An integrated software platform for the efficient management of projects

MEng (Computer and Electronic Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus Electronic software platforms play a role in the internal processes and management of projectbased firms. Many task-based solutions exist in practice to handle projects e ciently. These tools address shortcomings that prohibit the effective management of projects. This study identifies a subset of problem areas that task tools address. Further investigation showed that integration, planning, communication, record keeping and knowledge transfer all improve the project. Each of the mentioned concepts influences the way in which projects are managed efficiently. Several design patterns and software development workflows were investigated to build a concrete software platform with multiple business applications for one of which is a primary project task tool. A combination of the iterative and agile development workflow suited the development best. The software platform was designed from the needs and requirements that emanated from the literature study. Functional verification proved that the task tool was effective, and several statistics showed that the tool is being used actively for multiple purposes. A survey validated the businessand user requirements for the tool and software platform. The approval rating yielded on average that the business- and user requirements rated above 4.14 out of 5 on average for all the project requirements. Users agreed that the implemented task tool is integrated and addresses all the concerns from the study regarding the e cient management of projects. 70% use the platform to manage their projects and above 80% of the users also use the software platform for IT and development support. Masters