The relationship between PMI PMBOK® guide's nine project knowledge areas and project success: An investigation of manufacturing information technology projects

Abstract

In the 1970s, the Project Management Institute published the first version of what is now referred to as PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge). Included in PMBOK was what is called project knowledge areas. These knowledge areas were described as being required to execute a successful project. Over the years, much has been written about tools and techniques that contribute to the success of a project, but very little is known about the effect the 9 project knowledge areas, as defined by PMBOK, have on the success of a project. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the effect the use of 9 project knowledge areas have on the success of manufacturing information technology or enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects. This study surveyed project managers in southeastern Michigan to determine their use of the 9 project knowledge areas during a project. Survey participants were asked to answer 11 open-ended questions related to project management. The study found there to be a correlation between project knowledge area use and the success of the manufacturing information technology and/or ERP projects. Specifically, the study found that of the 9 project knowledge areas, the ones used most frequently on successful projects were integration management, scope management, human resources management, communication management, and risk management. The findings from this study validate the findings from previous studies on the use of the 9 project knowledge areas and ERP and manufacturing information system development.