Success and Failure Factors in Software Projects

This report discusses the success and failure factors in software projects and how Agile project methodology can mitigate these issues. It provides insights into the case of ABC Ltd and their software development project. The report analyzes the potential causes of success, such as managing customer relationships and offering a competitive advantage, as well as the failure points, including technical faults and lack of skilled staff. It also explains how Agile project methodology can be applied to mitigate these problems and improve project management. The report concludes with recommendations for ABC Ltd to successfully develop and implement their software.

Report

Abstract
The project is based upon the ABC Ltd in which company launch new software and for
that study shows some success factor which help to contribute in the success of a project and
these are manage the customer relationship, offer a competitive advantage, and simplify the
employee task and sales leads. Also, study present some failure point that cause negative impact
upon the project such that Technical fault, Unskilled and poor technical staff, cost of entire
project is high and lack of communication. Further, report uses agile methodology that helps to
meet the define aim and minimize the failure point that affect the new software development in
opposite manner.

Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
4 potential causes of success and failure.....................................................................................4
Agile project methodology..........................................................................................................5
Applying the methodology to mitigate the problem....................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

Introduction
The current study is based upon the ABC Ltd which is an IT organization that deals in
developing software for their operations. Through this company generate the sales and this will
help to sustain the brand image of the firm as well. Also study will present 4 causes of success
and failure and then describe the best project methodology which assist to mitigate the failure
causes.
4 potential causes of success and failure
Success:
 This software also a company to manage the customer relationship, because by
developing software will help the company to reach wide range of customers and this in
turn help to sustain the brand image of the company. I think that, As developing of this
software by ABC Ltd will help the firm to make contacts with other company’s suppliers
in easy manner which in turn help to reach wide range of customers.
 Developing the online software will help to offer a competitive advantage because
dealing with online business help to give an edge over the competitor (Ali and et.al.,
2018). Such that developing software customized a business and provide a company a
better and unique solutions which helps a company to meet the define aim and objectives.
 Develop software by ABC Ltd will help to simplify the employee task because it also
allow the workers to manage the work and focus on other item such that new product
development which assist to keep attracting customers. I also think that software
encourages a much more streamlined system which is better for each and every member
of a team.
 According to me, I think that developing software will help to follow sales leads because
this software makes a process easy and convenient to the store leads, capture existing
ones and also track the future sales prospects (Hussain, Mkpojiogu and Kamal, 2016).
This this success factors clearly analyzed that introducing new software, assist a sales
team to make contacts easily with customers and also pick them right where they left off.
Failure:

 Technical fault is consider one of the biggest failure which sometimes leads a business
towards failure. The same manner, if ABC Ltd is also start working online then company
has to make sure that it has proper solutions to cope up with any technical fault so that it
will not cause any effect on the company. But on the other side, if proper measures are nit
taken, then it will cause negative impact upon the business.
 Unskilled and poor technical staff is another cause of failure for a business because it
may affect the business and its new development process as well. In this case, the
company new software development consider as a risk for ABC Ltd and this affect the
overall business brand image as well (Hussain and Mkpojiogu, 2016).
 The cost of developing the software is quite higher and that is why, company also face
financial loss because if company do not have skilled labor workforce then it is not easy
for the firm to invest a huge amount for developing a new software. That is why,
company has to make sure that whatever the amount is invested into a firm, it has to get
the same in a specified period so that company did not face huge loss.
 Not meeting with the time schedule is consider another failure for the company and this
in turn affect the overall functioning of the company in just opposite manner (Nuottila,
Aaltonen and Kujala, 2017). Further, not having a skilled labor and due to improper
communication between the team members will affect the overall business and project in
opposite manner. That is why, it is consider as a failure for the company.
Agile project methodology
The project management methodologies plays an important role in the success of a ABC
Ltd. In the same way, I analyzed that using Agile Project methodology is consider one of the best
method in order to reduce the overall risk or failure causes of the business. Such that Agile
project Management is an iterative approach which helps to manage software development
projects and its main focus is on continuous release and incorporating customer feedback with
every iteration. It is consider one of the traditional method that help the firm to manage the work
accordingly (Hamdani and Butt, 2017). The Agile Project Management is also based upon four
principles I.e. individuals and interactions over the process and tools, customer collaboration
over contract negotiation and analyzing the responding to change over any plan, comprehensive
documentation etc.

In the same way, ABC Ltd is also developing software and that is why, using Agile
methodology will help the company to minimize the issues. It is so because it is a traditional
method which is used by so many companies and as it is also incorporating with customer
feedback. Along with this, ABC Ltd is also developing a software which also help to increase the
sales and grab attention of many customers. That is why, to incorporate with it, this project
methodology is helpful for company because testing is done by project manager side during each
and every cycle so that it will assist to analyze regular check-ups. Further, the biggest advantage
of using this project management tool is to higher the customer satisfaction level and that is why,
in order to increase the sales, company have to select the best project management methodology
which in turn grab attention of many customers towards it.
Moreover, through this project methodology the company will also help the project
manager to increase project control which in turn assist to reach the overall project in better time
period. Further, faster ROI is also generated through this method which in turn assist to enhance
the overall sales of the company (Ibraigheeth and Fadzli, 2019). Thus, it assist to manage the
operations and by selling the software as a representative of the company will also help to get
more deals and this in turn help to improve the financial services of the company as well. on the
other side, I also used five key aspects such that quality management, cost management, time
management, risk management and communication management which in turn help the company
to manage the project in more better and effective manner. That is why, Agile project
management is that application which help ABC Ltd in order to minimize the problem and
sustain the brand image at worldwide level as well.
Applying the methodology to mitigate the problem
In order to applying the Agile Project Methodology into ABC Ltd, the project manager
has to comply with such steps which are as mention below:
Vision: ABC Ltd vision is to develop a software that helps a company to generate sales
and attract customers. But in the same time, it also faces lots of issue such that barrier in
communication, less number of specialized technical staff, technical fault etc. In order to
minimize this issue, company select Agile project methodology which assist to meet the define
aim and objectives (Hoda and Murugesan, 2016).

Roadmap: Under this step, company take feedback and for that questions are prepared
and mail the same to the regular customers e-mail id. This will help a company to determine
whether the collaboration from the company is better or not. such that this feedback strategy help
to analyze the mindset of the customers towards their firm and then the further actions will be
taken. Also, company hire trainer, who provide effective training system to their employees so
that they learn how to generate better leads and sales. That is why, through this methods the
company will also help to mitigate the problem and minimize the issues.
Execution: Under this method, the company execute the planning and tracking the entire
system. For that, proper benchmarking system is taken that helps to track the entire system in
order to mitigate the problems (Conforto and Amaral, 2016). For that some standards are set
which in turn help the company to examine the overall performance and actions which will be
further taking. Also, it is analyzed that this feedback system and training method should be used
by the company at every week-end in order to determine further actions for improvement. Also,
company should tie up with specialist in order to manage any technical fault when any company
use this software so that its brand image will not affected.
Review: It is the last step which help to analyze whether the problems or failures are
minimized or not. For that, company has to make proper communication with the project team
members so that they also help manager to take better decision and also, project assessment may
be taken by the project manager which in turn help to identify and remedying the obstacles or
bottlenecks and also assist to evaluating the overall performance of the company (Rasnacis and
Berzisa, 2017). Thus, in this manner, the company will easily manage the entire project and also
minimize the problem which they face while developing a software.
CONCLUSION
By summing up above, it has been concluded that there are some success and failure
which ABC Ltd faces when introducing software and project manager also take action in order to
solve the issue. Also, report concluded that by using Agile project methodology and its
principles, the company easily minimize the failure point i.e. technical fault, communication
error etc. As by following the Agile methodology and its steps, ABC Ltd minimize the issue that
affect the project in negative manner.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ali, W. and et.al., (2018). Identifying Critical Risk And Control Factors For The Success Or
Failure The Implementation Of ERP Software Project In Developing Countries. Jour of Adv
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Conforto, E.C. & Amaral, D.C., (2016). Agile project management and stage-gate model—A
hybrid framework for technology-based companies. Journal of Engineering and Technology
Management. 40. pp.1-14.
Hamdani, M. & Butt, W.H., (2017), December. Success and Failure Factors in Agile
Development. In 2017 International Conference on Computational Science and
Computational Intelligence (CSCI) (pp. 981-986). IEEE.
Hoda, R. & Murugesan, L.K., (2016). Multi-level agile project management challenges: A self-
organizing team perspective. Journal of Systems and Software. 117. pp.245-257.
Hussain, A. & Mkpojiogu, E.O., (2016), August. Requirements: Towards an understanding on
why software projects fail. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1761, No. 1, p. 020046).
AIP Publishing LLC.
Hussain, A., Mkpojiogu, E.O. & Kamal, F.M., (2016). The role of requirements in the success or
failure of software projects. International Review of Management and Marketing. 6(7S).
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Ibraigheeth, M. & Fadzli, S.A., (2019). Core Factors for Software Projects Success. JOIV:
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Nuottila, J., Aaltonen, K., & Kujala, J. (2017). Agile project management in a public context:
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Management. 9(3). 230-248.
Rasnacis, A. & Berzisa, S. (2017). Method for adaptation and implementation of agile project
management methodology. Procedia Computer Science. 104. pp.43-50.