Designing project management systems

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to develop the concept of project management system from the perspective of systems science. There is a need to extend the body of knowledge for project management. In particular, the application of systems perspectives and systems theory offers a significant opportunity to advance the current state of project management knowledge. Although there have been suggestions of systems approaches for project management, rigorous systems science has not been used to support these depictions. First, we develop the background and define a perspective of project management systems. Second, assumptions and principles are drawn from systems science to provide a foundation for project management systems. Third, a model for project management systems is developed from systems sciences and management cybernetics. Our initial explorations are promising, demonstrated by a case study application review using a complex system of systems (SoS) project encompassed multiple government agencies, and we offer future directions and implications for further model refinements, applications, and research into project management systems.