Experience and Knowledge Management in Software Engineering

Nowadays, there is software everywhere in our life. It controls cars, airplanes, factories, medical implants. Without software, banking, logistics and transportation, media, and even scientific research would not function in the accustomed way. Building and maintaining software is a knowledge-intensive endeavour and requires that specific experiences are handled successfully. However, neither knowledge nor experience can be collected, stored, and shipped like physical goods, instead these delicate resources require dedicated techniques. Knowledge and experience are often called company assets, yet this is only part of the truth: it is only software engineers and other creative employees who will effectively exploit an organisation's knowledge and experience.

Kurt Schneider’s textbook is written for those who want to make better use of their own knowledge and experience – either personally or within their group or company. Everyone related to software development will benefit from his detailed explanations and case studies: project managers, software engineers, quality assurance responsibles, and knowledge managers. His presentation is based on years of both practical experience, with companies such as Boeing, Daimler, and Nokia, and research in renowned environments, such as the Fraunhofer Institute. Each chapter is self-contained, it clearly states its learning objectives, gives in-depth presentations, shows the techniques’ practical relevance in application scenarios, lists detailed references for further reading, and is finally completed by exercises that review the material presented and also challenge further, critical examinations. The overall result is a textbook that is equally suitable as a personal resource for self-directed learning and as the basis for a one-semester course on software engineering and knowledge management.

From the reviews: “This well-written graduate-level textbook is an excellent introduction to the systematic ways to achieve this goal, and will interest software engineers, managers, and students. … Definitions are clearly stated and the overall look and feel is reader friendly. … The entire approach is systematic and easy to follow. Solutions to the problems are included at the end of the book, for self-study readers. … While the textbook does achieve its goals … . I recommended this superior book.” (Brad Reid, ACM Computing Reviews, December, 2009)

Kurt Schneider is a full professor of Software Engineering at Leibniz Universität Hannover since 2003. His main research interests are requirements engineering, software quality, and service-oriented architectures. Life-long learning and cognitive optimization of techniques and tools are investigated in all those areas. From 1996 until 2003, he was a researcher and a project leader at the DaimlerChrysler Research Centre in Ulm, Germany. In particular, Kurt Schneider was leader of the Software Experience Center (SEC) project for DaimlerChrysler. From 1994 to1996 he was a visiting member of the interdisciplinary Center for LifeLong Learning and Design at the University of Colorado in Boulder, CO, USA.