Non-Financial Criteria for Evaluation and Selection of Software Projects

Abstract

The considerable increase in Information Technology (IT) projects in organizations combined with the lack of resources in recent years has required the adoption of good practices for a more careful selection of projects. The academic literature emphasizes the need to use clear and standardized criteria at all stages of this process, considering the financial criteria being more easily understood by decision makers. Criteria purely financial may eventually ignore projects with less individual contribution to the company's overall objectives or strategy but which, however, decisively contributes to the demanding area or to the IT performance in the organization. It is therefore advisable to consider non-financial criteria on projects selection. This article aims to identify and analyze non-financial criteria for the evaluation and selection of software projects through a case study in a Brazilian organization of the pharmaceutical segment, thus allowing the composition of diversified portfolios of IT projects that are not restricted to financial aspects.