Analysis & recommendations for the management of COTS - Computer off the shelf - Software projects

The objectives of software project management are usually to minimize the project duration, to minimize the project cost, and to maximize the software quality. This paper presents the findings of an investigation into project management issues pertaining to COTS - Commercial Off-The-Shelf Software projects. The paper discusses these findings and how they can be solved and what lessons can be learnt from this challenging process. The results of this investigation relating to three major COTS projects indicate that the obstacles faced by information systems project managers are related to COTS vendors and the consumers' problems. Based on these results we developed a number of recommendations which could be followed to ensure the success in the management of information systems projects.