Evaluating the success of software development projects in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus

The size and complexity of projects in the software development are growing very fast. At the same time, the proportion of successful projects is still quite low according to the previous research. Although almost every project's team knows main areas of responsibility which would help to finish project on time and on budget, this knowledge is rarely used in practice. So it is important to evaluate the success of existing software development projects and to suggest a method for evaluating success chances which can be used in the software development projects. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the success of projects in the selected geographical region (Russia-Ukraine-Belarus). The second aim is to compare existing models of success prediction and to determine their strengths and weaknesses. Research was done as an empirical study. A survey with structured forms and theme-based interviews were used as the data collection methods. The information gathering was done in two stages. At the first stage, project manager or someone with similar responsibilities answered the questions over Internet. At the second stage, the participant was interviewed; his or her answers were discussed and refined. It made possible to get accurate information about each project and to avoid errors. It was found out that there are many problems in the software development projects. These problems are widely known and were discussed in literature many times. The research showed that most of the projects have problems with schedule, requirements, architecture, quality, and budget. Comparison of two models of success prediction presented that The Standish Group overestimates problems in project. At the same time, McConnell's model can help to identify problems in time and avoid troubles in future. A framework for evaluating success chances in distributed projects was suggested. The framework is similar to The Standish Group model but it was customized for distributed projects.

Kylpylähotellin suorituskyvyn mittaaminen

Diplomityön tarkoituksena oli rakentaa suorituskyvyn analysointijärjestelmä kylpylä-hotellille. Kohdeyrityksessä on entuudestaan mitattu taloudellisia tunnuslukuja ja asiakastyytyväisyyttä. Rakennettu järjestelmä antaa yritykselle kokonaiskuvan suorituskyvystä. Valmiin analysointijärjestelmän avulla parannetaan yrityksen johtamista ja työn-tekijöille annettavaa palautetta. Tutkimuksen teoriaosassa esiteltiin suorituskyvyn mittaamiseen, suorituskyvyn analysointijärjestelmiin ja suorituskykymittariston suunnittelemiseen liittyvää teoriaa. Suorituskyvyn analysointijärjestelmän rakentaminen alkoi yrityksen vision ja strategioiden selkiyttämisellä, joiden pohjalta määritettiin menestystekijät ja kriittiset menestystekijät. Näiden taustatekijöiden avulla yritykselle luotiin Balanced Scorecardiin (BSC) pohjautuva suorituskyvyn analysointijärjestelmä. BSC:n näkökulmia sovellettiin hieman ja jokaiselle kehitettiin omat seurattavat mittarit. Kehitetty mittaristo vietiin pienille ja keskisuurille yrityksille tarkoitettuun SAKE-sovellukseen, joka laskee suorituskyvylle kokonaisarvosanan. Kylpylähotellin suorituskyvyn mittaamisessa on ennen kaikkea tärkeää huomioida asiakastyytyväisyys. Syy- ja seuraussuhteiden avulla kohdeyritykselle luotiin mittarit, joiden mittaamisella pyritään vaikuttamaan asiakastyytyväisyyteen ja sitä kautta parantamaan yrityksen toiminnan kannattavuutta sekä tehokkuutta. Tutkimuksen lopputulokseksi saatiin kylpylähotellille sopiva suorituskyvyn analysointijärjestelmä.

Key performance indicators for supplier and assortement evaluation

Tutkimuksen tavoite oli selvittää suorituskyvyn mittaamista, mittareita ja niiden suunnittelua tukku- ja jakeluliiketoiminnassa. Kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit auttavat yritystä kohti yhteistä päämäärää. Kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit ovat usein yhdistetty strategiseen suunnitteluun ja implementointiin ja niillä on yhtäläisyyksiä monien strategisten työkalujen kun Balanced scorecardin kanssa. Tutkimus ongelma voidaan esittää kysymyksen muodossa. •Mitkä ovat Oriola KD:n pitkänaikavälin tavoitteita tukevat kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit (KPIs) toimittajan ja tuotevalikoiman mittaamisessa? Tutkimus on jaettu kirjalliseen ja empiiriseen osaan. Kirjallisuus katsaus käsittelee aikaisempaa tutkimusta strategian, toimitusketjun hallinnan, toimittajan arvioinnin ja erilaisten suorituskyvyn mittaamisjärjestelmien osalta. Empiirinen osuus etenee nykytila-analyysista ehdotettuihin kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittareihin, jotka ovat kehitetty kirjallisuudesta löydetyn mallin avulla. Tutkimuksen lopputuloksena ovat case yrityksen tarpeisiin kehitetyt kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit toimittajan ja tuotevalikoiman arvioinnissa.

Success of service-intensive manufacturing firms - resource-based view

The main objective of this study is to examine the relationships between resources, competitive advantage and firm success. The study focuses, on one hand, on the financial performance of service-intensive manufac-turing firms against competitors with a lower service intensity and, on the other hand, on the resources as drivers for competitive advantage and success. The purpose of the theoretical part is to link the study in the field of the strategy research. The empirical part of the study is based on the quantitative analyses of the survey data collected from 50 major suppliers of industrial machinery and transportation equipment in Europe and North America. Results indicate that service-intensive manufacturing firms have performed better and their performance has been more stable vis-à-vis their peers. The main resources that differentiate service-intensive manufacturing firms from their non-service intensive competitors are service strategy and service-oriented top management. The analyses on the VRIO resources produced only a limited amount of information and solely service-centred culture appeared to be a rent generating resource.

Henkilötason suorituskykymittariston suunnittelu asiantuntijayrityksessä

Suorituskyvyn mittaaminen on tehokas työkalu yrityksen toiminnan kehittämiseen. Mittarit ohjaavat yritystä keskittymään strategian ja tavoitteiden toteuttamiseen. Yrityksen suorituskykyä tarkastellaan usein erityisesti yritystasolla, mutta mittarit voidaan myös kohdentaa yksittäisille työntekijöille. Työn tavoitteena oli löytää jo suunnitteluvaiheessa huomioitavia menestystekijöitä pienen asiantuntijayrityksen henkilötason suorituskykymittaristolle. Tutkimuskysymyksiin vastaamiseksi käytettiin kirjallisuuden lisäksi kohdeyritykselle toteutettua suunnitteluprosessia, jossa hyödynnettiin myös yrityksen henkilöstön näkemyksiä. Merkittävimmät erityispiirteet mittariston suunnittelussa liittyivät asiantuntijatyön mittaukseen, mittariston resurssitarpeen minimoimiseen ja palkitsemiseen suorituskyvyn perusteella. Lisäksi työssä pohdittiin suunnitellun mittariston laajentamismahdollisuuksia yritystason mittaristoksi. Suorituskyvyn mittaaminen tehostaa yrityksen päätöksentekoa sekä viestintää. Laadukas mittaristo edellyttää myös hyvää suunnittelua, joka voidaan perustaa kirjallisuuden malleihin. Johdon ja henkilöstön sitoutuminen suunnitteluprosessiin on kriittistä onnistuneen mittariston kannalta. Mittariston suunnittelussa mittarit johdetaan yleensä yrityksen visiosta strategian, mittausalueiden ja menestystekijöiden kautta. Mittareiden painotuksia muuttamalla voidaan hienosäätää mittariston vaikutusta. Mittariston koekäyttövaiheessa todetaan mittariston toimivuus ennen mittareiden kytkemistä tulospalkkioihin. Asiantuntijatyön mittauksessa on kiinnitettävä huomiota toimivien mittareiden löytämiseen, sillä tietopohjaista asiantuntijatyötä on haastava mitata. Lisäksi palkitsemisjärjestelmän liittäminen mittaristoon edellyttää mittareilta ehdotonta oikeudenmukaisuutta ja tuloksia ei saa pystyä manipuloimaan. Pienen yrityksen mittaristo ei saa kuluttaa liikaa resursseja, joten kannattaa suosia mahdollisimman itsenäisesti toimivia mittareita. Henkilöstön motivointi tietojen syöttöön on olennaista. Lisäksi objektiivisten ja olennaisten mittareiden käyttö vähentää mittariston ylläpitoon käytettyjä työtunteja. Henkilötason mittaristo voidaan laajentaa helposti myös yritystasolle, mikäli suunnittelussa on kiinnitetty huomiota huolelliseen dokumentointiin.

Projektinhallintaprosessin suorituskykymittariston kehittäminen

Yritysten toimintaympäristöjen muuttuminen, organisaatioiden rajojen hämärtyminen ja aineettoman pääoman merkityksen korostuminen vaikeuttavat sekä onnistuneen strategian luontia, että sen toteuttamista. Strategisten mittausjärjestelmien avulla pyritään kehittämään ja varmistamaan strategian toteutuminen liiketoiminnassa. Parhaimmillaan hyvä mittaristo kertoo mitkä ovat yrityksen strategiset tavoitteet ja mihin yritys tulevaisuudessa haluaa panostaa. Suorituskyvyn mittaamisessa on perinteisesti keskitytty taloudellisiin mittareihin. Taloudelliset luvut ovat usein menneeseen viittaavia seuraustekijöitä, ei tulevaisuuteen katsovia mittareita. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli projektiliiketoimintaa harjoittavan yrityksen projektinhallintaprosessin suorituskykymittariston kehittäminen. Tavoitteena oli rakentaa projektinhallintaprosessille tasapainoinen suorituskykymittaristo, joka ottaa huomioon myös aineettoman pääoman. Tutkimuksen tutkimusote oli toimintaanalyyttinen, jonka lisäksi tutkimus sisältää konstruktiivisen ja kvalitatiivisen tutkimusotteen piirteitä. Tutkimuksen tuloksia arvioitaessa havaitaan, että valitut mittarit ovat kiinteästi sidoksissa projektinhallintaprosessin kriittisiin menestystekijöihin. Kriittiset menestystekijät puolestaan valittiin tunnistetuista menestystekijöistä, jotka määriteltiin yrityksen strategiaan ja visioon perustuen. Mittariston tasapainoisuus näkyy aineettoman ja aineellisen pääoman mittareiden välillä kattaen samalla tasapainon ennakoivien ja seurausmittareiden kesken. Haasteellisinta oli projektinhallintaprosessin aineettoman pääoman mittaaminen, jota ei aikaisemmin ole mitattu. Aineettoman pääoman mittaaminen tasapainoisen mittariston viitekehyksessä on mahdollista, mutta vaatii organisaation ymmärryksen miksi aineetonta pääomaa mitataan ja miten se vaikuttaa kokonaisvaltaiseen suorituskykyyn.

Implementing a change management process into enterprise performance management applications

Information technology service management has become an important task in delivering information for management purposes. Especially applications containing information for decision making need to be agile and ready for changes. The aim of this study was to find a solution for successful implementation of an ITIL based change management process to enterprise resource management applications managed by the target organization. Literature review of the study introduces frameworks that are important for success of an IT project implementation. In addition an overview of ITIL and ITIL based change management process is presented. The result of the study was a framework of actions that are needed to accomplish to be successful in change management process implementation. It was noticed that defining success criterions, critical success factors and success measures is important for achieving the goals of the implementation project.

Sales performance measurement and steering in a multinational company

The objective of the study is to find out how sales performance should be measured and how should sales be steered in a multinational company. The beginning of the study concentrates on the literature regarding sales, performance measurement, sales performance measurement, and sales steering. The empirical part of the study is a case study, in which the information was acquired from interviews with the key personnel of the company. The results of the interviews and the revealed problems were analyzed, and comparison for possible solutions was performed. When measuring sales performance, it is important to discover the specific needs and objectives for such a system. Specific needs should be highlighted in the design of the system. The system should be versatile and the structure of the system should be in line with the organizational structure. The role of the sales performance measurement system was seen to be important in helping sales steering. However, the importance of personal management and especially conversations were seen as really critical issue in the steering. Sales performance measurement could be based on the following perspectives: financial, market, customer, people, and future. That way the sales department could react to the environmental changes more rapidly.

Innovaatio-ohjelmatoiminnan suorituskyvyn mittaus

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on luoda viitekehys yritysten innovaatiotoimintaa ohjelmatoiminnalla tukevan julkisen organisaation suorituskyvyn mittaamiseksi. Tutkimus on luonteeltaan tapaustutkimus ja tutkimusotteena siinä käytetään toiminta-analyyttistä tutkimusotetta. Tutkimuksen empiirinen aineisto kerättiin havainnoimalla, keskusteluilla, haastatteluilla sekä ryhmätyöskentely-menetelmillä. Luodun viitekehyksen mukaan innovaatiotoimintaa ohjelmatoiminnalla tukevan julkisen organisaation tuottama julkinen arvo syntyy pienentämällä innovaatio-toiminnan markkina- ja järjestelmähäiriöitä, joka tapahtuu tarjoamalla rahalista tukea sekä palveluita. Näin innovaatiotoiminnan tuloksellisuus ja positiiviset ulkoisvaikutukset lisääntyvät. Tämä johtaa lopulta talouden kasvamiseen sekä yhteiskunnan ja ympäristön hyvinvointiin. Innovaatiotuella voidaan säädellä myös innovaatiotoiminnan aluetta ja näin luoda arvoa pureutumalla yhteiskunnan ongelmakohtiin. Tämän lisäksi kansalaisille on todennäköisesti arvokasta organisaatiota kohtaan tuntema luottamus, jota kasvattavat luultavasti esimerkiksi resurssien tehokas käyttö, oikeudenmukainen toiminta, asiakkaiden yhden-mukainen kohtelu, todennetut tulokset ja vaikutukset sekä toiminnan läpinäkyvyys. Viitekehyksen pohjalta muodostettiin Ohjelmat-ydinprosessin suorituskyvyn mittaristo. Aluksi kuvattiin ydinprosessin tavoitteet, joita tarkennettiin vaikuttavuusmallilla sekä sidosryhmäanalyysillä. Seuraavaksi muodostettiin ydinprosessille strategiakartta ja tunnistettiin sen kriittiset menestystekijät. Tuloksena syntyi mittaristo, jossa on 84 potentiaalista prosessin suorituskykyä mittaavaa mittaria. Lopuksi mittaristoa tarkasteltiin kokonaisuutena ja todettiin se kohtalaisen hyvin onnistuneeksi.

Measuring Processes of a New Packaging Solutions with the Balanced Scorecard, case DigiCup

The aim of this study was to create a Balanced Scorecard to the DigiCup solution. The first goal was to create process descriptions to the few critical processes. The second goal was to define appropriate measurements, according to customer survey as well as following the Balanced Scorecard process description, to manage the critical success factors. The overall goal of this study was to create a performance measurement system for the solution which guides the operation towards continuous improvement. This study was conducted by using both qualitative and quantitative methods, and the analysis was done by using a case study method. The material was gathered from the current customers, the management and the employees using structured, semi-structured and open group and individual interviews. The current customers were divided into retailers and direct customers of the DigiCup solution. The questions which the customers were asked were related to the information about interviewee, company, business strategy, market, satisfaction survey and future requirements. The management defined the strategy and took part in specifying the perspectives, objectives and measurements to the Balanced Scorecard of the DigiCup solution. The employees participated into the choosing of the metrics. The material consisted from altogether sixteen interviews. At the beginning of the study the product development, the order-delivery as well as the printing processes was chosen to be the critical processes of the DigiCup solution. These processes were concentrated on already in the literature review while trying to find the characteristics of these processes as well as the critical success factors and the appropriate measurements, which could be utilized when creating the Balanced Scorecard to the DigiCup solution according to the customer survey. The appropriate perspectives, objectives and measurements were found to the DigiCup solution. The chosen measures works as a basis for the development of IT-reporting tool. As a conclusion it can be stated that when discussing a new business, where the objectives are changing according to which development’s phases the company is in, the measurement should be updated often enough.

Measurement and simulation of solar radiation availability in relation to the growth of coffee plants in an agroforestry system with rubber trees

Solar radiation is an important factor for plant growth, being its availability to understory crops strongly modified by trees in an Agroforestry System (AFS). Coffee trees (Coffea arabica - cv. Obatã IAC 1669-20) were planted at a 3.4 x 0.9 m spacing inside and aside rows of monocrops of 12 year-old rubber trees (Hevea spp.), in Piracicaba-SP, Brazil (22º42'30" S, 47º38'00" W - altitude: 546m). One-year-old coffee plants exposed to 25; 30; 35; 40; 45; 80; 90; 95 and 100% of the total solar radiation were evaluated according to its biophysical parameters of solar radiation interception and capture. The Goudriaan (1977) adapted by Bernardes et al. (1998) model for radiation attenuation fit well to the measured data. Coffee plants tolerate a decrease in solar radiation availability to 50% without undergoing a reduction on growth and LAI, which was approximately 2m².m-2 under this condition. Further reductions on the availability of solar radiation caused a reduction in LAI (1.5m².m-2), thus poor land cover and solar radiation interception, resulting in growth reduction.

National Library and Library Network in Finland - Cooperation Being the Driving Force of Success

Kristiina Hormia-Poutasen esitys Danish Research Association -tapahtumassa Tanskassa 15.9.2011

Network effects: Scale development and implications for new product performance

More and more innovations currently being commercialized exhibit network effects, in other words, the value of using the product increases as more and more people use the same or compatible products. Although this phenomenon has been the subject of much theoretical debate in economics, marketing researchers have been slow to respond to the growing importance of network effects in new product success. Despite an increase in interest in recent years, there is no comprehensive view on the phenomenon and, therefore, there is currently incomplete understanding of the dimensions it incorporates. Furthermore, there is wide dispersion in operationalization, in other words, the measurement of network effects, and currently available approaches have various shortcomings that limit their applicability, especially in marketing research. Consequently, little is known today about how these products fare on the marketplace and how they should be introduced in order to maximize their chances of success. Hence, the motivation for this study was driven by the need to increase our knowledge and understanding of the nature of network effects as a phenomenon, and of their role in the commercial success of new products. This thesis consists of two parts. The first part comprises a theoretical overview of the relevant literature, and presents the conclusions of the entire study. The second part comprises five complementary, empirical research publications. Quantitative research methods and two sets of quantitative data are utilized. The results of the study suggest that there is a need to update both the conceptualization and the operationalization of the phenomenon of network effects. Furthermore, there is a need for an augmented view on customers’ perceived value in the context of network effects, given that the nature of value composition has major implications for the viability of such products in the marketplace. The role of network effects in new product performance is not as straightforward as suggested in the existing theoretical literature. The overwhelming result of this study is that network effects do not directly influence product success, but rather enhance or suppress the influence of product introduction strategies. The major contribution of this study is in conceptualizing the phenomenon of network effects more comprehensively than has been attempted thus far. The study gives an augmented view of the nature of customer value in network markets, which helps in explaining why some products thrive on these markets whereas others never catch on. Second, the study discusses shortcomings in prior literature in the way it has operationalized network effects, suggesting that these limitations can be overcome in the research design. Third, the study provides some much-needed empirical evidence on how network effects, product introduction strategies, and new product performance are associated. In general terms, this thesis adds to our knowledge of how firms can successfully leverage network effects in product commercialization in order to improve market performance.

Effectiveness of Pilotage

The objective of the pilotage effectiveness study was to come up with a process descrip-tion of the pilotage procedure, to design performance indicators based on this process description, to be used by Finnpilot, and to work out a preliminary plan for the imple-mentation of the indicators within the Finnpilot organisation. The theoretical aspects of pilotage as well as the guidelines and standards used were determined through a literature review. Based on the literature review, a process flow model with the following phases was created: the planning of pilotage, the start of pilo-tage, the act of pilotage, the end of pilotage and the closing of pilotage. The model based on the literature review was tested through interviews and observation of pilotage. At the same time an e-mail survey directed at foreign pilotage organisations, which included a questionnaire concerning their standards and management systems, operations procedures, measurement tools and their attitude to the passage planning, was conducted. The main issues in the observations and interviews were the passage plan and the bridge team co-operation. The phases of the pilotage process model emerged in both the pilotage activities and the interviews whereas bridge team co-operation was relatively marginal. Most of the pilotage organisations, who responded to the query, also use some standard-based management system. All organisations who answered the survey use some sort of a pilotage process model. According to the query, the main measuring tools for pilotage are statistical information concerning pilotage and the organisations, the customer feedback surveys, and financial results. Attitudes to-wards passage planning were mostly positive among the organisations. A workshop with pilotage experts was arranged where the process model constructed on the basis of the literature review was tuned to match practical pilotage. In the workshop it was determined that certain phases and the corresponding tasks, through which pilo-tage can be described as a process, were identifiable in all pilotage. The result of the workshop was a complemented process model, which separates incoming and outgoing traffic, as well as the fairway pilotage and harbour pilotage from each other. Addition-ally indicators divided according to the data gathering method were defined. Data con-cerning safety and traffic flow is gathered in the form of customer feedback. The pilot's own perceptions of the pilotage process are gathered through self-assessment. The measurement data which is connected to the phases of the pilotage process is generated e.g. by gathering statistics of the success of the pilot dispatches, the accuracy of the pi-lotage and the incidents that occurred during the pilotage, near misses, deviations and accidents. The measurement data is collected via the PilotWeb at the closing of the pilo-tage. A separate project and a project group with pilots also participating will be established for the deployment of the performance indicators. The phases of the project are: the definition phase, the implementation phase and the deployment phase. The purpose of the definition phase is to prepare questions for ship commanders concerning the cus-tomer feedback questionnaire and also to work out the self-assessment queries and the queries concerning the process indicators.