A Monolithic Ontological Methodology (MOM): An Effective Software Project Management Approach

Analytic hierarchy process; descriptive logic; methodology; ontology; reducing software project failure rate; software quality control.

Abstract

Due to rapid changes in software applications, especially incorporating the demands of self-regulating technologies becomes a major challenge in software projects. This research focuses on technological, managerial, and procedural challenges, which are believed to the most significant factors contributing to projects failure. To address these issues, this study proposes Monolithic Ontological Methodology (MOM) which addresses the weakness in the existing benchmark methodologies including PRINCE2, Extreme Programming, and scrum in terms of project management, quality control, and stakeholder involvement. The MOM consists of seven phases and each phase has the required number of iterations until it is approved by management. The updated information is recorded and shared with the respective teams. The standard documentation with control language is structured by Descriptive Logic (DL) that reduces ambiguity and technical debate. Furthermore, the illustration of the MOM includes figures, logical expressions, and descriptions.  To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was performed. The findings indicate the validity of MOM with respect to considered performance metrics. Although the applicability of the proposed methodology involves relatively more documentation and formalities. The adaptive nature of MOM makes it suitable for the standard organization and brings sustainability to the organization.