Issues in Foreign Outsourcing

The decision to outsource applications development and support to a foreign vendor involves not only the myriad issues pertinent to outsourcing in general, but a host of additional risks and challenges unique to firms operating in different legal and cultural environments. Careful assessment of these issues helps determine whether offshore outsourcing will realize its potential to reduce costs, improve software quality, and achieve economies of scale in skills acquisition.     

Examining the Effect of the Transformational Leader on Software Quality

Developing and maintaining quality software is paramount in the information-intensive society. A myriad of concepts, tools and techniques exist that can be employed to improve the quality of software and at the same time increase developmental efficiencies. Approaches used by many software development units include: Capability Maturity Model (CMM), Total Quality Management (TQM), and ISO 9000-3. Implementation of these approaches without appropriate management oversight does not guarantee success. This study examines the role of the manager vis-à-vis leadership style with software quality. Data collected using a questionnaire administered to members of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) - Software Division, suggest that the Transformational leadership style of the manager has a significant positive relationship with the quality of the software developed.     

TQM implementation factors for software development: an empirical study

Software Quality Journal - There is a need for methodologies which can enhance the quality of software and improve software developmental efficiencies. One such approach commonly used by software...     

USING EISs FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING

An organization's ability to monitor or scan the external environment and incorporate anticipated changes into its strategic plan fosters organizational adaptability and survival. Executive information systems (EISs) that include external data address the challenges associated with effective environmental scanning by providing an efficient means of information acquisition, storage, and retrieval. This article outlines how EISs can be used to streamline each step in the environmental scanning process.