Abstract
Software process improvement often lacks strong links to project management and control activities, which are concerned with identifying the need of process change and triggering improvement initiatives. Project management, on the other hand, often fails at selecting appropriate software engineering methods and technology that help to ensure project success. This paper proposes a model that guides project managers (1) to set up a project so that it can reach its specific goals and (2) to identify corrective actions (or changes) once a project is at risk of failing its goals. The model complements established improvement methods such as CMMI, GQM, and Experience Factory and links them to those project management activities that often are the starting point of improvement initiatives.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Abdel-Hamid, T.K., Madnick, S.E.: Software Projects Dynamics-an Integrated Approach. Prentice-Hall (1991)
Basili, V.R., Caldiera, G., Rombach, D. H.: Experience Factory. In: Marciniak, J.: Encyclopedia of Software Engineering, Vol. 1, pp. 511–519, Wiley (2001)
Basili, V.R., Caldiera, G., Rombach, H.D., van Solingen, R.: Goal Question Metric (GQM) Approach. In: J. Marciniak: Encyclopedia of Software Engineering, Vol. 1, pp. 578–583, Wiley (2001)
von Bertalanffy, L.: General Systems Theory, Foundations, Development, Applications. Georges Braziller, New York (1968)
Birk, A., Dingsøyr, T., Stålhane, T.: Postmortem: Never leave a project without it. IEEE Software, 19(3), pp. 43–45, (2002)
Birk, A.: A Knowledge Management Infrastructure for Systematic Improvement in Software Engineering. PhD Theses in Experimental Software Engineering, Vol. 3, Fraunhofer IRB, Stuttgart, Germany (2001)
Briand, L.C., Differding, Ch., Rombach, H.D.: Practical Guidelines for Measurement-Based Process Improvement. Software Process Improvement and Practice 2 (4), pp. 253–280, (1996)
Checkland, P.: Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. (1981)
Christie, A.M.: Simulation: An Enabling Technology in Software Engineering. In: CROSSTALK-The Journal of Defense Software Engineering, pp. 2–7 (1999)
CMMI Product Team. Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), Version 1.1. Software Engineering Institute, Pittsburgh, PA (2002)
Florac, W.A., Park, R.E., Carleton, A.D.: Practical Software Measurement. Software Engineering Institute, Pittsburgh, PA (1997)
Forrester, J.W.: Industrial Dynamics. Productivity Press, Cambridge (1961)
Forrester, J.W.: Principles of Systems. Productivity Press, Cambridge (1971)
International Organization for Standardization: ISO 9001:2000: Quality Management Systems-Requirements. International Organization for Standardization (2000)
Kaplan, R.S., and Norton, D.P.: The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action. Harvard Business School Press, Boston (1996)
Kerth, N.L.: Project retrospectives: A handbook for team reviews. Dorset House, New York (2001)
Lin, C.Y., Abdel-Hamid, T.K., Sherif, J.S.: Software-Engineering Process Simulation Model (SEPS). In: Journal of Systems and Software 38, pp. 263–277 (1997)
van Latum, F., van Solingen, R., Oivo, M., Hoisl, B., Rombach, D.H., Ruhe, G.: Adopting GQM-based measurement in an industrial environment. IEEE Software, 15(1):78–86 (1998)
Pfahl, D.: An Integrated Approach to Simulation-Based Learning in Support of Strategic and Project Management in Software Organisations. PhD Theses in Experimental Software Engineering, Vol. 8, Fraunhofer IRB, Stuttgart, Germany (2001)
Pfahl, D., Lebsanft, K.: Knowledge Acquisition and Process Guidance for Building System Dynamics Simulation Models. An Experience Report from Software Industry. In: International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering 10, 4, pp. 487–510 (2000)
Pfahl, D., Lebsanft, K.: Using Simulation to Analyse the Impact of Software Requirement Volatility on Project Performance. In: Information and Software Technology 42, 14, pp. 1001–1008 (2000)
Pfahl, D., Ruhe, G.: System Dynamics as an Enabling Technology for Learning in Software Organisations. In: 13th International Conference on Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering. SEKE’2001. Knowledge Systems Institute, Skokie, IL, pp. 355–362 (2001)
Senge, P.M.: The Fifth Discipline-the Art & Practice of the Learning Organization. Doubleday, New York (1990)
van Solingen, R., Berghout, E.: The Goal/Question/Metric Method: A practical guide for quality improvement of software development. McGraw-Hill, London (1999)
Waeselynck, H., Pfahl, D.: System Dynamics Applied to the Modelling of Software Projects. In: Software Concepts and Tools 15, 4, pp. 162–176 (1994)
Weinberg, G.M.: An Introduction to General Systems Thinking. Wiley, New York (1975)
Wiener, N.: Cybernetics. Wiley, New York (1948)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2002 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Birk, A., Pfahl, D. (2002). A Systems Perspective on Software Process Improvement. In: Oivo, M., Komi-Sirviö, S. (eds) Product Focused Software Process Improvement. PROFES 2002. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2559. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36209-6_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36209-6_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-00234-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-36209-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive