Traditional and hybrid software project tracking technique formulation: state space approach with initial state uncertainty

Abstract

Software projects are required to be tracked during their execution for controlling them. According to state-space approach, the tracking technique consists of software project state transition equation and software project status measurement equation. A key factor in tracking software projects is to represent the project with uncertainty involved in the parameters. Traditional and hybrid software project tracking technique is designed with state space approach and simulated using discrete event simulation in plan-space and execution-space. The uncertainty considered here is epistemological and is modeled as a normal distribution using an approximation method. The initial state of the project in execution-space also has an uncertainty associated with it. The project tracking technique consists of project state transition equation and project status measurement equation, in plan-space and is formulated with Monte Carlo method in execution-space. The project status is derived using project measurement equation as a function of project state. The project state is derived using project state transition equation. The software product is developed iteratively and incrementally. With Monte Carlo simulation runs, simulation result shows the uncertainty propagation iteration-wise, both individually and totally; and the effect of uncertainty on project status is shown by showing project status in execution-space and plan-space. Besides, the project completion somewhere during the last iteration is shown with simulation.