Alignment within the software development unit: Assessing structural and relational dimensions between developers and testers

Just as business-IT alignment has received significant focus as a strategic concern in the IS literature, it is also important to consider internal alignment between the diverse subunits within the IT organization. This study investigates alignment between developers and testers in software development to understand alignment within the IT unit. Prior evidence of tension between these sub-groups (and others as well) suggests that all is not necessarily well within the IT organization. Misalignment within the IT unit can certainly make it difficult for the IT unit to add strategic value to the organization. This study is an important initial step in investigating IT subunit alignment which can inform future research focusing on the alignment of other IT subunits such as architecture, operations, and customer-support. Using theoretical concepts from strategic business-IT alignment, we test a research model through a survey of professional software developers and testers. Results suggest that relational but not structural dimensions influence IT subunit alignment.     

The mechanisms of project management of software development

The changing environments of software development such as component-based, distributed and outsourced software development require matching changes by project managers to monitor, control and coordinate their projects. While the objectives of project management may be well established, the mechanisms with which those objectives are achieved are less well known. An empirical study was undertaken to investigate which mechanisms were used by practising project managers to monitor, control and coordinate software development projects.First, the types of mechanisms are discussed so that the mechanisms can be classified usefully. Then, the design of the empirical study is described. The data were collected through structured interview, which provided both quantitative and qualitative data. The data are analysed for each mechanism separately and the findings presented. The study found that project managers use multiple mechanisms to achieve project management objectives and use the same mechanism to serve multiple objectives. Further research is suggested to investigate project management from the opposite orientation, that is, which objectives are served by specific project management mechanisms.     

项目管理在软件开发中的有效应用

随着信息化的飞速发展,在软件企业中,项目管理对于开发应用软件是一个行之有效的方法,并日益受到重视。本文主要通过对项目管理在软件开发中的具体应用,以及应用的成因、用时间段来做项目的问题及解决方案进行了分析和论述。     

An empirical analysis of software life spans to determine the planning horizon for new software

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the life span of over 180 systems aimed at developing a model for determining the planning horizon for new software at the business case stage of software acquisition. At this early stage, the firm has limited knowledge about the project, but must make crucial decisions, such as scope (breadth of requirements), approach (both insource vs. outsource and custom vs. package) and technology, including fit with standards (adhere to current vs. adopt new technology). These decisions are associated with different system lifetimes that, in turn, impact both the costs incurred and benefits received from the system. The failure to explicitly and properly address these differences can lead to the implementation of systems better left undone or to unintended consequences, such as the Y2K problem. We find that technology and approach, but not scope decisions are strongly related to system lifetime. In particular, systems that use an operating system that conforms to the firm’s standard or are acquired using a blended team entail longer system life. On the other hand, shorter system life is indicated if the system is technically complex, custom developed or uses an older programming language. Furthermore, modified packaged software is shorter lived than is a vanilla package. In addition, environmental variables also impact the appropriate horizon. For example, as one would expect, strategic systems are used longer. On the other hand, somewhat surprisingly, systems sponsored by executives last less long and despite the quickening pace of technological and business process advancement, a small trend toward longer lived systems is uncovered.     

Exploring the relationship between software project duration and risk exposure: A cluster analysis

Software projects often fail. Thus it is important to find ways to ensure a successful outcome. One significant area is a better understanding of the relationship between the software project duration and risk exposure, as this helps project managers with pertinent information to be effective in managing risky projects. We addressed this need by adopting a cluster analysis technique to provide managers with insight into effective planning and control of their projects. The results not only revealed that risk exposures associated with user, requirement, planning & control and team risk dimensions were affected by project duration, but also showed how to manage software risks effectively through observing trends in the risk components. Based on our findings, project managers can adopt appropriate attitudes, skills, and practices to deal with risky areas more effectively rather than just identifying those software risks with which project managers should be concerned.     

Using planning poker for combining expert estimates in software projects

When producing estimates in software projects, expert opinions are frequently combined. However, it is poorly understood whether, when, and how to combine expert estimates. In order to study the effects of a combination technique called planning poker, the technique was introduced in a software project for half of the tasks. The tasks estimated with planning poker provided: (1) group consensus estimates that were less optimistic than the statistical combination (mean) of individual estimates for the same tasks, and (2) group consensus estimates that were more accurate than the statistical combination of individual estimates for the same tasks. For tasks in the same project, individual experts who estimated a set of control tasks achieved estimation accuracy similar to that achieved by estimators who estimated tasks using planning poker. Moreover, for both planning poker and the control group, measures of the median estimation bias indicated that both groups had unbiased estimates, because the typical estimated task was perfectly on target. A code analysis revealed that for tasks estimated with planning poker, more effort was expended due to the complexity of the changes to be made, possibly caused by the information provided in group discussions.     

The effects of change control and management review on software flexibility and project performance

Software flexibility and project efficiency are deemed to be desirable but conflicting goals during software development. We considered the link between project performance, software flexibility, and management interventions. Specially, we examined software flexibility as a mediator between two recommended management control mechanisms (management review and change control) and project performance. The model was empirically evaluated using data collected from 212 project managers in the Project Management Institute. Our results confirmed that the level of control activities during the system development process was a significant facilitator of software flexibility, which, in turn, enhanced project success. A mediator role of software flexibility implied that higher levels of management controls could achieve higher levels of software flexibility and that this was beneficial not only to the maintainability of complex applications but also to project performance.     

用PSP塑造合格的软件工程师

本文首先简要介绍了PSP的原理,阐述了如何使学生理解从个体软件开发过程到软件产品工程过程,培养学生从开发简单小程序的实践转向开发大规模软件。然后结合实际的教学环境对教学策略加以详细的说明,并对收集到的学生数据进行总结和分析。     

A study of machine-level software profile

The instruction mix of a CDC CYBER/74 computer in a university environment was monitored, and in this paper frequencies of execution for the most commonly used instructions are given. From these measurements we make a number of observations about several aspects of computing patterns. One observation is the fact that if we exclude the idle loop of the operating system, the percentage of occurrences for each type of instruction over various time intervals is constant. This fact is used to define a machine-level software profile (MLSP) for the type of machine operations in the given computing environment. It is shown that the MLSP could be used to find machine utilization and the extent to which software takes advantage of machine architecture, and as a consistent method to improve the performance of a machine configuration.     

Antecedents and consequences of team potency in software development projects

Developing new software quickly, successfully, and at low cost is critical in organizations. Ways of assessing the effectiveness of development teams has highlighted measures of factors, such as teamwork, group cohesiveness, and team integration, but the use of group potency theory (the collective belief of a group that it can be effective) is rare. In our study, we investigated antecedents of and consequences to group potency in software development project teams. By examining 53 software development project teams collected from small and medium-sized software firms in Turkey, we found, that team potency positively affected speed-to-market, development cost, and market success of the product. We also found that trust among project team members, past experiences of the members, and team empowerment had a positive impact on the team potency during the project. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.     

Quality management metrics for software development

It can be argued that the quality of software management has an effect on the degree of success or failure of a software development program. We have developed a metric for measuring the quality of software management along four dimensions: requirements management, estimation/planning management, people management, and risk management. The quality management metric (QMM) for a software development program manager is a composite score obtained using a questionnaire administered to both the program manager and a sample of his or her peers. The QMM is intended to both characterize the quality of software management and serve as a template for improving software management performance. We administered the questionnaire to measure the performance of managers responsible for large software development programs within the US Department of Defense (DOD). Informal verification and validation of the metric compared the QMM score to an overall program-success score for the entire program; this resulted in a positive correlation.     

Enabling the creation of knowledge about software assets

In most companies two factors play a crucial role: managing the knowledge that is necessary for doing business and managing the hardware and software infrastructure that supports the business processes. Usually, business processes and infrastructure are not optimally aligned.

We investigate how principles from knowledge management can be applied to enable the creation, consolidation, conservation and continuous actualization of knowledge about valuable software systems (“software assets”) that are part of the infrastructure.

Our point of departure is a generic framework for knowledge creation proposed by Von Krogh, Ichijo and Nonaka. We investigate the explicit and tacit knowledge about software assets that may exist in an organization and specialize the framework to obtain a strategy for creating new knowledge about these software assets. By applying this strategy, one can optimize the quality and the flexibility of the software assets while reducing costs.     

The effects of optimistic and pessimistic biasing on software project status reporting

Anecdotal evidence suggests that project managers (PMs) sometime provide biased status reports to management. In our research project we surveyed PMs to explore possible motivations for bias, the frequency with which bias occurs, and the strength of the bias typically applied. We found that status reports were biased 60% of the time and that the bias was twice as likely to be optimistic as pessimistic. By applying these results to an information-theoretic model, we estimated that only about 10–15% of biased project status reports were, in fact, accurate and these occurred only when pessimistic bias offset project management status errors. There appeared to be no significant difference in the type or frequency of bias applied to high-risk versus low-risk projects. Our work should provide a better understanding of software project status reporting.     

配置管理在软件开发项目中的运用

随着软件开发规模扩大,软件项目面临着较大的失败风险。为改变这种状况,国内软件公司逐步重视项目管理,尤其在软件开发项 目中运用配置管理,将软件开发变成一个可控的过程,从而降低软件开发所面临的风险。作者结合自身的工作经验,将配置管理在软件开发 项目中的具体运用作了全面介绍。     

软件需求的不确定性与解决途径

本文试图从分析软件需求的不确定性产生的原因,分析传统开发方法的不适应性,提出加强软件项目管理、确定与顾客有关的过程、采用适用的软件开发方法和软件需求管理工具作为解决问题的途径。     

A software trace facility for OS/MVT

This paper describes a software trace facility (STF) developed to provide data about the flow of control between modules of the IBM System/360 operating system OS/MVT. The motivation for STF is discussed and a brief Introduction to OS/MVT presented to show how STF interfaces with the operating system. The output of the program is illustrated and some details of the program logic are discussed together with the tracing options available to the user. The paper then describes some potential applications.     

Measuring and predicting software productivity: A systematic map and review

Context

Software productivity measurement is essential in order to control and improve the performance of software development. For example, by identifying role models (e.g. projects, individuals, tasks) when comparing productivity data. The prediction is of relevance to determine whether corrective actions are needed, and to discover which alternative improvement action would yield the best results.

Objective

In this study we identify studies for software productivity prediction and measurement. Based on the identified studies we first create a classification scheme and map the studies into the scheme (systematic map). Thereafter, a detailed analysis and synthesis of the studies is conducted.

Method

As a research method for systematically identifying and aggregating the evidence of productivity measurement and prediction approaches systematic mapping and systematic review have been used.

Results

In total 38 studies have been identified, resulting in a classification scheme for empirical research on software productivity. The mapping allowed to identify the rigor of the evidence with respect to the different productivity approaches. In the detailed analysis the results were tabulated and synthesized to provide recommendations to practitioners.

Conclusion

Risks with simple ratio-based measurement approaches were shown. In response to the problems data envelopment analysis seems to be a strong approach to capture multivariate productivity measures, and allows to identify reference projects to which inefficient projects should be compared. Regarding simulation no general prediction model can be identified. Simulation and statistical process control are promising methods for software productivity prediction. Overall, further evidence is needed to make stronger claims and recommendations. In particular, the discussion of validity threats should become standard, and models need to be compared with each other.     

A heuristic for software evaluation and selection

The proliferation of software packages has created a difficult, complex problem of evaluation and selection for many users. Traditional approaches to the quantification of package performance have relied on compensatory models, such as the linear weighted attribute model, which sums the weighted ratings of software attributes. These approaches define the dimensions of quality too narrowly and, therefore, omit substantial amounts of information from consideration. This paper presents an alternative methodology, previously used in capital rationing and tournament ranking, that expands the opportunity for objective insight into software quality. In particular, it considers three measures of quality, the frequency with which the attribute ratings of one package exceed those of another, the presence of outliers, where very poor performance may exist on a single attribute and be glossed over by compensatory methods, and the cumulative magnitude of attribute ratings on one package that exceed those on others. The proposed methodology is applied to the evaluation of the following software types: word processing, database management systems, spreadsheet/financial planning, integrated software, graphics, data communications and project management.