An innovative customer-oriented approach to IT projects, based on TRIZ method

Today, it is impossible to change or develop a business environment without transformations in the IT sector. Yet, recent studies have shown that the path of dynamic technological changes that has been followed so far is not sufficient any longer. Despite elaborate IT tools and diverse, proven IT project management methodologies, the proportion of dissatisfied clients (organisations) and project failures is too high. These observations prompted the author to analyse the causes of this situation. The client, and his place and role in IT projects, has turned out to be a key element of any IT undertaking. The urge to look at this element in a new way involves the need to fill the gap in IT project management and introduce new processes and mechanisms that would enable the identification of clients' real problems and facilitate a pathway from the problem to the solution. This paper presents the next stage of the author's studies of IT project management. Long years of research work have resulted in an effective IT - business alignment model for IT projects. Its focus is on the client's role, client type identification and the correct selection of an IT project management methodology. Relevant tools and model solutions are proposed. Both the tools and the model have been verified in real-life IT projects. The module for defining and verifying a client's needs is the final element of the model. The aim of this paper is to present the author's proposal to apply a method from a different subject area, so as to achieve a better IT - business alignment, which should be the primary goal of any IT project. This is the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving method - TRIZ. It offers tools and rules that enable changes in the weakest spots of IT project management. With an approach like this, it will be possible to improve IT sector flexibility towards business and generate better IT project deliverables, thereby increasing the success rate of IT projects. Consequently, organisations - recipients and users of IT project deliverables - will be able to better cope with the growing demands and expectations of their environment and with dynamic changes on the market.