Software Management Practices Research Articles

From months to minutes: Creating Hyperion, a novel data management system expediting data insights for oncology research and patient care

Here we describe the design and implementation of a novel data management platform for an academic cancer center which meets the needs of multiple stakeholders. A small, cross-functional technical team identified key challenges to creating a broad data management and access software solution: lowering the technical skill floor, reducing cost, enhancing user autonomy, optimizing data governance, and reimagining technical team structures in academia. The Hyperion data management platform was designed to meet these challenges in addition to usual considerations of data quality, security, access, stability, and scalability. Implemented between May 2019 and December 2020 at the Wilmot Cancer Institute, Hyperion includes a sophisticated custom validation and interface engine to process data from multiple sources, storing it in a database. Graphical user interfaces and custom wizards permit users to directly interact with data across operational, clinical, research, and administrative contexts. The use of multi-threaded processing, open-source programming languages, and automated system tasks (normally requiring technical expertise) minimizes costs. An integrated ticketing system and active stakeholder committee support data governance and project management. A co-directed, cross-functional team with flattened hierarchy and integration of industry software management practices enhances problem solving and responsiveness to user needs. Access to validated, organized, and current data is critical to the functioning of multiple domains in medicine. Although there are downsides to developing in-house customized software, we describe a successful implementation of custom data management software in an academic cancer center.

Dynamic software management practices using genetically augmented neural networks

Dynamic software management practices using genetically augmented neural networks

Dynamic Software Management practices using Genetically Augmented Neural Networks

The aim of research is to investigate real time projects and the utilisation of Ppc software packages for educational institutions. The main motivation behind the study is to resolve the scheduling problem in Ppc software projects, which is considered useful for students' curriculum. The scheduling problem is been a prominent issue in software projects, which creates a trade-off between project duration and skills. Hence, this work removes the trade-off between project duration and skills using genetic augmented neural network algorithm (GANN). The process runs in a structured way to obtain a better solution in software project duration over education sector. The result with GANN over software validation seems flexible and accurate and can work as a flexible tool for automated software management practices.

Making Architecture Visible to Improve Flow Management in Lean Software Development

Lean practices use the principle of Little's law to improve the flow of value to the end user by eliminating sources of waste from a software development process. Little's law defines throughput as a ratio of work in process and cycle time. Increasing throughput (or productivity) requires continuously improving (that is, decreasing) cycle time while ensuring that the work-in-process limit doesn't exceed the capacity available to process the work. This article shares experiences regarding the role architecture plays in lean software management practices. Release plans that give as much emphasis to architecturally significant tasks as to feature-based high-priority functionality can achieve better outcomes by avoiding conditions that lead to wasted time and effort. The application of lean software development practices can improve with better practical guidance on how to manage architecture flow as well as feature flow.

Software quality tools for the deregulated market

Deregulation of the energy industry has resulted in the emergence of software that coordinates the functions in power systems. The complexity of these vertically split power systems demand stringent requirements from the employed software. As the market rules change, the regulating policies stated by FERC will need incorporation into the software. By using the latest technology and applying software management practices during development, the measurable results include better designs of the software coupled with high quality and performance. A variety of commercially available tools can be used to improve the software development process. Software modeling and configuration management encompasses two key areas in the development life cycle. This article presents an overview of software modeling and configuration management as applied to software development in deregulated energy markets. It outlines the requirements for software quality, various tool features, and challenges ahead in the development of software for deregulated energy markets.

Benchmarking European software management practices

Benchmarking European software management practices

Improving speed and productivity of software development: a global survey of software developers

Time is an essential measure of performance in software development because time delays tend to fall directly to the bottom line. To address this issue, this research seeks to distinguish time-based software development practices: those managerial actions that result in faster development speed and higher productivity. This study is based upon a survey of software management practices in Western Europe and builds upon an earlier study we carried out in the United States and Japan (Integrated Manufacturing Systems, vol. 7, no. 2, 1996). We measure the extent to which managers in the USA, Japan and Europe differ in their management of software projects and also determine the tools, technology and practices that separate fast and slow developers in Western Europe.

Making Software Visible, Operational, and Maintainable in a Small Project Environment

Practical suggestions are presented for effectively managing software development in small-project environments (i.e., no more than several million dollars per year). The suggestions are based on an approach to product development using a product assurance group that is independent from the development group. Within this check-and-balance management/development/product assurance structure, a design review process is described that effects an orderly transition from customer needs statement to software code. The testing activity that follows this process is then explained. Finally, the activities of a change control body (called a configuration control board) and supporting functions geared to maintaining delivered software are described. The suggested software management practices result from the experience of a small (approximately 100 employees) software engineering company that develops and maintains computer systems supporting real-time interactive commercial, industrial, and military applications.