Effectiveness and Efficiency in Information Technology Projects: SWOT Analysis and Theory of Constraint

The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis and the Theory of Constraint (TOC) approach in the planning and execution of Information Technology (IT) projects. Organizations consider a number of trade-offs during the entire lifecycle of an IT project due to the conflicts between limited resource availability and the timely delivery of projects. The problem of "how to best evaluate and select" from the myriad of proposed projects, particularly when all of them promise appealing contributions, remain highly challenging. Proper selection of projects minimizes these trade-offs and conflicts. This study will use the synergies of SWOT analysis and TOC to measure the potential benefit and cost tradeoffs. Such measures can be used to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of IT project management. A Five-step TOC thinking process framework that will enable project management teams to develop an integrated strategy is also discussed in this study.