Defining and Differentiating Projects: Insights into Project Properties and Business Implications

Defining and differentiating projects is a critical step for improving strategic alignment, effective resource allocation, and organizational adaptability. Although project management literature has expanded, significant gaps remain in understanding how project properties—such as scope, scale, complexity, and stakeholder dynamics—shape business outcomes. This study conducted a systematic review of 43 peer-reviewed publications (2015–2024) drawn from Scopus and Google Scholar. Eligible studies were screened against predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and findings were synthesized through thematic analysis of project properties, success factors, challenges, and enablers across multiple industries. The review identified a steady increase in research on project properties, peaking in 2024 (18.6%). The largest contributions came from construction (18.6%), healthcare (9.3%), and IT (9.3%), while other sectors remain underexplored. Stakeholder management (9.3%) emerged as the most cited thematic property, followed by governance and organizational context. Success factors clustered around methodological and strategic approaches (25%), organizational/human factors (20%), and tools/techniques (15%) such as Earned Value Management and AI-driven scheduling. Challenges were dominated by methodological ambiguity (25%), organizational resistance (20%), and external uncertainties (20%), with additional barriers linked to technical/data-related issues and stakeholder misalignment. Recommendations emphasized clarity and standardization (25%), strategic planning tailored to context (25%), and agile/flexible practices (20%), alongside leadership, collaboration, and technical innovations. The findings confirm that project definition and differentiation play a multi-dimensional role in organizational success. While methodological clarity and stakeholder alignment remain recurring challenges, the adoption of agile practices, contextual tailoring, and standardized frameworks are critical for improving project outcomes. Stronger integration of sustainability, governance, and technology-driven tools is recommended to address persistent gaps, particularly in underrepresented sectors beyond construction and IT.