Operationalizing the Concept of Success in Software Engineering Projects

2013 ◽  
pp. 89-116
Author(s):  
Marko Ikonen ◽  
Pekka Abrahamsson
Keyword(s):  
Software Engineering ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Literature Survey ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Success Model ◽  
Flexible Organizations ◽  
Economic Survival ◽  
Industrial Software ◽  
Engineering Projects

Success in industrial software development projects is critical in the sense of economic survival for companies acting as software suppliers. If the structure or decision-making mechanism is heavyweight, the suppliers will encounter problems when improving their performance due to their inadequate ability to change. This, however, offers an opportunity for more flexible organizations that are able to proactively survive in a volatile software business environment. Taking such an advantage, regardless, requires understanding the components of success holistically. Research on project success regarding software engineering is still fragmented and focuses on the isolated relationships of success. This article operationalizes the concept of project success based on a literature survey and an empirical validation. As a result, an indicative project success model for software engineering projects is proposed. The resulting model is evaluated empirically in a large multinational software corporation setting. The results show the model provides a valuable tool for KIBS organizations to increase their capabilities in running successful projects as well as to find targets for improvements in these projects.

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