Vague project start makes project success of outsourced software development projects uncertain

A definition of a project success includes at least three criteria: 1) meeting planning goals, 2) customer benefits, and 3) supplier benefits. This study aims to point out the importance of the definition of the project start, the project start date, and what work should be included in the project effort in order to ensure the supplier's benefits. The ambiguity of the project start risks the profitability of the project and therefore makes project success at least from supplier's point of view uncertain. Moreover, vague project start makes it more difficult to compare project management metrics, such as duration and effort, between projects. There is no clear definition for the project start either in literature or practice. Based on interviews, the definitions are provided for project start, project start date, and project start-up effort included in the project.