Measuring Software Development Project Performance

Adopting agile methodologies to software development processes helps software companies to sustain their growth through efficiency for long term. In the digital transformation era, Industry 4.0 as part of High-Tech Strategy 2020 for Germany involves agile principles and brings the latest technological trends in production process. The purpose of this chapter is to design a proper agile project management performance measurement model for start-up software companies. First, all key performance indicators related to agile development in the literature have been listed. Then KPIs that are provided from literature review with content analysis have been reviewed and categorized by expert opinions that were collected through in-depth interviews. Seven strategic KPIs and their data collection systems are defined and designed. Lastly, process and data collection improvements are recommended in order to sustain agile development measurement model.

Scrutinizing the Barriers That Impede Industry 4.0 Projects

The concept of Industry 4.0 has recently attracted attention from academics, research institutions, and companies. In order for projects to achieve success in Industry 4.0, project specifications must be known and they must be conducted with utmost care. While Industry 4.0 projects ensure lots of advantages, they encounter many risks such as data integration, process flexibility, and security problems. Identification of barriers to Industry 4.0 is important for the success of the projects. The aim of the chapter is to determine the Industry 4.0 barriers in implementation process in Turkey's conditions investigate the interrelations among them and develop a model that can measure the interacting effects of the barriers on the other barriers in the Industry 4.0 implementation process. To reach that aim, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and decision-making trail and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) are used. According to results, one of the most important findings is the lack of digital vision which found as the only affecting barrier and it affects all the other barriers.

Industry 4.0 Technologies Used in Project Management

Advancements in technology, especially ICTs, has caused a revolutionary change in every aspect of life. The reflection of these advancements on manufacturing industry is named “The Industrial Internet,” or “Industry 4.0.” New generation factories are to be equipped with cyber-physical systems. Teams integrating physical industrial components, and advanced modern sensing and networking technologies to form new smart systems. These systems will have more capabilities than the systems which are already in use. These winds of change will also affect projects and project management. Clearly, success in agile project management will become more crucial. At this point, technologies enabling Industry 4.0 will help project managers. Project organizations have the flexibility to get adapted to new situations fast. In this chapter, benefits of the technologies enabling Industry 4.0 in project management are introduced.

Feasibility Analysis of Industry 4.0 Projects and an Application in Automotive Maintenance Systems

In this chapter, general feasibility analysis steps are redefined for the Industry 4.0 projects. In addition to the traditional feasibility analysis steps, for Industry 4.0 projects, scenario analysis and decision trees are implemented to feasibility analysis that enables us to identify the outcomes of several scenarios for the risky parameters. At the end of the chapter, proposed feasibility analysis procedure is applied to an Industry 4.0 project. Utilization of internet of the things on an automotive maintenance service system is selected as the case study. In this project, the proposed system for the automotive maintenance service sector is a web-based application, which warns driver and maintenance service provider at the same time before the failure happens and by this way enables drivers to have the maintenance before the failure occurs. The versions of the proposed system are analyzed, and the best version is selected at the end of the analysis.

Insights Into Managing Project Teams for Industry 4.0

In a fast-paced and changing world demanded by Industry 4.0, the continuous delivery of products and level of integration of technologies are required. This is achieved through the introduction of agile but agile itself demands changes in the way projects are managed. The role of the project manager itself is changing from a command and control to a collaborative and coaching style of leadership. Project teams on the other hand should be self-organizing and self-directed to be agile. Managing agile teams requires a different approach as the idea is to deliver workable solutions and products at a faster space. New project manager skills and competencies are required as well as ways to manage agile teams. A conceptual model is introduced, highlighting the required enablers for an agile environment. The enablers have an impact on how the agile project manager interacts with the agile team. The end result is that products are faster deployed enabling organizations to react to the changes demanded by Industry 4.0.

Project Cost Control in Industry 4.0

During this fourth industrial revolution, the fundamental purpose of industrial transformations is to carry competitive edge of the companies to an upper level by increasing efficiency and effectiveness of sources and decreasing the operational costs. Therefore, the companies need to invest in the right project in the right time in order to provide a competitive edge against their competitors and to gain a desired level of profit. The aim of the project cost analysis is, in the simplest terms, to calculate optimal project costs and to consider if there is any difference between the planned budget and the optimal cost; and in case of a difference, to take necessary actions. The purpose of this chapter is, as a result of principles and conceptual framework of Industry 4.0, to describe how adaptive robotics, artificial intelligence, big data, augmented reality, additive manufacturing, internet of things, cloud computing and cyber security technologies, which are building blocks of Industry 4.0, changed the project cost analysis.

How to Manage Projects in Industry4.0 Environment

With the increased complexity in technology, projects are becoming more complex, and their outcomes are hard to predict. As we are entering the Industry 4.0 revolution, the complexities associated with technology will likely to increase to unprecedented levels. The main motivation of this chapter is to understand the link between the complexities associated with the projects and the project management style in dealing with these complexities. In this study, the project management style is defined as a dominant paradigm that a manager uses as a mental model in dealing with the management problems. The chapter investigates the effects of the alignment between project management style and project complexity on the project management outcomes. The implications of this research are that with the increased complexity as in the case of Industry 4.0, the project management approaches will need to become more agile, with shortened planning horizons and more involvement and communication with the stakeholders.

Agile Approaches for Successfully Managing and Executing Projects in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The fourth industrial revolution utilizes artificial intelligence by automating large quantities of numbers to increase the chances of project success. The Project Management Institute lists examples of project outcomes, including but not limited to the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China, the Panama Canal, and the placement of the International Space Station into Earth's orbit. This chapter highlights how the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) impacted the evolution of agile project management practices. It discusses how these could be applied in conjunction with traditional waterfall project management or as a standalone approach. Topics discussed include a definition and elements of project management, waterfall vs. agile project management, transitioning to agile methods, developments in agile project management, agile practices, and leading agile projects and project managers.

The Project Management of Industry 4.0 Strategy for Software Houses

Nowadays, Industry 4.0 is becoming a strategic issue for software companies. Because of fast digital conversion, they should review their visions and strategies. In this study, a project management framework is proposed for software companies considering Industry 4.0 as a future strategy. Global ERP firms try to find a good integration of ERP and Industry 4.0 applications. A global ERP firm's solution partner is used as a case study in this chapter. The study includes: the development of an internet-based portal application that integrates all their business partners (customers, suppliers); a collaborative project management software; and an industry 4.0 portal. The benefits of this study after applying in the software house are explained.

An ANP Approach for Prioritizing the Agile Project Management Criteria in Industry 4.0 Transition

The Fourth Industrial Revolution requires today's companies to bring the physical and digital world together to achieve a higher efficiency and gain competitive advantage. This transformation can be made possible using advanced technologies which has interdependencies on one another and their implementation can be best achieved using project management principles. Agile principles (e.g. multiple iterations, stakeholder involvement) play an important role in executing this transformation. In this study, the authors first defined the processes and technologies required in the Industry 4.0 transition. Since the projects related to different technologies may require the prioritization of project management dimensions to cope with complexity and uncertainty, agile project management criteria are specified to prioritize them adopting a multi-criteria decision-making approach, namely the Analytical Network Process. Using the results obtained, suggestions for the creation of a framework to manage the Industry 4.0 transformation in an agile manner were presented.