Project Management and Information Systems Development

Introduction: Project Management and IS Alignment

Project managers can assist in the organization of information systems, which in turn can aid businesses in integrating security and infrastructural needs to facilitate business objectives. A business user can be directly involved in the core activities of building an information system. Software development methodologies — such as agile development — are one example of the means by which project managers can apply themselves to the task of organizing IS in order to benefit both IS development and the business's own infrastructure. Project and IT managers can ensure that IS development projects are aligned with business strategies and goals by providing oversight, leadership, direction, and integrative formulas for success. This paper examines each of these points to show that project management, information systems development, and business organization are overlapping issues central to every firm's overall progress.

Coordination, Trust, and Knowledge Sharing

As Mir and Pinnington (2014) show, the utilization of a project management system by itself does not necessarily translate into project or business success. The key to successful implementation is the integration and coordination of several variables, among which the project manager can act as director. The project manager must relate to the different factors within the organization, identify needs, and coordinate an integrative approach to problem solving that neither isolates nor divides the various departmental aims from the overall objective of the organization (Mir & Pinnington, 2014). In this manner, the project manager oversees delivery of a comprehensive strategy that involves the business's total infrastructure in a top-down model.

Park and Lee (2014) indicate that the project manager's success in achieving this aim is dependent upon the application of trust, transparency, and knowledge sharing within the firm. Without these variables, complexity within the company can quickly turn into complications. When knowledge is shared and trust is built, communication develops and coordination naturally follows as a desired outcome. In terms of developing an information systems strategy, the project manager is capable of leading the teams involved by inviting the various departmental heads to contribute their assessment of how their individual processes are impactful, oriented, and vulnerable in light of the business's main objectives. This type of communication allows IS development to proceed with optimal facilitation.

Business User Involvement in IS Development

A business user can be involved in the core activities of building an information system by providing key information to the IS department. This includes the type of operations being conducted, what backup measures need to be in place should a system failure occur, the type of data planned for storage and security, a list of priorities in terms of what is most essential to the organization's operations, and the depth of its communicative network. In this manner, the business user gives the IS department critical knowledge of how the organization functions. With this information, the IS department can develop a safe systems infrastructure that addresses the needs of the business in a thorough and effective manner, while maintaining adherence to the business user's overall objectives.

Agile Software Development Methodologies

Agile development and similar software development methodologies can be utilized to allow project management to work in tandem with the IS department for the benefit of both information systems development projects and the overall organization. Agile development is a method by which solutions are developed via a strategy of integrating cross-functional teams based upon a self-organizing principle, while promoting continual enhancement, progress, planning, and evolution of strategic thinking. The concept allows managers and team members to be adaptive and flexible in responding to issues that arise throughout the process. The agile method promotes agility within the systems development concept, with team members coordinating yet maintaining autonomy and independence so that they can pursue objectives simultaneously as other members and units reach goals oriented toward their own needs and capacities (Collier, 2011).

Lightweight software development methods are advantageous to businesses when compared to the heavyweight, waterfall-oriented systems that were extremely micro-managed in the past. The appeal of contemporary software development methodologies is that they allow for freedom of operation within various teams and discourage micro-management. Creative opportunities are thus more likely to emerge, allowing for a more agile system to develop. Customer satisfaction is one benefit of these methods, with simplicity of operations serving as an overall aim that both customers and businesses can support (Laman, 2003).

Exercises such as penetration testing illustrate how agile software systems are utilized in practice, as team members coordinate to adapt to a planned testing of the organization's response to an attack, hack, or system failure (Haes & Grembergen, 2009). Testing the overall IS development can act as a method of contingency planning and risk management, ensuring that the infrastructure remains stable in the event of a system-wide failure and that every team and department understands its role in the restoration process. Project management can oversee this objective and help to coordinate among the various departments and teams as the company works collectively to meet a safe and secure aim.

Conclusion

Project managers can work to integrate teams within a business and allow business users to take part in the information systems development process by facilitating communication, information sharing, team building, goal setting, methodology selection, and project orientation. By identifying needs and helping teams familiarize themselves with the concepts most relevant to meeting those needs, project management enables the organization to build internal support structures and gain stability. As Mir and Pinnington (2014) note, coordination and integration are the keys to success in project management's work with IS. And as Park and Lee (2014) state, knowledge sharing and trust building form the foundation of an effective project management system.

References

Collier, K. (2011). Agile Analytics: A Value-Driven Approach to Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing. NY: Pearson.

Haes, S., & Grembergen, W. (2009). Exploratory study in IT governance implementations and its impact on business/IT alignment. Information Systems Management, 26, 123–137.

Heagney, J. (2012). Fundamentals of Project Management. NY: Amacom.

Laman, C. (2003). Iterative and incremental development: A brief history. Computer, 36(6), 47–56.

Mir, F., & Pinnington, A. (2014). Exploring the value of project management: Linking project management performance and project success. International Journal of Project Management, 32(2), 202–217.

Park, J., & Lee, J. (2014). Knowledge sharing in information systems development projects: Explicating the role of dependence and trust. International Journal of Project Management, 32(1), 153–165.