Risks associated with the development process of in-house information system projects

Abstract

To provide a risk management perspective for managers responsible for in-house project development, we investigated how the risks associated with an in-house information system (IS) project evolve during the software development process. We conducted interviews and content analysis to examine the risks that affect project delivery quality. Three companies participated in this research. The results of this study indicate that risks related to organizational structure persist throughout the software development process. Content analysis indicated that in the conducted interviews, sentences regarding task- and actor-related risks characterized the first two phases of this process, and sentences regarding technology-related risks characterized the last two (third and fourth) phases. The results also suggest that different types of risks exert pressure on in-house project teams to reassess the weaknesses and resource allocation in a project and the possible solutions to any potential problems. This research explains risk dynamics throughout the life cycle of in-house IS development. Moreover, the findings of this study can help project managers identify the risks associated with the project development process that directly affect the project results.