Software Project Management Tools Research Articles

A framework for project management software tool selection

Projects play a fundamental role in improving firms’ performance. This is moderated by firms’ ability to manage projects as well as on available methods and tools supporting project management. Many software tools exist in the market today, to meet different levels of requirements and offer various functionalities. Thus, there is a need to support the decision of project managers in terms of selecting the most suitable tool to use for their projects. This paper aims to provide a framework to support the comparison and the selection of project management software tools. A comprehensive list of functionalities to select software tools as well as a scoring system were specified. A prototypical implementation is presented to gain insights into framework comprehensiveness and practicality. The framework is expected to assist project managers in selecting the most suitable tools considering project context and stakeholders requirements.

Analyzing Different Software Project Management Tools and Proposing A New Project Management Tool Using Process Re-engineering On Open-source and SAAS Platforms for A Developing Country Like Bangladesh

Analyzing Different Software Project Management Tools and Proposing A New Project Management Tool Using Process Re-engineering On Open-source and SAAS Platforms for A Developing Country Like Bangladesh

Opportunities and limitations of software project management in geoscience and climate modelling

Abstract. In this paper, recent software project management tools and their possible advantages, disadvantages, and possible limitations will be discussed, with respect to their application in scientific projects in geoscience and climate science.

Improving the Teaching of Project Management Software Tools Using Scaffolding Based on Cladistics Parsimony Analysis

Project management software tools are essential tools for the different phases of projects. However a number of software tools exist ranging from the relatively simple to those that extremely feature rich. Feature rich software tools have their advantages due to their wide repertoire of options but can be difficult to learn. Ideally the main steps in project management need to be identified and mapped. The five layer domain analysis model was used (but only the first two layers) in conjunction with cladistics and parsimony analysis to produce a diagrammatic, modular abstraction based on hierarchical top down decomposition. This model contextualizes the steps in project management by means of a high level overview that can be decomposed into greater detail. Significantly it is universally applicable to software management tools.

A&D High Tech (B): Managing Scope Change

The case is based on a real $25 million project at a major U.S.-based computer manufacturer. For confidentiality reasons the company has been disguised as A&D High Tech. The Web-based online ordering system project is required by sales and marketing for the fall holiday season. If the project misses this window, the firm will lose substantial market share to competitors. Part (B) takes place three months into the original project plan. The project manager has just been fired and the management challenge is to find out what is wrong with the project and recommend fixes. In addition, the scope of the project has changed: the VP of marketing has an additional promotional bundle requirement. A&D High Tech (A) examines how to create and analyze a project plan in Microsoft Project. In order to make the case manageable for students we reduced the size of the project, and corresponding number of resources, to approximately $1 million, but retained all of the features of the original project. Part (B) gives actual work done on each task three months into the project. Students must answer the management questions: Can the project be fixed and completed in time for the holiday season? Can the additional requirements be incorporated, and if so, what is the best approach? In order to answer these questions, earned value data can be extracted from Microsoft Project and analyzed. These data provide important insights into the root cause of problems with the project. The next step is to reduce the scope of the project and reassign resources. However, one must be aware that indiscriminately adding people can slow a project down, not speed it up. Finally, the additional promotional bundle requirement from the VP of marketing provides an important outsourcing management discussion. The case can also be taught using other project management software tools, such as Primavera.The case teaches students how to analyze a project in trouble using Microsoft Project (or other project management software tool). More important, the case teaches prospective executives how to manage a project in trouble by first accurately diagnosing the problems, then reducing scope where necessary, and finally replanning the project with reallocated resources. In addition, students will learn the tradeoffs of outsourcing to highly specialized professionals vs. average contractors.

A&D High Tech (A): Managing Projects for Success

The case is based on a real $25 million project at a major U.S.-based computer manufacturer. For confidentiality reasons the company has been disguised as A&D High Tech. The Web-based online ordering system project is required by sales and marketing for the fall holiday season. If the project misses this window, the firm will lose substantial market share to competitors. The A&D High Tech case examines how to create and analyze a project plan in Microsoft Project. Specifically, data is given to build the project plan step-by-step and then analyze the plan using the Microsoft project management tool. In order to make the case manageable for students we reduced the size of the project, and corresponding number of resources, to approximately $1 million, but retained all of the features of the original project. The project plan that students construct from the data given in the case is fraught with risks, and students must apply risk management techniques to diagnose the plan. Ultimately, students must answer the management question: Will the project be completed for the holiday shopping season? This case is the first in a series; the second is the case entitled “A&D High Tech (B): Managing Scope Change.” The case can also be taught using other project management software tools, such as Primavera.The case teaches students how to build a project plan in Microsoft Project (or other project management software tools). More important, the case teaches prospective executives how to analyze a project plan and identify risks of the plan, and define strategies to mitigate these risks. Students learn that in the planning stage of any project the risks are highest, but this is the best opportunity for proactive management intervention.

Software project management tools in global software development: a systematic mapping study.

Global software development (GSD) which is a growing trend in the software industry is characterized by a highly distributed environment. Performing software project management (SPM) in such conditions implies the need to overcome new limitations resulting from cultural, temporal and geographic separation. The aim of this research is to discover and classify the various tools mentioned in literature that provide GSD project managers with support and to identify in what way they support group interaction. A systematic mapping study has been performed by means of automatic searches in five sources. We have then synthesized the data extracted and presented the results of this study. A total of 102 tools were identified as being used in SPM activities in GSD. We have classified these tools, according to the software life cycle process on which they focus and how they support the 3C collaboration model (communication, coordination and cooperation). The majority of the tools found are standalone tools (77%). A small number of platforms (8%) also offer a set of interacting tools that cover the software development lifecycle. Results also indicate that SPM areas in GSD are not adequately supported by corresponding tools and deserve more attention from tool builders.

Project Management Tool based on the Current Trends: Techtool

Background/Objectives: Modern day projects involves people from different geographical location working together so managing the workflow, handling the deadlines have become very important feature of a project management tool. TechTool provides the user interface to manage such projects. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The method of building this application is use of server side scripting as Hypertext Processor (PHP), query language as SQL and client side scripting using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), JQuery and JavaScript. The method of analysis is done by user reviews and studies based on similar past projects. Findings: Software project management is a very important part for building a quality software, Software project management should be up to date with latest technologies and needs of current organizations. Now-a-days it is very common for an organization to be based on different geographical locations so such a system is desired. If companies apply the traditional project management techniques, the schedule will slip away during testing. To be able to avoid these problems, software project management tools focused on matching user requirements to deliver products with utmost coronation among all the drains that are working in the organization 1 . Many new techniques are available in TechTool based on current trends which will make the work easier and on time with better quality. Interaction between people based in different location is physically impossible but TechTool will provide a platform for them to interact with the manager as well as among themselves. Improvements/Applications: There are many improvements from the existing systems that results to better quality of the project and its on-time completion.

The design of a hybrid cultural model for Arabic gamified systems

The growing popularity of gamification in the global environment increases the importance of balancing factors that affect user engagement, satisfaction and acceptability in different cultures. While the main motivation behind gamifying software systems is to improve user engagement, an adverse effect might happen if the design and functionality did not consider users' cultural requirements. This paper presents a hybrid cultural design model for localising Arabic systems that takes into consideration the visual elements of user interfaces as well as the functionality and cultural factors of Arabic countries. We start by introducing design guidelines for localising Arabic systems and then evaluate the designed localisation criteria by conducting questionnaires and interviews. We base our studies on the factors that could affect the productivity levels of software engineers who use gamified software project management tools in their workplace. 63 software engineers participated in a mood board based questionnaire composed by different visual elements, rewards and achievements. To validate our findings, seven experts were interviewed. Those were software developers and designers. Based on our results, we propose a hybrid cultural design model, composed of personalised elements, localised elements and non-localised elements. This paper also proposes the first comprehensive model for localising Arabic gamified systems.

On the use of Schedule Risk Analysis for Project Management

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview on the existing literature and recent developments on the research on Schedule Risk Analysis (SRA) in Project Management (PM) to measure the sensitivity of activities and resources in the project network. SRA is a technique that relies on Monte-Carlo simulation runs to analyze the impact of changes in activity durations and costs on the overall project time and cost objectives. First, the paper gives an overview of the most commonly known sensitivity metrics from literature that are widely used by PM software tools to measure the time and cost sensitivity of activities as well as sensitivity for project resources. Second, the relevance of these metrics in an integrated project control setting is discussed based on some recent research studies. Finally, a short discussion on the challenges for future research is given. All sections in this paper are based on research studies done in the past for which references will be given throughout the manuscript.

4D Planning and Scheduling of the Construction Project Using Project Management Software and GIS

4D Planning and Scheduling of the Construction Project Using Project Management Software and GIS In contrast with the past, presently construction industry concerned about optimal execution of project. For this to achieve, the construction industry needs a systematic planning, scheduling and management process which in turn permit the overall optimization of cost, time and resources. Usage of conventional project management software tools for explaining the status of the vast projects to the various parties involving in the construction is not up to the mark. Direct usage of schedule sheets prepared from conventional tools with drawings is difficult to follow the schedule activities. Instead, drawings along with the schedule progress can be integrated on a geospatial platform to create a 4D view of the project progress. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as a spatial platform can be linked with drawings along with its corresponding project management software derived schedule in order to successfully execute the construction of a project.

Software project management tools

The task of managing a software project can be an extremely complex one, drawing on many personal, team, and organizational resources. The quality of a software product is dependent on the process in which the project is completed. Time delays in software development project and low productivity tend to fall right to the bottom line. Recently, the evolution of project management tools for both software and non-software applications has been accelerating at a rapid pace, and the number of available products have grown significantly. There are many project management tools and software being developed everyday to help managers to automate the administration of individual projects or groups of projects during their life-cycle. This article presents a short comparison of popular software project management tools.

KMUT – Project Management Toolbox

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.

The Use of Software Project Management Tools in Saudi Arabia: An Exploratory Survey

This paper reports the results of an online survey study, which was conducted to investigate the use of software project management tools in Saudi Arabia. The survey provides insights of project management in the local context of Saudi Arabia from ten different companies which participated in this study. The aim is to explore and specify the project management tools used by software project management teams and their managers, to understand the supported features that might influence their selection. Moreover, the existence of the Arabic interface, the Hijri calendar and the Arabic documentation has been specially considered, due to the nature of the local context in dealing with the Hijri calendar and the prolific use of Arabic as the formal language in communication with clients in the public sector.

Manage Projects Smarter: Picking Tools for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

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.

Boundary object use in cross-cultural software development teams

This article examines the evolving use of boundary objects in cross-cultural software teams. Our field study of a Jamaican-Indian team examines the use of software specifications and project management tools as boundary objects in facilitating sharing across knowledge boundaries. We examine how and why the role and use of boundary objects may facilitate collaboration across knowledge boundaries at one time and contribute to conflict at other times. We unpack the interacting elements that both facilitate and constrain knowledge sharing, and trigger conflicts at different stages of the software team development. Specifically, we found that the use of boundary objects at transitions involving definitional control and the subsequent redistribution of power/authority may inhibit knowledge sharing. The subsequent reifying of cultural boundaries along with negative stereotyping led to relational conflict, through a process we call culturizing , as cross-cultural differences emerged as problematic for team dynamics.

Generalised activity-on-the-node networks for managing uncertainty in projects

Activity networks, for example PERT, have long been used to plan and manage all kinds of projects within both academia and industry. They are, however, limited by their inflexible structure, and so they cannot explicitly identify and control potential risk points and uncertainties within projects. Generalised activity networks provide a more realistic means of controlling projects by identifying, and analysing, scope possibilities within project plans. Project managers are currently more familiar with the activity-on-the-node network planning techniques on which almost all project management software tools are based. In contrast, generalised activity networks have always been restricted to an activity-on-the-arrow representation. Activity-on-the-node representations have several advantages over activity-on-the-arrow representations, including the ability for logical dependency constraints to be applied directly. The paper introduces the first comprehensive generalised activity-on-the-node representation, thus providing a technique that can identify variability in the scope, cost, and duration of a project.

A dynamic sampling technique for the simulation of probabilistic and generalized activity networks

Most probabilistic activity networks (e.g. PERT) of any reasomable size are practically impossible to analyse mathematically in an acceptable time. This problem is augmented when stochastic branching is introduced to form generalized activity networks. For this reason simulation has proved to be one of the more popular and ‘accurate’ techniques available for network attribute analysis. In this paper a dynamic sampling technique is introduced that improves on the standard simulation approach used in popular project management software tools. A comparison is also made between the simulation requirements of standard probabilistic activity networks and a finite sample set of generalized activity networks in which activities are assigned either dependent or independent probability generations.

Building a three dimensional work breakdown structure

With the proliferation of project management software tools, the growth of more and more complex software projects and the dissatisfaction and limitation of the capabilities of the current tools, more companies are looking at the possibility of developing their own project management tools. This paper presents the basic principles and considerations for developing the functional specifications for developing a three dimensional Work Breakdown Structure. A metric for measuring the progress is presented. The metric states that, tracking the progress of the development of a software system is a function of the relative value of the outputs to be undertaken for each node of the software architecture, the phase in which the work will be undertaken and the tasks to complete the work. A description of some of the basic considerations for generating a WBS, PERT, Gantt, and Manpower Distribution Graph are presented.