Application of Fuzzy Expert Systems in IT Project Management

Abstract

The available statistics show the growing influence of the IT market on the world economy over the last decade. According to expert information, this situation will continue, despite the IT sector’s economic crises, uneven development, and periodic fluctuations. The need to involve fuzzy expert systems (ES) in the IT field is stated, based on the high uncertainty level due to specifics of IT project management. The hypothesis of embedding ES in an IT company’s business process management to increase the efficiency of operational and strategic decisions is tested. The structure of ES is offered, built on the basis of fuzzy logic using a combined model of the semantic network and implication rules. The operation of the system is demonstrated in the example of managing an IT company’s current business processes to maximize its profits. Comparing the conclusions of the ES with the historical decisions of a real company demonstrates the feasibility of implementing the ES. The operation of the developed ES, using the knowledge base formed on the basis of 30 Ukrainian IT companies, confirmed the effectiveness of its use as a tool to support management decisions and increase the IT sector’s financial performance.