Abstract:
Engineering projects are becoming increasingly complex as projects get larger and as technology improves. Greater
competition worldwide has meant that projects are delivered quicker and cheaper. This necessitates sophisticated
Project Management Information System (PMIS) technologies to be adopted to improve efficiency and quality on
projects. PMIS data and reports can be used to better understand the risk exposure, resource utilisation, profitability, and
scheduling of a project. It also informs strategic project decisions and performance monitoring and reporting.
Unfortunately, project data is often fragmented and embedded in different systems. This paper investigates several
commercially available PMIS, to understand and compare the functionality of these systems. A qualitative study using
semi-structured interviews was conducted with purposively selected project systems experts at twelve project-based
organisations. Thematic analysis revealed what functions PMIS fulfils, how these systems are integrated and how they
facilitate project monitoring and reporting. Moreover, a novel model for the basic architecture of a ‘Smart’ Project
Management Information System (SPMIS) is proposed, which would facilitate software integration and intelligence
based on identified industry needs and requirements. The model addresses the shortcomings of existing models by
combining models and incorporating system intelligence i.e. the automation of certain project management activities.
