Process management principles, procedures and tools application in software development project management

The main goal of this dissertation thesis is to design and verify a new concept of process management principles, procedures and tools application, utilizable in the software development project management field. Emphasis is placed on creating a general (i.e. generally usable) concept, derived from solid theoretical background and suitable for further expansion and modifications. The theoretical part of the thesis has two main chapters. In the "Process management" chapter, the individual derived principles (Effectiveness, Added value, Coherence, Portability, Adequate standardization, Measurability, Clarity, Integration, Accountability, Continuous improvement) and procedures (Initiation, Identification, Definition, Validation, Implementation, Revision) are described and interconnected into an integrated concept, usable for the introduction and development of process management in the organization, supported by appropriate ICT tools (mainly from four selected areas -- Modeling and Simulation, Performance measurement, Change management, Administration). In the "Project Management" chapter, the project management area is embedded in the broader context of a process-driven organization in line with modern models of strategic ICT governance and ICT services management. The main dimensions of project management as well as the process approach to project management, which helps to bridge the gap between unique/temporary projects and repeatable/stable processes, are described. Basis for the normative project processes design in the following part of the thesis is set by the evaluation of selected models of the project life cycle and project management methodologies. The practical part of this thesis is basically a verification of the concept, described in the theoretical chapters. Firstly, an original project management methodology, suitable for deriving process model of the subject area, is presented. On this basis -- and by using the previously described principles, procedures and process management tools -- the major artifacts of a reference project processes model are elaborated (such as Conceptual model of the subject area, List of events and natural processes, Process pyramid, Process model, Organization model, Indicators pyramid or RACI matrix of roles and processes/indicators /SLAs; setup of selected process model is also verified experimentally by simulations). Critical evaluation of the presented model is an important input for the final assessment of the thesis goals' achievement and proposal of further research fields.