Software process simulation for reliability management

A major challenge in Information Systems and Information Technology is to improve the ability to conceptualize, design, develop and deliver information systems that meet customer requirements. Project management is often adopted to create solutions that work and meet customer needs. The principles of project management as defined by the Project Management Institute, can improve project success rates. Researchers in the project management need to help practitioners understanding the impact of different principles on the success of IS development. This study undertakes a survey of project management experts on the state of practice and research to examine the need for improving project management, and suggest areas that can be improved. Research may be the most effective means of defining opportunities for enhancing project success rates by tapping the wealth of literature and complementing it with the expertise of project management practitioners. INTRODUCTION Software development applications require frequent changes and updates in order to support enterprise systems. These frequent changes to IS/IT comprise a large volume of software development efforts. These efforts, undertaken as projects, are generally complex and take place in a dynamic environment where business conditions and technologies change frequently during the life of the project (Chen, et. al., 2004). The factors of project success include user involvement and project size, management and planning (Schmidt, et al., 2001). A fully operational project management system in enterprise offers the best opportunity for project success through the implementation of methods and tools for planning, organizing, and managing team-based activities to accomplish specific directives (Jurison, 1999). Project management is widely adopted in Corporate America embraces project management to implement system changes (Muriithi & Crawford, 2003; Park & Pena-Mora, 2003; Yilmaz & Phillips, 2007), which are even considered as too significant to outsource (Fish & Seydel, 2006) or having high risk of leading to undesirable consequences (Wei & Peach, 2006). However, many projects fail, even when performed using project management techniques. Such project failure reduces the capability of technology components. The 2004 Chaos report by the Standish Group found that only 28% of IT projects were successful, down from 34% in earlier report; The proportion of IT projects canceled before completion increased to 18% (from 15%), and a further 51% of IT projects were considered challenged as they are seriously late, over budget and missing expected features (The Standish Group, 2004; The Standish Group, 2007). Possible causes for these findings are the size and expense of large projects, a return to traditional development practices on large projects (Boddy, 1993), the absence of user involvement (Turner & Cochrane, 1993; Akbulut & Motwani, 2005), and lack of executive support (Munns & Bjeirmi, 1996). Thus, scope management is regarded as a key area of successful project management in practice (Hayes, 2004). Although some project failures are because of technical reasons, most are directly related to the failure of stakeholders to embrace the principles of good project management (Jurison, 1999). As part of the project management process, project teams must understand the standards to which their projects are being held in order to ensure that project performance is emphasized appropriately (Crawford, 2005). The Field Guide to Project Management (Cleland, 2004) suggests that project management should be an easy sell to organizations because it enhances business performance and increases revenue. An organization can manage project effectively by identifying its goals in applying project management principles (Aladwani, 2002). For most organizations, these goals are to apply a proven practice, optimize resources, serve customer needs and save time and money (Turner & Cochrane, 1993). …

Simulations are a good way for project managers to assess the impact of uncertainties on project plans and subsequent execution. Three types of simulations have been used in literature and to a lesser extent in practice for such purpose, Monte Carlo, discrete event, and systems dynamics. It behooves the project managers to understand the applicability of these different simulations and associated advantages and disadvantages. This paper presents the approach to build a systems dynamics model based on a project plan and compares the learning with those from Monte Carlo and discrete event simulations of the same project plan. The paper will help analysts focused on single type of simulation in the past to appreciate the capabilities of alternate approaches. It will also help practicing project managers to appreciate the effort involved, the analysis generated from the three simulations, and factors to determine which one to employ based on their objectives.

Project management is never easy, but an abundance of sophisticated Project Management (PM) software tools have certainly made the job of project managers easier than it was in the recent past. Project management software can manage, schedule, and monitor tasks, resources, and costs. However, with the plethora of features, the selection of the “right” features for inclusion in project management software becomes a dilemma for developers and vendors.This study provides a methodology for selecting the most profitable features for project management. Developers can include these features in contemplated future PM product lines. Filtered task lists and links to mainframe packages are the highest ranked profitable PM features. In contrast, On-line help is the lowest ranked among PM features.It is important to discover which features contribute the most to the segment margin. It reflects the profitability to the vendor and should guide the product designer. If the PM software contains these highest margin features, then most likely, it would command the highest possible profits.

As project management (PM) and information technology (IT) evolved over the last decades, an increasing number of project management software products have emerged. Project managers in IT consulting can improve the success of projects through the utilization of such software. However, the diversity of software available cannot sensibly be grasped by a single individual. Based on this context, the study aims to examine the key considerations in the selectionof project management software in IT consulting from the project managers’ perspective. A literature review identifies key aspects of IT consulting projects that may be relevant to the software selection. No evidence was found that provided a view on the process of the selection of PM software in IT consulting itself. The review also unveils the lack of common terminology in regard to PM software. The study addresses these gaps by utilizing interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to understand the experiences made by project managers. To gather data, 17 semistructured interviews were conducted with experienced project managers. Thematic analysis was used to develop an understanding of the process employed by project managers in the software selection and the considerations they make along the way. The findings were synthesized to create a process guide, supported by a checklist and the working definition of key terminology. This study adds a broader perspective to the field of PM software through the application of qualitative methodology in an otherwise quantitatively dominated field of research. It addresses the lack of existing knowledge on the perspective of the project manager in the selection process through the generation of a 6-staged process guide. The detailed considerations of project managers were compiled into a checklist of selection criteria. These two also contribute to practice by providing a structured approach to PM selection for practitioners. The third output is a working definition of project management software as used in practice, which simplifies an exchange of knowledge between theory and practice.

Discrete event models have become an important tool in theoretical biology. There is, at the same time, a growing awareness of the methodological issues that arise in connection with discrete event systems. Synchronization between discrete event and continuous model components and the handling of simulatenous events are technical issues that many simulation programs must address, and how they are handled can have a substantial impact on the results of a calculation. More fundamental, but not unrelated, is the question of comparing notionally equivalent models. This talk presents particular problems that have been encountered when modeling cell migration with a mix of discrete event and continuous processes. Specific examples are taken from our work on smooth muscle cell migration and similar models that are described in the extent literature.

Tracking the actual course of a project is a difficult managerial task. A simulation offers a transitional phase between a plan and its implementation and offers a better way of testing the viability of the project. It is safe, cheap, efficient and risk-free. The goal of the research was to create a simulation of the implemented project in order to improve the management of a creative project. The main research method used consisted of creating a model using findings of the international standard A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) and using the project management methodology Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2). The project called Laboratory was chosen as a suitable case study and the project plan (i.e. the system dynamics model) has been compiled accordingly. During the qualitative research, in order to obtain data for the model, and during the following discussion, we have learned that a technically oriented project manager and scientists do not really understand the language of cultural creators. However, if they cooperate with each other on a single project they have to find a reliable way of project management and appropriate ways of communication. Thanks to the modelling we have been able to determine not only the specific reasons for the project delay but also threats that have emerged from the actual development of the Laboratory project and its comparison with the plan.

Model based approaches to diagnosis for dynamic systems have been based on continuous and discrete event models. Systems that combine continuous and discrete behaviors, i.e., hybrid systems have been typically abstracted into discrete event models or approximated by continuous models with steep slopes so that existing algorithms can be applied for fault isolation tasks. This approach runs into problems when both discrete events and continuous behaviors provide vital diagnostic information. We propose a diagnostic methodology that uses hybrid models of the system to perform diagnosis.

The peculiarities of modern investment activity of enterprises are analyzed in the work. The goals of investment activity of enterprises are structured: increase of profitability; expanding market share; strengthening innovation activity; improving investment attractiveness. The current problems of project management are highlighted: management of limited resources to achieve goals; funding and weighted evaluation of potential criteria; integration of tasks on the main business processes; distribution of roles and responsibilities of all performers and stakeholders; project portfolio management; project management software. The interests of the main stakeholders of the projects are classified: increase of profits and dividends, improvement of reputation (business owners): efficiency and effectiveness, self-realization, authority (managers); proper wages and social guarantees, self-realization, recognition of work results (employees of the enterprise); fulfillment of contract conditions and refund, solvency of the enterprise (investors); optimal ratio of price and quality of goods, compliance with the terms of the order (consumers); increase in order volumes, timely payments under the terms of contracts, long-term relationships (suppliers); activities that meet the requirements of the law, payment of taxes, job creation, implementation of volunteer social and cultural projects (public authorities); growth of cooperation agreements (intermediaries); availability of competitive advantages, market leadership (competitors). In order to develop skills in the formation of hybrid project management systems, the features of approaches to project management have been studied: cascade project management; Agile; Six Sigma; PRINCE2. Systematized priority areas for solving project management problems: training of enterprise managers by programs: project management software; team leadership; project portfolio management; change management; increasing the stress resistance of managers; conflict resolution; talent management; project management information support; team building; Public Relations; attracting various sources of project funding; planning enterprise development programs and updating business models; reconciling the interests of project stakeholders. Which in turn will optimally solve the problems of project management and improve the results of the enterprise. These issues are for further research: studying the peculiarities of attracting various investors to finance enterprise projects and concluding investment agreements.

Higher Education (HE) in South Africa has been recently affected by high staff turnover in the science faculties. The higher education system is under severe pressure given that the academic cohort of scientists comprises a majority of ageing white males. Thus, the higher education sector will have to ensure it attracts and retains scientific staff to address this potential crisis. High turnover sometimes occurs as a result of poaching from ‘sister institutions’ but, in the main, is due to staff losses to the private sector because universities cannot match the salaries offered in the private sector. A shortage of scarce skills has left universities with no option but to appoint foreigners in some faculties. This has a negative impact on staff retention. Furthermore, a career in academia is sometimes embraced through default rather than conscious choice. This results in lower productivity as there is little motivation for new staff to perform to their potential since they see academia as a stepping-stone to their ‘real career.’ Therefore, this study, sought to evaluate leadership approaches to talent development and retention using a qualitative system dynamics model. System dynamics modelling is a computer simulation approach to addressing social issues that is rooted in the agency-structure debate. The fundamental thesis of system dynamics is that the behaviour or observed phenomena in any system over time is largely determined by its structure and that effective changes or modifications can only be achieved through an understanding of the structure. The research was primarily qualitative, as system dynamics requires elicitation and understanding of the prevailing mental models in a system as the basis for developing a simulation model. System dynamics modelling primarily follows the systems thinking paradigm, which is a philosophical world view that is rooted in holism. The system thinking paradigm holds that all things and events inadvertently form part of a larger whole and they can be best understood within the context of this larger whole. A purposive sample of 30 members of staff from human resources management, executive management and members of the University Council was used to collect data through interviews and focus groups. Data was analysed using NVivo and a qualitative system dynamic modelling approach. The findings of the study led to identification of four consolidated themes, viz. talent development and retention; a system for talent management and retention; a process for talent management and retention, and recommendations for talent management and retention. The afore-mentioned themes were further categorised into nine sub-themes. The results show that several factors impact talent management, including bureaucracy and a lack of proper promotion processes. The findings from the system dynamics approach led to the formulation of four key variables: work pressurised induced turnover, resource dynamics for staff development, training dynamics and consultative strategic planning. The identified variables led to the development of an integrated SD-CLD model on leadership approaches to talent development and retention, which is a key contribution of this study. Therefore, institutions of higher learning must come up with talent development strategies that adhere to the prevailing laws such as the Employment Equity Act to achieve their strategic goals. A targeted training initiative is fundamental in developing the skills of academics in terms of teaching and learning and research. Hence, departmental courses, seminars and workshops for teaching and learning research excellence and general academic development need to be seriously debated within a given collegial, intellectual, and academic environment. This study has contributed to the literature on talent management, leadership, and retention from a university of technology where resource, constraints, culture, and politics play a crucial role on the final recipe. The study has further provided a springboard for altering or reviewing institutional policies so that the needs of employees are properly addressed, and the talent management framework is enhanced. Future research should consider expanding the scope of the study by other variables that are key to organisational effectiveness using a system dynamics approach.

Introduction. Setting the stage. Project management centres on avoinding problems. The invisible project manager. Project management is an emerging profession. Getting the words in the right order. Introduction to project management. What is project management? What is project planning? How do you project plan? Nine steps to a successful project. The scope of the project and its objectives. Defining the project. Changes to the project. Establishing key dates. Evaluation of potential risks. The cost/time/quality triangle. The spectrum of projects. The need for planning. Project planning. The bar chart versus network analysis. Network analysis - a primer. Activity-on-arrow plans. The precedence convention. Choosing the tasks. Drawing up the plan. A fly on the wall. Resource management. Resource definition. Resource allocation. Resource aggregation. Resource aggravation. Resource levelling. Resource smoothing. Resource hierarchies. Resource calendars. Money management. Progress monitoring and control. Concepts. Cost monitoring. Reporting. Computers and other boxes with many buttons. PERT - a potted history. Hardware and software. Types of software. Some words of advice. Advanced critical-path topics. Work breakdown structure and organizational breakdown structure. Merging plans, boiler plating, or task processing. Hammocks. Calendars. Constraint dates. Negative floats. Subprojects. Claims. The people issues. The role of the project manager. The classification of people. Decision making. Motivation. Choosing project-planning software. Hardware. Software criteria. Major software suppliers. Risk management. Qualitative risk. Quantitative risk. Case study: The british library. Contingency and insurance. Terminology Definitions. Alternative definitions. Further reading. Index.

Very few decision markers now dispute the challenges associated with climate change (CC). The world over, CC awareness has risen to undisputed levels and this will continue to be so in the few decades to come. However, challenges still remain in terms of understanding and a need to integrate CC within the context of developmental tools like project planning (PP), disaster risk management (DRM) and environmental evaluation (EE) when dealing with brownfields development. The situation is aggravated by the fact that very few (if at all) professionals involved in decision making and development planning have formal tertiary education and training incorporating the four areas under discussion. Among the decision makers are: the chief executive officers, politicians, town planners, engineers, financiers, economists, project managers and consultants. Times have changed and the business of today requires that decision makers at all levels have adequate knowledge and awareness on the reality of CC and how this must be mainstreamed into decision making tools like PP, DRM and EE. This paper presents theoretical perspectives and conceptualises a framework in which CC could be mainstreamed into PP, DRM and EE – a four-in-one framework when dealing with brownfield issues. The work is a valid information source for the group of practitioners indentified and other interested stakeholders. The paper establishes and concludes that CC issues in brownfield development, particularly mitigation, adaptation and technology can be better addressed through the proposed four-in-one framework. Such a framework is made possible by existing synergies in PP, DRM and EE cycles. This is an aspect that could assist, especially developing countries to move fast towards green, low-carbon economies and be part of the global greening evolution.

The article examines the principles of effective formation of a project management system at an enterprise. In the modern environment, project management standards and management information systems are the principles of effective formation of a project management system. The content of the category «project management system» is determined: as a direct means of project management; as software for project management. An analysis of recent research and publications on the topic is carried out, which clarifies the ambiguity of theoretical provisions and applied aspects of project management systems. It is determined that project management is a business philosophy combined with special knowledge, methods and management tools. The essence of PMBoK is noted as a project management standard with 9 functions, the approaches of which reflect the classical theory, the place of other methodologies that ensure the flexibility of project management is indicated. The place of individual methodologies in project management practice is described, five main reasons for project failures are highlighted (according to PMI research) and these reasons are compared with the project management methodology, which is emphasized from the perspective of implementing management standards. A brief description of the Agile and Scrum methodologies is given, their features and significance for certain types of projects are given, and the areas of management to which their specifics correspond are revealed. The essence of IT project management systems is highlighted, their impact on the efficiency of project activities is noted, a brief description of the Jira and Worksection systems is given, and their main components and elements are revealed. Modern requirements for the formation of a project management system at an enterprise are determined, in particular the ability to develop and self-improve. The transition to the principles of a circular economy is identified as a promising direction, a system of fundamental principles for the transition of project activities is given, and the prospective advantages for the future of such a transition are described. The achievements of the formation of a project management system based on the principles of a circular economy were noted. Based on the results of the study, conclusions were drawn regarding the directions of effective formation of a project management system, according to the type of projects and market advantage factors, which will ensure maximum efficiency in planning and coordinating project implementation, interaction with key participants and the project team, optimization of project resources and maximization of project benefits.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly dealing with international projects and distributed (sometimes even virtual) teams. Consequently, they are looking for project management (PM) tools which fit their respective needs regarding communication and collaboration. Unfortunately, the majority of the PM software available in the market seems to be oversized for this purpose. Instead most project managers are requesting smart solutions that allow quick implementation without any significant organisational or technical change.
 Within the research project InterComp SME 2.0 we combine theoretical research and real business to develop hands-on solutions for SMEs. This paper describes an effective approach for a â??PM Toolboxâ? that allows finding the right project tool for a specific project need. The toolbox has been developed in due consideration of user stories gained from business practice, a more detailed SME business survey, a theoretical PM meta model and a market of PM tools.
 Since the business survey revealed that the readiness to use and test a â??toolboxâ? is highly dependent on the type of user and his or her technical background, we designed the system based on use cases and user typology. As a result, we suggest a framework of open, freely available, easy-to-install, single and multi purpose PM software tools which can be selected solely on a need basis. With this free platform we want to guide practitioners through the tool jungle with the potential to grow into a lively community.

Transport is a vast and complex socio-technical system, and despite a clear need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels due to undesirable environmental impacts, it is largely locked into business-as-usual. Systems approaches are a useful way to help make sense of multiple competing influences which may be simultaneously driving change and supporting the status quo. This paper applies qualitative system dynamics modelling to help interpret the results of a Delphi study into global transport transitions, involving 22 international experts in various aspects of transport. The main contribution of the paper is its exploration of the use of system dynamics (SD) modelling to interpret the Delphi findings. SD modelling was used to reveal and elucidate the causal arguments put forward by the expert panel about the factors driving business-as-usual, the factors creating barriers to more sustainable transport systems, and the drivers of change. The SD model is used to explore and expose the key causal patterns at play, and how these interact to both support and hinder change. The resulting model shows the complex, interdependent dynamics involved in supporting the status quo. Even at the relatively high level of analysis reported here, the model is useful in revealing interdependencies between parts of the system, where change in one part may well have knock-on effects elsewhere in the system. In particular the model reveals the strong reinforcing loops that act to minimise the impact of change drivers and thus retain the dominance of automobility. The result is a system that is highly dependent on the continued existence of key reinforcements such as policies that subsidise fossil fuels. From a methodological perspective, the outcomes of the Delphi study provided a rich source of qualitative material which was highly suitable for developing a system dynamics model.

The article analyzes project management methodologies and standards (in particular, PMBOK, P2M, Agile) in the context of models and methods that can be used to create a “green” project management approach. On the other hand, the concept of "green" entrepreneurship and its principles were analyzed. On this basis, 7 principles of “green” project management were proposed for the further development of the “green entrepreneurship” approach (projects should create environmentally friendly products, goods and services; ensure the maximum possible use of environmentally friendly materials and adhere to the desire to gradually increase the environmental friendliness of products; the implementation of project activities contributes to the creation and development of a “green economy” in the state; project-oriented companies mainly implement socially responsible projects with a trend towards increasing their share in the company's project portfolio; social responsibility should be both corporate and personal). Energy efficiency improvement projects are defined as a special case of “green” projects and as an object of scientific research. A classification model for energy efficiency projects is proposed for the further development of such classifications in the form of 11 classification features and project types within each feature (by project product, by use of artificial intelligence, by field of application, by use of “green” entrepreneurship principles, by project management methodology, by complexity, by type of project management team, by energy efficiency models, by degree of innovation, by geographical distribution, by scalability). 4 clusters of development of “green” project management are also identified, within which it is proposed to implement further research: “green” projects, “green” project management methodologies, “green” teams, “green” management tools. Each such cluster is characterized. A model of supplementing the classification model of project management systems (in its further development) is proposed, in which additional features of the classification of “green” project management systems are formulated - in the form of 5 additional features and types of projects within each classification feature. A model of the components of “green” project management is proposed, which contains four components: classic project management, flexible (Agile) project management, the concept of Lean production and “Green” community. As well as a multiple model of the “green” project management system in the form of a formal seven. A SWOT analysis of the formulated “green” project management approach is conducted, its strengths and weaknesses are highlighted, as well as opportunities and threats that may arise when using it. A conclusion is made regarding the potential effectiveness of such an approach. Areas of further research in the chosen direction are formulated. Conclusions from the conducted research are formulated.