Esta encuesta se realizó por primera vez entre los años 2002 y 2004 con la participación de unas mil personas trabajando el 58,6% de las mismas en IT o telecomunicaciones. A los participantes se les realizaron sólo tres preguntas para cada una de las 70 herramientas o técnicas estudiadas:
Los resultados muestran que las organizaciones dan soporte a las herramientas o técnicas que más se utilizan y, viceversa, los usuarios utilizan más aquellas herramientas o técnicas que reciben más soporte por parte de la organización.
Más sorprendente resulta ver que la lista de herramientas y técnicas con un potencial mayor de contribución es muy distinta de las actualmente son más utilizadas tal como se puede ver a continuación:
| |
Level of Usage |
Improvement Potential |
|
Usage
|
|
1
|
Progress report |
Database of lessons learned |
1
|
51
|
|
2
|
Kick-off meeting |
Lesson learned/post-mortem |
2
|
13
|
|
3
|
PM software for task scheduling |
Database of historical data |
3
|
46
|
|
4
|
Gantt chart |
Risk management documents |
4
|
23
|
|
5
|
Scope statement |
Requirements analysis |
5
|
8
|
|
6
|
Milestone planning |
Ranking of risks |
6
|
33
|
|
7
|
Change request |
Database of risks |
7
|
62
|
|
8
|
Requirements analysis |
Scope statement |
8
|
5
|
|
9
|
Work Breakdown Structure |
Database for cost estimating |
9
|
50
|
|
10
|
Statement of work |
PM software for monitoring of schedule |
10
|
12
|
|
11
|
Activity list |
Work Breakdown Structure |
11
|
9
|
|
12
|
PM software for monitoring of schedule |
PM soft. for multi-project sched./level. |
12
|
47
|
|
13
|
Lesson learned/post-mortem |
Contingency plans |
13
|
24
|
|
14
|
Baseline plan |
PM software for resources scheduling |
14
|
17
|
|
15
|
Client acceptance form |
PM software for task scheduling |
15
|
3
|
|
16
|
Quality inspection |
Team building event |
16
|
30
|
|
17
|
PM software for resources scheduling |
PM software for monitoring of cost |
17
|
41
|
|
18
|
Project charter |
Stakeholders analysis |
18
|
39
|
|
19
|
Responsibility assignment matrix |
Communication plan |
19
|
21
|
|
20
|
Customer satisfaction surveys |
PM software for cost estimating |
20
|
49
|
|
21
|
Communication plan |
Earned value |
21
|
48
|
|
22
|
Top-down estimating |
Quality inspection |
22
|
16
|
|
23
|
Risk management documents |
Financial measurement tools |
23
|
34
|
|
24
|
Contingency plans |
Cost/benefit analysis |
24
|
26
|
|
25
|
Re-baselining |
Critical path method & analysis |
25
|
27
|
|
26
|
Cost/benefit analysis |
Change request |
26
|
7
|
|
27
|
Critical path method & analysis |
Statement of work |
27
|
10
|
|
28
|
Bottom-up estimating |
Responsibility assignment matrix |
28
|
19
|
|
29
|
Team member performance appraisal |
Quality plan |
29
|
35
|
|
30
|
Team building event |
Customer satisfaction surveys |
30
|
20
|
|
31
|
Work authorization |
Feasibility study |
31
|
37
|
|
32
|
Self directed work teams |
Database of contractual commitment |
32
|
58
|
|
33
|
Ranking of risks |
Team member performance appraisal |
33
|
29
|
|
34
|
Financial measurement tools |
Bottom-up estimating |
34
|
28
|
|
35
|
Quality plan |
Project charter |
35
|
18
|
|
36
|
Bid documents |
Progress report |
36
|
1
|
|
37
|
Feasibility study |
Configuration review |
37
|
38
|
|
38
|
Configuration review |
PM software for resources leveling |
38
|
40
|
|
39
|
Stakeholders analysis |
Graphic presentation of risk information |
39
|
56
|
|
40
|
PM software for resources leveling |
Baseline plan |
40
|
14
|
|
41
|
PM software for monitoring of cost |
Milestone planning |
41
|
6
|
|
42
|
Network diagram |
Re-baselining |
42
|
25
|
|
43
|
Project communication room (war room) |
Kick-off meeting |
43
|
2
|
|
44
|
Project Web site |
Activity list |
44
|
11
|
|
45
|
Bid/seller evaluation |
Gantt chart |
45
|
4
|
|
46
|
Database of historical data |
Project Web site |
46
|
44
|
|
47
|
PM soft. for multi-project sched./level. |
Client acceptance form |
47
|
15
|
|
48
|
Earned value |
Life Cycle Cost (”LCC”) |
48
|
57
|
|
49
|
PM software for cost estimating |
Value analysis |
49
|
61
|
|
50
|
Database for cost estimating |
Critical chain method & analysis |
50
|
67
|
|
51
|
Database of lessons learned |
Product Breakdown Structure |
51
|
52
|
|
52
|
Product Breakdown Structure |
PM software for simulation |
52
|
69
|
|
53
|
Bidders conferences |
Project communication room (war room) |
53
|
43
|
|
54
|
Learning curve |
Quality function deployment |
54
|
60
|
|
55
|
Parametric estimating |
Parametric estimating |
55
|
55
|
|
56
|
Graphic presentation of risk information |
Top-down estimating |
56
|
22
|
|
57
|
Life Cycle Cost (”LCC”) |
Self directed work teams |
57
|
32
|
|
58
|
Database of contractual commitment |
Learning curve |
58
|
54
|
|
59
|
Probabilistic duration (PERT Analysis) |
Work authorization |
59
|
31
|
|
60
|
Quality function deployment |
Trend chart or S-Curve |
60
|
63
|
|
61
|
Value analysis |
Network diagram |
61
|
42
|
|
62
|
Database of risks |
Probabilistic duration (PERT Analysis) |
62
|
59
|
|
63
|
Trend chart or S-Curve |
Control charts |
63
|
64
|
|
64
|
Control charts |
Bid documents |
64
|
36
|
|
65
|
Decision tree |
Bid/seller evaluation |
65
|
45
|
|
66
|
Cause and effect diagram |
Decision tree |
66
|
65
|
|
67
|
Critical chain method & analysis |
Cause and effect diagram |
67
|
66
|
|
68
|
Pareto diagram |
Pareto diagram |
68
|
68
|
|
69
|
PM software for simulation |
Bidders conferences |
69
|
53
|
|
70
|
Monte-Carlo analysis |
Monte-Carlo analysis |
70
|
70
|
Entre las 10 más utilizadas actualmente no aparece ni una sola vez la palabra Database o Risk mientras que en las 10 con un potencial mayor de contribución encontramos cuatro Databases y tres referencias a Risk. Parece por lo tanto que hay un mayor enfoque hacia la recolección y utilización de datos históricos para aprender del pasado y una mayor conciencia de la necesidad de identificar y gestionar los riesgos.
Por último señalar lo interesante que resulta conocer entre el gran número de herramientas y técnicas existentes cuales son las de mayor uso actualmente y las perspectivas de futuro existentes para así poder centrar los esfuerzos de estudio, entrenamiento y selección de software de la forma más rentable.