van Fenema, Paul

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Association for Information SystemsAIS Electronic Library (AISeL)ICIS 1997 Proceedings International Conference on Information Systems(ICIS)December 1997Coordination and Control of Globally DistributedSoftware Development Projects: The GOLDDCasePaul van FenemaErasmus University RotterdamFollow this and additional works at: http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis1997This material is brought to you by the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) at AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). It has been acceptedfor inclusion in ICIS 1997 Proceedings by an authorized administrator of AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). For more information, please contactelibrary@aisnet.org.Recommended Citationvan Fenema, Paul, "Coordination and Control of Globally Distributed Software Development Projects: The GOLDD Case" (1997).ICIS 1997 Proceedings. 45.http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis1997/45474COORDINATION AND CONTROL OF GLOBALLYDISTRIBUTED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENTPROJECTS:  THE GOLDD CASEPaul C. van FenemaErasmus University RotterdamAdvanced information and communication technologies (ICT) enable cooperation of individuals and teams fromglobally distributed locations. Professionals from all over the world contribute with their expertise in projects whichtake on the character of globally distributed projects. While experiences with such projects in the manufacturingindustry are well publicized and documented, during the last decade similar developments have become widespreadin software engineering projects. Often, these developments take the form of outsourcing or consultant-clientrelationships, where part or all of the information systems (IS) development effort may be outsourced to an offsitevendor. As the offsite part of the work, mostly program development and testing, but increasingly design, migratesto distant software centers in Bangalore, India, Dublin, Ireland, and Singapore, these software projects are taking onthe characteristics of globally distributed projects.In IS research and practice literature, coordination and control have been key issues in managing IS developmentprojects. Preliminary research indicates that four factors affect the coordination and control of globally distributedprojects: (1) geographical distributedness of sites, (2) differences of time zones, (3) cross-cultural differences, and(4) differences in ICT infrastructure. Despite the increasing use of offshore IS development projects, academicresearch on the management (coordination and control) of globally distributed IS development projects is limited.The aim of this research project, therefore, is to investigate the impact of these four factors on the coordination andcontrol of offshore IS development projects.Based on organizational and economic theories of coordination and control, an integrative theory of projectcoordination and control is developed, i.e., the theory comprises the identification of coordination and controlmechanisms, as well as the contingencies and conditions for use of these mechanisms. Guided by this theory,propositions are formulated with respect to the effects of the four factors on the use and effectiveness of themechanisms in globally distributed projects.A longitudinal qualitative case study was conducted at a Fortune 100 multinational manufacturer of cars and trucksto empirically test the theoretical propositions. The case study included interviews which were structured in advanceaccording to the theory developed. Interviews were conducted either face-to-face or by using e-mail or video-conferencing. Documents from the project were collected and one key informant who participated in the project foreight months made weekly logs.The project comprised the development of a Global On-line Dealer Database (GOLDD) system, providing on-lineinformation on the multinational’s network of dealers. The project started operationally in May 1996; completionof the system design is anticipated in the fall of 1997. Upon initial implementation in the US, a roll-out of the systemis envisioned for Europe and ultimately the rest of the world. Throughout the project, people from the multinational’ssites in Detroit and Cologne (Germany) cooperated with a team of programmers located in Bangalore (India) froman outsourcing vendor. The team in Detroit is responsible for system analysis and implementation; the German teamhas the overall responsibility for the project and its coordination and is involved in database design. Apart fromoccasional visits, team members frequently communicate by e-mail, phone, and audio/videoconferencing. ForResearch in Progress475coordination between the teams in Cologne and Bangalore, the vendor positioned one liaison manager permanentlyin Cologne. Two Indian team members fulfilled, in turn, coordinating roles in Cologne and Bangalore.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe author would like to thank Prof.dr. Kuldeep Kumar, Amanda Cijntje, and the company involved in the researchproject for their generous contributions.

Coordination and Control of Globally Distributed Software Development Projects: The GOLDD Case

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Coordination and Control of Globally Distributed Software Development Projects: The GOLDD Case

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