A Study Of Project Management Information Systems Information Technology Essay

Project management information systems usually acquired by organizations as software packages are meant to provide managers with the decision-making support needed in planning, organizing, and controlling projects. However, the actual contribution of Project management information systems to project success or performance is still unknown. The purpose of this study is to empirically assess the quality of the Project management information systems presently used in organizations and to examine their impact on project managers and project performance, based on a Project management information systems success model.

This study is composed of five constructs: the quality of the Project management information systems, the quality of the Project management information systems information output, the use of the Project management information systems, the individual impacts of the Project management information systems and the impacts of the Project management information systems on project success.

But security is the main limitation of this system. The possibility of sharing information in a Web based process management system demands security measures. The issue of trust is a major issue in the setting up of such as Web based process management – some clients would be completely trustworthy whilst others would need to be checked all the time. There is definitely a need to ensure that people is encouraged to see this technology as a benefit rather than a threat.

Project management Information system makes a significant contribution to project success and should continue to be the object of project management research.

Introduction

Project management system is a term covering many types of software, including estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to deal with the complexity of large projects. Web based Project Management Systems are web-based applications designed to store and manage project information. Quite simply project collaboration applications allow disparate groups of people such as engineers, architects, and clients, controlled access to, and automated dissemination of, information. Project management software can be implemented as a Web application, accessed through an intranet, or an extranet using a web browser. What a PMIS (project Management Information System) does is to manage all stakeholders in a project such as Project Owner, Client, Contractors, Sub-Contractors, Company persons, Workers, Managers and etc. PMIS is ideal system for all companies which intend to implement business management system prior to introduction of ERP as well as the construction company who needs comprehensive management of information and outputs within the entire lifecycle from beginning to end of the construction site and a business management system enabled by IT prior to ERP implementation.

Tasks or activities of project management system

Scheduling

One of the most common purposes is to schedule a series of events or tasks and the complexity of the schedule can vary considerably depending on how the tool is used. Some common challenges include:

Events which depend on one another in different ways or dependencies

Scheduling people to work on, and resources required by, the various tasks, commonly termed resource scheduling

Dealing with uncertainties in the estimates of the duration of each task

Providing information

Project planning software can be expected to provide information to various people or stakeholders, and can be used to measure and justify the level of effort required to complete the project(s). Typical requirements might include:

Tasks lists for people, and allocation schedules for resources

Overview information on how long tasks will take to complete

Early warning of any risks to the project

Information on workload, for planning holidays

Evidence

Historical information on how projects have progressed, and in particular, how actual and planned performance are related

Optimum utilization of available resource

Approaches to project management system

Desktop

Web-based

Personal

Single user

Collaborative

Integrated

Non-specialized tools

Here we are focusing only on Web bases project management system;

Web based Project Management Systems focus on tools and services that make it easier to manage AEC projects. The essence of collaboration software is to develop a process whereby documents are all electronic, thus enabling them to be located at a secure central location that can be accessed by those to whom access rights have been given while maintaining business processes, supply chain relationships and organizational hierarchies.

In following figure the situations, traditional project management and WPM are shown. As can be noticed, the basic improvement is the centralization of the information.

Past situation Current situation

Person-to-person person-to-server

Data exchange data exchange

On line project management provides an instant, on-demand, secure online solution for every team member to communicate, share documents and collaborate using a standard web browser.

WPMS is an out-sourced Internet-based project information and workflow management service for the design, engineering, and construction industry. It provides specialized tools for all the individuals involved in the building process and enables construction projects to be completed under budget and ahead of schedule. This service is focused on providing project teams with rapid, secure, and easy access to project information. It promotes the concept of ‘partnering’ – enabling project owners, planners and architects to collaborate and to jointly determine how best to achieve the goals of the project. To implement effective partnering it is critical that all project players remain in regular contact with each other and have access to the same data. To insure effective coordination of the numerous partners that make up the project team, it is critical to get everyone communicating as quickly and efficiently as possible.

WPMS services include:

Document management: sharing or viewing multiple file formats online, marking-up the documents, downloading and uploading multiple documents, document search or full text search, back up facilities, keeping a document revision history and tracking who accesses what files.

Team communication (Project Collaboration and Management): real time discussion group, project calendar and event planning, team communication (project email or SMS messaging).

Business Process Automation: browser compatibility, plotting, third-party viewer, MAC support, PDA and WAP support, server located in a secure data centre, firewall installed, User ID and password required, different access levels, virus protection.

The heart of some on line project management systems is a secure document management and workflow system that stores all project documents and forms. The information repository can be updated daily to ensure that everyone has access to current information. It enables everyone in the project team to work from the same page, improving productivity. It helps to accelerate time- to-market, reduce cost, and increase revenues and to minimize rework due to communications errors. With a minimal investment in Internet technology and personnel, WPMS provide the tools for instant information access anytime and anywhere; collaborative software offers any kind of information services (consult, procure, maintain, modify, etc.) throughout the life cycle of the project.

How the project management system grows businesses

The reason that the project management system works is that it offers ambitious people a way to clearly define an end result, then work backward to plan the path toward achieving it. Whether it’s a sales manager’s project to double sales within 90 days, or an office manager’s project to cut the amount spent of office supplies in half by next quarter, every person on the team can become more efficient and

more successful through Microsoft Project training. 

One of the biggest problems in any large or small company is that people tend to become complacent and stop challenging themselves. Through Microsoft Project training, team members learn how to use MS Project software to set goals and see them through to fruition. A project management system itself won’t make a struggling company successful. It’s a combination of a company wide belief that anything is possible, a staff that refuses to fail, organizational software such as Microsoft Project, and Microsoft

project training for every employee.

The psychology behind the project management system is that everyone is accountable to the team for his or her own particular piece in a project. Every team member is driven by the vision of a clear end result. Microsoft Project software gives managers tools to create PERT analysis, assign and manage resources, creates project plans, and keeps the entire team precisely on track and informed of progress. Although complex, MS Project can be learned in as few as 3 days through Microsoft Project Training in London. 

Types of businesses using the project management system

Lots of big businesses like HP and Microsoft are run using a project management system, however many smaller businesses tend to operate without any planned systems or processes. Some startups, like SMS.ac, a San Diego based company that designed its entire infrastructure around a project system, grew from a cramped condo into a multi-national, multi-million dollar company within 4 years. By putting every employee through Microsoft Project training, sticking to the project management system, and enforcing a culture of advancement, there is no limit to what any small business can become. 

The project system can function successfully in every type and size of business from the very large to the very small garage start-up. All a business needs to implement a project system is a results-driven company culture, organizational software such as MS Project, and Microsoft Project training so that team members can learn how to maximize the potential of the software. 

In terms of innovation and success, Microsoft ranks among the top in the world. Luckily for small businesses, Microsoft also makes affordable project management software for which there is affordable Microsoft Project training. Because of this, everyone can use the tools of one of the most successful project driven companies in the world. The answer to growing your business two-fold or even ten- fold, lies in a company’s goal setting and achievement processes, not any one particular fact or tip. Microsoft Project is the backbone of any successful project system and Microsoft Project training can teach your team how to use it to challenge themselves and their team members to succeed to any level you can imagine.

Project Management System Importance

Be it a school or college project, a business to run, an information technology project, a party, an event or any other kind of major project that threatens to be a logistics nightmare, requires precise planning and prior research. Time and resources need to be effectively managed to ensure the success of the project.

Here are many types of project management tools available today, in the form of software applications that can help you plan out the whole project and monitor its overall development. These project management software programs help managers monitor the daily development of a project in a systematic fashion and see to it that they are running on schedule. These tools include accounting software that lets you ensure that the financial costs of running a project are within the set limits. The importance of project management tools can only be realized after you have actually used one. 

Limitations

There are also drawbacks when an organization decides to work using WPMS.

1. Security. The possibility of sharing information in a WPMS demands security measures. The issue of trust is a major issue in the setting up of such as WPMS – some clients would be completely trustworthy whilst others would need to be checked all the time. There is definitely a need to ensure that people is encouraged to see this technology as a benefit rather than a threat.

2. Infrastructure and difficult Internet access. Companies need to have the infrastructure necessary to support them (i.e. network systems, hardware, etc.). Most companies don’t have this infrastructure and don’t want to change their organizations. Moreover, there mostly is no Internet access on site.

3. Need for training. Employees must be familiar with technological solutions; otherwise they need to be trained. Some employees are not keen on using new technologies and think they will need too much time to learn and understand it.

Conclusion

The aim of this study was to determine the actual impacts of IT (Web)-based project management information systems upon project performance. More specifically, one objective was to identify the main determinants of project management information system and determine the extent to which these systems assist project managers in terms of increased efficiency, productivity and efficiency. Another objective was to get a better understanding of the contribution of these systems to the success of projects.

Following the conclusions of previous research that project management information system success models should continue to be validated and challenged, the results of this research show that the use of a project management information system is in fact advantageous to project managers. Improvements in effectiveness and efficiency in managerial tasks were observed here in terms of better project planning, scheduling, monitoring, and control. Improvements in productivity were also observed in terms of timelier decision-making. Advantages obtained from project management information system use are not limited to individual performance but also include project performance. These systems were found to have direct impacts on project success, as they contribute to improving budget control and meeting project deadlines as well as fulfilling technical specifications. One can therefore conclude that PMIS make a significant contribution to project success and should continue to be the object of project management research.