Does Measurement Theory Impact Project Performance?

This article contributes a summary of the encouraging results achieved during a pilot study on research into project progress measurement theory and its impact on project success.Project success is a popular research topic and much research has been published demonstrating the poor track record of project management. Strategic and time-critical projects are often late, which may impact on the future of the organisation.The hypothesis tested in this pilot study can be stated as follows: “there is a strong correlation between project progress measurement methodology and on-time completion”. The null hypothesis is that “there is no correlation between project progress measurement methodology and on-time completion”Five industrial projects were utilized as test projects; they were compared to six control projects. Focused measurements and daily reports were utilized to guide project decision-making. These time-critical projects were completed on-time or in three cases on average 27% early. The results demonstrated support for the hypothesis.It was found that by varying the progress measurement methodology, significant improvements can be achieved in on-time performance of projects. The indication is that the implementation of project measurement theory proposed by the authors indeed has a significant impact on on-time completion of projects and the reduction of due date risk. This is specifically relevant when on-time completion of projects is of strategic importance, or when early completion yields significant commercial value. Further research is required into mechanisms, challenges, applicability and underlying theory related to project progress measurement.