Contributions to IT project portfolio management and individual digital study assistants in higher education

Diese kumulative Dissertation beschreibt und diskutiert 12 wissenschaftliche Artikel, die einen Beitrag zur Forschung in den Themenbereichen Informationstechnik (IT) Projektportfoliomanagement und individuelle, digitale Studienassistenten an Universitäten umfasst. Dafür wurden Modelle und Rahmenwerke entwickelt, die wesentliche IT Projektportfoliomanagement Phasen und Aktivitäten beschreiben, eine objektive IT Projektevaluation ermöglichen und Reifegrade von IT Projektportfoliomanagement Prozessen bestimmen. Außerdem wurde ein Optimierungsmodell zur Auswahl und Planung des IT Projektportfoliomanagement Prozesses aufgestellt und in einem Entscheidungsunterstützungssystem-Prototypen integriert. Bestehende IT Projektportfoliomanagement Tools, sowie Anforderungen und unternehmerische Vorteile für IT Projektmanager wurden jeweils in Taxonomien klassifiziert, Muster erkannt und Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede aufgezeigt. Zusätzlich wurden kritische Erfolgsfaktoren, Herausforderungen und Anforderungen für individuelle, digitale Studienassistenten identifiziert, analysiert und diskutiert. In mehreren Iterationen wurde basierend darauf ein Prototyp entwickelt, evaluiert, modifiziert und allgemeine Leitlinien für das Design, die Entwicklung und den Betrieb eines individuellen, digitalen Studienassistenten abgeleitet. Die Forschungsarbeiten ermöglichen IT Projektportfoliomanagement Prozesse effizienter und werteorientiert zu gestalten und subjektive Einflüsse zu minimieren sowie Hochschulen bei dem Design, der Entwicklung und dem Betrieb von individuellen, digitalen Studienassistenten zu unterstützen. Basierend auf Limitationen wird eine Forschungsagenda aufgestellt, die 13 weitere Forschungsmöglichkeiten im Themenbereich IT Projektportfoliomanagement und individuelle, digitale Studienassistenten aufzeigt und als Grundlage für weitere Forschung in diesen Themenfeldern dient.This cumulative dissertation outlines and discusses 12 scientific publications that contribute to the knowledge of Information Technology (IT) project portfolio management and individual digital study assistants in higher education. The papers developed models and frameworks that describe crucial IT project portfolio management phases and activities, enable an objective IT project evaluation, and define IT project portfolio management maturity levels. In addition, they deduced an optimization model for IT project portfolio management evaluation, selection, and scheduling decisions and implemented it in a decision support system prototype. Developed taxonomies and archetypes classify existing IT project portfolio management tools as well as requirements and corporate benefits of IT project manager positions to identify patterns, similarities, and differences. Further, critical success factors, challenges, and requirements for an individual digital study assistant were identified, analyzed, and discussed. Based on these and during several iterations, an individual digital study assistant prototype was developed, evaluated, adapted, and guidelines derived. The articles contribute knowledge on how to design more efficient and value-driven IT project portfolio management processes to minimize subjective influences. Also, they provide knowledge to support higher education institutions in the design, development, and operation of individual digital study assistants. Based on existing limitations, a further research agenda is deduced, including 13 further research directions for IT project portfolio management and individual digital study assistants in higher education institutions. They serve as a basis for further researchers in these fields of topics

Value-Driven IT Project Portfolio Management: Tool-Based Scoring, Selection, and Scheduling

Managing IT project portfolios is a challenge because of IT projects\u27 complexity, dynamics, and uncertainty. Many IT projects exceed resources or time frames and do not reach their value-driven goals. A continuous scoring, selection, and scheduling of IT project proposals is thus essential to build an optimal portfolio. It has a significant impact on value contribution, strategic direction, goal achievement, and competitive advantages. We quantify an IT project\u27s urgency, strategy, efficiency, risk, and complexity as important evaluation and scoring criteria. To support top management decision makers in the IT project portfolio management process, we outline a combination of an evaluation approach with an optimization model. We develop a prototype decision support system to automate and simplify this process and demonstrate its applicability. Our recommendations address both theory and practice, improve IT project portfolio management, support value creation, and goal achievement

Value-driven IT Project Portfolio Management: Process Model, Evaluation Framework, and Decision Support

Companies must optimize their information technology (IT) project portfolio to achieve goals. However, IT projects often exceed resources and do not create their promised value, for example, because of missing structured processes and evaluation methods. Continuous IT portfolio management is thus of importance and a critical business activity to reach value-driven goals. Guided by Design Science Research with literature reviews and expert interviews, we develop, evaluate, and adjust an IT project portfolio management process model, a holistic IT project evaluation framework, and implement a decision support system prototype. Our results and findings synthesize and extend previous research and expert opinions and guide decision-makers to make more informed and objective IT project portfolio management decisions aligned with optimal value creation. Furthermore, we deduce new research opportunities for IT project portfolio management process models, decision tools, and evaluation frameworks

IT Project Portfolio Management Tools: Towards Taxonomy-based Archetypes

To achieve organizational goals and remain competitive, evaluating, selecting, and managing IT projects and proposals to build a value-driven portfolio is a critical activity. IT project portfolio management (ITPPM) tools assist these portfolio-related activities, support strategic decision-makers, and help complete more IT projects successfully. Despite existing research on this topic, knowledge about the characteristics and design elements of ITPPM tools is still limited. We develop a taxonomy based on scientific literature and 60 real-word ITPPM tools with four perspectives, 20 dimensions, and 51 characteristics. Subsequently, we perform a cluster analysis and identify five ITPPM tool archetypes. Our results and findings contribute to the knowledge base and integrate scientific and practical knowledge to build the basis for further research on ITPPM tools. Further, we structure the ITPPM tool market, guide practitioners in selecting an appropriate ITPPM tool and support the development of new solutions or develop existing ones further

Decision support framework for IT project manager recruitment

Information technology project managers (IT PM) have a critical influence on IT project success while attracting and selecting the right IT PM is challenging. We followed a four-level research design and firstly developed a taxonomy as an input for a cluster analysis to identify patterns in IT PM job advertisements. Based hereon, we developed a decision support framework for IT PM recruitment. We evaluated our findings in an online survey. We identified multiple design elements for IT PM job advertisements within five perspectives and deduced five IT PM archetypes. The decision support framework uses five questions to assist IT PM recruitment. We expand the knowledge base and consider not only IT PM requirements but also benefits. Our decision support framework is the first to holistically support IT PM recruitment, supports recruitment managers in structuring job interviews, identifies potential matches between applicants and recruiters, and assists in the final selection

IT Project Portfolio Management Tools: Towards Taxonomy-based Archetypes

To achieve organizational goals and remain competitive, evaluating, selecting, and managing IT projects and proposals to build a value-driven portfolio is a critical activity. IT project portfolio management (ITPPM) tools assist these portfolio-related activities, support strategic decision-makers, and help complete more IT projects successfully. Despite existing research on this topic, knowledge about the characteristics and design elements of ITPPM tools is still limited. We develop a taxonomy based on scientific literature and 60 real-word ITPPM tools with four perspectives, 20 dimensions, and 51 characteristics. Subsequently, we perform a cluster analysis and identify five ITPPM tool archetypes. Our results and findings contribute to the knowledge base and integrate scientific and practical knowledge to build the basis for further research on ITPPM tools. Further, we structure the ITPPM tool market, guide practitioners in selecting an appropriate ITPPM tool and support the development of new solutions or develop existing ones further

Critical success factors and challenges for individual digital study assistants in higher education: A mixed methods analysis

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the availability of online higher education programs and tools has grown rapidly. One example is an individual digital study assistant (IDSA) for students, which provides functionalities to train self-regulation skills, to engage with own educational goals and to offer automated, first-level support to higher education institution (HEI) units and employees. An IDSA further can guide students through HEI and their administration. But, what are the critical success factors (CSF) and challenges for an IDSA? We deduce these using a mixed methods approach with one quantitative student survey, two rounds of interviews with various HEI experts, and a literature review. We classified our results according to the information system (IS) success model of DeLone & McLean (2016). Our results and findings show, e.g., that skilled and reliable HEI personnel, well-organized and useful content, cross-platform usability, ease of use, and students’ social factors are essential. Attractive IDSA functionalities are a major challenge because students use many apps, daily. Based on our CSF and challenges, we deduce theoretical and practical recommendations and develop a further research agenda

Development guidelines for individual digital study assistants in higher education

Increasing student numbers, heterogeneity and individual biographies lead to a growing need for personalized support. To meet these challenges, an Individual Digital Study Assistant (IDSA) provides features to help students improve their self-regulation and organizational skills to achieve individual study goals. Based on qualitative expert interviews, a quantitative student survey, and current literature we derived requirements for an IDSA. Based on them, we designed, developed, and implemented a first IDSA prototype for higher education institutions (HEI). We continuously evaluated the prototype within different workshops and analyzed the usage data to improve it further in three enhanced prototypes. Based on this iterative process, we derived guidelines for an IDSA design and development. Accordingly, the framework, project management, content, team selection, team development, team communication, marketing, and student habits are important to consider. The guidelines advance the knowledge base of IDSA in HEI and guide and support practitioners in the design, development, and implementation of IDSA in HEI

IT Project Portfolio Management Tools: Towards Taxonomy-based Archetypes

To achieve organizational goals and remain competitive, evaluating, selecting, and managing IT projects and proposals to build a value-driven portfolio is a critical activity. IT project portfolio management (ITPPM) tools assist these portfolio-related activities, support strategic decision-makers, and help complete more IT projects successfully. Despite existing research on this topic, knowledge about the characteristics and design elements of ITPPM tools is still limited. We develop a taxonomy based on scientific literature and 60 real-word ITPPM tools with four perspectives, 20 dimensions, and 51 characteristics. Subsequently, we perform a cluster analysis and identify five ITPPM tool archetypes. Our results and findings contribute to the knowledge base and integrate scientific and practical knowledge to build the basis for further research on ITPPM tools. Further, we structure the ITPPM tool market, guide practitioners in selecting an appropriate ITPPM tool and support the development of new solutions or develop existing ones further