A change process model in an SCM tool

Abstract

The paper is a survey of a change process model developed and used at ABB Industrial Products. The change process is based on a software configuration management (SCM) tool and the capability maturity model (CMM). CMM emphasizes the importance of controlling the changes made in a development project. The SCM tool, developed at ABB Industrial Products, is a change oriented tool, by means of which changes are managed through change requests. A change request is a document which describes changes processed in a software. During the development process, change requests collect information about the changes implemented in configuration items and they pass through different states. Since change requests are under version control, the data obtained from them give information about both the number and types of changes and the change process behavior. Experience has shown which an SCM tool that supports change management is very important in large software systems, especially in the project planning, verification and maintenance phases.