Often information systems projects require two or more project teams to collaborate with one another to complete critical foundational elements of a new information system, and the dependences of each of these tasks needs to be shown and clearly communicated to all members of a project team. In addition, these tools and techniques must also take into account the requirements of the entire lifecycle of the product (Stewart, 203). The ability of a project manager to define how the specific code sets and features will be used in subsequent generations of the application need to be addressed during the initial planning stages to ensure a high level of integration. The development of extensions to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that is used for managing the manufacturing of PCs, laptops and servers by Dell is an example of a longer-term project managed extensively through the use of these tools and techniques. The development of integration plans and extensions to the ERP system that allows Dell to produce thousands of customized systems a day initially began as an internal project plan that required a high level of clarity and collaboration, specifically of the time commitment required to complete it, for the system to be successful. The eventual integration of the ERP system to include support for distributed order management and logistics functions were only possible through the use of the time-based tools and techniques of project management Aside from managing time efficiently through project management of an information systems project, cost is a critical concern as are resources including the time of expert-level contributors to the project. Take for example the costs associated with extending the Dell ERP system to include integration with other systems throughout the company, and the need for ensuring that pricing and logistics experts were available when the project was underway. Costs for the project were managed using Net Present Value (NPV), Return on Investment (ROI), project portfolio management, cost estimates, and cost management plans. As Dell is a very numerically...

Costing and resources are managed as dual constraints at Dell, as they are in many other manufacturing organizations. The development of information systems that streamline production, fulfillment and service functions are quite complex and require expertise that is very valuable in Dell. As a result, resources are managed very carefully to ensure all competing information systems projects get the necessary support from internal experts. Time, cost, and resources ultimately need to be managed as three constraints that when applied to information systems project provide the roadmap to effectively attaining a projects' objectives. The daily managing of time on a project needs to be supported by cost controls and resource availability. Ultimately the highest performing project managers are able to optimize plan objectives given these constraints and fulfill project plans.