Software Development Process Improvement Research Articles

Software Engineering: New Methodologies, Tools, and Best Practices in Software Development

Software engineering is a dynamic field that is always evolving to meet the demands of difficult software development projects. This journal article investigates contemporary software engineering methodologies, tools, and best practices in order to enhance the efficiency, quality, and dependability of software development processes. We discuss the most recent advancements in quality assurance, DevOps, agile software development, and automated testing. We also look at the role that cooperation, communication, and project management have in efficient software engineering methods. By highlighting these advances, this article aims to promote the delivery of high-quality software products and improve software development processes.

КРИТЕРІЇ ISO 21434 ДЛЯ ФОРМУВАННЯ СИСТЕМНИХ СПЕЦИФІКАЦІЙ У ПРОЦЕСАХ A-SPICE ДЛЯ АВТОМОБІЛІВ

With the increasing presence of electronics and autonomous systems in modern automobiles, cybersecurity has become a critical concern. Automotive manufacturers and other stakeholders are actively seeking ways to ensure reliable protection against cyber attacks. One approach involves the utilization of ISO 21434, a standard designed to enhance cybersecurity in the automotive industry. This research article investigates the ISO 21434 standard and its application in the field of automotive production, specifically in software development under the A-SPICE standard. The publication describes the methods and concepts used to enhance cybersecurity in the automotive industry and establishes the role of ISO 21434 within the A-SPICE model. The study's findings are valuable for companies and professionals involved in the development and implementation of cybersecurity measures in the automotive sector. Implementing the ISO 21434 standard can mitigate the risk of cyber attacks and improve the quality and reliability of automobiles, thus making the automotive industry safer and more trustworthy for consumers. The article provides an overview of key cybersecurity standards in the automotive industry. ISO 26262 sets out processes and requirements for functional safety in automotive systems, including cybersecurity considerations. SAE J3061 focuses on cybersecurity management in electronic systems of vehicles and is widely used in the industry. ISO/SAE 21434, introduced in 2020, replaces the previous ISO 26262 standard and specifies cybersecurity requirements in the automotive industry. These standards are closely related as they aim to ensure the safety and security of automotive products. Furthermore, the Automotive SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination) framework is widely employed for evaluating and enhancing software development processes in the automotive sector. A-SPICE, a specific variant of Automotive SPICE, provides a framework for improving software development processes in automotive organizations. ISO 21434 guides cybersecurity activities within the A-SPICE framework, emphasizing the importance of a systematic and standardized approach to cybersecurity. To effectively implement cybersecurity in automotive products developed under A-SPICE, compliance with the ISO 21434 standard is crucial. However, mere adherence to the standard may be insufficient for achieving a high level of cybersecurity. Additional tools such as risk analysis methodologies and cybersecurity management can be employed to ensure robust cybersecurity measures. Risk analysis results can help identify vulnerabilities in the security system, enabling the development of effective mitigation measures. Cybersecurity management ensures compliance with the standard throughout the product development lifecycle. ISO 21434 can be applied at various stages of the V-model software development process, including requirements definition, design, and testing. During requirements definition, cybersecurity requirements are identified and incorporated into the system or software specifications. In the design phase, architectures are developed considering the cybersecurity requirements outlined in the standard. The testing phase addresses the fulfillment of cybersecurity requirements and evaluates the effectiveness of cybersecurity measures. In conclusion, the inclusion of ISO 21434 criteria in the development process of automotive software significantly impacts the quality and safety of products. The research demonstrates that applying ISO 21434 criteria allows for a systematic and structured approach to software development, ensuring the reliability, safety, and compliance of software products with regulatory requirements in the automotive industry. The article presents an analysis of standards, methods, and approaches used in the automotive industry and highlights the influence of ISO 21434 on the A-SPICE framework, defining its position within the model. Ultimately, this publication contributes to the advancement of knowledge in automotive cybersecurity.

SYNTHESIS OF THE UTILITY FUNCTION OF THE IT COMPANY'S SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS BASED ON THE SPICE REFERENCE MODEL

The work distinguishes two types of complex systems: "real systems" and "virtual systems". The first ones are the object of computer science research, and the second ones are the object of software engineering. The latter include software systems (SS) and the software development process (SDP), which is the object of scientific work research. SDP refers to goal-oriented systems. In such systems, on the basis of the set goals, the task of synthesizing their structure (individual elements and the relationship between them) arises, which is aimed at achieving the set goals related to the quality of SDP. It is believed that the success of SS development directly depends on the quality of SDP. The work considers the problem of assessment and improvement of SDP on the basis of two maturity models: SMMI, SPICE. Both models use a point scale of the first type, when the assessment is made according to objective criteria, so that individual assessments are some fluctuations of the real values. At the same time, there are generally accepted standards that correspond to the gradations of the point scale. The main component of the SMMI model is the focal area, which is characterized by the "level of opportunity" on a point scale from 0 to 3. The main component of the SPICE model is a process characterized by a "level of possibility" on a point scale from 1 to 5. For the discrete version of the SMMI model, the concept of "maturity level" is used, thanks to which the quality of the SDP of the entire IT organization is assessed. The formalization of the model was carried out and static and dynamic planning models of the SDP of the IT organization have been implemented, which are integrated into a single technology of "sliding" planning. One of the main disadvantages of the discrete version of the SMMI model is that it does not take into account the specifics of the IT organization activity. On the other hand, the SPICE model does not allow for the assessment of the entire SDP of the IT organization. Therefore, a synthesis of a discrete maturity model based on the SPICE reference model was proposed. Its main goal is to minimize the main drawbacks of the SMMI model. For this purpose, the use of utility theory was proposed. A hierarchical structure of criteria is formed, on the basis of which the utility function is synthesized. Previously, at the level of a separate process, the SPICE model was formalized and the structure of the utility function was determined on this basis. Taking into account the fundamental properties of the systems, the trend of its change based on the used resources is presented. Next, the experts compare the characteristics of the processes of the SPICE model and the IT company from the point of view of the importance of the processes for increasing the level of maturity of the SDP. This information from the experts is provided to the analysts, who place the processes in a queue depending on the importance from the point of view of the utility function.

PLANNING THE EVOLUTION OF THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS BASED ON THE METHOD OF SEQUENTIAL OPTION ANALYSIS

It is noted that the process approach is a means of scientific research and practical change of the surrounding world, which allows representing and implementing production systems in the form of a set of processes. The paper considers the peculiarities of using this approach to the study of human activity related to software development. A list of scientists, who drew attention to the necessity of implementing a process approach to software development, is presented, and on this basis, the concept of the software development process (SDP) was introduced. The concept of a model life cycle (MLC) is defined. It is emphasized that the most well-known sets of MLC are SMMI and SPICE maturity models. The improvement of SDP in the work is understood as a set of actions aimed at improving its characteristics by implementing a certain set of measures that are based on quality engineering, including TQM. It is emphasized that maturity models belong to one of two main categories: continuous and discrete (staged). The SMMI model is implemented on the basis of two approaches, and the SPICE model is implemented only on the basis of a continuous approach. Currently, the SMMI model has been formalized, which made it possible to plan the development of the SDP or its separate processes under conditions of limited resources. From the point of view of the SPICE reference model, the formalization of its structure is presented in the form of the following hierarchy: a set of process groups; multiple categories; set of processes; set of practices. Based on the given structure, the assessment of the possibility level of a separate process for SPICE model was formalized. The developed model became a basis for optimization problem development of planning evolution of a processes subset for the SPICE maturity model. In order to analyze this problem and develop an algorithm for its implementing, it is presented in a shortened form. Its objective function is additive and determines the integral indicator of the increase in the level of possibility of a processes subset over the entire planning period. The model has a resource limitation, which is characterized by the fact that resources that are not used in a given subperiod can be implemented in subsequent planning subperiods. It is shown that the method of sequential analysis of options, which can be implemented based on various algorithms, is the most suitable for the optimization of such a model. The work uses the "Kyiv Broom" algorithm, which is a multi-step process, at each planning sub-period of which "sweeping out" a certain set of non-competitive options is implemented.

Implementation of Software Measurement, Metrics, and Analytics for Software Development Process Improvement

Implementation of Software Measurement, Metrics, and Analytics for Software Development Process Improvement

Design of a gamification strategy to intervene in social and human factors associated with software process improvement change resistance

Best practices of software development and software process improvement (SPI) are people-centred. Both have a high level of influence of social and human factors inherent to the individuals involved in these processes. At the same time, software process improvement is inherent to the change of the conditions and the behaviour of individuals. In this work, the authors show the results of applying a deductive approach for a method based on gamification and social and human factors to influence the productivity of the software development team. The results show that it is possible to abstract all the design aspects of an existing strategy called Interplanetary Mission and identify the social and human factors involved in change resistance in SPI initiatives. The strategy execution results show that gamification strategies could help to mitigate change resistance in SPI initiatives for software development teams and their productivity, understanding this term in software engineering context as the ratio between output and input within the software development production process.

CMMI and Ideal in Software Process Improvement

Different models and standards have been developed with the purpose of improving software development processes and obtaining quality products and achieving customer satisfaction. Despite the efforts that organizations make, they do not always achieve these results. In this article we present the results of the implementation of best practices established by the CMMI model using the IDEAL and SCAMPI B methodology. The results show that applying best practices helps organizations to improve their processes, minimize the number of defects and increase customer satisfaction. Likewise, the critical factors that were considered and aspects to be considered in the deployment of processes are presented.

Improving software development process using simulation: case study in ICT services sector

This paper presents a business process that unfolds in the information and communications technology (ICT) department of a large-scale company and proposes an optimised model for launching a software service, derived using business process simulation. The paper first provides a literature review and related work around the importance of waterfall and agile methods in software development processes. Then, the problem space and its reasons are explained. Next, our methodology and the respective technical approach, are presented, as well as a comparison between six business process simulation tools. Afterwards, the examined business process is introduced. Based on the well-known theory in software development projects, we enforce two set of improvements in the examined business process. The implications are presented and discussed, with a special focus on the benefits provided to enterprises.

Improving software development process using simulation: case study in ICT services sector

Improving software development process using simulation: case study in ICT services sector

A PRACTICAL MODEL FROM MULTIDIMENSIONAL LAYERING: PERSONAL FINANCE INFORMATION FRAMEWORK USING MOBILE SOFTWARE INTERFACE OPERATIONS

End user involvement is crucial in improving software development processes. Hence, nowadays user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are particularly concerned with end user interactions in many software designs as most methodologies have inconsistencies between design and implementation. Besides, it is relatively difficult to make changes in complex software and personal finance application is one of the more complex software to design, develop, and adapt. This paper proposes the development of a mobile personal finance application using informative multidimensional layering. We have separated functional data cutting across the relationships of three categories and datasets showing operational semantics of dimensions, and combined layers of three-dimensional information including aspect elements through components. This study is concerned with the corresponsive composition of end user features using visual interfaces. It is illustrated in a Three-layer User Interface Composition Model to transfer and compose layers, functional data, aspect elements, and components to Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). Therefore, an integrated view of the software system would make the design and implementation consistent to support our framework in a more straightforward manner. There have been a few studies which presented practical models of mobile informative multidimensional layering. This research applied aspect orientation and informative multidimensional layering to present a better features model for mobile personal finance application. We deliver a practical framework in the application in all four phases of analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation. In addressing the gap, this research proposes a clearer operation of three-dimensional models, functional data, and aspect elements that cut across through informative multidimensional layering.

Improving Knowledge Sharing in Distributed Software Development

Distributed Software Development has become an established software development paradigm that provides several advantages but it presents significant challenges to share and understand the knowledge required for developing software. Organizations are expected to implement appropriate practices to address knowledge management. From the existing studies, it is been analyzed that there were problems of collaboration between distributed team members which effects knowledge sharing. Documentation problem (such as missing, poor and outdated documents) and knowledge vaporization (as much of the conversation and communication is done via chat and retrieving it later is a great headache) is a major challenge in Distributed Software Development in knowledge sharing. Our main objective is to improve knowledge sharing between distributed team members and prevent knowledge vaporization and reduced documentation problem that will help in improving software development process in a distributed environment. To eliminate these challenges we proposed a framework which deals with documentation and knowledge vaporization problems and evaluated it through industrial case study and evaluate the framework performance in real-life context where actually the problem arises, we conducted the interviews and analyzed the data using thematic analysis and SUS questioner we came to the conclusion on team members response that they are satisfied with our proposed solution and it improved their knowledge sharing process. Our intention was to improve the knowledge process with our proposed solution and the evaluation showed that we resolved these problems.

Agile architecture in the digital era: Trends and practices

The speed of response to change and fluidity are key preconditions for the next generation of IT solutions in the digital world. We are witnessing a rather unimaginable expansion of the use of technology in everyday life, on the one hand, and a continuous increase in the speed of software delivery, on the other, which significantly increased expectations and contributed to the adoption of agile methods and practices, shifting the pendulum of software architecture from traditional to agile methods and practices. Agile architecture, as a result of the transformation of a traditional and agile approach to software development, is a new approach that uses agile techniques to deliver a flexible architecture, adaptable to changing demands, tolerant to changes, which is the result of the iterative-incremental design of the agile process of software development. In recent years, there has been a shift in focus, in practice and research, from people and processes to integration technologies and application's hosting, which has led to the emergence of microservices and increased interest in software architecture and design. One consequence of this is the emergence and development of new approaches in the process of building Agile architecture, such as Continuous Architecting, Lean Architecting or Evolutionary Architecting, which essentially share the same goals. In this connection, in order to understand better the concept and the new role of Agile architecture in the digital era, it is necessary to study the genesis of Agile architecture, as a special approach in software development, to identify current trends and practices that are adapted to the contemporary digital environment (scalability, distribution, complexity). The results of conducted systematic literature review will help researchers and practitioners in better understanding of what Agile architecture is and its role, the current trends and directions of future development, and practices that are particularly useful in the development of complex software, with the aim of broadening the application and improvement of the agile software development process.

Agile Requirements Engineering: An Empirical Analysis and Evidence from a Tertiary Education Context

Aim/Purpose: The study describes empirical research into agile Requirements Engineering (RE) practices based on an analysis of data collected in a large higher education organization. Background: Requirements Engineering (RE) in agile development contexts is considerably different than in traditional software development. The field of agile RE is still nascent where there is a need to evaluate its impact in real-world settings. Methodology: Using a case study methodology, the study involved interviewing nine experienced software practitioners who reflected on the use and implementation of various agile RE practices in two software development projects of a student management system. Contribution: The primary contribution of the paper is the evaluation of agile RE practices in a large tertiary educational organization. Based on the analysis of the data, it provides valuable insights into the practice of agile RE in a specific context (i.e., education), but just as importantly, the ones that were omitted or replaced with others and why. Findings: While the evolutionary and iterative approach to defining requirements was followed in general, not all agile practices could be fully adhered to in the case organization. Although face-to-face communication with the customers has been recognized as one the most important agile RE practices, it was one of the most difficult practices to achieve with a large and diverse customer base. Addressing people issues (e.g., resistance to change, thinking, and mindset) was found to be a key driver to following the iterative RE process effectively. Contrary to the value-based approach advocated in the literature, the value-based approach was not strictly adhered to in requirements prioritization. Continuous integration was perceived to be a more beneficial practice than prototyping, as it allows frequent integration of code and facilitates delivering working software when necessary. Recommendations for Practitioners: Our study has important implications for practitioners. Based on our empirical analysis, we provide specific recommendations for effective implementation of agile RE practices. For example, our findings suggest that practitioners could address the challenges associated with limited face-to-face communication challenges by producing flexible, accessible, and electronic documentation to enable communication. Recommendations for Researchers: Researchers can use the identified agile RE practices and their variants to per-form in-depth investigations into agile requirements engineering in other educational contexts. Impact on Society: There are a number of new technologies that offer exciting new opportunities that can be explored to maximize the benefits of agile and other requirements techniques. Future Research: Future research could conduct case studies in different contexts and thus con-tribute to developing bundles or collections of practices to improve software development processes in specific contexts.

Systematic literature study for dimensional classification of success factors affecting process improvement in global software development: client–vendor perspective

The majority of organisations are globalising their software development activities by following the ideas of global software development (GSD). The motivation behind the adoption of GSD phenomena are the list of benefits gained by the software industry. However, there are different challenges face by the GSD organisations, particularly the issues related to software process improvement (SPI). The aim of this study is the identification and classification into categories of the success factors that can impact SPI initiatives taken in GSD organisations. The systematic literature review (SLR) method has been used to extract the success factors from the literature. SLR phases, ‘planning, conducting, and reporting the review’ have been followed to perform this study. Totally, 15 success factors were identified and classified into the six main categories. The authors have also reported the critical success factors of SPI, i.e. management commitment, staff involvement, roles and responsibilities, communication, and resources allocation. This article also reported the similarities and differences between the success factors classified on the bases of client-vendor organisation and size of the organisation. The identified factors can contribute towards the implementation of SPI programme in both client and vendor GSD organisations because these factors represent key areas of process improvement.

Research Institution Software Development Process Improvement: to Produce High Quality Research Software & Assessment on Technical and Software Package Installation

Our objective as a research engineer is to produce high quality research software, from the simple software application to extremely large complex software system platforms able to support large organisation. However, lack of appreciation for the significance of software as a research output often leads to software application created in research institutions being treated as a secondary concern. Commercial software engineers tend to follow more disciplined approach to software development principles & follow best practice, this is the reason why they can create their software application generally more sustainable and usable. We combine our research experience with an appreciation of good software engineering principles to build more readable, reliable, efficient code and continue develop sustainable software framework. In this paper, we design and built a simple framework to allow the software engineer who lack of research context & network security knowledge, able to install and setup the lab authentication system platform. Hence, the system engineer can integrate the software platform with prepared virtual machine image and configure the status of resources via the given guideline in product technical manual. The product quality improvement and verification process will be available during the proposed experiments. The results show that the problems of inconvenience software engineering process and other issues are resolved; at the same time, convenience for the software deployment and the experience & skill of the system engineer also improved.

Medium-term planning information technology for quality improvement of the software development process based on the CMMI model

Information technology is considered for medium-term planning for quality improvement of the software development process based on the CMMI model for the dynamic problem statement. The information system forms a rational plan for the software development process improvement and also allows, within the defined planning period, to determine precisely those practices and focus areas of the maturity model, for which it is necessary to increase the capability level, under conditions of limited resources. The test case for the second level of maturity of the software company is considered. The scheduled period consists of three sub periods, and the target profile may contain any quantity of practices. The analysis of the obtained results, which are the input data of the information system that solves the static problem, is carried out.

Software Development for Information System - Achieving Optimum Quality with Security

Information Systems acquisition, implementation, and development have been taking place in business organization to gain the competitive advantage. Rapid advancement of Technology is also popping up unethical issues involving violations of End users' data protection and privacy. This article discusses standard quality practices adhere to which a good quality software product is guaranteed while supporting the organizational strategic needs. It presents a framework that bridges Quality software development process improvement with strategic needs of an organization. Standard practices under consideration includes Capability Maturity Model for Development (CMMI-DEV) while using multi-model Process Improvement approach where an organization could use Balance Score Card technique while setting its strategic goals and monitoring their performance related to Information System development, and also link it with Information System management framework “Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology” (COBIT) - 5 released by Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), so that users could easily switch between the two standards. In last benefits are reported for using quality practices to realize attainment of competitive advantage.

Are vulnerabilities discovered and resolved like other defects?

Software defect data has long been used to drive software development process improvement. If security defects (vulnerabilities) are discovered and resolved by different software development practices than non-security defects, the knowledge of that distinction could be applied to drive process improvement. The goal of this research is to support technical leaders in making security-specific software development process improvements by analyzing the differences between the discovery and resolution of defects versus that of vulnerabilities. We extend Orthogonal Defect Classification (ODC), a scheme for classifying software defects to support software development process improvement, to study process-related differences between vulnerabilities and defects, creating ODC + Vulnerabilities (ODC + V). We applied ODC + V to classify 583 vulnerabilities and 583 defects across 133 releases of three open-source projects (Firefox, phpMyAdmin, and Chrome). Compared with defects, vulnerabilities are found later in the development cycle and are more likely to be resolved through changes to conditional logic. In Firefox, vulnerabilities are resolved 33% more quickly than defects. From a process improvement perspective, these results indicate opportunities may exist for more efficient vulnerability detection and resolution.

Understanding software process improvement in global software development

Presently, most of the software development organizations are adopting the phenomena of Global Software Development (GSD), mainly because of the significant return on investment it produces. However, GSD is a complex phenomenon and there are many challenges associated with it, especially that related to Software Process Improvement (SPI). The aim of this work is to identify humans' related success factors and barriers that could impact the SPI process in GSD organizations and proposed a theoretical framework of the factors in relation to SPI implementation. We have adopted the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method in order to investigate the success factors and barriers. Using the SLR approach, total ten success factors and eight barriers were identified. The paper also reported the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) and Critical Barriers (CBs) for SPI implementation following the criteria of the factors having a frequency ≥ 50% as critical. Our results reveal that five out of ten factors are critical for SPI program. Moreover, total three barriers were ranked as the most critical barriers. Based on the analysis of the identified factors, we have presented a theoretical framework that has highlighted an association between the identified factors and the implementation of the SPI program in GSD environment.

2-3 GQMパラダイムとソフトウェア開発プロセス改善 : ソフトウェア欠陥分析への適用

2-3 GQMパラダイムとソフトウェア開発プロセス改善 : ソフトウェア欠陥分析への適用