Critical success factors in software development projects

Irrespective of the software development methodology, projects still fail at any development stage. Some of the factors that may affect project success or failure include process-related factors, such as an unrealistic budget and schedule, or technical-related factors like the methodology. The study aims to determine the influence of the most critical success factors of each category (people, process, and technical) on the overall outcome of software projects in the South African context. This study surveyed members of software development teams from across South African organisations and gathered information about software development project success and factors that contribute to project outcomes. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the study data. According to the results, software development projects need: (1) a committed and motivated team; (2) the client must be involved all the time; (3) specifications/requirements must be clear; (4) leadership must be good; (5) the project’s goals and objectives must be well-defined. The critical success factors are ranked by their strength in relation to success criteria. The study further found that most of the perceived factors are related to non-technical factors. This research contributes to the current software industry debate about critical success factors categories in the South African context.