Information Technology Project Benefit Realization in Military Enterprises of Sri Lanka Using Integrated Fuzzy Dempster - Shafer Algorithm

Abstract

There are Information Technology (IT) projects in military organizations of Sri Lanka. However, these projects lack a scientific mechanism to measure and realize project benefits while quantifying qualitative project outcomes. This paper outlines a Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) for measuring the extent to which benefits could be realized. The objectives of the study are firstly, to formulate a fuzzy logic to measure the extent to which the project benefits are realized and secondly, to analyze its impact on benefit policy. The study mainly utilized the quantitative methodology of Dempster-Shafer algorithm to aggregate the selected experts’ opinions by filtering similarity of experts. Ninety-five IT project managers representing the Army, Navy and Air Force were selected based on their expertise. The study employed field-based tacit experts to find inputs for each level namely, project, program, portfolio, enterprise and hybrid. The findings of the study posited nine fuzzy rules and five benefit realization levels for organizational projects. Also, the approach pronounced an organizational project policy. The study recommended a strategic benefit approach with policy implications that can be used by managers to monitor the expected project outcomes both on short term and futuristically. The application of the study cannot  be generalized to all projects of the technology-domains thereby posing a limitation. Also the study is curtailed in its application to non-IT projects which singularly yield financial benefits. The study can be employed by policy makers to streamline benefit process emphasizing government IT infrastructure projects and private sector IT projects with a futuristic value.

Keywords: Benefit Realization, Benefit Measurement, Fuzzy Inference Systems, Dempster-Shafer Algorithm, Benefit Policy