting businessmen in seminars or meetings to inform students of their successful experiences.

Agile Business Analysis for Digital Transformation

The use of cutting-edge digital technologies and the realization of right project, program, and portfolio (3P) initiatives can trigger the intended company-wide change and the digital transformation. Today, organizations need to increase their agility for managing their information technology (IT) projects and transforming their business models. The integration of agile perspective and business analysis (BA) approach has a great potential to increase the success of digital transformation. This study aims to provide an overview of state-of-the-art in agile business analysis in scope of digital transformation. In accordance with the well-known frameworks, general principles and promising techniques of Agile BA are highlighted and discussed. The regarding agile practices provide valuable guidelines for researchers and practitioners that how they can assist continuous feedback, continuous learning, continuous improvement, and continuous integration capabilities of organizations; and also how to maximize value to the stakeholders in agile project lifecycles and agile business transformations.

eHR Cloud Transformation

The article covers process models for HR IT projects and in particular for HR transformation projects. Based on the authors' experience, an applied process model for HR transformation projects in a cloud-based environment is derived. The article identifies findings applicable to the fields of organisation, business, and IT as well as decisions and critical success factors in the specific context of cloud-based HR solutions.

The Method of Real Options and the Business Model «Lean Canvas» in the Practice of Performance Evaluation of it Projects

The relevance of the study is due to the active implementation of IT technologies in various aspects of companies, which gives special importance to the development of a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of projects in a highly uncertain environment. The paper presents the methodology and assesses the effectiveness of IT projects using binomial «decision tree» model and iterative risk assessment metamodel «Lean Canvas». The comparative assessment of IT project efficiency using discounted cash flow method, binomial «decision tree» model and Black–Scholes model was carried out. The results have shown the advantage of option-based approach to the evaluation of IT project efficiency in comparison with the traditional DCF method, which allows to build flexibility in the planning and management of the project, assess its potential and consider the uncertainties as additional opportunities for profit.

Digital Technology Deployment in the German Automotive Industry

Mobility is a central element of the new networked world, and customers expect highly integrated features in their vehicles and want to be able to use services or features at any time in a highly integrated manner. As a result, the entire automotive industry is facing a major change process, both technological as well as in its own core business processes and functions. This chapter examines the impact of this transition on the conduct and sustainability of IT projects in the German automotive industry. Information distilled from in-depth interviews with industry practitioners reveals how project management methods, tools, and culture have to evolve, as value chains in the industry are re-evaluated and re-defined. The chapter puts forward a framework for the interaction of project management methods and digital technologies to achieve sustainable project processes and outcomes. It is hoped this may act as a building block for future research in this field to advance the transitioning of the industry and its inherent IT projects to a more sustainable future.

An analysis of the causes and consequences of the information gap in IT projects. The client’s and the supplier’s perspective in Poland

The high IT project failure rate means that the stakeholders start recognizing the need to analyze the factors influencing project success, previously deemed irrelevant in the face of technology, including the agile approach, eliminating project documentation, effective prototyping, information asymmetry between project parties, while also perfecting communication and the methods of knowledge transfer between team members. Currently, IT projects are researched using a holistic approach, seeing an implementation project as a whole, subject to specific regularities, which may not be deduced based on the knowledge of their individual components. We would like to enrich the research perspective with the notion of the information gap. The article aims to evaluate and analyze the information gap in ERP and CRM project implementations. We have researched the information gap from the perspective of project managers on the supplier’s and the client’s sides. The study was conducted in Poland between 2014 and 2021 in a group of medium companies, using qualitative research methods: unstructured interview and direct observation. The study led to a qualitative characterization of the information gap and the identification of its causes and consequences. The presented research result can help achieve three goals, i.e. studying the information gap in the selected group of IT projects, indicating the nature of imperfection in information access by the project participants, and raising awareness amongst project managers regarding risk management issues, especially uncertainty. Reducing the information gap can be used by the transaction parties to implement a strategy of building the object’s resilience to uncertainty and its consequences. These results can help develop methodologies of IT project implementation, limiting the level of risk and uncertainty.

Significance of Strategic Outsourcing in IT Project Management

Outsourcing refers to the concept of delegating certain tasks to an external team. It can be a differentiating factor that can aid an organization gain a competitive advantage. Consultants can bring valuable experience on domain knowledge, interdisciplinary applications, and benefits from economies of scale. From ensuring effective use of resources to venturing into uncharted sectors, outsourcing can have a myriad of benefits for a project team. Similar to most business processes, there is an inherent trade-off that needs to be made when outsourcing. Risk management protocols are required when outsourcing, to balance execution control and collaborate effectively. Within the scope of IT projects, this research aims to survey the various methods of strategic outsourcing and the contexts in which they operate. Further sections attempt to analyze case studies based on the aforementioned aspects. Based on the available literature, the research consolidates best practices in outsourcing and presents recommendations on aligning them with project goals. Finally, the potential concerns that need to be addressed when trying to outsource activities are presented. Therefore, the research to be done within this analysis will look to dissect existing literature to assess current outsourcing practices. Additionally, the research will look for reasons why outsourcing was/is not as successful as it could be, as well as evaluate how outsourcing in IT has changed with the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Significance of Strategic Outsourcing in IT Project Management

Outsourcing refers to the concept of delegating certain tasks to an external team. It can be a differentiating factor that can aid an organization gain a competitive advantage. Consultants can bring valuable experience on domain knowledge, interdisciplinary applications, and benefits from economies of scale. From ensuring effective use of resources to venturing into uncharted sectors, outsourcing can have a myriad of benefits for a project team. Similar to most business processes, there is an inherent trade-off that needs to be made when outsourcing. Risk management protocols are required when outsourcing, to balance execution control and collaborate effectively. Within the scope of IT projects, this research aims to survey the various methods of strategic outsourcing and the contexts in which they operate. Further sections attempt to analyze case studies based on the aforementioned aspects. Based on the available literature, the research consolidates best practices in outsourcing and presents recommendations on aligning them with project goals. Finally, the potential concerns that need to be addressed when trying to outsource activities are presented. Therefore, the research to be done within this analysis will look to dissect existing literature to assess current outsourcing practices. Additionally, the research will look for reasons why outsourcing was/is not as successful as it could be, as well as evaluate how outsourcing in IT has changed with the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic.