Software Implementation Projects Research Articles

Utilising resistance feedback for software implementation in healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a rapid transformation in the healthcare industry. Telemedicine, mHealth, and artificial intelligence technologies have become integral components of healthcare delivery, enabling remote consultations, symptom tracking, medication reminders, diagnosis, and treatment. However, the adoption of these technologies in healthcare organisations is often met with resistance from shareholders. The most frequent reasons are fear of technology, uncertainty about the impact of technology solutions on patient care, ethical and regulatory concerns, skepticism about the effectiveness of remote medical consultations, concerns about data privacy and security, reluctance to change workflows, risk of job losses due to automation of certain processes, and possible conflicts of interest. This article explores the complex landscape of shareholder resistance during software implementation projects, the origins of this problem, its manifestations, advantages, disadvantages, and consequences. The article also examines this issue through the prism of the Lewin’s Change Model and the Transtheoretical Model of Change, and demonstrates it on the examples of Information Technology Company and Microsoft. The article offers strategic recommendations for healthcare organisations to effectively manage and mitigate these challenges, facilitating a successful transition to the healthcare technology landscape. Among the main problems, the article discusses the following things: creating open and transparent communication channels for shareholders; joint problem-solving sessions with all stakeholders; an iterative approach to implementing IT projects in healthcare facilities, which allows reviewing, adjusting, and agreeing on solutions at each iteration; involving shareholders in decision-making at the early stages of the software implementation process; comprehensive programs to improve shareholder competencies; targeting opinion leaders who are supporters of changes in the organisation; maintaining continuous feedback, etc.

Application of Kano Model in Risk Identification of Software Development Projects

Risk management and identification of software projects is an important factor in software project management. Software project risks will affect the implementation of the project plans, and if they do, they will affect the project progress, increase the project costs, and even make the software project unfeasible. Risk occurrence can be minimized if risk management and identification are implemented in a project. However, in China, many software development companies do not have the awareness of risk management and identification, or use inappropriate management technology, resulting in software development projects are often delayed, beyond the budget or even failed. Successful project management requires good risk management and identification of projects. This study adopts the Ko model to scientifically and reasonably determine the priority of risk management of software projects, and take corresponding countermeasures for different risk factors, to ensure the smooth implementation of software projects, and then ensure the completion of them and the realization of objectives. This ensures the successful completion of software projects and optimal management with limited resources.

COMPLEX INFORMATIONAL SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE DESCRIPTION AT EARLY STAGES OF REPEATABLE SOFTWARE SOLUTION REFINEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

The use of unified design environment – application solutions design system – for the description of the system architecture at stages of design and development in the ERP-type repeatable software solution adjustment and implementation project was reviewed. Mechanisms of application solutions design system were described, documentation features were clarified, examples of adjustments and data organization were given. It was described how the project team used unified design environment to prevent information crises. It was shown that the project is large, and so threatened by crises even prior to the development start. Mechanisms were described, which can prevent crises at design and development stages, shape a single context, and turn the database into a system description. It was indicated that there is no unified solutions architecture description technology on the 1C:Enterprise platform. Application solutions design system reflects the realities of repeatable product development in many ways, and therefore doesn’t always meet the partner companies’ operating specifics during customer projects. Proving points of documentation were clarified, and the project team’s actions to eliminate the inconsistencies were provided. The project team performed the necessary adjustments to adapt the project, entered data into the database, ensured the data relevance and enrichment, and configured the required connections. Examples of data and connections organization are given along with the adjustments causes and samples performed by the project team efforts. It was concluded that application solutions design system with adjustments fits the evolving solution architecture description. The project team finalized application solutions design system, eliminated inconsistencies between documentation and practice, formed the system description on a single context basis, and ensured the data’s relevance. It helped to prevent information crises at the stages of large project design and development.

Identifying Key Characteristics of Business Rules That Affect Software Project Success

Today, businesses need to continuously adjust to a dynamic environment. Enterprises have to deal with global competition and technological advances, meet government regulations, and keep their expenses under control. Under these pressures, enterprises need to implement and improve software that supports and helps to evolve their business. However, as practice shows, software implementation projects are complex, and a considerable percentage of them do not meet business requirements. Therefore, a business needs to manage software implementation properly. Existing research shows that using business rules (BR) in software implementation projects helps to ensure its success. The purpose of our study is to advance the understanding of how BR affect software implementation success, namely, which key characteristics of BR are the most important. To achieve this goal, the top thousand enterprises in Slovenia, by added value, facing typical software implementation projects were surveyed. The obtained results show that BR that are specifically prepared for a particular project and easy to understand have a statistically significant positive effect on software implementation project success.

Success determinants of projects of business software implementation: Research framework

Abstract The experience of many organizations so far has shown that the risk of failure of the software implementation project is high, and in order to reduce this risk, significant efforts have been made so far to implement the project management methodology. However, research to date shows that, despite improvements in project management, a relatively significant number of projects still fail by some of the performance criteria. A methodology is proposed that includes: (i) analysis of previous research; (ii) design a research instrument to measure project performance and define key determinants of project performance; (iii) development of a multi-criteria model for measuring the performance of software projects; (iv) development of software project management performance models for Croatian organizations using a data mining approach. These activities can be carried out using the following methods: bibliographic analysis of previous research, survey research method, descriptive and inferential statistics methods, structural equations method and data mining methods (supervised and unsupervised learning, text mining). The results of this research framework can be used as a starting point for researching the success of business software implementation projects.

A Novel UCP Model Based on Artificial Neural Networks and Orthogonal Arrays

Adequate estimation is a crucial factor for the implementation of software projects within set customer requirements. The use of Case Point Analysis (UCP) is the latest and most accurate method for estimating the effort and cost of realizing software products. This paper will present a new, improved UCP model constructed based on two different artificial neural network (ANN) architectures based on Taguchi Orthogonal Vector Plans. ANNs are an exceptional artificial intelligence tool that have been proven to be reliable and stable in this area of software engineering. The Taguchi method of Orthogonal Vector Plans is an optimization method that reduces the number of iterations required, which significantly shortens estimation time. The goal is to construct models that give a minimum magnitude relative error (MRE) value concerning previous approaches and techniques. A minimum number of iterations (less than six) and a minimum value of MMRE (less than 10%) have been achieved. The obtained results significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of estimating the effort and cost involved in the implementation of software projects.

Requirements Engineering: An Industrial Survey in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Requirements engineering (RE), the process of defining the requirements of a system, is critical to the successful implementation of software projects. Although many studies have been globally conducted on the different facets of RE in software engineering, studies explicitly focusing on the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have been scarce. GCC-specific RE research studies are needed because of the unique cultural characteristics and common work ethics in GCC countries. Besides, the investigation of the state of RE practices in the countries of the GCC is crucial as the globalization of software development becomes imminent. This study compares the state of RE practices within the six countries of the GCC, namely, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, using six RE factors. To understand commonalities and differences in the RE practices and methods, 163 software practitioners in GCC countries are surveyed in this study. The results show that the RE practices are relatively similar among the six countries, with subtle differences. Initiating software-related projects with unclear requirements and undefined project scopes are the two major limitations of the RE practices among the survey participants. The results of this study contribute to providing project managers and system analysts, who are working globally and within the GCC countries, with valuable decision-making tools to help them consider the identified RE techniques, methods, and challenges and their related risks early in their software development projects

Gestão de projetos: gestão de escopo e stakeholders na implantação de um projeto de software em um ambiente sem contexto de projetos

Este relato técnico discute a importância da aplicação de ferramentas de gerenciamento de projetos, com foco em gestão de escopo e stakeholders. O método utilizado foi estudo de caso e a unidade de análise foi um projeto de implementação de software de um fornecedor multinacional para concessão de descontos em academias de ginástica numa empresa de transportes aéreos no Brasil. Os dados foram coletados por meio de análise documental e entrevista com o gerente do projeto da companhia. A conclusão da análise dos dados deste estudo permitiu o entendimento dos problemas ocorridos no gerenciamento do projeto e como as dificuldades das áreas que tratam de gestão de escopo e stakeholders encontradas durante a gestão do projeto culminaram no atraso do projeto. A intervenção executada no modelo de assessoria permitiu realizar um mapa de problemas versus lições aprendidas. A contribuição deste trabalho é consolidada pela elaboração de uma proposta de gestão de escopo e stakeholders utilizando as boas práticas de gerenciamento de projetos em contextos que não sejam de projetos.

Managing ERP Projects Implementation: Multidimensional Analysis of Failure Causes

Due to the persistence of failure to conduct information systems implementation projects, and because of the lack of researchers' consultation on the key factors of project management success, it is advisable to broaden the reflection on the main factors of failure and success, taking into account the contexts specific to each project. This paper lies within an exploratory approach, trying to identify the success factors of managing ERP implementation projects within companies, and proving the existence of strong interactions between the three project phases. It also tries to explain that project management should not be executed independently of the initial business plan. The methodological approach applied in this research is not part of a linear approach that investigates a phenomenon known in advance; it aims at building knowledge based on qualitative and empirical data. It is a combination of Maxwell's qualitative and empirical research' foundations, as well as the principles of grounded theory used in qualitative analyses in which the studied sample's size is not known in advance. The article showed that the success of ERP implementation is not as obvious, it should not be perceived separately from the study and exploitation's stages. In fact, it is the outcome of an appropriate preparation during the pre-project stage, optimized implementation during the project's conducting stage, as well as satisfaction of final users. This complexity requires the involvement of all stakeholders as well as agility at all levels. Thus, the stakeholders are required to take into account all events and possibilities that may affect the course of the software implementation project. At this level, defining a management approach and setting up a structure dedicated to that project becomes a must.

A Case Study for Software Quality Evaluation Based on SCT Model With BP Neural Network

With the increasing for function, scale, hierarchy and complexity of software project, the software life cycle and development stage show a trend of cross-cutting and fuzzy boundary. The non-technical factors, such as poor management and control during the implementation of software projects, are the major reason for causing the low success rate of software projects recently. Therefore, the software quality evaluation under complex environment should take the cross-influence between different stages of software life cycle and different quality evaluation standards into consideration. Our research is to construct a new software quality evaluation model by using the influence relationship and the influence intensity index between project management domain and project quality evaluation criteria including scope, cost, and time. First, we came up with the definition of software project management domain in the process of software project development and management. Second, we proposed a mathematical method for extracting the direct or indirect influence relation between them, and give a definition for the quantitative evaluation index and its calculation formula. At last we proposed to construct a neural network training model which includes evaluation model logic relationships and software quality quantitative evaluation index. Through study and training by simulated software project management data, we can discover some key data, such as normal threshold range of influence, factor weights, etc. Therefore, a complete evaluation system is built, and the scientific nature and accuracy of the proposal evaluation system will be improved.

User Engagement in the Era of Hybrid Agile Methodology

Contemporary software development and implementation projects are increasingly adopting agile methods by tailoring and blending agile techniques into a traditional project framework. Common tailoring methods employed by project teams emphasize flexibility to embrace local project context.

Формалізація процесу управління ризиками розроблення програмного забезпечення

Розроблено підхід до формалізації процесу управляння ризиками розроблення програмного забезпечення (ПЗ), який дає змогу ідентифікувати та оцінити несприятливі ситуацій під час реалізації етапів програмного проекту, а також уможливлює розроблення стратегій і тактик їх передбачення, сприйняття та подолання негативних наслідків від їх прояву. З'ясовано, що управління ризиками розроблення ПЗ потрібно розглядати як процес, який дає змогу визначити особливості такого управління, основні категорії наявних ризиків, ризик-орієнтовний підхід до управління ними. Уточнено підходи до ідентифікації ризиків розроблення ПЗ, їхнього ґрунтовного аналізу, планування та моніторингу, що дало змогу поміняти модель діяльності проектного менеджменту загалом і змінити модель поведінки керівника проекту зокрема на різних етапах реалізації програмного проекту. Удосконалено методику визначення можливих джерел появи ризиків розроблення ПЗ й ідентифікації потенційних ризикових подій, сформовано структуровану множину наявних ризиків реалізації програмних проектів і розроблено їх формалізовані моделі для проведення відповідних розрахунків. Розроблено методику визначення ймовірностей настання потенційних ризикових подій у відповідних їх множинах, запропоновано підхід до розподілу вартості реалізації програмного проекту за цими множинами загалом і потенційними ризиковими подіями зокрема, визначено частки та величини можливих збитків від настання ризикових подій, встановлено пріоритети їх пом'якшення та ранжування. Уточнено заходи із запобігання чи знешкодження ризиків розроблення ПЗ, удосконалено методику визначення ймовірності зменшення або усунення різних ризикових подій, визначено правила і політику реалізації програмного проекту, розроблено їх формалізовані моделі.

Засіб для визначення якості програмного забезпечення методами метричного аналізу

Розроблено сучасний програмний засіб для визначення якості програмного забезпечення (ПЗ) методами метричного аналізу, що дає змогу за допомогою показників якості розрахувати відповідні метрики і визначити значення комплексного показника якості програмного продукту. З'ясовано особливості процесу оцінювання якості ПЗ, тобто проаналізовано поняття якість програмного продукту як предмет стандартизації, а також рівні подання моделі якості ПЗ, що дало змогу встановити можливість її підвищення шляхом формування відповідних вимог до критеріїв оцінювання якості, вдосконалення моделей метричного аналізу його якості та методів кількісного її вимірювання на всіх етапах реалізації програмного проекту. Встановлено особливості використання метричного аналізу для визначення якості ПЗ, згідно з якими існує відсутність єдиних стандартів на метрики, тому кожен постачальник вимірювальної системи пропонує власні методи оцінювання якості ПЗ і відповідні метрики. Також є складним завдання інтерпретації значень метрик, позаяк для більшості користувачів як метрики, так і їх значення не зовсім є зрозумілими та інформативними. Виявлено, що основними параметрами при виборі варіанту реалізації ПЗ є його вартість та тривалість процесу розроблення й репутація фірми-проектанта, але рішення, прийняті на підставі цих параметрів, не завжди гарантують належну якість ПЗ.

Correctness assessment of a crowdcoding project in a computer programming introductory course

AbstractCrowdcoding is a programming model that outsources a software project implementation to the crowd. As educators, we think that crowdcoding could be leveraged as part of the learning path of engineering students from a computer programming introductory course to solve local community problems. The benefits are twofold: on the one hand the students practice the concepts learned in class and, on the other hand, they participate in real‐life problems. Nevertheless, several challenges arise when developing a crowdcoding platform, the first one being how to check the correctness of student's code without giving an extra burden to the professors in the course. To overcome this issue, we propose a novel system that does not resort to expert review; neither requires knowing the right answers beforehand. The proposed scheme automatically clusters the student's codes based solely on the output they produce. Our initial results show that the largest cluster contains the same codes selected as correct by the automated and human testing, as long as some conditions apply.

Mediating effects of psychological safety in the relationship between team affectivity and transactive memory systems

SummaryIn this research, we develop a framework for understanding the emergence of transactive memory systems (TMS) in project‐based teams characterized by different levels of group level positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA). With a focus on enhancing understanding of the means of transmission, we test the mediating role played by group level psychological safety (PS) in the relationship between team affectivity and TMS. From a sample of 107 software implementation project teams, in a lagged field study, we find support for a mediated model in which high group NA, but not group PA, promotes environments psychologically unsafe for interpersonal risk‐taking (low PS) and which are negatively associated with TMS. This study extends prior research on the differential effects of PA and NA, by contributing to the limited research on group affectivity, environmental antecedents of TMS, and the mediating role of PS for predicting group level transactive processes and structures. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An Assessment of risk response strategies practiced in software projects

Risk management and success in projects are highly intertwined – better approaches to project risk management tend to increase chances of project success in terms of achieving scope & quality, schedule and cost targets. The process of responding to risk factors during a project’s life cycle is a crucial aspect of risk management referred to as risk response strategies, in this paper. The current research explores the status of risk response strategies applied in the software development projects in India. India provides a young IT-savvy English-speaking population, which is also cost effective. Other than the workforce, the environment for implementation of software projects in India is different from the matured economies. Risk management process is a commonly discussed theme, though its implementation in practice has a huge scope for improvement in India. The paper talks about four fundamental treatments to risk response – Avoidance, Transference, Mitigation and Acceptance (ATMA). From a primary data of 302 project managers, the paper attempts to address the risk response factors that lead to successful achievement of project scope & quality, schedule and cost targets, by using a series of regressions followed with Seemingly Unrelated Regression Equations (SURE) modelling. Mitigation emerged as the most significant risk response strategy to achieve project targets. Acceptance, transference, and avoidance of risk were mostly manifested in the forms of transparency in communication across stakeholders, careful study of the nature of risks and close coordination between project team, customers/end-users and top management.

Risk Profiles in Individual Software Development and Packaged Software Implementation Projects

The aim of this paper is to compare risk profiles of individual software development (ISD) and packaged software implementation (PSI) projects. While researchers have investigated risks in either PSI projects or ISD projects, an integrated perspective on how the risk profiles of these two types of information system (IS) projects differ is missing. To explore these differences, this work conducted a Delphi study at a German-based financial services company. The results suggest that: First, ISD projects seem to be more heterogeneous and face a larger variety of risks than the more straightforward PSI projects. Second, ISD projects seem to be particularly prone to risks related to sponsorship, requirements, and project organization. Third, PSI projects tend to be predominantly subject to risks related to technology, project planning, and project completion. Finally, in contrast to available lists of risks in IS projects and irrespective of the project type, the paper found a surprisingly high prominence of technology and testing-related risks.

Conceptualising and responding to risk in IT projects

An unresolved element of the debate concerning software implementation projects concerns the difficulty of theoretically linking a coherent risk construct to an empirical validation of the risk management process. We show how key risk management activities can be embedded within a carefully developed risk construct that offers both theoretical and practical content. We support our work using data from a large sample survey and evidence how risk can accumulate in a project; show which risk mitigation strategies are likely to be used in practice and over which risk areas of the risk construct; and report a new finding concerning the strategic responses to technical failure in projects.

The social shaping of cloud computing: An ethnography of infrastructure in east St. Louis, Illinois

This paper presents findings from an ethnographic study of cloud computing in a human services organization in East St. Louis, Illinois. Previous social informatics studies have focused on the impact of computerization on urban welfare organizations. This research instead uses a “social shaping of technology” perspective to investigate the ways in which broader social, political, and economic forces shape cloud computerization and its consequences within a nonprofit organization that administers government-funded social welfare programs. The findings illustrate how the infrastructural tensions between external stakeholder demands and internal organizational needs significantly influenced a cloud computing software implementation project. In presenting this infrastructural analysis, I seek to fill a gap in the literature on the social shaping of cloud computing and its consequences in U.S. industrial suburbs, such as East St. Louis, where high rates of poverty exist.

An Assessment of the Role of Risk Management Practices in Core Banking Software Project Success: A Case of Commercial Banks in Kenya

Core Banking Software Change project in a bank is a project that is very costly and very delicate such that its success emerges the top most priority for the organization that is undergoing the change. There is need for business continuity, data integrity and customer service value addition from the product of the project. This study sought to establish the role of risk management practices towards enhancing project success in commercial banks in Kenya during Core Banking Software Change. Given its complexity, therefore, it would be paramount to establish the existing risk management practices in the local banking sector. This study sought to assess these practices with regard to risk identification, risk analysis and risk response and control. The researcher used survey research design and the target population was 14 banks that have changed their Core Banking Software in the last five years (2007-2013) based in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city. A sample size of 7 banks was taken consisting of Project Managers, System Owner and Super Users as respondents. Data was the analyzed qualitatively using statistical representations such as percentages and graphs. The study revealed that most commercial banks in Kenya employ risk management practices during Core Banking Software Project implementation and most respondents believed that Risk Management is a major contributor to project success. Project success is the outcome of a personal, individual evaluation of project characteristics by each stakeholder. This may include objectively measurable characteristics such as time, money and requirements, but may also include other characteristics such as stakeholder satisfaction and the future potential of the project result (Koningsveld & Mertens, 1992). This study recommends that banks need to adopt an integrated project risk management tool to be used by the project team during the whole project cycle. This research also recommends the introduction of a prototype risk decision support tool which banks can use in decision making during the implementation of a project. These recommendations are expected to enhance project success through delivery in time, within the established budgets and at the expected quality.