The End of the Line: Project Management Challenges in Small Software Shops in Pakistan

Jacob Nørbjerg, Shahid Nadeem Shakir

Publikation: Bidrag til bog/antologi/rapportBidrag til bog/antologiForskningpeer review

Abstract

Very small software companies (VSSCs) with from five to ten employees comprise a large share of the total number of software devel- opment companies in both “developed” and “developing” economies. In this chapter, we discuss characteristics and challenges of VSSCs in Pakistan. In a study of seven Pakistani VSSCs, we found that these companies operate mostly on the global software market as vendors to clients in Europe and the United States. The companies share several of the challenges and characteristics found in VSSCs in other parts of the world, but their position and role in a global software production chain create additional challenges: They are separated from the end customer by several layers of intermediaries, they experience communication delays and distortion, and payments are often delayed. Furthermore, their immediate customer often takes responsibility for key project management tasks. We argue that software process improvement ini- tiatives directed at this type of company must be designed around their specific context and properties.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TitelStrategic Project Management : Contemporary Issues and Strategies for Developoing Economies
RedaktørerCorlane Barclay, Kweku-Muata Osei-Bryson
UdgivelsesstedBoca Raton, FL
ForlagCRC Press
Publikationsdato2015
Sider107-131
ISBN (Trykt)9781482225129
StatusUdgivet - 2015
Udgivet eksterntJa

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