A MODEL TO ENHANCE THE EGYPTIAN POSITION IN THE MARKET OF THE GLOBAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GSD)/ Tarek Eshibiny

Supervisor:
Mohamed Awny

Thesis (M.A.)—Nile University, Egypt, 2023 .

"Includes bibliographical references"

Contents:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
DECLARATION ........................................................................................................... ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................iii
ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................. iv
Table of contents........................................................................................................... vi
List of abbreviations.....................................................................................................viii
List of figures................................................................................................................. x
List of tables.................................................................................................................. xi
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................1
1.1. Preface.............................................................................................................1
1.2. An Overview of the Global Software Market.................................................2
1.3. ICT service exports performance indicator.....................................................5
1.4. The European market potential for software development services...............6
1.5. The structure of the research document ..........................................................7
Chapter 2 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (CSFS) FOR GLOBAL SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT (GSD) ..............................................................................................8
2.1. Preface.............................................................................................................8
2.2. Porter’s Value Chain Model ...........................................................................8
2.3. Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)..................................................10
2.4. Critical Success Factors to Global Software Development Market..............13
Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY................................................................19
3.1. Research Problem .........................................................................................19
3.2. Purose of the study........................................................................................19
3.3. Research Questions.......................................................................................19
3.4. Research Significance ...................................................................................19
3.5. Objectives of the research work....................................................................20
vii
3.6. Research limitations......................................................................................20
3.7. Research Design............................................................................................21
3.8. Study step 1:..................................................................................................21
3.9. Study step 2:..................................................................................................21
3.10. Study step 3:..................................................................................................23
3.11. Ethical Considerations ..................................................................................24
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION...........................................................................25
4.1. Global Software Development - Value Chain Model (GSD-VCM).............25
4.2. Study step 1:..................................................................................................27
4.3. Study step 2 (Questionnaire):........................................................................27
4.4. Applying the findings to the GSD-VCM model...........................................31
4.5. Study step 3 (Interviews): .............................................................................33
5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................36
5.1. Conclusions...................................................................................................36
5.2. Recommendations.........................................................................................38
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................40
APPEDNICES .............................................................................................................43
Appendix (A): World Bank Indicator ......................................................................43
Appendix (B): Questionnaire ...................................................................................43
Appendix (C) NPS Calculations ..............................................................................45
Appendix (D): Interviews.........................................................................................47

Abstract:
The Global Software Development (GSD) market is huge and grows rapidly. The
Pandemic of covid-19 caused a shift in the working style for IT professionals to be
based primarily on remote collaboration, which resulted in an acceleration to the growth
rate of the GSD market. However, published numbers show that Egypt did not make
use of this chance, and very few researchers have tackled how to augment these
numbers. This research is conducted to tackle the very weak position of the Egyptian
ICT industry in the Global Software Development (GSD) market.
The purpose of the study is to discover the obstacles that may hinder the software
exporter in Egypt from maximizing their share in the Global Software Development. It
tries to find ways, track methodologies, and put guidance to enhance the Egyptian IT
services providers’ activities to maximize their share in the exports of IT services.
The sub-objectives of this study are to firstly, identify the major Critical Success
Factors (CSFs) to the GSD market, Secondly, to study how companies in Egypt perform
regarding CSFs to identify their need for enhancements. Thirdly, explore the process
by which the Egyptian companies can maximize their share in the GSD market.
The research utilizes available literature to achieve the first objective, a questionnaire
to achieve the second objective, and semi-structured interviews to achieve the third
objective.
The participants are from the key players and subject matter experts in the domestic
GSD domain with a sample quota for the questionnaire 0f 31 companies, and for the
interviews of 3 experts. Data of contacts is obtained from Nilepreneurs Initiative and
the official website of ITIDA. The questionnaire has received 31 valid responses.
Interviews are conducted with three selected expertevled interviewees.
Quality and the availability of track record of successful projects are found to be the
top priority factors affecting the market share. The second priority factors are customer
relationship management; timely delivery and responsiveness; project and contract
management; the availability of skilled staff. The third priority factors are knowledge
of client’s language and culture; requirements elicitation; the ability and frequency to
conduct proper negotiation with the client. The fourth priority factors are the size and
v
quality of the IT infrastructure; cost saving (pricing); availability of overseas offices;
the availability of Service and Process Improvement (SPI) Certifications.
The retention of expert employees and calibers, solid testing activities, and quality
methodology with standard modus operandi are found to be the means by which a
provider can enhance the quality of the deliverables. It was also found that for
companies to build a track record of successful projects, it can subsidize the operations
from the marketing budget to contract on cost or even below cost.
It is found that GSD market requires GSD providers at a large scale, estimated from
500 to 1000 developers in each individual site. Business support organizations &
industry associations should provide initiatives and facilities to increase the members
of the domestic GSD companies.
The availability of local laws and regulations to organize the relation between the
provider and the client, and to arbitrate in the case of dispute are found to be much
needed.
The researcher recommends further research into the role of business support
organizations, industry associations, and the government as a regulator.

Text in English, abstracts in English.