The Role of Project Management Information Systems towards the Success of a Project: The Case of Construction Projects in Nairobi Kenya

Abstract

Organizations are continually been involved in projects as a competitive tactic to ensure that they remain relevant in their respective fields. To ensure the success of these projects organizations are investing in Project Management Information Systems (PMIS) to assist project managers and the project team in the management and undertaking of the project activities. This research seeks to find the contribution of these information systems towards project success. The quality of the software, the quality of information output, the influence of the PMIS user on the project success was tested. Purposive sampling was used and data measured on a likert scale. The research found out that the use of the software to generate quality information needed by the user (project manager) to perform project tasks helped the project managers perform their tasks in a more professional manner thus increasing the success rate of the project. The three independent variables (quality of software, quality of information output and influence of the user) were transformed to get a single variable PMIS which had a strong and positive correlation (0.954) with the dependent variable (project success). It was therefore concluded that the use of PMIS helped in the achievement of the project success while respecting the projects constraints and meeting the project objectives. Introduction The era of globalization and information age has led to the reduction of information illiteracy and the digital divide. This in turn has led to competitiveness in the businesses not only locally but also internationally. Increased competition has led organizations to change their tactics to ensure they retain their market share. Among this tactics is engaging in projects that are critical for the survival of the organization. These projects run across all industries including but not limited to construction, Information Technology (IT) and pharmaceutical.