A critical analysis of quality management approaches in I.T. projects in Ireland and the relationship to successful project implementation

Authors

Reddan, Adrienne

Issue Date

2015

Degree

MBA in Project Management

Publisher

Dublin Business School

Rights

Items in Esource are protected by copyright. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/copyright holder.

Abstract

Project Quality Management aims to ensure that the project will meet the requirements for which it was taken on. Balancing only scope, time and cost is not sufficient; to achieve ultimate satisfaction quality must be equally considered. The Project Management Institute (PMI) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) sets standards for the project management profession which includes amongst its knowledge areas - Project Quality Management, which includes the processes required to ensure that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken. The objective of this research was to evaluate in part the knowledge area ‘Project Quality Management’, particularly re the use of the Quality Management Plan (QMP) and Project Management Tools and Techniques (PMTT) for quality, and determine the impact on successful project implementation. Participants in this research evaluated their own use through a survey of the QMP and PMTT relating to project quality management. The results of this research reveal that participants are aware that they are not doing sufficient quality planning and that there should be more widespread usage of the QMP. The quality toolset is one of the least used in project management. Though people use PMTT they tend to stick to familiar tools and techniques because these are the ones that are not just limited to quality planning but can also be used in a number of other knowledge areas. Participants acknowledge that the use of a QMP and associated PMTT do have an influence on successful project implementation, in particular in the area of quality, meeting requirements, customer satisfaction and that the outcomes of the project were met. Author Keywords: Project quality management, quality management plan, quality tools and techniques, successful project implementation