Improve Development Processes Research Articles

A case study applying process and project alignment methodology

Abstract Software Process Improvement (SPI) is one of the main software development challenges. However, SPI standards and models (CMMI, SPICE) have not been always adopted with success. The current problem is a lack of strategy to implement successfully these standards and models. To undertake this objective is essential observe real life experiences and detect process and project mutual relationships. Without this alignment it will not be possible to find out how process management is really important to achieve organization’s strategic objectives. This paper proposes a methodology that allows the definition, evaluation and improvement of an organization software development process. This proposal, called a Process and Project Alignment Methodology (ProPAM), allows the specification of an organization development process, as well process and project alignment. ProPAM presents the following life cycle: (1) process definition; (2) project definition considering a base process model; (3) project coordination and monitoring and (4) process improvement assessment. This paper also provides an overview of the action plan to be taken within the software organizations that intent to conduct a SPI initiative. This plan includes two distinct phases: (1) specify the development process and (2) analyze projects, starting an SPI effort. In order to evaluate ProPAM, a study case is undertaken. The case study is performed following the action plan and presents all the steps of the ProPAM. Final results show that, when the organization started using ProPAM, process and project alignment reduced project planning time and effort. ProPAM also introduced new organizational practices that result in a SPI program.

CMMI의 형상관리를 적용한 데이터웨어하우스 개발 프로세스의 개선

운영 서버의 데이터에서 다양한 분석 정보를 추출하여 저장하는 의사결정지원시스템인 데이터웨어하우스는 데이터의 품질과 대용량의 데이터를 처리하기 위한 처리 시간이 매우 중요하다. 따라서 데이터의 품질 안정화와 생산성 향상을 위해 개발 프로세스를 표준화하고 개선할 필요가 있다. 본 연구에서는 소프트웨어 프로세스 향상모델인 CMMI의 형상관리를 적용하여 개선된 데이터웨어하우스 개발 프로세스를 제안한다. 또한 개선된 개발 프로세스를 평가하기 위해 프로세스 평가 척도를 제시하고, 기존의 개발 프로세스와 비교하여 본 연구의 제안이 처리시간 감소에 따른 비용의 절감과 생산성의 향상을 지원하고, 품질의 향상과 재작업비율을 개선시켰음을 보인다. A Datawarehouse, which extracts and saves the massive analysis data from the operating servers, is a decision support tool in which data quality and processing time are very important. Thus, it is necessary to standardize and improve datawarehouse development process in order to stabilize data quality and improve the productivity. We propose a novel improved process for datawarehouse development by applying the configuration management of CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) which has become a major force in software development process improvement. In addition, we specify some matrices for evaluating datawarehouse development process. Through the comparison analysis with other existing processes, we show that our proposal is more efficient in cost and productivity as well as improves data quality and reusability.

Feasibility Study of Quality Management System Evaluation Method for Product Development Process Improvement

Feasibility Study of Quality Management System Evaluation Method for Product Development Process Improvement

Applying TQM, CMM and ISO 9001 in Knowledge Management for software development process improvement

Traditional software development process emphasises testing techniques, but show weakness in planning. However, it does not satisfy the requirement of the user to cause failure cost heavily. ISO 9001 Quality Management System, Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and Total Quality Management (TQM) are quality management technologies, which can be applied to the quality industry. In addition, Knowledge Management (KM) technology transforms these quality documents and process into actionable knowledge in a format, when it is made available, can be utilised effectively and efficiently throughout the entire software development. The aim of this study applies ISO 9001, CMM and TQM in quality orient KM for software development process improvement.

Software process improvement in small organizations: a case study

The Capability Maturity Model for software has become a major force in software development process improvement. We looked at the role of process improvement in the context of a small organization. Although the Capability Maturity Model integration is replacing the CMM, we focused on the older CMM. We had to look at more than which CMM key process areas apply to small businesses. Our overall goal was to institute good software development practices, we used the language of the CMM to gain the management's cooperation. Applying these practices is essential to managing growth, yet undertaking this effort without prior experience could impede a small company's innovative nature. This case study's purpose was to investigate the success factors of a software process improvement effort for a small software development organization.

Experimental evaluation of software development tools for safety-critical real-time systems

Since the early years of computing, programmers, systems analysts, and software engineers have sought ways to improve development process efficiency. Software development tools are programs that help developers create other programs and automate mundane operations while bringing the level of abstraction closer to the application engineer. In practice, software development tools have been in wide use among safety-critical system developers. Typical application areas include space, aviation, automotive, nuclear, railroad, medical, and military. While their use is widespread in safety-critical systems, the tools do not always assure the safe behavior of their respective products. This study examines the assumptions, practices, and criteria for assessing software development tools for building safety-critical real-time systems. Experiments were designed for an avionics testbed and conducted on six industry-strength tools to assess their functionality, usability, efficiency, and traceability. The results some light on possible improvements in the tool evaluation process that can lead to potential tool qualification for safety-critical real-time systems.

Building more secure software with improved development processes

The author draws on experiences gained as a member of Microsoft's central security team to outline some basic best practices for the software development process. These practices benefitted Microsoft products released since the inception of its Trustworthy Computing initiative in 2002. The points are a subset of the security development lifecycle process implemented at Microsoft.

An approach to discovering risks in development process of large and complex systems

When building a large and complex system, such as satellites, all sorts of risks have to be managed if it were to be successful. For risks in the design of an artifact, various reliability analysis techniques such as FTA or FMEA have been employed in the engineering domain. However, risks exist as well in the development process, and they could result in a failure of the system. In this paper, we present an approach to discovering risks in development process by collecting and organizing information produced during development process at low cost. We describe a prototype system called IDIMS, and show how it can be used to discover risks from e-mail communications between developers. The motivation of our work is to overcome thecapture bottleneck problem, and utilize now wasted information to improve development process.

Software configuration management for the 21st century

The increasing complexity of both software systems and the environments in which they are produced is pressuring projects to improve the development process using innovative methods. The role of software configuration management (SCM) systems, policies, and procedures that help control and manage software development environments is being stretched beyond the conceptual boundaries it has had for the last decade. One of the key enablers of producing higher quality software is a better software development process. The SCM system must instantiate a quality process, allow tracking and monitoring of process metrics, and provide mechanisms for tailoring and continual improvement of the software development process. More than a dozen SCM systems are now available, each one having a distinct architecture and set of core functionalities. Currently, no single system provides all the key SCM functions in the best form. Thus, a project must assess its real needs and choose the right SCM system to meet its software development challenges. This paper focuses on the characteristics of SCM systems, the SCM challenges for Lucent Technologies, the principal SCM systems being used within the company, and the issues of choosing and successfully implementing the best SCM systems.

Benefits and Effective Application of Software Engineering Standards

Many years of effort have been expended by experienced practitioners and academic experts in developing software engineering standards. Organizations should see it as a positive advantage—rather than as a costly negative necessity—when they are required to develop software to a recognized standard. A genuine, constructive program of measures to ensure compliance with an objective standard will achieve development process improvements that would otherwise be difficult to motivate and bring to fruition. Drawing on the author's experience in software development for the Space and Civil Aviation industries, this paper provides an overview and comparison of a number of the available software engineering standards. It goes on to describe implications and benefits that flow from these standards. Suggestions are made for effective practical application of the standards, both at individual project and at organization level.

A decision support tool for predicting the impact of development process improvements

This paper presents a method for simulating the impact of improvements to the engineering design process. The method can be used by managers and teams to prioritize the most valuable process improvements among several suggested ones, before they actually take place. The method is based on the design structure matrix (DSM) developed by Steward (1981), and an extension of DSM called the work transformation model developed by Smith and Eppinger (1997). We introduce two new concepts, total process time and simulated to-be/as-is ratio. Two applications are presented. The first, a gas turbine blade development process, illustrates the estimated gain of a process improvement, and evaluates the actual implementation. The second application, a buyer-supplier product development project, shows how the method could be used as a decision support tool in an inter-organizational context. Input to the process simulation comes from process descriptions and estimates of anticipated effects of process change at the activity level. Output shows the effect of such a change on a total process level.

Pursuing coherence in software process assessment and improvement

AbstractThe improvement of software development processes is certainly one of the top priorities of the IT industry. Software has become the most critical component in any modern product and service. All sectors of our society have been affected and influenced by the introduction of software and software‐based features. To support the improvement of software development processes, a number of process assessment and improvement techniques have been proposed and applied in a significant number of cases. However, the evaluation of the effects produced by the introduction of assessment and improvement methods and models is raising much controversy among researchers and practitioners. In particular, it is extremely difficult to evaluate if, under what circumstances, and to what extent an assessment approach (and the consequent improvement plan) has had a direct, significant and positive impact on the company performance. This paper reports our experiences in conducting process assessment/improvement initiatives in three companies. The assessments have been based on SEI's Capability Maturity Model for software (Software CMM). The main finding of this study is that effective process assessment (and consequently improvement) models/methods must necessarily pursue the coherent improvement of all the aspects of a company and not just of the engineering factors. In the paper we provide a detailed discussion of the case studies and of the motivations that justify our position. Also, as a synthesis of our experiences, we outline a strategy to software process assessment and improvement that takes into account the concerns and requirements we have identified in our work. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Enabling Continuous Improvement of New Product Development Processes

This paper reports on the first phase of ongoing research into ‘enablers' of continuous improvement (CI) within new product development (NPD) processes. In order to increase the relevance of work carried out during the second phase of the project, which involves implementing enablers in two firms, a wider group of practitioners was consulted to discover which aspects of CI within NPD were of most interest to their organizations and to identify their weaknesses in this area. Data from seven companies show that major deficiencies in all the firms are the absence of a strategic approach to the development of CI, and the failure to capture, share and deploy learning that is taking place. These shortcomings are particularly significant for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that can ill afford to keep ‘reinventing the wheel’ or to risk wasting resources by failing to create a CI system that is sustainable in the long term.

Impact of the “faster better cheaper” requirements for satellites components/subsystems on SEP organistion and processes

In the early 90′s, SEP environment in the satellites business quickly evolved from agencies funded programs (ESA, CNES, government) to a situation in which SEP has numerous private customers and where agencies behave as private companies i.e. opening world-wide competition, requesting high involvement of SEP in non recurring funding. SEP quickly reacted to face this challenge by improving not only their products but also the way these products are developed and produced. A new organization of SEP/DPES unit (around 200 people) was set up end 1994, with project oriented guidelines such as streamlining the hierarchical levels in order to increase personals implication and motivation, favoring flexible project organizations to the previous somewhat rigid matrix organization, enforcing commercial/marketing structure to the new customers. Highly motivated slim teams were constituted around each project, picking up expert partners inside SEP/DPES departments. Project partners proved to plead in an efficient manner with their own management on the behalf of the projects they were implied in. Eventually, this organization helped, of course with other progress actions, to a global performance improvement of SEP/DPES. Improved development processes were put into practice in 1995 among which design to cost, carefully decided internal preliminary studies, long term agreements with preferred subcontractors. SEP/DPES ISO.9001 certification (mid-1998) which gives evidence of the satisfactory status of SEP/DPES PA system already helps to avoid to costly comply with numerous project tailored P.A. requirements. New products were developed/qualified since the mid-90′s, on SEP funding (at least partial, sometimes total), following the here before described processes and organization. Among SEP/DPES newly developed products, three examples are more thoroughly discussed. In the field of electrical propulsion where SEP/DPES has gained expertise in since the 60′s, new developments started in the early 90′s in Hall propulsion through numerous partnership with Russian, American and Italian companies and/or universities. A mature knowledge of Hall thruster functioning and technologies helped SEP to recently complete a successful qualification of their first Hall thruster. “PPS 1350” which will be in flight aboard STENTOR French technological satellite in year 2000. A cost reduction research of this new product was held in parallel to the PPS 1350 qualification, taking into account all the lessons learnt during PPS 1350 development. Its major outputs are the numerous simplifications that were found leading to dramatic cost reductions without impairing thruster performances (reliability was even improved). This improved thruster is today very favorably considered by several primes for small low earth orbit satellites. Hydrazine propulsion is an other example. In this field, which SEP decided in 1996 to accompany their customers in their move from large traditional satellites (SPOT/ERS family) to smaller, cheaper ones. To do so, SEP proposed a monolithic propulsion subsystem (patented design) in which all usual propulsion subsystem assembly devices (piping, supports, brackets…) are avoided, components being directly mounted on the propellant tank. Significant costs reduction could be offered to customers thanks to this innovation. Along with the hydrazine propulsion, SEP also modernised their solar array drive mechanisms the SEPTA's® — SEPTA 31 was qualified end 1998 and will have its maiden flight aboard CNES/ALCATEL JASONI small earth observation satellite. In summary, SEP had to make important changes in order to adapt to the market evolution, which occurred in the early 90's. There efforts implied as well organization as processes as products. First outputs are significant cost reduction; in line will the objectives. First hardware of this new generation will fly in year 2000.

Overcoming barriers to systems engineering process improvement

Neither systems engineering nor process improvement is new. Since 1992, INCOSE papers and others have been reporting success in documenting and improving processes. A considerable body of process improvement literature is available, particularly related to improvement of software development processes. Even systems engineering process improvement is gaining in popularity, judging from the increasing number of INCOSE papers detailing various efforts. Yet the nature of systems engineering poses challenges over and above those seen in other process improvement efforts. This paper focuses on identifying and resolving typical barriers to improving the systems engineering process. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 3: 59–67, 2000

Guiding reengineering with the operational profile

Summary form only given, a follows. Results of applied software reliability engineering (SRE) processes and tools on two teleconference support systems are documented. Beginning with the initial evaluation of SRE technology for AT&T's TeleConference Service Development in 1992, the article covers the eventual use of SRE in many phases of software development for two separate systems. Introduction of SRE into the system test and production support processes of a legacy system, in conjunction with other development process improvements, brought early rewards in quality and timely delivery. SRE provided a gauge by which quality efforts could be measured. Ramp up time and costs, as well as both successes and failures in the implementation of SRE are discussed. Next, presentation of preliminary findings regarding the use of SRE during the analysis, design, and integration testing phases of a next generation client/server conferencing system are discussed. Reuse of an operational profile and SRE tools originally developed and deployed for the legacy system to guide design on a new mixed platform client/server architecture incorporating a Windows interface and Unix application server is explained. Lastly, a discussion of the appropriateness of SRE methods for both traditional functional decomposition techniques and object oriented analysis and design is offered.

Human factors in requirements engineering:: A survey of human sciences literature relevant to the improvement of dependable systems development processes

Requirements engineering (RE) is an inherently social process, involving the contribution of individuals working in an organizational context. Further, failures in the RE process will potentially lead to systematic failures in the products that are produced as a result. Consequently, the RE process for dependable systems development should itself be considered as a dependable process, and therefore subject to greater scrutiny for vulnerabilities to error. Research on human error has typically focused on the work of individual actors from a cognitive perspective. This paper presents a survey which broadens the view on what contributes to human error by also examining work from the social and organizational literature. This review was conducted to inform efforts to improve the systems development process for dependable systems, and in particular their requirements engineering process

4 Overcoming Barriers to Systems Engineering Process Improvement

AbstractNeither systems engineering nor process improvement is new. Since 1992, INCOSE papers and others have been reporting success in documenting and improving processes. A considerable body of process improvement literature is available, particularly related to improvement of software development processes. Even systems engineering process improvement is gaining in popularity, judging from the increasing number of INCOSE papers detailing various efforts. Yet the nature of systems engineering poses challenges over and above those seen in other process improvement efforts. This paper focuses on identifying and resolving typical barriers to improving the systems engineering process.

Collaborative, Sequential, and Isolated Decisions in Design

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Commission on Industrial Productivity, in their report Made in America, found that six recurring weaknesses were hampering American manufacturing industries. The two weaknesses most relevant to product development were 1) technological weakness in development and production, and 2) failures in cooperation. The remedies to these weaknesses are considered the essential twin pillars of CE: 1) improved development process, and 2) closer cooperation. In the MIT report, it is recognized that total cooperation among teams in a CE environment is rare in American industry, while the majority of the design research in mathematically modeling CE has assumed total cooperation. In this paper, we present mathematical constructs, based on game theoretic principles, to model degrees of collaboration characterized by full cooperation, approximate cooperation, sequential decision making, and isolated decision making. The design of a pressure vessel is given to illustrate the theory, and the design of a passenger aircraft is given to illustrate the application to a large-scale systems design.

Improved software quality through improved development process descriptions

The quality of software depends on the quality of the performance of the development process. Process documents (or so-called process models) help developers to perform their processes. Formal process models have advantages over informal ones (e.g. project handbooks) including completeness, consistency, and unambiguity. The problem addressed in this paper is the choice of a modeling procedure when formalizing existing, informal process descriptions. A study is presented in which an informal description of an IBM Cleanroom process was transformed into a formal Multi-View Process Modeling Language (MVP-L) model. With phase-, level-, and concept-based modeling three different formalization approaches were evaluated of which concept-based modeling turned out to be advantageous over the others with respect to its complexity and necessary rework.