Case studies of software-process-improvement measurement

Describes an ongoing research project conducted jointly by Siemens and the Software Engineering Institute. Siemens software-development organizations in Germany and the United States are case-study sites at which we measure the effect of methods to improve the software-development process. To observe and quantify the impact of software-process improvement, we must measure the performance of a software-development organization over time. Comparison of performance across organizations is very difficult, since organizations define measures and collect performance data in different ways. However, we can separately track performance improvement in each organization if it defines measures consistently and develops similar products. We have defined basic measures for performance of a software-development organization. We limited ourselves to a small number of simple measures to reduce the complexity of collecting, analyzing, and maintaining the performance data. Improving the software-development process improves the quality of software products and the overall performance of the software-development organization. However, process is only one of several controllable factors in improving software quality and organization performance. Others include the skills and experience of the people developing the software, the technology used (e.g. CASE tools), product complexity, and environmental characteristics such as schedule pressure and communications     

Key lessons in achieving widespread inspection use

Hewlett-Packard has distilled its experience in promoting software inspections into a model of how technology adoption occurs and a metric of where it stands. Its managers know when and how to accelerate efforts to adopt inspections and other best practices. Experience has shown that the return on investment in technology adoption efforts can be huge. At HP, inspection technology was adopted across the entire company in four recognizable stages, which are defined as: experimental, initial guidelines, widespread belief and adoption, and standardization. HP's inspections program has progressed through three of these stages. We address several key questions: What characterizes the four stages? What were the most important lessons learned? What situations led to failure or success? And most important, how can we apply what we learned to speed the adoption of other proven practices? The lessons related will give many who are directly or indirectly responsible for software process improvement more confidence that inspections apply to all software-development organizations     

Achieving dynamic capabilities with cloud computing: an empirical investigation

Cloud computing enables convenient and on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources. While cloud computing‘s ability to improve operational efficiency has gained much attention in the literature, there has been limited research on how it can help organizations achieve dynamic capabilities. Drawing from dynamic capabilities theory, we conducted a field study using a multiple case study design to examine the following research question: How do organizations achieve dynamic capabilities by using Cloud Computing? We develop a framework that explains how organizations respond to market dynamism by developing sense-and-response strategies that enable them to achieve dynamic capabilities using business process redesign, business network redesign, and business scope redefinition. We discuss how these transformations, in turn, improve organizational outcomes such as service effectiveness and efficiency. Our study also identifies factors that support and hinder the development of dynamic capabilities. Our study contributes to the literature on dynamic capabilities by examining how IT capabilities like cloud computing may accelerate the ability of an organization to achieve dynamic capabilities. We also identify transformational changes of business processes and inter-organizational networks that are enabled by cloud computing. Further, we identify how the essential characteristics of cloud computing support sense and respond strategies.     

Applying grounded theory to understand software process improvement implementation: a study of Brazilian software organizations

Despite the fact that organizations recognize the importance of implementing software process improvement (SPI) to enhance software development capabilities, recent studies show that many organizations still struggle to successfully implement SPI. These studies demonstrate that most SPI initiatives fail due to their incapacity to overcome social–cultural critical barriers, such as lack of motivation and higher management support. Therefore, the accurate understanding of the context where SPI occurs may facilitate the development of more efficient SPI implementation strategies aiming to overcome those difficulties. The objective of this work was to present a Grounded Theory-based study that investigated SPI implementation initiatives conducted by Brazilian software organizations. The main product of this study is a theoretical framework that tries and explains the phenomenon associated to the success of SPI implementation initiatives. The theoretical framework constituted a set of interrelated SPI domain entities supported by a set of propositions assessed by experienced Brazilian SPI consultants. We expect that such theoretical framework can facilitate SPI implementation by providing better understating of the dependency relationships among critical success factors that may jeopardize SPI initiatives.     

Leveraging global resources: a process maturity framework for managing distributed development

The popular and well-tested software process frameworks such as the Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model and ISO 9001, details key process areas for software development. Focusing more on continuous improvement in code development processes, generic-process frameworks such as the CMM lack key process areas (KPA) that address capabilities for managing distributed software projects, such as establishing mutual knowledge and managing geographically dispersed social networks. We identify 24 new KPAs that address the wide-ranging capabilities needed for managing distributed software development and arrange them in an evolutionary order similar to the CMM framework. The evolutionary or phased approach in improving software management capabilities helps firms systematically assess their situations and plan for improvements. We also report the results of a statistically tested maturity assessment survey and test the overall rigor of our model against industry expert opinion and objective data collected from real-world projects implemented at SAP AG, a leading global-enterprise software firm.     

Developing business analytic capabilities for combating e-commerce identity fraud: A study of Trustev’s digital verification solution

Given the significant growth in e-commerce, organizations are seeking novel capabilities and technological innovations to deal simultaneously with the volume of data generated and the need to combat potentially damaging fraudulent activity. Although recent studies identify business analytics (BA) as a potential means of combating fraud, significant inroads into the interrelationships between capabilities and the articulation of a pathway to analytical capability have yet to be made. This study presents an investigation of Trustev, a global provider of digital verification technology, and its development of the profile-based social fingerprinting fraud detection solution. Adopting an interpretive structural modeling technique for data analysis, we construct a framework and reveal a road map for organizations to become analytically capable in online fraud detection. Our study adds to the discourse of the application of BA to combat online fraud.     

Evaluating the impact of an agile transformation: a longitudinal case study in a distributed context

Many software-development organizations have recently started to adopt agile practices in order to benefit from the improvements they clearly bring, in terms of production speed and software quality, for example. However, in a large, distributed organization, such as Nokia Siemens Networks, an agile transformation may be a long-term, complex process, and therefore, evaluating the benefits achieved, and measuring the success of the change, can be difficult, especially in the early phases of the transformation. This paper is based on the results of a case study on the impact introducing agile practices actually had in a large, software-development organization, part of Nokia Siemens Networks. The impact of this agile transformation was evaluated in terms of how well it succeeded in achieving the goals set by the management before the transformation started. This longitudinal study included two separate analyses, made at 6 monthly intervals, which measured what agile practices were really in use in the organization, and what effects, if any, were visible in terms of the goals which had been set by the management The 6 monthly analyses included defect data metrics and opinion surveys of the personnel directly involved in the transformation. The study showed two things: firstly, that the introduction of agile practices does have the beneficial effects that one would expect, and secondly, that, using this kind of study, it is not only possible to evaluate the impact that the adoption of agile practices has in a large, established software-development company, but also that the effects are visible at a surprisingly early stage.     

Information technologies and downsizing: Examining their impact on economic performance

Recent literature analyses the economic effects of employee downsizing on organizations under a contingent framework. Information technology (IT) can be considered a relevant factor for organizations that downsize. IT could enhance knowledge management, innovation management and organizational learning. Given the damage produced by downsizing on these organizational capabilities, the aim of this research is to study the moderating role of the implementation level of IT in the relationship between downsizing and organizational economic performance. Analyzing Spanish chemical industry, our results show that this negative effect can be mitigated by IT implementation.     

Big data in the public sector: Uncertainties and readiness

Big data is being implemented with success in the private sector and science. Yet the public sector seems to be falling behind, despite the potential value of big data for government. Government organizations do recognize the opportunities of big data but seem uncertain about whether they are ready for the introduction of big data, and if they are adequately equipped to use big data. This paper addresses those uncertainties. It presents an assessment framework for evaluating public organizations’ big data readiness. Doing so demystifies the concept of big data, as it is expressed in terms of specific and measureable organizational characteristics. The framework was tested by applying it to organizations in the Dutch public sector. The results suggest that organizations may be technically capable of using big data, but they will not significantly gain from these activities if the applications do not fit their organizations and main statutory tasks. The framework proved helpful in pointing out areas where public sector organizations could improve, providing guidance on how government can become more big data ready in the future.     

Metaheuristic optimization frameworks: a survey and benchmarking

This paper performs an unprecedented comparative study of Metaheuristic optimization frameworks. As criteria for comparison a set of 271 features grouped in 30 characteristics and 6 areas has been selected. These features include the different metaheuristic techniques covered, mechanisms for solution encoding, constraint handling, neighborhood specification, hybridization, parallel and distributed computation, software engineering best practices, documentation and user interface, etc. A metric has been defined for each feature so that the scores obtained by a framework are averaged within each group of features, leading to a final average score for each framework. Out of 33 frameworks ten have been selected from the literature using well-defined filtering criteria, and the results of the comparison are analyzed with the aim of identifying improvement areas and gaps in specific frameworks and the whole set. Generally speaking, a significant lack of support has been found for hyper-heuristics, and parallel and distributed computing capabilities. It is also desirable to have a wider implementation of some Software Engineering best practices. Finally, a wider support for some metaheuristics and hybridization capabilities is needed.     

Ideation Capabilities for Continuous Innovation

This paper explores ideation capabilities in large organizations. Based on the dynamic capabilities framework, it is seen that ideation capabilities are managerial and organizational processes for the stimulation, identification, selection and implementation of ideas. In order to explore how these capabilities are manifested and used in firms, case studies of four Swedish companies have been performed. The results of the study show that there are different approaches to ideation. In terms of the nature of innovative ideas, the observations lead to the suggestion that ideation presents some seemingly paradoxical issues to management. Firms with an explicit focus on building ideation practices experience that there are some negative consequences of the resultant formalization. Furthermore, the extent to which many employees should be involved in ideation is a difficult aspect, even though new technologies make this more viable. Also the degree to which the search for ideas should be directed is a non‐trivial question, as the ideation processes can be facilitated by both freedom and limitations. It is nevertheless seen that firms can benefit from more deliberate approaches to ideation, in particular if these are broad and balanced and focus on both building capabilities that formalize the informal, in terms of establishing explicit processes, roles and systems, and building capabilities needed to manage informal structures in new ways.     

Anchoring the software process

Software organizations need common milestones to serve as a basis for their software development processes. The author proposes three such milestones, gives an example of their use, and discusses why they are success-critical for software projects. To avoid the problems of the previous model milestones-stakeholder mismatches, gold plating, inflexible point solutions, high risk downstream capabilities, and uncontrolled developments-software projects need a mix of flexibility and discipline. The risk driven content of the LCO, LCA, and IOC milestones let you tailor them to specific software situations and yet they remain general enough to apply to most software projects. And, because they emphasize stakeholder commitment to shared system objectives, they can provide your organization with a collaborative framework for successfully realizing software's most powerful capability: its ability to help people and organizations cope with change     

Integrated condition monitoring and control of fed-batch fermentation processes

This paper investigates the benefits that the partial least squares (PLS) modelling approach offers engineers involved in the operation of fed-batch fermentation processes. It is shown that models developed using PLS can be used to provide accurate inference of quality variables that are difficult to measure on-line, such as biomass concentration. It is further shown that this model can be used to provide fault detection and isolation capabilities and that it can be integrated within a standard model predictive control framework to regulate the growth of biomass within the fermenter. This model predictive controller is shown to provide its own monitoring capabilities that can be used to identify faults within the process and also within the controller itself. Finally it is demonstrated that the performance of the controller can be maintained in the presence of fault conditions within the process.     

A framework for formal modeling and analysis of organizations

A new, formal, role-based, framework for modeling and analyzing both real world and artificial organizations is introduced. It exploits static and dynamic properties of the organizational model and includes the (frequently ignored) environment. The transition is described from a generic framework of an organization to its deployed model and to the actual agent allocation. For verification and validation of the proposed model, a set of dedicated techniques is introduced. Moreover, where most computational models can handle only two or three layered organizational structures, our framework can handle any arbitrary number of organizational layers. Henceforth, real-world organizations can be modeled and analyzed, as illustrated by a case study, within the DEAL project line     

Distributed Management of a Software Database

The Allegro model demonstrates that communication among objects in different spaces can be implemented efficiently in a software-development database.     

Implementing Fuzzy Logic and AHP into the EFQM model for performance improvement: A case study

In the current volatile and demanding business environment, managers are so eager to demonstrate that their organizations are excellent which can mainly be achieved through continuous performance improvement. The most applicable and suitable tools that by the assessment of organizations shows how successful they are in the organizational excellence path is European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model. This study aims at presenting a new integrated approach based on EFQM model using Fuzzy Logic, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique and Operations Research (OR) model to improve the organizations’ excellence level by increasing the quality of business performance evaluation and determining of improvement projects with high priority. A case study in Yazd Regional Electricity Co. in Iran is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach. In a way that, primarily, performance assessment by crisp method and the proposed method, Fuzzy method, is carried out. Then, strength points and the areas for improvement are identified by defining the scores for sub-criteria. Next, sub-criteria are prioritized to define the improvement projects by using AHP technique and Operations Research model. Finally, improvement projects with high priority are determined and some action plans for improvement projects are defined.     

A framework to identify applications of information technology to improve service quality

More and more organizations are seeking innovative ways to use information technology (IT) for strategic advantage. One way to gain this competitive edge is by differentiating the services provided to customers. This paper provides a framework to identify areas ripe for the implementation of IT to enhance and improve customer service. The framework is based upon the examination of the existing service delivery system of an organization and how applications of IT might change the interfaces among the various players (customers, employees, etc.) in the service delivery system. Further, examples are presented to illustrate how some organizations have achieved superior service quality by creatively utilizing simple IT tools.     

Identifying new business areas using patent information: A DEA and text mining approach

From a resource-based point of view, firm’s technological capabilities can be used as underlying sources for identifying new businesses. However, current methods are insufficient to systematically and clearly support firms in finding new business areas based on their technological strength. This research proposes a systematic approach to identify new business areas grounded on the relative technological strength of firms. Patent information is useful as a measure of firms’ technological resources and data envelopment analysis (DEA) is beneficial to obtain the weighted value of patents according to their quality. With this weighted quality of patents, a firm can evaluate their relative technological strength at the industry and product level according to potential business areas. To compute technological strength by products, this research applies text mining method to patent documents, a method which a researcher discovers knowledge with unstructured data with. This paper shows the usefulness of the newly proposed framework with a case study.     

Open data value capability architecture

To gain insight into customer’s needs and stay competitive, open data-driven organizations must acquire capabilities to generate different kinds of values from open data. With respect to open data capabilities, scholarly efforts articulating the nature and types of open data capabilities are very limited. To bridge this knowledge gap, we construct a theoretically-grounded open data value capability architecture that explains how open data-driven organizations can identify, map, develop and plan open data value capabilities. To demonstrate and validate the capability architecture, we implemented the architecture in two open data-driven organizations in Ireland. The application of the architecture revealed eight new open data value capabilities: Knowledge of data standards and Data on the Web Best Practices, Knowledge of data value, Data Strategy, Aggregation process (GPS), Database architecture, Knowledge of graph data models, Verifying data integrity, and Web-based front-end. We conclude that the Open data capability domain is yet to mature. Thus, more scholarly and empirical research is necessary in this area.     

The Development of Creative Capabilities in and out of Creative Organizations: Three Case Studies

This paper describes and analyses how creative organizations develop and use routines and processes to strengthen their creative capabilities. Using an exploratory framework based in resource‐based theory and creativity literature, it focuses on the role of the creative entrepreneur as a key component for organizations developing creative capabilities. The creative entrepreneur or agent builds collaboration, exploits knowledge and enhances relationships in and out of an organization. Drawing on three in‐depth case studies from different sectors (theatre, sports and software), the article expands the idea of creative capabilities to encompass routines and processes in organizations in industries generally not considered ‘creative’. Furthermore, it outlines how the creative entrepreneur is instrumental in developing and using the creative routines so that they form creative capabilities. Based on the analysis, the article discusses creative capabilities, collaboration in the process, and the creative entrepreneur’s role in developing and using them.