IMPACT OF AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON ENHANCING THE IT PROJECT SUCCESS IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

Sri Lanka's Information Technology (IT) industry which has recorded significant growth in export earnings with the emerging offshore outsourcing model in recent years has been suffering from problems relating to project success rate. Agile development methodologies are a new trend in the IT industry which has become the answer to most of the problems encountered in the traditional software development project management methodologies used globally. This study is aimed at understanding the degree of impact, agile project management practices have on the success of IT projects in Sri Lanka. The study was based on a survey undertaken in twenty four IT companies who have adopted agile development methodologies and two companies who have adopted traditional project management methodologies. While branding the companies as adopting agile development techniques, it is essential for top management to look back and see whether they have achieved the full benefits of the agile development methodologies, in order to increase the company project success rate. This avoids the absence of thinking results in absence of an immediate problem, and assist in achieving the long term growth of the company. Findings of the study reveal the low adoption rate to the APM practices in Sri Lankan IT sector and the significant relationship between the adoption of APM practices and the IT project success rate. Also findings included what are the managerial behavioral factors impeding and supporting the adoption of APM practices in Sri Lankan context.

Key Words: Sri Lanka’s IT Industry, Agile Development Techniques, Agile Project Management Practices, IT Project Success Rate

For full paper: fmscresearch@sjp.ac.lk