for Managing Digital Solutions Projects:
A case example
FEATURED PAPER
By Larry D. Icard, PhD, Johan Botha and Darelle Van Greunen, PhD
Gqeberha, South Africa
Abstract
The use of project management software has increased in recent years. Working conditions have changed over the years due to multiple factors, such as team members working remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and, most importantly, the advancement of project management software. In South Africa, the frequency of load shedding (power outages) is placing additional constraints on using traditional methods and tools for managing projects. These trends have increased interest in supplementing and streamlining organisations’ administrative capacity for planning, organising, managing, and tracking tasks with project management software. This paper discusses using project management software to develop and launch multiple information technology projects that support social and economic development and promotes better health for South Africans. This paper provides a synopsis of project management software’s history, types, and critical features. A case example illustrates the use of a project management cloud-based program across all phases of project management. The discussion concludes with three significant factors to consider in using project management software.
Keywords: Project management, software, cloud-based, South Africa, Case example
Introduction
During the last 20 years, there has been a significant increase in the use of project management software. Project management software is used in a variety of industries, including construction, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, human resources, computer and software development, telecommunications, and engineering services. These software management programs provide a set of tools for structuring and organising projects of any size so that teams are able to monitor and control project progress from start to finish. In recent years interest in using project management software has heightened as a result of team members working remotely because of COVID-19 restraints. Additionally, climate change (e.g.., droughts, floods, fires) and social unrest have contributed to rapid transformations in how business is conducted (Collyer et al., 2010). In South Africa, the frequency of load shedding (power outages) is placing additional constraints on traditional project management methods. These social, environmental and infrastructure factors, accompanied by rapid changes in digital devices and information technology, contribute to the increased use of project management software to overcome time, cost, and performance specifications constraints (Badiru, 1991).
This paper shares our experiences using project management software to develop and launch information technology. This paper provides a brief overview of project management software’s history, types, and critical features. A case example illustrates using a cloud-based project management application for developing and launching information technology innovations to support social and economic development and better health for South Africans. The discussion highlights lessons learned using a cloud-based project management tool and offers suggestions for adopting and using project management software.
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Editor’s note: This paper is based on a presentation by the authors at the 2022 Project Management South African (PMSA) Annual Conference in November 2022. Article coordinated by PMSA, who approved its publication in the PMWJ.
How to cite this paper: Icard, L.D., Botha, J., Van Greunen, D. (2023). The Use of Project Management Technology Tools for Managing Digital Solutions Projects: A case example; PM World Journal, Vol. XII, Issue VII, July. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pmwj131-Jul2023-Ikard-Botha-VanGreunen-use-of-project-management-technology-tools-1.pdf
About the Authors
Larry D. Icard, PhD
South Africa & USA
Professor Larry Icard, PhD is a Research Associate at CCT, Professor Emeritus in the College of Health at Temple University. He has more that 20 years of experience as a project manager and principal investigator of US federally funded projects and published over 90 peer reviewed papers. He can be contacted at Larry.Icard@mandela.ac.za.
Johan Botha
Gqeberha, South Africa
Mr. Johan Botha is the Senior Project Manager at the Centre for Community Technologies (CCT) at Nelson Mandela University. He has successfully managed and delivered 33 IT development projects (Nationally and Internationally) in the fields of Education, Health, Agriculture and Social Innovation. He can be contacted at Johan.Botha@mandela.ac.za
Darelle Van Greunen, PhD
Gqeberha, South Africa
Professor Van Greunen is Professor and Director of the Center for Community Technologies at Nelson Mandela University. Dr Van Greunen has a PhD in computer science and has published several papers and book chapters and produced a co-edited book on the use of health information and communications technology in South Africa and other low- and middle–income countries. She was the first joint-appointment as a senior researcher between a South African University and the German multinational software corporation SAP AG in 2006. Over the past five years, Professor Van Greunen and her team of change-maker researchers have won various awards and international acknowledgement for their ground-breaking research and application development within the African context, thus realising her vision of “ICT solutions for Africa, by Africans, in Africa”.
