Software Development Schedule Research Articles

Recommendations for Implementing Gamification for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Gamification is increasingly being proposed as a strategy to increase engagement for mental health and wellbeing technologies. However, its implementation has been criticized as atheoretical, particularly in relation to behavior change theory and game studies theories. Definitions of the term “gamification” vary, sometimes widely, between and within academic fields and the effectiveness of gamification is yet to be empirically established. Despite this, enthusiasm for developing gamified mental health technologies, such as interventions, continues to grow. There is a need to examine how best to implement gamification in mental health and wellbeing technologies in a way that takes quick production cycles into account while still emphasizing empirical investigation and building a rigorous evidence base. With reference to game studies and the medical (eHealth/mHealth) literature, this article interrogates gamification for mental health and wellbeing by examining core properties of the game form. It then explores how gamification can best be conceptualized and implemented for mental health and wellbeing goals from conceptualization through to iterative co-development and evaluation that accommodates software development schedules. Finally, it summarizes its conceptual analysis into recommendations for researchers and designers looking to do so. These recommendations are: (1) assess suitability, (2) implement to support, (3) assess acceptability, (4) evaluate impact, and (5) document comprehensively. These recommendations aim to encourage clear language, unified terminology, the application and evaluation of theory, comprehensive and constant documentation, and transparent evaluation of outcomes.

Multivariate Copula Modeling with Application in Software Project Management and Information Systems

This paper discusses application of copulas in software project management and information systems. Successful software projects depend on accurate estimation of software development schedule. In this research, three major risk factors and their impact on software development schedule are considered. Software development schedule is calculated by COCOMO-II model. Two models are simulated 100000 times, model-I considered dependence among risk factors by T-copula and model-II considered risk factors independent. The comparison of the two risk models revealed that model-II always underestimate the software development schedule while model-I evaluated the software schedule risk accurately. Therefore it is necessary for software development experts to consider dependence among various risk factors. R-package copula is employed to implement the algorithm for multivariate T-copula. Multiplier goodness-of-fit test shows that T-copula is good choice for characterization of dependence among three risk factors.

A study of software development project cost, schedule and quality by outsourcing to low cost destination

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to find good values of onsite-offshore team strength; number of hours of communication between business users and onsite team and between onsite and offshore team so as to reduce project cost and improve schedule in a global software development (GSD) environment for software development project. Design/methodology/approach – This study employs system dynamics simulation approach to study software project characteristics in both co-located and distributed development environments. The authors consulted 14 experts from Indian software outsourcing industry during our model construction and validation. Findings – The study results show that there is a drop in overall team productivity in outsourcing environment by considering the offshore options. But the project cost can be reduced by employing the offshore team for coding and testing work only with minimal training for imparting business knowledge. The research results show that there is a potential to save project cost by being flexible in project schedule. Research limitations/implications – The implication of the study is that the project management team should be careful not to keep high percentage of manpower at offshore location in distributed software environment. A large offshore team can increase project cost and schedule due to higher training overhead, lower productivity and higher error proneness. In GSD, the management effort should be to keep requirement analysis and design work at onsite location and involves the offshore team in coding and testing work. Practical implications – The software project manager can use the model results to divide the software team between onsite and offshore location during various phases of software development in distributed environment. Originality/value – The study is novel as there is little attempt at finding the team distribution between onsite and offshore location in GSD environment.

Prediction Model for Object Oriented Software Development Effort Estimation Using One Hidden Layer Feed Forward Neural Network with Genetic Algorithm

The budget computation for software development is affected by the prediction of software development effort and schedule. Software development effort and schedule can be predicted precisely on the basis of past software project data sets. In this paper, a model for object-oriented software development effort estimation using one hidden layer feed forward neural network (OHFNN) has been developed. The model has been further optimized with the help of genetic algorithm by taking weight vector obtained from OHFNN as initial population for the genetic algorithm. Convergence has been obtained by minimizing the sum of squared errors of each input vector and optimal weight vector has been determined to predict the software development effort. The model has been empirically validated on the PROMISE software engineering repository dataset. Performance of the model is more accurate than the well-established constructive cost model (COCOMO).

소프트웨어 프로젝트의 비용-일정 타협

Abstract Generally, software development schedule compression is decided within 75% of nominal schedule. However, there are some difficulties when we judge the possibility of development schedule compression because a nominal schedule has not been definitely. Therefore, this paper investigates various nominal schedule estimation models and decides the optimum range. Basing on the performance of ISBSG Release 8,614 projects are extracted from the actual 1,595 projects. We presented development effort estimation model from those data. Also, we derived the development schedule model from the development effort. When you apply the proposed model, you will be able to estimate development effort and schedule required for the development more actually. Key Words ： Impossible Region, Practical Region, Optimal Region, Impractical Region, Cost-Schedule Trade-off * 정회원, 강릉원주대학교 멀티미디어공학과 ** 종신회원, 강릉원주대학교, 멀티미디어공학과접수일자 : 2013년 1월 5일, 수정완료 : 2013년 6월 25일게재확정일자 : 2013년 8월 16일Received: 5 January, 2013 / Revised: 25 June, 2013 /Accepted: 16 August, 2013

Architecture Framework for Resolution of System Complexity in an Enterprise

Software engineers and architects have been faced with the problem of IT system complexity for some years. The challenge to build highly complex IT systems, ensure that these systems meet the needs of increasingly complex business processes and do all this in a way that allows everything to adapt quickly to changing market condition coupled with rapid development in information technology has been a problem facing the development and building of workable and functional information systems. Research on this problem has been conducted and it was found to cause large cost of software development project, schedule overrun and outright software project failure. A novel architecture framework was developed as a tool for resolving and managing IT system complexity in the enterprise as the end objective. Comprehensive business system frameworks are necessary to capture the entire complexity of such systems. The framework provides the conceptual foundation necessary for building and managing the integral business system and all its components and also provides an integrated description of enterprise information systems that comprises of the back-end systems, front-end systems, management tools and communication system. The framework provides a detailed process of information system development and defines the necessary subsystems that make up the integrated enterprise information system.

실현 가능한 소프트웨어 개발기간 추정

The compression of software development schedule has a limit without regarding to a development manpower. However, the actually developed softwares includes the impossible short time or unreal long time date. Previously suggested models are driving the development schedule from all of the actually developed software without considering these constraints. This paper recommends a standard of minimum and the most suitable development time period. This paper has chosen a criterion that shows the best development schedule among 5 criteria based on the actually performed projects. Moreover, this paper suggests a model that estimates the development schedule based on the best criterion.

A simulation model for strategic management process of software projects

In this study, a simulation model for the strategic management process of software development projects is presented. The proposed model simulates the implications of strategic decisions on factors such as cost, risk, budget and schedule of software projects. The main advantage of the proposed model is that it provides an integrated framework wherein risk management, cost estimation, and project management planning for the strategic management process of software development projects are linked. The results of the simulation of the project management planning determine the budget and schedule required for a project. Different strategic management decisions pose different sets of risks, each of which require different cost commitments. Hence, each strategic decision requires a project management plan with its own unique budget and schedule of software development. Thus, the simulation model estimates the risk and cost under different strategic decisions and maps them according to the project management plans. Therefore, the proposed integrated framework helps identify the best strategic option for the development and management of software projects. The proposed simulation model is nonspecific because it contains generic plug and play components that facilitate the use of any set of risk assessment, cost estimation models and project management tools. Therefore, it provides a flexible solution to software organisations and managers of software development projects. The simulation model is applied to a case study, which showed the effect of different strategic decisions on the risk and cost of the different phases of software development and ultimately on the budget and schedule required to complete the project. It therefore provides critical insights in identifying the best strategy for the development of software projects.

On the Estimationof the Software Effort and Schedule using Constructive Cost Model II and Functional Point Analysis

management decisions in the software industry. It is also related to determining how much effort and schedule are needed to complete the task on time. The challenge is to predict the accuracy of software development effort and schedule. Several models and approaches are available in the literature for such problems. This paper provides a list of software cost estimation techniquesusing Constructive Cost Model – II (COCOMO-II), function points analysis,and comparison studyto validate these models using MRE (Magnitude of Relative Error). We collected and used data from real time projects and also completed projects from one of the major information technology company for the present study.

A Probabilistic Method for Predicting Software Code Growth

A significant challenge that many cost analysts and project managers face is predicting by how much their initial estimates of software development cost and schedule will change over the lifecycle of the project. Examination of currently-accepted software cost, schedule, and defect estimation algorithms reveals a common acknowledgment that estimated software size is the single most influential independent variable. Unfortunately, the most important business decisions about a software project are made at its beginning, the time when most estimating is done, and coincidently the time of minimum knowledge, maximum uncertainty, and hysterical optimism. This article describes a model and methodology that provides probabilistic growth adjustment to single-point Technical Baseline Estimates of Delivered Source Lines of Code, for both new software and pre-existing reused software that is sensitive to the maturity of their single-point estimates. The model is based on Software Resources Data Report data collected ...

Component Point: A system-level size measure for Component-Based Software Systems

System-level size measures are particularly important in software project management as tasks such as planning and estimating the cost and schedule of software development can be performed more accurately when a size estimate of the entire system is available. However, due to the black-box nature of components, the traditional software measures are not adequate for Component-Based Software Systems (CBSS). In this paper, we describe a Function Point-like measure, named Component Point (CP), for measuring the system-level size of a CBSS specified in the Unified Modelling Language. Our approach integrates three software measures and extends an existing size measure from the more matured Object-Oriented paradigm to the related and relatively young CBSS discipline. We then apply the proposed measure to a Global Positioning System and demonstrate its viability in sizing a CBSS. An empirical analysis is also provided in order to prove the validity and usefulness of the CP measure.

SOFTWARE COST ESTIMATION IN THE INCREMENTAL COMMITMENT MODEL

Complex, software intensive systems — especially those with multiple software component developers — and Directed System of Systems (DSOS) or Acknowledged Systems of Systems (ASOS) need approaches to control the development and estimate the software development costs and schedules. This paper will introduce a next-generation synthesis of the spiral model and other leading process models into the Incremental Commitment Model (ICM). The ICM emphasizes architecting systems (or DSOSs) to encapsulate subsystems (or systems) undergoing the most rapid change, and having agile systems engineers handle longer-range change traffic to rebaseline the plans for future increments. Systems engineers do this, while largely plan-driven teams develop and continuously verify and validate (V&V) the current increment, as is usually required for safe or secure software. Our approach for estimating software development cost of systems is the Constructive Incremental Commitment Cost Model (COINCOMO) and its tool, which currently implements together in one tool the Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO II), and the Constructive Phased Schedule and Effort Model (COPSEMO).

Effect of CMMI-Based Software Process Maturity on Software Schedule Estimation

The Software Capability Maturity Model (SW-CMM) has become a popular model for enhancing software development processes with the goal of developing high-quality software within budget and schedule. The software cost estimation model, COnstructive COst MOdel (COCOMO), in its last update (COCOMO II) has a set of seventeen cost drivers and a set of five scale factors. Process Maturity (PMAT) is one of the five scale factors and its ratings are based on SW-CMM. This paper investigates the impact of process maturity on software development Schedule (cycle time) by deriving a new set of COCOMO II’s PMAT rating values based on the most recent version of CMM, i.e. Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). The precise data for the analysis were collected from the record of 40 historical projects which spanned the range of CMMI Levels, from Level 1 (Lower half and Upper half) to Level 4, where eight data points were collected from each level. The Ideal Scale Factor (ISF) method is applied in order to withhold the effect of the COCOMO II’s PMAT scale factor. All prediction accuracies evaluations were measured using PRED (.20). The study shows that the proposed model (with the new PMAT rating values) produced better schedule estimates as compared to the generic COCOMO II model’s schedule estimates.

Implementing integration of quality standards Capability Maturity Model Integration and ISO 9001:2000 for software engineering

In this paper, we present the implementation of an integrated quality reference frame. This reference frame integrates two quality standards Capability Maturity Model Integration and ISO 9001:2000. As a first process to implement, we choose a software estimation model to evaluate effort, schedule and cost of software development during all the phases of a project. An approach based on COnstructive COst MOdel (COCOMO) II model is used, and we propose an adaptation to a particular context of an organisation. Both human and cultural aspects of the company are considered in order to mitigate the problem of acceptability. Our model is based on the work of Dr. Allan Albrecht on Function Points and Dr. Barry Boehm on COCOMO II model.

Software Cost and Productivity Model

Abstract A software cost and productivity model is summarized. The model is based on 452 software development activities that commenced or completed after January 1, 1996, and are drawn from air, sea, land, and space programs. Software complexity is considered by assigning each data record to one of 32 combinations of operational environment and application domains. In addition, the model captures productivity information based on programming language. The following areas are examined, with comparisons to an earlier (1996) Aerospace Corporation model whenever possible: (1) software development productivity, (2) code growth, (3) apparent minimum and maximum software development schedules as a function of the number of source lines of code, (4) relationships for estimating the number of developer-months needed to produce a given number of lines of code, and (5) approximate data distributions. A key finding is that an apparent increase in software productivity has occurred, with median levels of productivity...

The conundrum of software estimation models

There are many sophisticated models and methods for estimating the size, cost, and schedule of software projects. However, the ability to accurately estimate software cost, size, or schedule is still dubious. In general, the predictive accuracy of models for estimating software development cost and schedule has not been shown to be better than "within 25 percent of actual cost or schedule, about one half of the time", especially for Department of Defense software efforts. The same is true for software size estimating models and methods, although there are some studies that have shown superior results. For software support (or maintenance) cost estimation, no model has been demonstrated to be accurate. This paper presents a summary of efforts performed to date which demonstrate the accuracy (or lack thereof) of software models. The results of several studies in the areas of software development cost and schedule estimation, size estimation, and support cost estimation are presented to show what these models can and cannot do. Some ideas for improvement are also presented, including the results of some studies which may lead to a resolution of the accuracy conundrum which currently exists.

Software Cost Estimation Using Economic Production Models

:One of the major difficulties in controlling software development project cost overruns and schedule delays has been developing practical and accurate software cost models. Software development could be modeled as an economic production process and we therefore propose a theoretical approach to software cost modeling. Specifically, we present the Minimum Software Cost Model (MSCM), derived from economic production theory and systems optimization. The MSCM model is compared with other widely used software cost models, such as COCOMO and SLIM, on the basis of goodness of fit and quality of estimation using software project data sets available in the literature. Judged by both criteria, the MSCM model is comparable to, if not better than, the SLIM, and significantly better than the rest of the models. In addition, the MSCM model provides some insights about the behavior of software development processes and environment, which could be used to formulate guidelines for better software project management polices and practices.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Usability Engineering Techniques

A methodology for computing the value of iterative usability work is presented using data from a series of three usability tests of each of two software applications. The cost-benefit analysis methodology provides software development managers a basis for making pragmatic decisions about human factors work. The projected dollar value of the reduction in end user time on an application task based on data from the first to the third test is compared to the costs of the usability work. The analysis shows a 2:1 dollar savings-to-cost ratio for a relatively small development project and a 100:1 savings-to-cost ratio for a large development project. Sources of additional savings are examined. Methodological techniques employed during the iterative usability testing are highlighted and the tradeoffs concerning use of these techniques for human factors, software development schedule, and economic reasons are discussed. Cost-benefit analysis is one of several mechanisms that generate product management support for human factors work and may facilitate a better understanding of the value of incorporating human factors work in software development.

A Study of Staff Turnover, Acquisition, and Assimilation and Their Impact on Software Development Cost and Schedule

In this article we investigate how staff turnover, acquisition, and assimi- lation rates affect software development cost and schedule. A system dynamics model of the software development process is employed as our experimentation vehicle. In addition to permitting less costly and less time-consuming experimentation, simula- tion-type models can provide useful insights into the causes behind the different behavior patterns observed. Our results indicate that staff turnover, acquisition, and assimilation rates can increase a project's cost and duration by as much as 40 to 60 percent. This suggests that the three staffing variables are indeed critical for the successful development of software systems, as well as for the accurate estimation of software development cost and schedule.

Software reuse—key to enhanced productivity: some quantitative models

Several economics models of software reuse are presented that relate software development productivity to the proportion of reused software and the costs of developing reusable software components and of incorporating them into a new software system. The economics models are based on the supposition that the cost of a new software system is equal to the sum of the costs of its ‘new’ and ‘reused’ components. No actual project data are provided. Numerical values are substituted into the equations presented, however, to give the readers an appreciation for the nature of the trade-offs among the costs of reuse, the number of reuses, and the proportion of reused software included in a software system. Also provided are related models that demonstrate the potential impact of software reuse on software quality (quantified in terms of estimated error content at completion of development) and development schedule.