Evolving distributed project management

The ever-increasing growth and complexity of software-intensive systems that has occurred over the last few years and the ensuing rise in geographically distributed projects are trends that are here to stay. Leading the charge into large, complex, dispersed systems is the government defense contracting industry. Government defense organizations have a critical need, the ability to make long-term investments based on the public interest, and a culture adapted to embracing distributed work. The Systems and Software Consortium, with a membership comprising most of the largest defense contractors, has a unique view into evolving initiatives both in and among its member companies. In this article, we describe an array of drivers, constraints, and enablers that are leading organizations to invest in real-time project management information systems. These systems must evolve to support increased decision velocity and cohesiveness in today's increasingly distributed world.