Success Of Software Development Projects Research Articles

Holistic personas to increase the novice developer productivity

A deeper understanding and integration with system users' thoughts and emotional experiences are required for user-engaged development. User experience (UX) journey integrates user requirements and problem-solving approaches. The integration of data-driven techniques and user-centric approaches in software development is investigated in this study. It focuses on using the Markov chain model to predict developer productivity based on data gathered while creating personas across three projects. Organizations can gain valuable insights into user needs and requirements by conducting purposeful activities such as strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, competitor analysis, hypothesis formulation, identification of behavioral variables, mapping interviews, and defining characteristics and objectives. The model has predictive capabilities that allow for more informed decision-making, more efficient resource allocation, and better project planning. The goal of the activity and the model ensure the development of software products that effectively meet the needs of users, resulting in a higher success rate for software development initiatives. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating quantitative and qualitative analysis to drive successful software development projects and increase productivity while meeting user needs. According to the findings of the research conducted from the three projects completed, the proposed methods have similarities, and predictions using the Markov chain can determine the success of novice developers.

Detecting Ambiguities in Requirement Documents Written in Arabic Using Machine Learning Algorithms

The identification of ambiguities in Arabic requirement documents plays a crucial role in requirements engineering. This is because the quality of requirements directly impacts the overall success of software development projects. Traditionally, engineers have used manual methods to evaluate requirement quality, leading to a time-consuming and subjective process that is prone to errors. This study explores the use of machine learning algorithms to automate the assessment of requirements expressed in natural language. The study aims to compare various machine learning algorithms according to their abilities in classifying requirements written in Arabic as decision tree. The findings reveal that random forest outperformed all stemmers, achieving an accuracy of 0.95 without employing a stemmer, 0.99 with the ISRI stemmer, and 0.97 with the Arabic light stemmer. These results highlight the robustness and practicality of the random forest algorithm.

The key factors contribute to time pressure in software development projects: A review

The success of software development projects is often hindered by time pressure (TP), leading to decreased productivity, compromised quality, and increased risk of failure. To address this issue, it is crucial to understand the key factors contributing to TP in software development projects. In line with the study's objectives, the review methodology followed the Kitchenham and Charters criteria, and a search strategy encompassed four primary digital databases, namely IEEE, ACM Digital Library, Science Direct, and Springers, resulting in 4,500 relevant sources. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 128 papers were selected for analysis. This paper offers a comprehensive overview of the factors contributing to TP in software development. This study synthesizes the findings from multiple studies to guide practitioners in improving their project management approaches and highlights the significance of enhancing various aspects of the development process. The findings highlight the importance of improving project management, estimation techniques, knowledge, and skills to effectively manage TP. Additionally, managing requirements volatility, setting clear goals and objectives, and reducing distractions and interruptions emerge as crucial strategies for mitigating TP and enhancing project success. Furthermore, selecting software developers based on their personality traits is recommended to foster a work environment conducive to reduced TP and improved software development outcomes. By understanding and addressing these factors, software development teams can alleviate TP and increase the likelihood of successful software products. Implementing these recommendations can contribute to reduced TP, improved project outcomes, and enhanced overall success in software development.

Design and Development of Web-Based Information System Order Monitoring System

PT. Sanityasa Anjaya Daniswara is a technology company operating as a software house in Solo. Efficient monitoring of project progress is essential for improving efficiency. Thus, a monitoring system that allocates programmers, details work, and summarizes progress is urgently required. This study applies the RAD (Rapid Application Development) method to design a monitoring system that meets the company's needs. The result is a development progress monitoring system that provides an overview of work status, ensuring credibility of information, and enhancing productivity and success in software development projects

Evaluating the Popularity of Programming Languages in Indonesia using the MABAC Method

<span lang="EN">In today's fast-paced digital era, the selection of a programming language plays a crucial role in the success of software development projects. This research aims to create an index of popularity for programming languages using the multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) method. The study considers four data sources, including Jobstreet.Com, LinkedIn.Com, Google Trends, and Tiobe.com, to obtain the necessary information for evaluating the popularity of programming languages in Indonesia. The data range for this study is from May 1, 2020, until April 31, 2021. The results of the study indicate that the top ten programming languages in terms of popularity in Indonesia are Java, SQL, php, JavaScript, C, C++, python, C#, Visual Basic, and Assembly. The index can serve as a useful guide for strategic decision-making regarding the selection of programming languages for addressing the needs of the information technology market in Indonesia. The study's findings can be useful for software developers, IT professionals, and decision-makers in organizations who need to select a programming language for their software projects in Indonesia. The MABAC method used in this study can also be applied to other contexts for evaluating the popularity of programming languages.</span>

On Fuzzy and Case-Based Dynamic Software Development Process Modeling and Simulation Approach

The software development process (SDP) is complex because it uses specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver value to people, and the user’s needs are always growing and becoming more complex. Practitioners and academics have proposed different approaches for improving the successful implementation of the SDP. This remains a non-trivial task, and the number of successful software development projects increases only slightly each year. This paper proposes a new approach for adapting the classical SDP to a dynamic, knowledge-intensive, and context-dependent model by applying the case-handling and fuzzy inference approaches for SDP modeling and simulation. The advantages and novelties of this approach consist in: SDP dynamicity modeling using the case-handling approach; the inclusion of human factor uncertainty into the execution of SDP activities through fuzzification; and agent-based simulation, which allows for the inclusion of human actors in SDP simulations. Modeling and simulation of Agile SDPs were carried out using this prototype. Experiments show the correspondence of the proposed approach to the needs of dynamically changing and human-factor-dependent SDPs, as well as the possibilities for modeling and simulating the SDP, predicting SDP execution, and observing possible risks.

The Impact of Agile Methodology on Project Success, with a Moderating Role of Person’s Job Fit in the IT Industry of Pakistan

Computing software plays an essential role in almost every sector of the digital age, but the process of efficient software development still faces several challenges. Effective software development methodology can be the difference between the success and failure of a software project. This research aims to evaluate the overall impact of Agile Software Development (ASD) on the individual, organizational, software development, and project management dimensions. For this purpose, we surveyed several software development professionals from a variety of backgrounds (experience, location, and job ranks) to explore the impact of ASD on the IT industry of Pakistan. Our analysis of the collected information is two folds. First, we summarized the findings from our surveys graphically clearly show the opinions of our survey respondents regarding the effectiveness of the Agile methodology for software development. Secondly, we utilized quantitative measures to analyze the same data statistically. A comparison is drawn between the graphical and statistical analysis to verify the reliability of our findings. Our findings suggest the existence of a strong relationship between effective software development and the use of Agile processes. Our analysis shows that the job fit of software development professionals and ASD are critical factors for software development project success in terms of cost, quality, stakeholders satisfaction, and time. Although the study focuses on the IT industry of Pakistan, the findings can be generalized easily to other developing IT industries worldwide.

Critical success factors in Software Development Projects

Irrespective of the software development methodology, projects still fail at any development stage. Some of the factors that may affect project success or failure include process-related factors, such as an unrealistic budget and schedule, or technical-related factors like the methodology. The study aims to determine the influence of the most critical success factors of each category (people, process, and technical) on the overall outcome of software projects in the South African context. This study surveyed members of software development teams from across South African organisations and gathered information about software development project success and factors that contribute to project outcomes. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the study data. According to the results, software development projects need: (1) a committed and motivated team; (2) the client must be involved all the time; (3) specifications/requirements must be clear; (4) leadership must be good; (5) the project’s goals and objectives must be well-defined. The critical success factors are ranked by their strength in relation to success criteria. The study further found that most of the perceived factors are related to non-technical factors. This research contributes to the current software industry debate about critical success factors categories in the South African context.

An onboarding model for integrating newcomers into agile project teams

A stable team is deemed optimal for agile software development project success; however, all teams change membership over time. Newcomers joining an agile project team must rapidly assimilate into the organisational and project environment. They must do this while learning how to contribute effectively and without seriously interrupting project progress.

Effects of common requirements engineering techniques on requirements engineering success in agile environments: A case study from Sri Lanka

Requirements engineering is the process of exploring, analyzing, documenting and handling the needs to be facilitated through a computer-based system that is being developed. Though software solutions fail due to many reasons, Flawed Requirements Engineering (RE) is one of the main causes leading to failure of software projects especially in agile environments where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing cross-functional teams. Therefore, succeeding in RE is an essential factor which influences success of the entire software project. In the light of achieving project success, various methods have been introduced to deal with RE. Main aim of this study is to explore the relationship between commonly used techniques and successful agile requirements engineering in agile environments with a special emphasis to Sri Lankan context. A secondary objective was to suggest innovative recommendations to software solution developers to achieve RE success. Five research questions were formulated to explore the relationship between mostly common techniques of requirements management and success of agile requirements engineering. Through key readings related to agile project development, authors have identified five key success factors as having an influence on successful project completion in an agile environment and are being tested in this research. Authors have designed the study taking an epistemological standpoint of positivism, using quantitative methods and case study strategy to derive conclusions. The entire population 130 employees of the case organization been considered for this study. The quantitative analysis of was conducted based on 105 valid responses gained through a five-point Likert scaled questionnaire from the case organization. It has been discovered that these common requirement engineering techniques are correlated with project success in agile environments. Further, scrutiny of each requirements engineering phase, led to finding a set of most effective techniques to be utilized in an agile environment contributing to software development project success.
 Keywords: Requirements engineering, agile software development, project failures

Impacts of IDEF0-Based Models on the Usefulness, Learning, and Value Metrics of Scrum and XP Project Management Guides

Plan-driven Project Management is a highly relevant approach for successful systems and software development projects, and its application is pursued uniformly. Agile Project Management practices, in contrast, are highly flexible and varied, and their learning and correct application has been found a challenging task. In other Engineering Management domains, IDEF0-based models have been satisfactorily used for documenting process guides, but their study in agile practices has been scarce. This paper investigates whether the IDEF0-based models for agile Project Management guides, as in Scrum and XP practices, can improve the usefulness, learning, and value metrics when compared to using standard guides. A quantitative experimental evaluation conducted with 58 international subjects and blocked on the variables of Practical Experience and Knowledge on Scrum/XP methods found that the IDEF0-based guides were evaluated with better metrics than the standard guides in 11 paired t-tests, and similarly in the remaining 16 ones. This study thus provides empirical evidence of positive impacts by using the IDEF0-based models for digital guides of agile practices and fosters their utilization and further research in the agile Engineering Management domain.

Data Consolidation in Global Software Development Projects: A Grounded Theory

Effective coordination is a crucial aspect of successful Global Software Development (GSD) projects. Limited studies have examined coordination strategies and their related indicators. Therefore, this study focuses on assessing the coordination processes that require specific strategies and related indicators that can contribute to effective coordination. Thus, the main aim of this research is to consolidate the coordination strategies and the related indicators that were extracted from two different sources namely, Systematic Review and Semi-structured interview. Grounded Theory was used for the consolidation of these two sources. The results of this study are a set of coordination strategies and related indicators that will be used to formulate the evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the coordination processes in GSD projects.

Understanding the relationship of conflict and success in software development projects

Abstract Context Software development incorporates numerous people with diverse expertise and expectations. This makes conflict a common phenomenon in software development. Besides human causes, many conflicts in software development root in the tools and processes. Moreover, the growing role of software in any type of system is increasing the heterogeneity in software projects. The number and variety of tools and processes are increasing. Nevertheless, the relationship between conflicts, particularly rooted in non-human elements, and software project success is still unclear. Objective We aim to understand the impact of conflict on the success of software development projects for different types of conflict and different environments. Particularly, we distinguish between human-rooted conflict (HRC) and non-human-rooted conflict (NHRC). Moreover, we investigate whether organization size and team size moderate the impact of conflict on software project success. Methods First, we conduct a survey and analyze it using structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate any correlation between conflict and software project success. Second, we explore the reasons behind the relationship between conflict and software project success by conducting 13 semi-structured expert interviews. Results HRC is always a threat to software project success for any organization or team size. Based on the interviews, resolving an HRC is regularly problematic. On the other hand, NHRC is negatively correlated with software project success only in corporate organizations and small teams. High coordination overhead and dependency on tools and processes make NHRC more influential in corporate organizations. In contrast, overlooking non-human elements and lack of experienced individuals in smaller teams make them more vulnerable to NHRC. Conclusion While the detrimental impact of HRC is constant for software project success, NHRC can be controlled efficiently. Corporate organizations need to frequently improve the non-human elements in the development. Smaller teams should expect tools and processes to be significantly influential in their success.

Research Framework of Evaluation Model to Assess the Effectiveness of Coordination Processes in Global Software Development Projects

Effective coordination is a vital aspect of successful Global Software Development (GSD) projects. Limited studies have examined coordination strategies and their related indicators. Therefore, this study focuses on assessing the coordination processes that require specific strategies and related indicators that can contribute to effective coordination. Thus, the main aim of this study is to present the entire research framework that will be used to formulate the Evaluation Model which consist of coordination strategies and related indicators. Research framework consists of three parts namely research philosophy, research design and research methods. Thus, this study elaborates each of this parts accordingly. The results of this study is the formulation of Evaluation Model to assess the effectiveness of the coordination processes in GSD projects.

Risk factors in software development projects: a systematic literature review

Risks are an inherent part of any software project. The presence of risks in environments of software development projects requires the perception so that the associated factors do not lead projects to failure. The correct identification and monitoring of these factors can be decisive for the success of software development projects and software quality. However, in practice, risk management in software development projects is still often neglected and one of the reasons is due to the lack of knowledge of risk factors that promoted a low perception of them in the environment. This paper aims to identify and to map risk factors in environments of software development projects. We conducted a systematic literature review through a database search, as well as we performed an assessment of quality of the selected studies. All this process was conducted through a research protocol. We identified 41 studies. In these works, we extracted and classified risk factors according to the software development taxonomy developed by Software Engineering Institute (SEI). In total, 148 different risk factors were categorized. The found evidences suggest that risk factors relating to software requirements are the most recurrent and cited. In addition, we highlight that the most mentioned risk factors were the lack of technical skills by the staff. Therefore, the results converged to the need for more studies on these factors as fundamental items for reduction of failure level of a software development project.

Evaluation of a process for architectural assumption management in software development

• An architectural assumption management process with guidelines is developed. • Two case studies were conducted to validate the process. • The process can help to make architectural assumptions explicit. • The process can help to identify and reduce invalid architectural assumptions. Architectural assumption management is critical to the success of software development projects. In this paper, we propose an Architectural Assumption Management (AAM) process, comprised of four AAM activities: Architectural Assumption Making, Description, Evaluation, and Maintenance. Evaluating the AAM process in architectural assumption management, regarding the ease of understanding and the effort of conducting the AAM process, as well as the effectiveness of using the AAM process to make architectural assumptions explicit and to identify and reduce invalid architectural assumptions. An explanatory study with 88 first-year master students in software engineering, and an exploratory study with five practitioners from five companies. (1) the ease of understanding the AAM process is moderate for first-year master students but easy for practitioners; (2) the effort of conducting the AAM process is moderate for first-year master students; (3) Making and Evaluation took the students more time than Description and Maintenance; (4) the practitioners considered Evaluation as the most time consuming activity; (5) the AAM process can help to make architectural assumptions explicit and to identify and reduce invalid architectural assumptions in projects. The majority of the students and practitioners agreed that Architectural Assumption Evaluation is the most helpful activity for all these three aspects. For other activities, there are different opinions about their helpfulness; and (6) there are various factors identified that can impact the aforementioned results. Being aware of and properly adjusting these factors can facilitate the application of the AAM process in projects. The AAM process aims at systematically managing architectural assumptions in software development. The results of the case studies provide preliminary empirical evidence for the evaluation of the AAM process.

Modelling the critical success factors of agile software development projects in South Africa

Background: The continued in failure of agile and traditional software development projects have led to the consideration, attention and dispute to critical success factors that are the aspects which are most vital to make a software engineering methodology fruitful. Although there is an increasing variety of critical success factors and methodologies, the conceptual frameworks which have causal relationship are limited.Objective: The objective of this study was to identify and provide insights into the critical success factors that influence the success of software development projects using agile methodologies in South Africa.Method: Quantitative method of collecting data was used. Data were collected in South Africa through a Web-based survey using structured questionnaires.Results: These results show that organisational factors have a great influence on performance expectancy characteristics.Conclusion: The results of this study discovered a comprehensive model that could provide guidelines to the agile community and to the agile professionals.

B-44 デスマーチとプロジェクト管理 : ソフトウエア・プロジェクトの混乱はどこまで防げるか一教訓

B-44 デスマーチとプロジェクト管理 : ソフトウエア・プロジェクトの混乱はどこまで防げるか一教訓

A Set of Artifacts and Models to Support Requirements Communication Based on Perspectives

The effective communication of the requirements influences the success of software development projects. Achieving effective communication of the requirements is difficult due to the involvement of several persons with different roles, skills, knowledge and responsibilities. Although many studies analyze the communication between clients and system analysts, they do not focus on the communication within the development team. In this research, we propose the creation of a set of artifacts and models to support the communication of requirements. We will base our proposal on the different perspectives of the team members according to their experience in the artifacts and models adopted in the development process within their organization. We will follow a methodology based on Design Science Research guidelines, which will guide us through the creation and evaluation of the artifacts and models to solve problems with the communication of requirements. Our goal is to improve the communication of requirements between the members of a development team, reducing the loss of requirements information during the execution of the software project

A Proposed Fuzzy based Framework for Calculating Success Metrics of Agile Software Projects

Agile development methodologies are considered the most important guarantor for the success of software development project as they depend on the best practices in the development process rather than on the theatrical concepts. But, because of the unclear and ambiguous indicators within agility evaluation, most metrics are described in a form of human-like language by linguistic terms which are described by ambiguity and multi-possibility, so that such metrics cannot be effectively handled the conventional evaluation approaches. However, fuzzy logic provides useful techniques for dealing with decisions in such environments which contain imprecise and vague values. Accordingly, using of fuzzy logic techniques will be a good choice. Thus, this paper proposes a framework for calculating Success Metrics (SM) of agile software projects based on fuzzy logic to address the ambiguity in agility assessment. The paper presents the details of the proposed framework and an illustrative example.