- Project management software helps companies plan, execute and control projects. The simpler and more efficient the processes for projects are executed, the more profitable and more successful the projects are for companies. Therefore, the process of defining and selecting requirements for a project management software is an important success factor for any company in any industry and company size. Based on a qualitative analysis of existing procedural models for the selection of project management software, a procedural model for the selection of project management software is developed and validated with two user cases. So companies can execute and support projects for the selection, implementation and continuous development of project management software even more efficiently.
I. INTRODUCTION
Project management software is a type of software in the
family of enterprise systems. The term Enterprise Systems
subsumes for example Business Intelligence, Customer
Relationship Management, Enterprise Resource Planning,
Product Lifecycle Management, Production Planning System
and many more. Enterprise systems therefore subsumes all
software systems that are used to conduct and execute
business processes in a company [
Project management software is used for a wide variety of projects in a company including enterprise systems projects to select, introduce and continuously develop them.
Project management software is usually modular and consists of various modules or components such as multi project management, project controlling, portfolio management, resource management, and so on. [2]. These modules, with a variety of functions, are usually found in the original project management software but also in other enterprise systems types such as Enterprise Resource Planning. They are sold and implemented by different vendors (manufacturers and implementation partners) [3].
In contrast to Enterprise Resource Planning, there are less scientific publications for the selection and evaluation of project management software [4]. In recent years (publication year: between 2009 and 2016) different consulting companies and consultants have dealt with the domain of selection and introduction of project management software and have developed their own process models with different phases and sequences as well as tasks and activities (see table 5 in annex).
These models can be found mainly on their websites or in special journals.
The aim is to develop a procedural model for selecting project management software from existing process models and to validate it with two user cases. The introduction or implementation of the project management software is excluded (Implementation phase included in five analyzed procedural models (see Table 6 in annex).
Nomination in phase
R1 Copyright © 2020 for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). R1: Order Column A R2: Order column B R3: Order column C
R4: Order column D A. Selection phases of the procedural model for selecting project management software
The analysis and subsequent formation of an order of the eleven procedural models for selecting project management software results in a new procedural model for selecting project management software with seven selection phases (see Figure 1, Table 3 and 4). Only phases are included, which are used at least in four existing procedural models for the selection of project management software.
The present and analyzed procedural models for selecting project management software have a minimum of two phases and a maximum of nine phases. Looking at all eleven procedural models (see Annex) for selecting project management software, the average is 4.72 phases compared to the seven phases of the new project management software selection process. ∑: Number of entries in the eleven previous models analyzed # 3 4 5 6 1 2 7 # 3 4 5 6 1 2 7 D: Mean A+B+C
The analysis of the results shows that the phase of the requirement definition is the most important, since with ten mentions in eleven models it is most common in all models. It can be concluded that you cannot get passed the requirement management. The second most important phase besides the requirement definition is the selection phase with nine responses followed by the analysis phase with five responses in the eleven models.
B. Selection activities of the procedural model for selecting project management software
Different tasks and activities are performed at each stage of the calculated project management software selection process. The analysis of eleven procedural models for the selection of project management software presents those tasks and activities that are mentioned at least twice in the procedural models (each in alphabetical order).
Define goals
Describe degree of maturity of the project Requirement definition phase • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Nominate project team Start project Analyze processes Analyze requirements Capture processes Conduct interviews Conduct workshops Create request catalog Document requirements Identify requirements Prioritize requirements Structure requirements Analyze benefits
Analyze costs
Define demand Define stakeholders Define target Perform actual analysis Assess evaluation Comment presentations Design evaluation Evaluate presentations Moderate presentations Perform presentations Document tests Obtain test positions Perform tests Schedule tests
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
IV. USE CASES
The analyzed and calculated procedural model for selecting project management software has been validated in two user cases.
In the first company, a service company in Austria, the application of the procedural model for the selection of a new project management software was applied as part of a consulting project.
The second company, a large company in the industry of plant engineering and construction with its headquarters in Germany and several subsidiaries all over Europe, the new procedural model for selecting project management software was used in the evaluation of the existing project management software in the course of evaluating the entire enterprise systems landscape.
In the planning phase of both projects for the selection of project management software, the companies identified two gaps in the procedural model for selecting project management software in form of the evaluation phase and the contract phase, as these are two common phases in each selection project for both companies. Therefore, these two phases for the implementation of the selection project were additionally added in the procedural model for the selection of project management software.
In the course of the project initialization phase, it was apparent, that the analysis phase had to be carried out before the requirement definition phase and not the other way around to the service company at the beginning and to the plant engineering company at the end of the project initiation phase. Therefore, this should be taken into account in the new procedural model for selecting project management software. In certain cases, from the point of view of both companies, these two phases could also be conducted in parallel.
Furthermore, in the course of the two selection projects, it was apparent that a specific tendering phase is necessary and should not be included in the selection phase. Therefore, this further phase has been added in the procedural model for selecting project management software.
From the point of view of the two companies, possible reductions of different phases from the proposed procedural model for the selection of project management software were not necessary, as all planned phases are considered indispensable.
V. EXPERIENCED MODEL FOR THE SELECTION OF
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
The ten phase process model for selecting project management software, derived from qualitative analysis and validation by two use cases, is shown in Figure 2. The calculated procedural model with seven phases for selecting project management software was supplemented by three phases (marked gray) and the order of two phases were changed (analysis phase follows requirement definition phase). Analyze software favorite Carry out test positions Decision Compare requirements Conduct call for proposals Create evaluation Create longlist Create shortlist Finalize software favorite Interview reference customers Make presentations Make selection Negotiate contracts Obtain test positions Perform feasibility analysis Perform fine selection Pre-selection Visit reference customers Decision Document presentations Evaluate presentations
Perform presentations
From the two use cases, the tasks and activities for the three complementary phases (contract, evaluation and tendering) that were used in both user cases were determined. This also applies to the additions to the requirement phase (each in alphabetical order).
Analyze vulnerabilities Analyze potentials Create specifications Define technical requirements Define data management Document procedural requirements Weight requirements • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Get initial offers Market research (providers) Market research (systems) Carry out evaluation Create evaluation criteria Negotiate project management provider and/or implementation partner
management software
VI. FURTHER RESEARCH
The two user cases have shown that the calculated order of the determined phases for the new procedural model for selecting project management software is a basis for practical application in companies. It is worth mentioning whether so many phases are really necessary for the selection of a project management software. This depends on the size of the company and the specific requirements or affinity of stakeholders in relation to project management software. The new ten phase model for selecting project management software should therefore be confirmed in a broad and deep analysis. This can be qualitatively verified either by a quantitative survey or by expert interviews. Further use cases can certainly support the results. X X X X selection Selection help for PPM software The six steps to the right project management software Project process Concept for selecting a project management software Selection and introduction process Selection process for project management software Selection of project management software Software Launch Procedural Model Procedural model pmcc consulting PPM software selection Expiration of a PM software selection
Process
Journal
Steps
Steps
Phases
Steps
Steps
Levels
Phases
Steps
Phases
X
X
X
[8]
[2]
[9]
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VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY 0,0000 0,3333 0,6667 1,0000 0,0000 0,1429 0,2857 0,4286 0,5714 0,7143 0,8571 1,0000 1 0,0000 1,0000 0,0000 0,2000 0,4000 0,6000 0,8000 1,0000