preview

Nt1310 Unit 6 Project Management Tools

Decent Essays

In this week’s discussion board, we learned about several project management tools and how they are used to facilitate the successful implementation of IT related projects. Additionally, we learned what happens when IT projects fall behind schedule, the reasons for the delays and if these reasons will hinder complex software implementations in the future. There are many types of project management tools. From proprietary licensed tools such as Smartsheet for Salesforce, Oracle Project Planning and Control and Microsoft Project and Portfolio Management; to theoretical project management tools such as Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), Gantt charts and Critical Path Method (CPM). All of these tools aim to streamline the planning, …show more content…

However, when IT projects fall behind schedule, these efficiencies can quickly evaporate and lead to cost overruns, glitches and bugs. (3) Due to their inherently complex nature, IT projects are susceptible to many types of failures; mainly caused by a lack or risk management and flexibility. Many of the risks present in IT projects are unrealistic goals; inaccurate estimates of needed resources; badly defined system requirements; poor reporting of the project’s status; poor communication between developers and users; adoption of immature technology; inability to cope with project complexity; sloppy developed practices; mismanagement of the project; stakeholder politics; and commercial pressures. (4) With so many potential risks, it is not surprising that IT projects that are completed on time, and on budget, are more the exception rather than the rule. Additionally, before IT projects begin, clear objectives and the allocation of time and resources need to be defined; all of which are usually lacking for one reason or another. The result is a high failure rate associated with IT projects overall, which puts a spot light on the need for organizations to improve their risk management abilities and design processes that will allow them the flexibility to reallocate resources when unexpected problems when they

Get Access