The use and effectiveness of project management methodologies in mobile application development

Abstract

This study aims to fill the gap in managing mobile applications with certain project management methodologies (PMM) by looking at different kinds of PMMs and comparing them to characteristics of mobile applications. To achieve this, an in-depth literature review of project management methodologies was conducted. The different types of PMMs (Agile, PRINCE2, PMBOK and COBIT) were given with each of their processes. An in-depth literature review of mobile application development was conducted. Mobile application history was given together with a description of different types of platforms. Different characteristics were selected from the literature for mobile application development. These characteristics were placed in table format and used to compare the above-mentioned PMMs based on a scoring system. This was done to determine how each PMM addresses each characteristic. The research was conducted by using a mixed methods design with a combination of both the interpretive and the positivistic paradigms. Each research paradigm was described in full with the given research methods (survey and interviews), quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques (questionnaire and interviews) and data analysis techniques (statistical and content analysis). The results were given for each of the above-mentioned paradigms (quantitative and qualitative). The quantitative results were achieved by conducting descriptive analysis, reliability testing, factor analysis and t-tests. The qualitative results were produced by conducting content analysis. This study concludes that MAD is still growing and is successful in South Africa. The resulting processes and products produced by mobile application development are less successful than those produced during traditional system development. Process and product success may be higher if a project management methodology is used. Project managers need to consider using APMM and not traditional PMMs when developing MAD. Project managers tend to use a PMM for various reasons: Fast, flexible, efficient, and adaptable, helps with time and budget management, change management and based on the complexity of the project. The lack of support from the company and the no-need for a PMM is one of the biggest reasons for not using a PMM.