https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/309 Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:59:37 GMT 2026-04-05T15:59:37Z https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/3971 Title: A strategy for coordination in Agile Software Development Projects for effective and efficient system delivery, A case of Econet Wireless Private Limited. Authors: Shoshore, Tapiwanashe Abstract: Agile software development offered a deceptively simple means to organise complex multi-participant software development while achieving fast delivery of quality software, meeting customer requirements, and coping effectively with project change. There is little understanding, however, of how agile software development projects achieve effective coordination, a critical factor in successful software projects. Agile software development provides a unique set of practices for organising the work of software projects, and these practices seem to achieve effective project coordination. Therefore, this dissertation took a coordination perspective to explore how agile software projects work, and why they are effective. The outcome of this research was a theory of coordination in co-located agile software development projects. The findings show that agile software development practices form a coordination strategy addressing three broad categories of dependency: knowledge dependencies, task dependencies, and resource dependencies. Most coordination is for managing requirement, expertise, historical, and task allocation dependencies; all forms of knowledge dependency. Also present are task dependencies, which include activity or business process dependencies, and resource dependencies, which include technical or entity dependencies. The theory of coordination explains that an agile coordination strategy consists of coordination mechanisms for synchronising the project team, for structuring their relations, and for boundary spanning. A coordination strategy contributes to coordination effectiveness, which has explicit and implicit components. Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/3971 2019-11-01T00:00:00Z Shoshore, Tapiwanashe https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/3902 Title: A framework for implementing mobile enterprise resource planning (m-ERP) system to improve healthcare services in Zimbabwe. Authors: Jaravaza, Kefasi Abstract: This study sought to develop a framework for the implementation of mobile Enterprise Resource Planning (m-ERP) System to improve healthcare services in Zimbabwe: A case of Chitungwiza central hospital. Information was gathered using a case study research strategy accompanied with interviews, questionnaire, records review and observation approaches. In recent years, due to the development of cloud computing and portable devices, a new mobility era is starting. The popularity of smartphones and tablet computers has changed the behavior of mobile-phone users and enhanced the development of more integrated functions for ERP systems users to operate and access company information through various mobile devices anywhere, anytime. However, mobile ERP is still in the development stage. On the whole, there has been relatively little research into the framework and system implementation of healthcare mobile ERP systems until recently. Participants were selected from patients and staff members at Chitungwiza central hospital. The results obtained suggested that there is need to develop a framework for the implementation of mobile ERP system to improve healthcare services in Zimbabwe. The evidence collected reflects that top management involvement is key to the successful implementation of the mobile ERP system. There is need for gaining trust and support from top management as they are the ones who avail resources for successful implementation of the mobile ERP system. The proposed framework suggested a three-tier mobile ERP system involving database, connect and user interface. There are also issues that must be addressed before moving the data to a mobile computing environment, namely: individual, corporate, strategic well as security issues. These issues have to be address at every stage for successful implementation of the mobile ERP system. The study recommended that for Chitungwiza central hospital to gain competitive advantage, it is important to allocate sufficient time towards proper training of users, involving users from the project commencement, gain support and trust from the top management. In addition, enough resources must be allocated towards the problem while involving qualified and experienced people to be part of the project team to avoid loss of company resources. Mobile ERP system is supported by mobile computing, which is the ability to access resources from anywhere at any time. Future research can explore on the storage capacity and mobile data encryption in aggregation with the proposed mobile ERP implementation framework Sat, 01 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/3902 2019-06-01T00:00:00Z Jaravaza, Kefasi https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/3752 Title: Strategy for the successful implementation of ERP systems in Zimbabwe Authors: Gobvu, Tanatsiwa Abstract: Modern-day businesses have come to realise the importance of collaborating business processes and functional areas within an organisation. Enterprising Resource Planning (ERP) systems have been developed to fulfil that role - seamless integration of functional areas and business processes across departments of an organisation. In-line with understanding the indispensability of ERP systems, this study was dedicated to developing a strategy for the implementation of SAP ERP system in the context of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in Zimbabwe. Data was collected from ICT specialists and SAP users in the SOEs that have implemented SAP in Zimbabwe, ICT projects managers from both the SOEs and SAP implementing vendors or consultants. Quantitative data for the study was extracted from 66 SOEs’ employees (including ICT specialist, ICT project managers and super user) drawn from 15 sampled SOEs. Qualitative data was collected from 9 ICT project projects managers drawn from the SAP implementing companies. This therefore means that this study was both quantitative and qualitative premised on the pragmatist philosophy. The inductive approach was employed to ensure that the proposed ERP implementation strategy is developed after collecting empirical primary data. A basic descriptive survey design was employed in which questionnaires were distributed to SOEs employees. Interviews were applied for collecting data from the SAP implementing consultants. The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 20 and Microsoft Excel 2010 to summarise the statistical results in the form of tables, pie charts and bar graphs. Thematic analysis approach was applied to analyse the qualitative data. The collected empirical qualitative data was also used as corroborating evidence to the quantitative analysis results in the form of verbatim quotes extracted from the key informants. The research findings pointed to the following ERP implementation order of challenges: lack of sound technical support services, high SAP implementation costs, and technical complexity of the SAP ERP system, insufficient customised training, poor project management, unreliable ICT infrastructure, and reluctance by employees to adopt the SAP ERP system. The indicated top critical success factors included clear understanding of strategic organisation goals, commitment by top management support, excellent project management, competent implementation team, extensive education and training. The researcher developed an SAP ERP implementation strategy with the following critical components: Project Hand Over Protocol, document sign-offs, pre-sales activities, training, sound system configuration procedures, extensive system testing, a sound base ICT infrastructure, sound change management procedures, administration and support, proper project scheduling, key stakeholder involvement, reporting and analytics components, and an agile implementation methodology. The researcher recommended that careful consideration has to be done in developing a problem centred business case, assessing business needs, defining objectives and selecting a vendor in-line with tailored needs of an SOE. Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/3752 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z Gobvu, Tanatsiwa https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/3548 Title: A model for exploiting mobile health technologies potential to curb child maternal mortality Authors: Mupandasekwa, Collen Paul Abstract: Zimbabwe has a fairly developed maternal-care delivery system that is served by public and private hospitals at district, provincial and national level. The public health-care system is the largest provider of maternal-care services and caters for the majority of the population but this is done in a resource-restricted context, typical of a developing context. In this context, this research sought to establish the potential of Mobile Health Technologies in Zimbabwe’s maternal health sector using Parirenyatwa and Harare hospitals as case studies. The reviewed body of knowledge, which was largely a comparative assessment of mHealth technology adoption in developing countries, indicated that the full adoption of the prevailing eHealth strategy in Zimbabwe remains hamstrung by the slow pace of policy implementation. This is a qualitative study and data was collected with unstructured interviews. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit the participants. The gathered data was analysed through content and thematic analysis. Four broad themes emerged from the primary data collected during the interviews and these include: trends in information dissemination in Zimbabwe’s Public Health System; information needs for expectant women and midwives; the prevalence of ICT use in Zimbabwe’s Public Health System, and mobile technology use in the maternal health sector in Zimbabwe. The research was able to establish that while there is a high proliferation of smartphone use among most expectant women, this has not translated into their use for maternal information-related purposes. Furthermore, the situation is not helped by the over-emphasis on internal ICT adoption by health centers rather than a patient-centric approach to ICT use. A limitation for this study was its focus on two hospitals which means its findings cannot be taken as a conclusive reflection of Zimbabwe’s entire maternal health sector. The research was able to conclude that hospitals need to become perpetual learning organizations on mHealth technology use. Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/3548 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z Mupandasekwa, Collen Paul