Applied business analytics approach to IT projects – Methodological framework

The design and implementation of a big data project differs from a typical business intelligence project that might be presented concurrently within the same organization. A big data initiative typically triggers a large scale IT project that is expected to deliver the desired outcomes. The industry has identified two major methodologies for running a data centric project, in particular SEMMA (Sample, Explore, Modify, Model and Assess) and CRISP-DM (Cross Industry Standard Process for Data Mining). More general, the professional organizations PMI (Project Management Institute) and IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis) have defined their methods for project management and business analysis based on the best current industry practices. However, big data projects place new challenges that are not considered by the existing methodologies. The building of end-to-end big data analytical solution for optimization of the supply chain, pricing and promotion, product launch, shop potential and customer value is facing both business and technical challenges. The most common business challenges are unclear and/or poorly defined business cases; irrelevant data; poor data quality; overlooked data granularity; improper contextualization of data; unprepared or bad prepared data; non-meaningful results; lack of skill set. Some of the technical challenges are related to lag of resources and technology limitations; availability of data sources; storage difficulties; security issues; performance problems; little flexibility; and ineffective DevOps. This paper discusses an applied business analytics approach to IT projects and addresses the above-described aspects. The authors present their work on research and development of new methodological framework and analytical instruments applicable in both business endeavors, and educational initiatives, targeting big data. The proposed framework is based on proprietary methodology and advanced analytics tools. It is focused on the development and the implementation of practical solutions for project managers, business analysts, IT practitioners and Business/Data Analytics students. Under discussion are also the necessary skills and knowledge for the successful big data business analyst, and some of the main organizational and operational aspects of the big data projects, including the continuous model deployment

Loosing it: Knowledge Management in Tourism Development Projects

Knowledge management and the development of the destination’s capacity of the intellectual skills needed to use tourism as an effective tool in the search for regeneration and development are central themes explored within this paper. The authors have lived and worked with the problems inherent in short term funding of special projects designed to achieve or facilitate tourism development. We have witnessed with growing sadness the results – and the lack of them – as funding cycles end and staff with experience move away. Development processes require multi-stakeholder involvement at all levels, bringing together governments, NGOs, residents, industry and professionals in a partnership that determines the amount and kind of tourism that a community wants (Sirakaya et al., 2001). Planners need to provide knowledge sharing mechanisms to residents, visitors, industry and other stakeholders in order to raise public and political awareness. We note an absence of literature relating to the capacity of communities to learn from short-term funded projects that inherently are destined to provide a strategic blueprint for destination development and in most cases regeneration through community-based tourism action.Knowledge management, sharing and embedding, community tourism

IT & C Projects Duration Assessment Based on Audit and Software Reengineering

This paper analyses the effect of applying the core elements of software engineering and reengineering, probabilistic simulations and system development auditing to software development projects. Our main focus is reducing software development project duration. Due to the fast changing economy, the need for efficiency and productivity is greater than ever. Optimal allocation of resources has proved to be the main element contributing to an increase in efficiency.Reengineering, audit, project duration assessment, Monte Carlo simulation

Reasons for failure of web-based application IT projects – An Empirical Study in Malaysia

Setiap tahun, organisasi rugi berjuta-juta ringgit kerana aplikasi berasaskan sesawang teknologi maklumat projek gagal. Every year, organizations lose millions of dollars due to failure of web-based application information technology (IT) projects

Evaluation of team dynamic in Norwegian projects for IT students

The need for teaching realistic software development in project courses has increased in a global scale. It has always been challenges in cooperating fast-changing software technologies, development methodologies and teamwork. Moreover, such project courses need to be designed in the connection to existing theoretical courses. We performed a large-scale research on student performance in Software Engineering projects in Norwegian universities. This paper investigates four aspects of team dynamics, which are team reflection, leadership, decision making and task assignment in order to improve student learning. Data was collected from student projects in 4 years at two universities. We found that some leader's characteristics are perceived differently for female and male leaders, including the perception of leaders as skilful workers or visionaries. Leadership is still a challenging aspect to teach, and assigned leadership is probably not the best way to learn. Students is are performing well in task review, however, needs support while performing task assignment. The result also suggests that task management to be done in more fine-grained levels. It is also important to maintain an open and active discussion to facilitate effective group decision makings

Prioritizing IT Projects: An Empirical Application of an IT Investment Model

Information Technology projects are organizational investments that anticipate positive returns. When viewed as such, the development of a diversified “portfolio” of projects helps reduce risk from a single project failure, and results in an overall positive return. Positive returns on IT projects are usually indirect, since they have value only insomuch as they enable the accomplishment of larger organizational goals. We present here a model that integrates elements of risk, cost, and internal rate of return that can be applied to individual IT projects. The model produces a numerical score that can be used to rank potential IT projects. Projects with higher scores return more value to the organization, and therefore should be given a higher priority. We apply the model using the IT project portfolio of a large state-charterd credit union. The results indicated that the credit union was prioritizing projects with more visibility but lower returns that other projects with less visibility but that offered greater returns. The implications of applying the model in other organizational settings are discussed

Losing IT: knowledge management in development projects

Knowledge management and the development of the destination’s capacity of the intellectual skills needed to use tourism as an effective tool in the search for regeneration and development are central themes explored within this paper. The authors have lived and worked with the problems inherent in short term funding of special projects designed to achieve or facilitate tourism development. We have witnessed with growing sadness the results – and the lack of them – as funding cycles end and staff with experience move away. Development processes require multi-stakeholder involvement at all levels, bringing together governments, NGOs, residents, industry and professionals in a partnership that determines the amount and kind of tourism that a community wants (Sirakaya et al., 2001). Planners need to provide knowledge sharing mechanisms to residents, visitors, industry and other stakeholders in order to raise public and political awareness. We note an absence of literature relating to the capacity of communities to learn from short-term funded projects that inherently are destined to provide a strategic blueprint for destination development and in most cases regeneration through community-based tourism action

Delivering a Brighter Future for IT Projects

This document is the Accepted Manuscript of the following article: Darren Dalcher, 'Delivering a Brighter Future for IT Projects', Cutter Business Technology Journal, Vol. 29 (12), pp. 25-27, January 2017. The version of record is available online at https://www.cutter.com/article/delivering-brighter-future-it-projects-494201.Peer reviewe