Diagnosis of Software Projects Based on the Viable System Model

Abstract

This work aims to identify the shortcomings that may impair or endanger the viability of software projects, and attemps to reduce their failure rates. A diagnosis based on the Viable System Model of software projects is shown. The data collection processes necessary to make a diagnosis have been carried out through a questionnaire and personal interviews with 38 companies in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. The subsequent descriptive analysis allows us to detect 8 weak points in the organizational structure of the software projects. We highlight two of the 8 weak points in particular: the nondefinition of the next lower level of recursion and the need to improve the exploration mechanisms used to evaluate future scenarios. Although the sample seems small, a great effort was expended to interview the 38 companies due to an extension of the interview time (approximately 75 min) and the confidentiality and complexity of the topic, which required gathering a high level of detail and in-depth information on each of the projects and companies in the survey. This work offers managers a detailed reference for the diagnosis or design of viable software projects. The novel aspect of the work focuses on the application of the Viable System Model for proposing organizational changes in the development of software projects. This holistic perspective of the organizational structure of software projects will allow an increase in their success rate.