ISSUES

THAT AFFECT
SUCCESSFUL
SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT
IN AN
ORGANISATION
WRITTEN
SIMPHIWE GAJANA
IRM4729 2020
FINAL RESEARCH
REPORT
PLAGIARISM DECLARATION
1. I am aware that plagiarism is the taking and using of the ideas, writings, works or inventions
of another and acting as if they were my own. Plagiarism not only includes verbatim copying,
but also the extensive use of another person’s ideas without proper acknowledgement. I know
that plagiarism covers this sort of use of material found in textual sources and from the Internet.
2. I acknowledge and understand that plagiarism is wrong.
3. I understand that my research must be accurately referenced. I have followed the rules and
conventions concerning referencing and citation.
4. This assignment is my own work. I acknowledge that copying someone else’s assignment, or
part of it, is wrong, and that submitting identical work to others constitutes a form of plagiarism.
5. I have not allowed, nor will I in the future allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as their own work.
Signed: SIMPHIWE GAJANA, 58096205, Final Project IRM4729, 2020 (University, n.d.)

1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to take this moment and say thank you to the almighty Lord for giving me life,
keeping me safe all the time and blessing me with wonderful friends and family Whom gave
me the love and support that kept me going from the day I started this research script
project until today where I write my final research script, achieving yet another goal with
their love and support. Honestly, I wouldn’t be here without their love and support and it
would be a difficult thing to live life without them and their unconditional love. To the author
of the book (Research Methodology) Mr Ranjit Kumar and everyone who contributed to the
construction of the book, I cannot explain how grateful I am for learning so much from the
research methodology book that we used as a tool to construct meaningful research scripts,
giving a step by step guide to beginners like me. I am truly grateful for what I learned from
the book and I would like to say thank you for sharing your knowledge with me and other
students, we learned a lot of meaning things from the book not only for completing this
module but for future referencing too. I would like to Acknowledge Professor Kirstin Krauss
and the university of south Africa for giving me the opportunity to study and complete this
research script with them and helping us with helpful resources that guide us in our studies.
The experience has been wonderful and for that I will forever be grateful. I would also like to
acknowledge all the other contributing sources that contributed not only in my research
project but to the whole of Information technology as a discipline or study stream. In
addition, I would like to congratulate all fellow students doing the research script module,
together we had a great time and I wish you only the best for your future endeavors. Even
though it wasn’t an easy journey but together we managed to conquer all obstacles that we
faced, and I believe we’ll continue to conquer other life obstacles together in future and
contribute towards building a healthy IT society.

2
Contents

Plagiarism Declaration ....................................................................................................................... 2

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................. 2
Abstract .............................................................................................................................................. ….4
Chapter 1 – Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 6
Introduction and background .......................................................................................................... …. 6
Problem Statement .......................................................................................................................... …..8
Research questions ......................................................................................................................... … 10
Objectives .......................................................................................................................................... .. 10
Brief overview of proposed methodology ..................................................................................... …..11
Key terms and concepts .................................................................................................................. … 11
Expected limitations ..............................................................................................................................13
Overview of Chapter ........................................................................................................................ …. 13
Chapter 2 – Literature review ........................................................................................................... ….13
Introduction and overview ..................................................................................................................... 13
Approach to doing a literature ......................................................................................................…… 14
The review of literature .................................................................................................................. ……..14
Summary of literature review ........................................................................................................ ……. 16
Research objectives revisited ............................................................................................................. 16
Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................... 16
Chapter 3 – Proposed research methodology ............................................................................... ….17
Introduction and overview ............................................................................................................. ………17
Proposed research strategy ......................................................................................................... ………17
Data that will be collected ............................................................................................................. ………17
Sources of data / research participants / sampling ...........................................................................17
Data collection method .......................................................................................................................... 18
Data treatment / analysis approach ............................................................................................. ……..19
Ethical issues in data collection ........................................................................................................... 19
Research bias and limitations ...................................................................................................... ………19

3
Conclusions ......................................................................................................................................... 20
Chapter 4 – Expected results and contribution .............................................................................. ..21
Introduction and overview ............................................................................................................. …….21
Expected contribution ........................................................................................................................... 21
Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................ 21
Chapter 5 – Conclusions and recommendations .......................................................................... …..21
Introduction and overview ............................................................................................................. ………21
Summary of the research report .......................................................................................................... 21
How the research questions were answered ..................................................................................... 22
Limitations ....................................................................................................................................... ………22
Recommendations for further research ...................................................................................... ………22
Lessons learnt for IRM practice ........................................................................................................... 22
List of Figures ......................................................................................................................................... 26
List of Tables .......................................................................................................................................... 27
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 27

ABSTRACT
This research project outlines and addresses issues affecting the successful software implementation and
deployment, it was conducted to investigate, identify and compile main causes of software
implementation failures in organizations. The presented issues of this study are specifically in the context
of development processes and procedures, more especially with regards to the organizational needs and

4
constraints related to information systems and enterprise resource planning. Various software projects
were taken into consideration based on issues such as business type, nature of software, amount of end-
users and investment for the software project. Input was collected from stakeholders, development
professionals and end-users to fully identify the main causes of software implementation failures. A
conclusion that can be drawn from this research project is that most software projects fail on their
implementation phase due to various reasons such as insufficient training and support, transition
constraints (difficulties in adopting new processes from old processes), ambiguous software
specifications, negative end-user attitude, poor communication and lack of infrastructure. It was also
identified that a lot of software project implementation failures occurs a lot in small sized businesses as
they do not follow robust software development procedures and process selections leading to a software
project failure.

Implementation of a software project is highly important to end-users and investors, whether it’s a small
software update, add-in or new software installation it is important to all stakeholders. It all begins with
identifying a need for a new software implementation or identifying a need for an update in the current
software, getting it to be developed up until the end goal which is project sign-off (This is where the
implemented software is accepted by the stakeholders after ensuring that it meets all specified
requirements that where initially stated in the system requirements specifications).Identification of critical
success factors (CFSs) and examination of critical failure factors (CFFs) for the successful development
of enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects has demonstrated to be an important issue in the context
of enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation and information systems examination
(Swaminathan,2011;Thompson 2017).

Since research examination on critical success factors for enterprise resource planning, implementation
success is very rare and fragmented. Through a comprehensive review of the literature, this research
project provides a more comprehensive list of 10 factors that were found to be critical for enterprise
resource planning implementation success – project management, change management; ERP teamwork
composition; Effective communication; senior management support; monitoring and evaluation of
performance; software development, testing and troubleshooting; project champion and organizational
culture. The main contribution of this study is that critical success factors (CFSs) are identified through a
thorough analysis and the significance of each factor specified in this study is clearly defined and
reviewed to ensure a clear understanding of all constraints/issues/problems in the context of software
development and deployment in the field of information technology. These findings have significant
implications on how a successful ERP project can be implemented and how (CFFs) can be prevented to
ensure that stakeholders don’t lose on their vested interests in software development and deployment.

Key words: Information system, enterprise resource planning, failure, prototyping, critical failure factors,
Critical success factor ,software requirements specifications, Management information system,
technology, Software development life cycle , rapid application development, implementation,

Chapter 1- Introduction and Background

5
Software implementation describes the art of converting specified system requirements
specifications (SRS) gathered from a “need” into a real system that people can use and benefit
from. As much as an organization is governed by rules and has a formal organizational structure
to run the daily business operations. Likewise, implementation of software also follows strict
processes and procedures. For a software to be developed accordingly, it must follow what we
refer to as software development life cycle and go through all the phases (development stages)
namely requirements gathering, designing, development, quality assurance and implementation.
Failure “may occur” at any of the development phases as much as it would when the processes
are not followed, resulting in a project that is erroneous or performing below the expected
standards. However failure in the implementation phase will have the greatest negative impact
on the project, the software provider and the stakeholders due to the following reasons: poor
requirements gathering, lack of resources and insufficient training, Lack of infrastructure, lack of
product capability and stability, negative attitudes of users, poor customer support, difficulty in
transition, poor top management support and no financial gain. Stakeholders will run a huge
loss on investments, time and efforts mostly on failures occurring on the implementation phase
than they would on failures occurring in any of the other phases of project development simply
because most resources are used mainly on the implementation phase of project development.
As for the contracted company (software provider) the reputation will be badly affected to an
extent that they might lose business.

Previous research studies struggled to identify causes and factors leading to delays, lost
productivity and cost overruns mostly in construction projects (Sweis, et al 2008; Sweis, 2009;
Sweis, et al 2013; Sweis, et al 2014). Similarly, Several Information systems pioneers struggled
to identify causes and factors related to the success and failure of an information system (IS)
project. There is never a single cause of information technology project failure, there is never an
easy solution, however if the different influencing causes or issues are clearly understood and
managed, chances of success will rapidly increase. According to Barry Shore (2008)
understanding early warning signs in the project can improve the project`s chances of not being
regarded as a failure. A lot of researchers simulated that if a project schedule (completion time)
exceeded its due date or project expenses overrun the budget or the project deliverables
doesn’t fulfill the company’s predetermined performance measures, the project was assumed to
fail (Garg, P 2010; Nasir & Sahibuddin,2011; Chou, 2012; Ibrahim, R et al, 2013). According to
this research project a software is defined to have failed the implementation phase (suffered
implementation failure) if the delivered software project didn’t work according to the expected
standards after at least one year after completion of the implementation phase. It is vital for an
organization to be aware of the factors that may harm or affect the success of its projects or
cause its failure, in an introductory study it was stated that a lot of software project fail in the
implementation phase of project development. This research project is directed at finding the
main reasons behind such failures, in an attempt to improve and enhance software projects and
prevent any possible failures in the long run as well as to enhance efficiency and effectiveness
of an organization as it was discovered that the level and extent of implementation failure differs
one business to another and from one client organization to another.

Information technology has become one of the most vital and controlling aspects of our lives,
everything we do uses some sort of technology. However, a consistent gap remains in the

6
value of implemented technology and the ability for it to function effectively (There is a
knowledge gap in between software professionals and end-users). According to the global
competition this is a grave concern, judging on how difficult it seems to be to close or figure out
solutions for this type of problem. Over the past 20+ years organizations have been facing
challenges in maintaining competitive advantage more especially in the context of information
communication technology (ICT) because of the lack of seamless integrations of organizational
methodologies that enables organizations to leverage from consumer data on one hand, and
quick supply flow on the other(Wong et al.,2005). A good business plan or strategy does not
only play a vital role for the success or government of the business. It is also vital for its
competitiveness and survival in the business world therefore it must be as good as it sounds.
Nowadays a good and effective strategy focuses on the utilization of IT capabilities. That proves
that there is a need for implementation, integration of business processes and that can be
achieved through an ERP system. Enterprise Resource Planning refers to the categories of
software management which enables organizations to gather, manage and analyze data on a
number of business activities such as product planning, marketing, delivery or shipping and
inventory management (Gattiker and Goodhue, 2005; Ke and Wei, 2006; Lingard et al., 2012).
Its main objectives is to improve service experience, enhance competitiveness, modernize
business processes and systems as well as to provide swift information integration in the entire
organization through the utilization of a database management system (DBMS) to integrate
various information sources in one centralized database management system throughout the
entire organization.

This knowledge gap needs to be filled to unleash the best potential of Information technology,
improve implementation processes and to eliminate problems such as (the difficulties in
transition or resistance to change) because the rapid growth of IT is continuously changing,
transforming the way in which people do or see things on all levels of life. Different trends call
for this kind of transformation judging on how technology is influencing our lives, we are so
reliant on the flexibilities and services we acquire from technologies to an extent that they play a
significant role in how we acquire information, exchange it, work, communicate, do business or
even engage on fun activities. For example, if a person wants conduct a research project about
a particular topic, the first thing he or she would want to utilize is the internet to get the latest
information for obvious reasons such as easy access, being relevant and completing the task in
time (Beaumaster, 1999). Information is key in everything, how we access it, is vital. This proves
that almost everything we engage on is dependent on a technology invention to a degree that it
has turned out to be practically difficult to live without the use of these technology inventions.

To fill this gap of knowledge all parties involved in the project must pay attention mostly on the
requirements gathering phase, ensure that everyone participates in the software requirements
specification process and clearly understand what needs to be done and how it should be done
among others. Due to the fact that most end-users are not IT literate it would be beneficial to
attend the requirements gathering phase with a demo project as this will enlighten those with
little or no knowledge on IT, gain awareness and a feeling on what software does and how it can
help them carry out their work. It will also help the (client or stakeholders) figure out and analyze
their software requirements specifications (SRS) much better. Proper training must be given to
end-users to equip them with the knowledge on how to utilize the system fully and effectively.

7
For successful implementation of the project end-user participation must be ensured
appropriately in various phases of the SDLC (software development life cycle). As much as
we know that a lot of software projects are affected by lack of communication therefore to
ensure successful communication, top management must ensure that meetings are held
regularly more especially when the software project is on its implementation phase up until the
project is signed off and delivered. This will help eliminate risk at an early stage, help with
management of critical failure factors and ensure that the project schedule is always up to date
to avoid delays or budget overruns.

The purpose of the research script is to investigate reasons behind software implementation
failures in organizations and to identify the logical steps that can be implemented to enhance
development approaches with the aim of decreasing the failure rate in the systems development
field. It is evident from the introduction and background that this research topic is rarely studied
therefore, it is vital to note that due to the few studies conducted to investigate software
implementation failures the missing knowledge (knowledge gaps) is hindering our
understanding on information systems and its processes.

By completing this research script project, it is contemplated that interested readers will gain the
following values:

 Improved understanding on the causes of implementation failures and how they can be
prevented.
 Readers will be able to apply the knowledge given in this research script in enhancing
chances of accomplishing successful software implementations.
 Identify knowledge gaps and future areas of study in finding reasons behind software
implementation failures.

Problem Statement
Taking into consideration the given introduction and research background, technology revolution
has become one of the vital challenges organizations need to meet to excel in their field of
business. Due to the continuous changes in the IT field it is now an organizational need to adopt
strategies that will enable organizations to compete in the business world, minimize work
requirements, manage time constraints and efforts effectively. However, the main problem is
that organizations experience a lot of problems in their attempt to implement and deploy
reliable software projects as they have now seen the importance of upgrading current
systems or implementing new ones to maintain customer satisfaction and to gain
competitive advantage in the business sector. It is important to take note that being unaware
of the numerous challenges could possibly affect all the processes and procedures of
implementation (Kornkaew, 2012). According to Barry Shore (2008) understanding early
warning signs in the project can improve the project`s chances of not being regarded as a
failure. The success of a project is achieved by carefully observing that the budget, schedule
and project deliverables meet the expectations of the client or that of the stakeholders
(Nwagbogwu; 2011; Hwang & Lim 2013). According to Furton (2003) the budget, schedule, and

8
project scope are the core pillars of any project, a slight change in any of them threatens to
offset the balance of the project as a whole. Failing to meet any of the given aspects will result
in project failure. McLeod (2012) states that a successful IS project results in a successful
system and a satisfied client or end-user. The significance of this research project is to
thoroughly investigate and identify reasons behind software implementation and
deployment failure, the critical failure factors and critical success factors of Information
systems in an attempt to enhance the software projects and eliminate failures that might
occur in future as well as to increase the level of efficiency and effectiveness of an
organization.

Despite all of the knowledge around the problem of software implementation failures in an
organization, researchers point out that there is much we don’t know. There is never a single
cause of information technology project failure, there is never an easy solution, however
if the different influencing causes or issues are clearly understood and managed,
chances of success will rapidly increase. Software project failures are rarely caused by
mysterious incidents, however these incidents are normally discovered only when it is too late to
make changes or they are discovered post- mortem (only when the project has already
failed). Research studies conducted in the past struggled to identify causes and factors leading
to delays, lost productivity and cost overruns mostly in construction projects (Sweis, et al 2008;
Sweis, 2009; Sweis, et al 2013; Sweis, et al 2014). Information systems giants struggled to
identify causes and factors related to the success and failure of an information system project.
In the context of projects that utilize information system software, success of the project is
defined in a different way namely, (a) to what extent the software operates well? (b) Does it
deliver the expected deliverables (benefits)? (c) Does the implementation cost exceed the
benefits the system may deliver throughout its useful life and (d) does the complexity of
the system cause abandonment before completion? (Flowers, 1996; Whittaker, 1999).
According to May (1998: 1) a lot of software projects may be seen as partial failures due to the
fact that only few projects meet all of their budget constraints, schedule, quality and
requirements objectives. It is important to set objectives and characterize what success must
look like, when a system is implemented and deployed successfully, it adds value and provides
great benefits to the business, one of the benefits is data quality. Enterprise resource planning
systems often lead to the out-phasing of several functional or legacy systems that have caused
data redundancy before the ERP implementation (Thompson, 2017; Gattiker and Goodhue,
2005).

Contemporary researchers are urging us to research about the main approaches of information
system development, which are software development Life cycle, prototyping and rapid
application development to name a few. The complexity theory is proposed and an alternative
method or paradigm for analyzing information system failures and understanding them.

.
Hypothesis
If a development approach is studied and followed properly in the development of an
Information system and aspects like (user involvement maintained through-out the life of
the project, strict schedules followed to complete tasks in time, strict allocation of

9
resources maintained to prevent misuse, communication process done effectively and
tasks given based on skill or experience) to name a few, there is a high probability that
successful implementation of information systems will be achieved.

Research Questions
In order to achieve the goals of this research script the following questions were asked:

 What is the aim of this research script?

 What is the value of this research and what will readers gain from it?
 What is an information system, a development approach and its signification in software
implementation?
 What are the reasons behind information system failure in organizations?
 What are the Critical failure factors and critical success factors of an information
system?
 What measures are taken to address the implementation failures and what logical steps
can be taken to mitigate the impact of these failures?
 What is the significance of Information systems in an organization?
 What is currently being done to ensure that these failures are prevented in future
projects?
 What is the probability of implementation failure of information systems in organizations?

Objectives
In order to achieve the goals of this research script and answer the questions above, the
following objectives must be accomplished:

 To identify reasons behind implementation failures in organizations, to identify possible

solutions to mitigate risk and prevent future problems in software implementation.
 To perform an analysis or examination on the critical failure factors and critical success
factors of an information system in order to define what success should look like.
 To improve understanding on systems and identify knowledge gaps for future areas of
study.
 To evaluate logical steps that can be developed on current and future project to ensure
that project success increases rapidly.
 To show the significance of systems in organizations and why it is vital for organizations
to implement business strategies that focus on the aggressive use of IT
 To make recommendations on information systems best practice.
 To know the probability of implementation failure in organizations.

Significance of the Research work

The significance of the research work is to:
 Thoroughly investigate information systems as a field, its relationship with the business
strategies and its usefulness in the business sector.

10
  It intends to improve reader knowledge on development approaches, systems and it
aims to add value by making recommendations on logical steps that can be developed
to improve existing research studies.
 Readers will be able to apply the knowledge given in this research script in enhancing
chances of accomplishing successful software implementations, filling in the missing
knowledge and finding possible future areas of study.

Brief overview of proposed methodology

A mixed method approach is used in this research script, the strength of both qualitative and
quantitative methodologies is applied to fully answer the research questions and fulfill the
research aim of this study. The quantitative research method is used to gather data from other
specialists mentioned and cited on this research report to get responses to questions that intend
to investigate the (number or probability) of implementation failure of information systems in
organizations. The design and measurement is properly structured, rigid, fixed and is
quantifiable to ensure accuracy in measurement and classification, meaning it can be tested or
examined and it is also conclusive. This type of strategy is needed to measure conclusions,
quantify opinions, attitudes, practices and characterized factors of the framework. The
qualitative research methodology plays a significant role in this research script by investigating
through flexible open ended approach with the use of (“how, when, why and what”) with the
aim of exploring diversity rather than to quantify and to urge understanding as well as to
discover out what design patterns exist.

Key terms and concepts

The concept of this research script is to identify contributing factors that prevent software from
being developed and deployed successfully in organizations.

ACRONYMS
SDLC Software development Lifecycle
ERP Enterprise resource Planning
ICT Information Communication Technology
IS Information system
IT Information Technology
CFS Critical success Factor
CFF Critical Failure Factor
DMBS Database management system
MIS Management Information system
TPS Transaction Processing System

Terms Definitions
Approach A method of dealing with a development
problem.
Communication The imparting or exchanging of information by
speaking, writing, or using some other

11
 medium.
Processes A step by step approach used to acquire a
desired result or deliverable.
Planning The process of deciding on how something
should be done or carried out.
Prototype It is a demo product, a sample that used to
show how the final product will look like and
function.it is mostly used to check functionality
of a feature or overall design.
Development The process of creating or putting something
into use.
Stakeholder The people or parties taking part in a project
as investors, developers, end-users or even
product owners.
ROI (Return of Investment) The profit from an activity for a period
compared with the amount invested in it
Rapid Application Development
End-user The people or party whom use a product apart
from the one who developed it
Fit for use That product or service is available when a
user needs it

Fit for purpose That service needs to fulfil customer needs

Training The action of teaching a person a skill or type
of behaviour.
Problem A matter or situation regarded as unwelcome
or harmful and needing to be dealt with and
overcome.
Organisation An organized group of people with a particular
purpose, such as a business or government
department.
Change management The planning and introducing of new
processes, methods of working, etc. In a
company or organization.

Solution The answer to a problem, an approach to be

used to get the desired result from a problem.
Program/software The instructions that tells the computer what to
do.
Project A piece of planned work or an activity that is
finished over a certain period and intended
to achieve a particular goal or deliverable.
Vendor Person or company offering something for
sale.
ICT Refers to the technologies that provide access
to information through telecommunications.
Information System Is the study of how people put data into
computers to create useful information

12
Expected Limitations
This research script is limited to the problems or issues that affect successful software
development and deployment in an organisation.it only focuses on new software implementation
in the field of information systems and enterprise resource planning. It is vital to note that it does
not cover applications that are already developed (modification to existing systems),
software that are outside the context of a professional environment and in-house development
is also not covered.

Overview of Chapter
This chapter consists of the foundation which is the introduction and background of this
research script, the problem statement which states a clear understanding and highlights what
the problem is.
It consists of research questions and objectives gathered to show the aim, value and need for
this type of research study. From the research questions and objectives we acquire the
inspiration and logical reasoning the research script is build and based upon.

The hypothesis briefly summarises the useful knowledge that will be gained at the end of this
research study. The significance of the research work briefly explains why it was important for
this study to be conducted and it makes recommendations and defines logical steps that can be
implemented in improving the study as well as mitigating the issues discussed in this study.

The brief overview and methodology describes the method used to carry this research to
investigate the problem presented. For this research script a mixed method is used whereby the
quantitative approach is for questions that intended to find the quantity (The how much or how
many) and the qualitative approach is used for open-ended questions that intend to investigate
through the use of (why, when, where and what).Expected limitations are discussed to give
you an indication to the extent of this research. In addition, the key concepts and terms are
listed to simplify meanings and acronyms.

Chapter 2 – Literature review

Introduction and Overview
The evolution of information systems can be traced back to mid-1960s when it was commonly
known as management information system (MIS) which is the first era of information systems
and it has been growing ever since that era existed. This is whereby organizations initially
started the utilization of mainframe computers to perform repetitive and high volume transaction
computing duties. Information systems formed from operational research, management and
organizational theory, accounting and the nexus of computer science (Davis & Olson, 1985,
pp.13-14). All disciplines came with a distinctive perspective on the organizational application of
computer (application of computers within the organization). Over the past 4+ decades the rapid
growth of information systems has demonstrated its self in various ways.it can be noted that,
due to the growth in information systems a lot things have emerged and the level of research
has increased dramatically. We now witness new research communities with new research

13
specialties daily that also emerge due to the growth of information systems. Due to the
advancement on information systems and rapid growth in the discipline itself one would expect
to see information system as a discipline establishing a concrete position or relations in practice
and in academia. However the field continues to experience major challenges and continues to
struggle (Benbasat & Zmud, 2003; Checkland & Holwell, 1998; Galliers, 2003; King & Lyytinen,
2006; Mingers & Stowell, 1997).

Today information system as a discipline is constantly in questioning about its legitimacy and
identity. Current research studies conducted by various researchers raise serious questions
about the state of the discipline (researchers want to know if (IS) as a field is in a critical
state and what would happen if the discipline suffers extinction) (Hirschheim & Klein,
2003). Various Information system pioneers have tried to define and express what information
systems is and how it various from other fields. Others have seen the significance and need to
encourage positive thinking as well as to state the vitality of this discipline.

Approach to doing Literature

A systematic approach for doing literature is utilized in this research script as it is a clear
structured approach for reviewing literature of this nature. The main objective is to present
concrete insight on the high failure rate on software implementations by clearly understanding
its critical success factors, critical failure factors and the reasons behind these implementation
failures in software projects. Statistics are used in this research project because they have a
significant role in this type of research study due to the fact that they help us in knowing the
probability of software failures and the reasons behind each failed project. After the
development of the literature review topic, keywords and variables were identified that were
utilized to research the topic. Information sources were selected based on the search criteria.
These variables formed the topics for discussion. The literature review explains the problems
that organizations encounter during software implementation and deployment in their mission to
implement a software product that resolves their organizational problems and delivers the
desired results such as reliability, competency and efficiency as part of the benefits the software
must deliver. After a thorough review of the literature, various answers that clearly defined the
causes of implementation failure in projects, critical failure factors and critical success factors for
successful software implementation were discovered, addressed and recommendations were
also made.

The review of Literature

2.1 Information systems
Information systems have a significant role and a huge impact in our lives. They gather, store,
organize and distribute information in a more structured and well organized manner to improve
and simplify our daily routines in the most effective manner. In simple terms an information
system is defined as the combination of (what, who, and how) whereby the business or
organization clearly states what technology to use, who will do it, and how it will be done
(McLeod & Schell, 2007; Watson, 2008; Laudon and Laudon,2009; Pearlson and
Daunders,2009). In order to achieve this, functions and structures are fused in a dynamic
manner to construct or build an information system with a comprehensive user friendly look and
higher level functionalities that are beyond just sending mails or publishing data on online
platforms. Failure of these systems has been a major concern in the modern technological era;
researchers are constantly spending a significant amount of time, effort and resources in
figuring out the causes and understanding the recurring failures of these systems.

14
2.2 Factors that may lead to the Failure of IS Projects
A lot of information systems are regarded as failed projects despite the high resources
allocations. A project is considered a successful project when it is completed within the
allocated project schedule, budget and met the requirements of the organization. Furton (2003)
stated that money, time and scope are the main aspects of any project, slight changes in any of
these aspects threatens the balance of the whole project and failing to meet these aspects will
result in project failure.

Taking into consideration the information provided in the introduction, the rationale and viewing
from a different perspective, factors leading to system failure or factors that may cause system
failure in projects come in different forms; however the most popular types are the technical and
managerial factors. Poor requirements gathering, lack of proper analysis of requirements, poor
technical design tools or poor technical support are the technical factors that affect information
system project the most (McManus and Harper, 2007).The managerial factors associated with
projects failure are poor leadership, poor communication, poor methodologies and meagre
competencies. It was also discovered that managerial factors related to information systems
management are the most critical factors leading to failure. Organizational culture, behaviour,
and organizational politics were also discovered to be significant factors in the success and
failure of an information system projects (Robey and Zeller, 1978; Yeo, 2002; Mensah and
Przasnyski, 1991; McManus and Harper, 2007).

This research script studies the causes, reasons and factors leading to failure of information
system projects in meeting the main pillars of any project which are time, budget (also known
as the cost) and the quality. Based on the literature factors leading to an information system
project failure in achieving the desired objectives are process driven issues, content and context
driven Issues) (Whittaker, 1999; K.T.Yeo, 2002; Kappleman et al,2006; Standing et al, 2006;
Kreps and Richardson, 2007; Tesch et al, 2007; Attarzadeh et al, 2008). Below is a brief
representation of these factors:

A. The Process Driven Factors: These are the issues that are related to organizational
planning, competitive business strategies formations, project control and manageability, change
management process and procedures. other issues includes poor requirement specifications
or ambiguous scope, lack of project time management due to wrong estimations(happens
mostly because project managers sometimes underestimate project schedule.), poor risk
analysis, poor budget estimation due to (wrong calculations),unrealistic deliverables and
unclear vision, incorrect assumptions about project risks.

B. The Content Driven Factors: These are the issues that are related to the implementation
environment where the software project will be implemented and deployed. Others content
driven issues include organizational structure and the organizational culture, managerial style
and approach, internal and external communication methodologies, end-user participation, poor
problem solving methodologies and organizational politics.
C. The Context Driven Factors: These are the issues that are related to information system as
a discipline, software design and information technology pioneers. The context driven factors
include ambiguous or unrealistic project deliverable, major project scope alterations in the
project design, incomplete system requirement specifications, inappropriate technology for
project execution or implementation, underestimating the complexity of the project and its
scope.

15
According to the literature review these are the main causes or issues responsible for software
implementation failure and because of them a project might be discontinued. In this research
script we are trying to examine the extent in which these factors affect information system
projects and make recommendations on how they can be mitigated more especially on those
that are specifically related to managers.

Summary of literature review

An overview of the existing literature was presented in this chapter dealing with the main
problems that cause software implementation failure on information system projects.
Information system as a concept was defined and critical failure factors that affect
implementation of IS projects were discussed. The Main aspects of a successful project were
also identified and discussed to clearly state what project success means and how that can be
achieved. Paying close attention to the research introduction, problem statement and the
literature review, it now clear that for a project to be regarded as a successful project it must
meet the budget, project scope and the project schedule specified by the client. These benefits
can only be seen if the project is successful. The literature emphasized on challenges found in
software implementation in organizations. It is now proven that the researchers view that
implementation can be a success if followed using the correct approaches and not rushing or
skipping any of the interrelated steps of SDLC.

Research objectives revisited

 To identify reasons behind implementation failures in organizations, to identify possible
solutions to mitigate risk and prevent future problems in software implementation.
 To perform an analysis or examination on the critical failure factors and critical success
factors of an information system in order to define what success should look like.
 To improve understanding on systems and identify knowledge gaps for future areas of
study.
 To evaluate logical steps that can be developed on current and future project to ensure
that project success increases rapidly.
 To show the significance of systems in organizations and why it is vital for organizations
to implement business strategies that focus on the aggressive use of IT
 To make recommendations on information systems best practice.
 To know the probability of implementation failure in organizations
 To identify the critical failure factors (CFF’s) that are vital to be noted and mitigated
for project success
 To identify the critical success factors CSF’s needed for project success
 To mitigate risks causing software development failure
 To provide successful software implementation and deployment.

Hypotheses Revisited
If a development approach is studied and followed properly in the development of an
Information system and aspects like (user involvement maintained through-out the life of
the project, strict schedules followed to complete tasks in time, strict allocation of
resources maintained to prevent misuse, communication process done effectively and
tasks given based on skill or experience) to name a few, there is a high probability that
successful implementation of information systems will be achieved.

16
Conclusions
A conclusion that can be drawn from this chapter is that in order for a project to be successful it
is vital to follow the implementation process and not omit any steps, it is significant to pay
attention to the project scope, it is important to clearly define the software requirements in the
most simplest way ever so that everyone understand exactly what the vision is and what needs
to be done. As it was stated in the introduction it is of high importance to include end-users
throughout the life of the project and it was also recommended that a demo be present in the
requirements gathering phase so to help those with little or no knowledge of IT gain a clear view
of the product being implemented. In order to omit risks (critical failure factors related to the
implementation of software projects) it is wise to make a background study before starting with a
project. This will help in keeping track of all the recorded failures and it will be easy for you to
avoid them. In addition as it was stated that the three main pillars of any project are (time, scope
and budget) mastering this aspects will surely bring success in a software project.

CHAPTER 3 – PROPOSED RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction and overview

IT Project management is complex in the information systems (IS) environment (Sullivan,
John J; Wyeth, Mela; Chumney, Wade M, 2006). It deals with a bigger range of variables.
There is a need to study the increase in software project implementations and to determine
why there is high failure rate in organizations and to quantify the impact they have.
Qualitative study design research is used to provide an insight to the problem by
understanding the underlying issues of the problem. Quantitative study design research will
be used to quantify opinions, attitudes, behaviors and defined variables. Quantitative
Research is measurable and uses data to gather facts and reveal patterns about the
research problem (Kumar, 2011). This chapter will focus on the research strategy used, the
collection of data, sources, method used to collect data, analysis approach, ethical issues,
bias and limitations.

Proposed research strategy

The core objective of this study is to compile an in-depth list of problems affecting the success
of software implementation, more specifically in the context of information systems software and
enterprise resource planning systems. This study is dependent on utilizing the key variables (a
set of key success factors) that will be conducted through a thorough study of existing literature
(Thompson, 2017). Thereafter the researcher will gather data from participating members who
will base their answers on their perceptions, experience and knowledge. To study a subject this
complex a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods will be used. Published literature and
survey-based questionnaires will be used for this study to gather all the data required and in
depth knowledge on the subject matter.

Data that will be collected

Several processes of data collection exist. Choosing a method that will give the most
valuable results and correct type of data is key. The first set of data will be collected using
the existing literature to determine the critical factors (Thompson, 2017). Taking factors that

17
were already reviewed other researchers provides a great insight of both the success
factors and the recorded cause of implementation failure. This method allowed the
researcher to group together these issues that were named in a different way by different
researchers, but meant similar things (Thompson, 2017). Data will then be collected using
survey-based questionnaires which will be randomly distributed within the organization
(Dezdar & Ainin, 2011). The researcher created the survey based on the advantages of
implementing an IS system and the issues affecting the success of the implementation as
set out in the literature review. The questions asked, address the research problem as
stated in this report. The questionnaire was divided into different sections. The first section
had demographic information of the employee, such as age, gender, education, Information
systems (IS) experience. The second section was based on the issues that affect
successful (IS) implementation in organizations (Dezdar & Ainin, 2011). The third and last
were about the benefits that (IS) offers and suggestions for areas of improvement in the
discipline.

Sources of data / research participants / sampling

The participation of the employees was already determined because they all fall part of the
same organization. The IS system that was chosen was SAP because it is known to be the
leading vendor and leading software implemented. The name of the company is withheld
due to an agreement with the company. Several modules of SAP were implemented, and
many departments were involved in the process. All employees were called to participate in
the questionnaires irrespective of their grade or department. Random sampling will be used
for this research. Each employee in the company will have an equal and independent
chance of selection in the sample (Kumar, 2011). The probability of selection of each
element in the population will be the same. The choice of an element in the sample will not
influenced by other considerations such as personal preference (Kumar, 2011). A larger
sample will be used for accuracy and to see if any patterns exist.

Data collection method

Taking into consideration the size of the organization, the survey-based questionnaire is the
best fitting option to collect data. This methodology is less expensive and takes less time to
gather data (Kumar, 2011).The online based questionnaire survey first needs to collect
information about the employee. Collecting information from an online survey has its
restrictions (Thompson, 2017). These questionnaires will be available to all employees. Out
of 2000 employees, only 900 responded. Out of these respondents, 700 were end users
whom were trained on the system. There was a diverse selection of random sampling with
different age groups, education levels, experience and different organizational units.

Data treatment / analysis approach

Data sourced from the organization will be random and each employee will have an equal
opportunity to complete the questionnaire for the sample population. On completion of data
collection, the data needs to be examined (Thompson, 2017). After receiving the completed
questionnaires, responses will be collected and inserted into a single database that will
process these answers. It is important to use an analysis device that will identify the CFF’s
and CSF’s and to find out whether it has a direct or indirect association between issues and
how these issues impact the implementation. The answers will be audited to check for

18
validity and accuracy of the data against the research problem. This will be used as the
foundation for the analysis required researching the problem. It is only through this analysis
approach that the objectives will be accomplished; thereafter the research questions will be
answered.

Ethical issues in data collection

According to Ranjit Kumar “All professions are guided by a code of ethics that evolved over the
years to accommodate the changing ethos, values, needs and expectations of those who hold a
stake in the professions. Some professions are more advanced than others in terms of the level
of development of their code of ethics. Some have very strict guidelines, monitor conduct
effectively and take appropriate steps against those who do not abide by the guidelines. Most
professions have an overall code of conduct that also governs the way they carry out research.
In addition, many research bodies have evolved a code of ethics separately for research.
Medicine, epidemiology, business, law, education, psychology and other social sciences have
well-established codes of ethics for research.” The same principal applies in research methods.
The onus is on the person to follow the code of conduct.
Certain behaviors like causing harm to a person, misuse of information, confidentiality breach
and the introduction of unethical bias are considered unethical. Most professions have
established an overall code of ethics and a code of ethics for conducting research in their
respective fields. Each profession has its own code of ethics, though there are commonalities.
Each stakeholder might have their different or their own purpose and interest which could harm
the research being carried out. It is unethical to collect information without the participant’s
knowledge. Giving an incentive before the research is unethical, however giving an incentive
after the research is complete is ethical. Certain types of information may be sensitive and
confidential and asking for that information could embarrass the person such as income, age or
marital status, however if the question is not asked, it won’t be possible to get the information.
Bias is a deliberate attempt either to hide what you have found in your study or highlight
something disproportionately to its true existence which is considered unethical behavior. It is
important to use the appropriate methodology for a research study. It is unethical to let your
research be used as a reason for justifying management decisions.
There is little literature review on ethical issues for IS implementation. There are no simple
answers to the question concerning this type of research. There are grey areas and the
researcher cannot always be sure about the potential harm that can be caused. Questionnaire
has to be structured in a manner that will not cause any harm, considering fact that there are
many participants in the sample population from all areas of the organization, skilled and
unskilled.

Research bias and limitations

Unbiased and objective’ means that you have taken each step in an unbiased manner and
drawn each conclusion to the best of your ability and without introducing your own vested
interest. The author makes a distinction between bias and subjectivity. Subjectivity is an integral
part of your way of thinking that is ‘conditioned’ by your educational background, discipline,
philosophy, experience and skills (Kumar, 2011). Questionnaires were used to ensure a non-
response bias. There is no influence from the researcher, as these questions are completed
online at the discretion of the participants, thus removing all chance of bias. It is vital to gather
information in the most accurate way, without changing data to suite the organizations or
researchers needs.

19
This could harm the research and individuals concerned. The sample population may add their
bias to express their opinions, but the research should not add it to the questions. Although a
large organization was used to conduct this study, there were some limitations that need to be
considered. Caution needs to be exercised in generalizing findings. There are other CSF’s
besides: Project management (PM), Training, IS Team Composition, Skills and Compensation,
Organization culture (OC), Communication plan and Post implementation evaluation that affect
successful implementation. New knowledge must be attained before starting an IS
implementation plan.

Conclusions
The focus on this chapter was on the research approach that was taken by the researcher to
carry out this study. Research strategies were conversed. This research fell into the mixed
methods approach. Data collection was done by extensive literature review using content
analysis and questionnaires. The survey-based questionnaire was compiled using the
researchers design and all participants were called into the sample population irrespective of
department or ranking level thus allowing for an unbiased and ethical investigation.

CHAPTER 4 – EXPECTED RESULTS AND CONTRIBUTION

Introduction and overview
In this chapter the data collected for the purpose of this study, will be presented. The assembly
of this chapter is based on the questionnaires from the respondents. To gain an insight in the
challenges that were faced during the implementation, it is important to understand the
background of the IS system called SAP, and its implementation process. The results found
agree with the literature review for the research problem at organizations with regards to new
software implementation, focusing more on IS systems for the purpose of this report. This
chapter also looks at the expected contributions and conclusions.

Expected contribution
Information systems are in huge demand today by most businesses simply because of the great
benefits they that provide by integrating various departments into one solution. (Brown &
Vessey, 1999) The study began by a thorough review of the literature and choosing the most
appropriate articles based on the keywords. The distinction between the critical success factors
showed the significance of development success IS systems. The IS model shows the
interrelated steps that need to be followed and the significance of completing each development
phase. The researcher hopes to reduce the gap between the success and failure rates of
implementing IS systems in organizations by addresses the issues that surrounds the actual
implementation. The findings in this study suggest that it will serve as a worthwhile contribution
towards understanding the IS implementation process by means of adding useful insight to the
process, for example:

 Clearly understanding the problems that lead to development failure

 Developing high quality project management leadership skills
 Being able deal with incident and mitigating risks.
 Understanding how training, communication and culture may affect success of a project.

20
Conclusions
The data collected will give the results needed to support literature found regarding the research
problem. SAP as the leading vendor and leading IS system shows multiple problems around the
implementation of that solution. Mitigating or minimizing those factors can and will lead to higher
success rates of implementations.

CHAPTER 5 – CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Introduction and overview
The importance of an IS systems in organizations is undisputable. Over the past 10 to 20 years
the IS implementations have increased dramatically. Information systems in IT have the ability
to change the way we do things (Beaumaster, 1999). IT itself cannot resolve all organizational
challenges; we still need people and processes in place to operate those systems. The
objective of this study was to identify issues that prevent successful software implementation by
using proper process and realizing the critical success factors needed for mitigating failures
(Thompson, 2017). In this chapter we provide some conclusions on the most problematic issues
regarding Successful software implementation of IS systems in organizations. To address the
research questions in chapter 1, objectives needed to be established. Thorough literature
review was conducted, and questionnaires were distributed to gain further insight to the issues
around IS implementation. Recommendations are based on the research results.

Summary of the research report

Over the past 20 years organizations have come to the realization of the importance of
upgrading and/or replacing existing computer systems. The history of IS goes back more than
100 years. In 1913, engineer Ford Whitman Harris developed what became known as the
economic order quantity (EOQ) model, a paper-based manufacturing system for production
scheduling. Today, Information systems objective is to provide a “hassle free” integration of
information throughout the organization. This is accomplished by integrating different
information sources into a single database (DB). IS provides a process orientated outlook of the
organization and their processes. Successful implementation and knowledge of the use of the
system is vital businesses drive efficiency through automation; however what we seem to ignore
is that although IT provides various solutions and benefits, the problem arises in the
implementation of those solutions. It is a process of steps interrelated to one another. A gap
remains between the value of developed technology and the ability for it to function effectively. It
is imperative to set goals and define what success should look like. An IS system implemented
successfully can provide numerous benefits to an organization (Thompson, 2017). Literature
shows evidence of the many problems that arise in the implementation process of IS in IT.
Among the literature found, the IS implementation model and the CSF’s seem to be issues
causing failure. The researcher agrees with literature reviewed, by completing the stages of the
IS model and following through the CSF’s, failure can be reduced, and a higher success rate of
implementations may be seen.

How the research questions were answered

At first, literature review was done widely using older and newer articles and journals. This was
done to establish the IS implementation model and the importance it has on the CFF’s and

21
CSF’s. The researcher observed the top CFF’s and CSF’s by the amount of times it was cited
by literature and applied that empirical material in relevance with the organizational study.
Random sampling was used, and a questionnaire was distributed to the sample population. The
outcome of this study agrees with the literature review. In addition, the researcher’s personal
experience in the SAP IS implementation process called for this type of research to be
addressed with the questions laid out in chapter 1 and aligned it with the objectives that needed
to be achieved.

Limitations
The researcher made every effort in this study to minimize all shortcomings that could lead to
inaccuracies or misrepresentations. Like with most studies, possible constraints exist that are
out of the control of the researcher that could negatively impact the research and cause
limitations in the outcome. The limitations could arise from the sample population, analysis
methodology or the actual context of this study. The area of this research is software
implementation, more specifically with regards to IS systems at organizational level. This study
was limited to a single organization and limits the results from being applied generally to all
organizations in South Africa. The questionnaire was designed on the CSF’s in this study and
the researcher is aware of the fact that there are other CSF’s that are important to
organizations.

Recommendations for further research

A few areas for further research have been discovered during the study of this report. The study
should be extended to the different types of organizations, both big and small. Specifically,
those who have implemented IS systems. The results of this extension would authenticate the
results of this study. In addition, the limitations of this study would be uncovered as mentioned
above, the sample population, analysis methodology and the actual context of this study.
Comparisons can be done between South Africa as a developing country against other African
countries and other well-established international countries. A comparative study could be
adopted that compares the various factors that emerge as critical where different modules are
being implemented (Thompson, 2017).
The researcher can conduct interviews with different stakeholders to collect more data to get
more insight of the feelings and opinions regarding the implementation process. All critical
success factors need to be taken into consideration when extending this research to other
organizations.

Lessons learnt for information resource management

practice
The researcher gained exposure in the information resource management field during the
course of this study. The insight gained has taught the researcher of the many underlying
factors that could influence successful software implementation in Organizations. ERP
implementation although similar to other IS software implementations is complex. A
standard approach cannot be taken and applied to all organizations; each organization on
its own is unique and comes with its own set of challenges. Issues like culture, management
support, end-user buy in and other factors have different priority levels in various
organizations. Processes are in place for a reason, it has been tried and tested and
literature review has proven that failure is not isolated to one company. Big or small, all
organizations have a success/failure story to share and lessons can be learnt through their
experiences. Before this module, the researcher would not be able to understand the depth
22
of what happened in the organization concerned, and why the failure of a well-known and
trusted system failed. The system did not fail, but the process failed. The researcher is able
to present these findings to the organization for review.

In conclusion, this was a wonderful opportunity for the researcher to apply his mind in a way
he never thought possible and expand the way he thinks. Choosing a subject that the
researcher had first-hand experience in and quantifying those thoughts and feelings with
literature review was phenomenal. The researcher can boldly and confidently investigate a
more senior IT management career with sound knowledge, thanks to IRM and the lessons
learnt.

List of figures
Figure 1: Software development life cycle

Figure 2: Information system implementation, change management and control

23
Figure 3 : Implementation Outcomes

Figure 4: reasons for projects failure in organizations

24
Figure 5: Project failure statistics

Figure 6: Projects cost

25
26
27
Bibliography
Valentic, B., 2016. 20000 Academy.
https://advisera.com/20000academy/blog/2016/06/21/5-benefits-of-itil-change-management-
implementation/
Wong, Ada; Chau, Patrick Y.K; Scarbrough, Harry; Davison, Robert, 2017. Critical Failure
Factors in ERP Implementation.
http://www.pacis-net.org/file/2005/395.pdf
Wright, T., 2010. Ensuring successful system implementation.
https://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/37377
Mann, S., 2015. 14 Benefits of Enterprise Service Management.
https://freshservice.com/enterprise-service-management/14-benefits-enterprise-service-
management-blog/
Momoh, A; Roy, R; Shehab, E, 2010. Challenges in ERP.
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/bpmj
Oracle, 2018. Oracle ERP.
https://www.oracle.com/za/applications/erp/what-is-erp.html
Oxford, n.d. English Oxford. [Online] Available at:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/implementation
Panorama Consulting Solutions, 2018. Change Management: The Key to a Successful ERP
System Implementation. [Online].
Portsmouth, U. o., 2012. Primary Data Collection - Observations. [Online] Available at:
http://compass.port.ac.uk/UoP/file/664e8001-f121-4e5d-aa06-
6c95c797e8af/1/Observations_IMSLRN.zip/page_04.htm
Practice, B. M., 2011. ITIL® Service Operation. s.l.:ITIL Official Publisher.
Practice, B. M., 2011. ITIL® Service Transition. 2011 Edition ed. s.l.:Best Management Practice
Product.
Prathankiat, P., 2010. Analysis of Critical Success Factors in Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP). [Online].
Rabaa’i, A. A., 2009. Identifying Critical Success Factors of ERP Systems. [Online] Available at:
https://eprints.qut.edu.au/29841/1/29841.pdf
SAP, 2018. SAP ERP Africa. [Online] Available at: https://www.sap.com/africa/products/what-is-
erp.html
S, S., 2016. Key Differences. [Online] Available at: https://keydifferences.com/difference-
between-qualitative-and-quantitative-research.html
Sullivan, John J ; Wyeth, Mela; Chumney, Wade M, 2006. School of Information Faculty
Publications. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
referer=https://www.google.co.za/&httpsredir=1&article=1323&context=si_facpub
Thompson, R. C., 2017. Durban University of Technology.
https://ir.dut.ac.za/bitstream/10321/2487/1/THOMPSON_2017.pdf
Tigernix, 2017. The 8 stages of ERP implementation life cycle.
https://www.tigernix.com/home/blog/8-stages-of-erp-implementation-life-cycle
University, R., n.d.
https://www.ru.ac.za/media/rhodesuniversity/content/geology/documents/PLAGIARISM
%20DECLARATION.pdf
Debois, S., 2018. SurveyAnyplace Blog.
https://surveyanyplace.com/questionnaire-pros-and-cons/
DeFranzo, S. E., 2011. SnapSurveys.

28
https://www.snapsurveys.com/blog/qualitative-vs-quantitative-research/ 25

Aronson, H., Shenhar, J., & Patanakul, P. (2013). Managing the Intangible Aspects of a
Project: The Affect of Vision, Artifacts, and Leader Values on Project Spirit and Success in
Technology-Driven Projects. Project Management Journal, 44, 35–58.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2348759
Attarzadeh, I., & Ow, H. (2008). Project Management Practices: The Criteria for Success or
Failure. Communications of the IBIMA.
Belassi, W., & Tukel, O. (1996). A new framework for determining critical success/failure
factors in projects. International Journal of Project Management, 14(3), 141-151.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2348759
Chou, J S., & Yang, G. (2012). Project Management Knowledge and Effects on Construction
Project Outcomes: An Empirical Study. Project Management Journal, 43, 47–67.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pmj.21293
Cornford, T., & Shaikh, M. (2013). Introduction to Information Systems. University of
London.
El Emam, Kh., & Koru, A. (2008). Replicated Survey of IT Software Projects Failures, IEEE,
25(5), 84-90.
Fitzgerald, M. (2010). When Good Projects Go Bad. Computer World, (16-19).
Flowers, S. (1996). Software failure: management failure. Chichester, UK: John Wiley (Book
review).

29
Dezdar, S. & Ainin, S., 2011. The influence of organizational factors on successful ERP
implementation.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/206b/bb3e5b9fecbb404bfb7cbbc7dd4ef106b1fa.pdf
Brown, C. & Vessey, I., 1999. AIS Electronic Library.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f5f0/2c34a17165fa853fb52fc13acd408a802e0a.pdf
Aguilar, C. L., 2018. LISO.
https://www.lisoblog.com/10-steps-your-software-implementation-should-have/
Based, e. E., 2006. An evaluation toolkit for e-library developments.
Beaumaster, S., 1999. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/27177.
https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/27177/DISSERTATION2.PDF;sequence=1
BMC, 2016. BMC.
http://www.bmcsoftware.co.za/guides/itil-change-management.html
DOROBĂŢ, I. & NĂSTASE, F., 2012. Accounting and Management Information System.
ftp://ftp.repec.org/opt/ReDIF/RePEc/ami/articles/11_4_6.pdf
Fui-Hoon Nah, F. & Lee-Shang Lau, J., 2001. http://www.cin.ufpe.br/~llfj/Emerald/Critical
%20factors%20for%20successful%20implementation%20of%20enterprise%20systems.pdf
Graham, J. F. & Hutchinson, D. S., 2009. ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING.
https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/6179/research.pdf?
sequence=3&isAllowed=y
Habashy, A., 2013. ResearchGate. [Online] Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263467941_Literature_Review_Troubleshooting_Proje
cts'_Failure_Factors_Using_Six_Sigma_Methodology#pf5
Hyötyläinen, R., 2013. Implementation of information systems as an organisational construction.
https://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/science/2013/S28.pdf
Kar, A. K., 2014. Business Frontiers.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269405100_Literature_Review_of_Supplier_Selection
_Criteria
Kornkaew, A., 2012. Jönköping University. http://www.diva-
portal.org/smash/get/diva2:545644/fulltext02
Kraus, D. L.-B. a. W. A., 1985. Implementing New Technology.
https://hbr.org/1985/11/implementing-new-technology
Kumar, R., 2011. a step-by-step guide for beginners. In: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.
s.l.:Sage.

30