Skip to main content

If the SOK Fits, Wear It: Pragmatic Process Improvement through Software Operation Knowledge

  • Conference paper
Product-Focused Software Process Improvement (PROFES 2011)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 6759))

Abstract

Knowledge of in-the-field software operation is nowadays acquired by many software-producing organizations. Vendors are effective in acquiring large amounts of valuable software operation data to improve the quality of their software products. For many vendors, however, it remains unclear how their actual product software processes can be advanced through structural integration of such information. In this paper, we present a template method for integration of software operation information with product software processes, and present four lessons learned that are identified based on a canonical action research study of ten months, during which the method was instantiated at a European software vendor. Results show that the template method contributes to significant software quality increase, by pragmatic but measurable improvement of software processes, without adhering to strict requirements from cumbersome maturity models or process improvement frameworks.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Conradi, R., Fuggetta, A.: Improving Software Process Improvement. IEEE Softw. 19(4), 92–99 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Dangle, K.C., Larsen, P., Shaw, M., Zelkowitz, M.V.: Software Process Improvement in Small Organizations: A Case Study. IEEE Software 22, 68–75 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Davison, R.M., Martinsons, M.G., Kock, N.: Principles of canonical action research. Information Systems Journal 14, 65–86 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Fitzgerald, B., O’Kane, T.: A Longitudinal Study of Software Process Improvement. IEEE Software 16(3), 37–45 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Glerum, K., Kinshumann, K., Greenberg, S., Aul, G., Orgovan, V., Nichols, G., Grant, D., Loihle, G., Hunt, G.C.: Debugging in the (Very) Large: Ten Years of Implementation and Experience. In: SOSP 2009: Proceedings of the ACM SIGOPS 22nd Symposium on Operating Systems Principles, pp. 103–116. ACM, New York (2009)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  6. Hevner, A.R., March, S.T., Park, J., Ram, S.: Design Science in Information Systems Research. MIS Quarterly 28(1), 75–105 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Iversen, J.H., Mathiassen, L., Nielsen, P.A.: Managing Risk in Software Process Improvement: An Action Research Approach. MIS Quarterly 28(3) (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kuilboer, J.P., Ashrafi, N.: Software process and product improvement: an empirical assessment. Information and Software Technology 42(1), 27–34 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Miler, J., Górski, J.: Risk-driven Software Process Improvement - a Case Study. In: EuroSPI 2004: 11th European Conference on Software Process Improvement. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Pettersson, F., Ivarsson, M., Gorschek, T., Öhman, P.: A practitioner’s guide to light weight software process assessment and improvement planning. Journal of Systems and Software 81(6), 972–995 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. van der Schuur, H., Jansen, S., Brinkkemper, S.: A Reference Framework for Utilization of Software Operation Knowledge. In: SEAA 2010: 36th EUROMICRO Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications, pp. 245–254. IEEE Computer Society, Los Alamitos (2010)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  12. van der Schuur, H., Jansen, S., Brinkkemper, S.: Reducing Maintenance Effort through Software Operation Knowledge: An Eclectic Empirical Evaluation. Accepted for Publication in the Proceedings of the 15th European Conference on Software Maintenance and Reengineering, CSMR 2011 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Smite, D., Gencel, C.: Why a CMMI Level 5 Company Fails to Meet the Deadlines? In: Bomarius, F., Oivo, M., Jaring, P., Abrahamsson, P. (eds.) PROFES 2009. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol. 32, pp. 87–95. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  14. Susman, G.I., Evered, R.D.: An Assessment of the Scientific Merits of Action Research. Administrative Science Quarterly 23(4), 582–603 (1978)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. van de Weerd, I., Brinkkemper, S.: Meta-Modeling for Situational Analysis and Design Methods. In: Handbook of Research on Modern Systems Analysis and Design Technologies and Applications, pp. 38–58. Information Science Reference (2008)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

van der Schuur, H., Jansen, S., Brinkkemper, S. (2011). If the SOK Fits, Wear It: Pragmatic Process Improvement through Software Operation Knowledge. In: Caivano, D., Oivo, M., Baldassarre, M.T., Visaggio, G. (eds) Product-Focused Software Process Improvement. PROFES 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 6759. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21843-9_24

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21843-9_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-21842-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-21843-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics