A Framework for the Construction and Tailoring of Engineering Development Process Models

Abstract

A well-balanced project design using appropriate process models is an important success factor for the management of engineering development projects. There exists a wide range of different process models, including traditional waterfall-based models as well as agile development models like Scrum. Such standardized process models offer a good starting point for the management of engineering development projects; however, they have to be tailored in order to meet the needs of a specific project. Additionally, in complex environments, it might be necessary to construct dedicated process models, like hybrid combinations of several models. In this article, the groundwork for a systematic approach to the construction and tailoring of process models for engineering development projects is presented. It considers relevant international standards as well as traditional and agile process models and can serve as a basis for the subsequent tailoring processes. The developed framework offers the possibility to add distinctive characteristics to a process model, like means which facilitate quality, communication, or knowledge transfer. The evaluation of the framework was done by means of a case study, a survey, and expert interviews.