Successful or failed software projects have been discussed in literature for many years. Successful software projects are often defined as meeting business objectives, deliver on time and within budget, and meeting requirements. Different factors that contribute to software project success have been identified in the literature. Some of the most common factors that lead to software project success are: user involvement, management support, realistic requirements, and having good estimations. However, there are different opinions about what a successful software project is. Linberg found in a study that managers had a different perception from software practitioners (developers, testers etc.) about what a successful software project is. Since there are different perceptions of what a successful project is among different roles in software development, there may be differences from other perspectives too. This observation relates to the overall research questions in the thesis: Could there be different perceptions about what success factors are for software projects among different countries and customer-supplier relationships? Do people from different countries have different perceptions about what success factors are for software products? This study investigated if there are any differences and similarities between Swedish and Australian companies. In addition, a comparison between bespoke and market driven and bespoke and in-house customer-supplier relationships was made. The result shows that there are differences of which factors that lead to software project success among the two countries as well as between different types of customer-supplier relationships. / richard.berntssonsvensson@gmail.com

The high rate of failed IT projects has become a real and relevantconcern of many businesses. Businesses are dissipating theirresources on failed IT projects. More often, IT projects fail toachieve most of their intended purpose of increasing productivity,lowering operating costs, improving the quality of work. Althoughthere have been many studies done through the years in an attemptto find the causes behind IT-project failure, there is still noconsensus about the underlying causes. The question itself iscomplex with many different aspects to consider. The researcherswithin this field mostly acknowledge this problem. Against thisbackground, the primary focus of this study is to explore what theclients within the IT-projects think about the way IT-projects areconducted and what they think has to be done to better the chancesof success for these projects. For the outcome of this study to bewell-founded interviews were also done with those responsible onthe supplier side in order to cover both sides viewpointconcerning the IT-projects. The way IT-projects are conducted nowseems to have a process-based approach to the problem that has tobe solved, this is because the project has to go through a numberof steps that have been defined before the project has even begun.The fact that the upcoming project has a predefined plan to followis not the problem since it is reasonable to have a plan for theupcoming project. Having a predefined plan for the upcomingproject without really understanding the problem that has to beaddressed in detail through the IT-project is a major problem. This study has proven that it is very common that the peopleinvolved in an IT-project do not understand each other whilediscussing the project. This leads to the conclusion that the waythat IT-projects are conducted right now, where the supplier ofthe IT-solutions even if they have extensive experience fromconducting IT-projects and therefor say that “we know what has tobe done” to put more emphasis into understanding the problem thathas to be solved through consultation with the client. The need toput more emphasis on understanding the client is something that isalso confirmed through various models presented in this study.

<p><strong>Problem: </strong>How does project managing appear in small IT-consulting companies and how does the project manager carry out their projects to create successful solutions for their customers?</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The research has the purpose to analyze and review how IT-consults in small companies work and lead their projects to create profitability for the company, which leads to a good development for the company. </p><p><strong> </strong><strong>Methodology: </strong>The research is made on eight research objects in IT-consulting business and the sizes of them are between 1-49 employees. The research is made with a qualitative method to get closer to the research objects. Therefore the research is made in forms of interviews. The analysis is grounded on a comparison between the research data and the theories that are used in the research.</p><p><strong>Theoretical perspectives: </strong>The theories which have been used in the research are Involvement theory (Fill, 1999), PAFF-metoden (Marcusson & Ahlin, 2002), Projektledning (Tonnquist, 2006), Jakten på det effektiva projektet (Engwall, 1999) och Mervärde (Grönroos, 2002)</p><p><strong>Empirical foundation: </strong>The research data<strong> </strong>are founded from the interviews of the eight research objects, they have the fictive names: Gondor, Minas Morgul, Minas Tirith, Mordor, Osgiliath, Rivendell, Rohan and The Shire.</p><p><strong> </strong><strong>Analysis/Result:</strong> Each study object starts their projects with a pre-study phase, as the PAFF-method describes it. Each study object majorly involves their customers, which is equal to Fill’s theory about high involvement buying processes. This shows that the study objects are aware that they sell solutions that require high involvement of the customers. Four of the study object enjoy seeing that the customer contributes with high engagement and maintain a good level of ambition for the project; this is consistent with Engwall’s theory about organizational ideal types. </p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The project manager chooses not to rupture the present institutionalism. The project manager initiates the project with a pre-study phase. The project manager is sure to involve their customers. The service guaranty the project manager uses is “problem-free-guaranty”. The role of the project manager is to plan and organize the project; the project manager should also be a good communicator.<strong></strong></p>

Problem: How does project managing appear in small IT-consulting companies and how does the project manager carry out their projects to create successful solutions for their customers? Purpose: The research has the purpose to analyze and review how IT-consults in small companies work and lead their projects to create profitability for the company, which leads to a good development for the company.   Methodology: The research is made on eight research objects in IT-consulting business and the sizes of them are between 1-49 employees. The research is made with a qualitative method to get closer to the research objects. Therefore the research is made in forms of interviews. The analysis is grounded on a comparison between the research data and the theories that are used in the research. Theoretical perspectives: The theories which have been used in the research are Involvement theory (Fill, 1999), PAFF-metoden (Marcusson &amp; Ahlin, 2002), Projektledning (Tonnquist, 2006), Jakten på det effektiva projektet (Engwall, 1999) och Mervärde (Grönroos, 2002) Empirical foundation: The research data are founded from the interviews of the eight research objects, they have the fictive names: Gondor, Minas Morgul, Minas Tirith, Mordor, Osgiliath, Rivendell, Rohan and The Shire.  Analysis/Result: Each study object starts their projects with a pre-study phase, as the PAFF-method describes it. Each study object majorly involves their customers, which is equal to Fill’s theory about high involvement buying processes. This shows that the study objects are aware that they sell solutions that require high involvement of the customers. Four of the study object enjoy seeing that the customer contributes with high engagement and maintain a good level of ambition for the project; this is consistent with Engwall’s theory about organizational ideal types.  Conclusion: The project manager chooses not to rupture the present institutionalism. The project manager initiates the project with a pre-study phase. The project manager is sure to involve their customers. The service guaranty the project manager uses is “problem-free-guaranty”. The role of the project manager is to plan and organize the project; the project manager should also be a good communicator.

Det finns forskning från flera olika perspektiv som har studerat kritiska framgångsfaktorer gällande arbete i projekt. Det problem som finns är att det inte finns ett specifikt genomförande för att uppnå lyckat resultat inom projektarbeten. Belassi och Tukel (1996) har tagit fram en teori att analysera projektgenomförande utifrån. Modellen behöver utvecklas med tiden och förändras för att anpassas till specifika typer av projekt, till exempel interna IT-projekt som denna undersökning behandlar. I den här studien har en fallstudie genomförts på två verksamheter där det i varje verksamhet finns ett intern IT-projekt som anses vara lyckat och ett som anses vara misslyckat. Med grund i Belassi och Tukels (1996) teori Critical success/failure factors in projects har kvalitativa intervjuer genomförts i syfte att ta reda på vilka framgångsfaktorer som är kritiska för lyckade och misslyckade interna IT-projekt. Vidare är syftet även att se om det finns andra kritiska framgångsfaktorer som kan utveckla teorin. Den insamlade empirin analyserades genom kategorisering och studiens resultat visar vilka de kritiska framgångsfaktorerna är för de två verksamheternas utvalda interna IT-projekt. Det har även skapats en utvecklad modell med kritiska framgångs- och misslyckandefaktorer som inte tidigare fanns omnämnda i teorin men som visade sig ha en inverkan på projektets resultat. Studien visade att ledarskap och kommunikation var viktiga faktorer för att uppnå framgångsrika projekt. Det visade sig också att det inte enbart var projektdeltagarnas tekniska bakgrund som spelade in utan även annan kompetens hos individerna. I de fall då det inte uppfattats som att någon utvärdering var gjord ansåg flera individer att det hade varit bra om det hade genomförts. Projektdeltagarnas kompetens och utvärdering av projektets genomförande var därför, tillsammans med externa leverantörer och användarnas stöd, faktorer som valdes att kompletteras i den vidareutvecklade modellen. Projektgruppen engagemang tas redan upp i Belassi och Tukels (1996) teori, men det framhävs i undersökningen att engagemanget bör vara objektivt. / There is research from several different perspectives that have studied the critical success factors regarding to project work. The problem is that there is not a specific project transact to achieve success in projects. Belassi and Tukel (1996) has developed a theory that can be used to analyze the implementation of projects. The theory needs to evolve over time and change in order to adapt to specific types of projects such as internal IT projects that this study addresses. In this study a case study carried out in two organizations where each one of them consist one internal IT project that is considered successful and one that is considered a failure. Based on Belassi and Tukels (1996) theory Critical success/failure factors into projects, qualitative interviews were conducted in order to determine which success factors that are critical to the success and failure of internal IT projects. Furthermore, the aim is also to see if there are other critical success factors that can develop the theory. The collected empirical data was analyzed by categorization and the results of this study show which the critical success factors is in the internal IT projects. A new model was created and developed with critical success and failure factors that did not exist in the previously mentioned theory but which turned out to have an impact on the project results. The study showed that leadership and communication were key factors in achieving successful projects. It also turned out that not only was the project participants' technical backround important to project success but also other skills of the individuals. In cases where it is not perceived as an evaluation was made most of the informants said that it would have been good if it had been done. Project participants' skills and evaluation of the realization of the project was therefore, together with external suppliers and user support, factors that were chosen to be supplemented in the refined model. The project team commitment are already addressed in Belassi and Tukels (1996) theory, but it is emphasized in the survey that the commitment should be objective.

To only follow agile methodologies for agile software development isn't enough to lead to success in agile projects. The dimensions time, cost and scope in the project management triangle are fundamental requirements to succeed in a project. Within projects there exists many other critical success factors and attributes that affect the result of the project. Those are called critical success factors and combined with a project management triangle they are used in this study as a tool for project improvement in research to find potential improvements for agile project in organizations. This research was carried out as a single case study on a company located in the IT branch. The purpose of the study is to with use of the critical success factors mapping done by Chow and Cao [1] combined with the project management triangle dimensions, research which or what degree of critical factors that were existing in the company’s project management culture. The result was used as a tool to create an improvement plan which purpose was to be applied on existing flaws. The study was performed using qualitative research and data were collected through interviews with the employees. This research shows that potential improvements can easily be found by research projects for critical success factors and the project management triangle dimensions. Combined factors, attributes and dimensions make a complete concept for successful projects. After analyzing and processing the data, a summarize of data were created which showed what factors, attributes and dimensions that were existing and on what degree in the company’s project management culture. This study shows that potential improvements can easily be found by research projects for critical success factors and the project management triangle dimensions. For all missing and low degree attributes an improvement plan was created on purpose to be applied on existing flaws in order to create a higher success factor on future agile projects. / För att lyckas med agila projekt så räcker det inte med att enbart följa metoder inom agil systemutveckling, inom projekt finns det även en hel del andra faktorer som kan påverka projektets utgång. Dessa faktorer kallas för kritiska faktorer och de står för orsakerna som påverkar utfallet för ett lyckat projekt då de följs. Projekttriangelns dimensioner tid, kostnad och omfattning är grundläggande krav som finns för ett lyckat projekt. Genom att kombinera dessa med de kritiska faktorerna kan en helhetsbild skapas av vad som leder till ett lyckat projekt. Denna studie genomfördes i form av en fallstudie på ett företag i IT-branschen. Syftet med studien var att utifrån Chow och Cao’s [1] kartläggning av kritiska faktorer tillsammans med projekttriangelns dimensioner, undersöka vilka och till vilken grad fallföretaget uppfyller dessa kriterier och attribut. Resultatet användes sedan till att föreslå förbättringsförslag för att kunna åtgärda identifierade brister. Undersökningen genomfördes med en kvalitativ ansats där data har samlats in genom intervjuer med personer som arbetar på företaget. Genom analys och bearbetning av insamlat underlag kunde en sammanställning tas fram för hur fallföretaget förhåller sig till de kritiska faktorerna och projekttriangelns tre dimensioner. Resultatet visar att det gick att identifiera områden där fallföretaget inte uppfyller alla kritiska faktorer. För samtliga brister har förslag på åtgärder föreslagits, detta för att lyckade projekt ska kunna uppnås i större utsträckning.