Patterns of Software Development Process

This article presents a set of patterns that can be found to perform best practices in software processes that are directly related to the problem of implementing the activities of the process, the roles involved, the knowledge generated and the inputs and outputs belonging to the process. In this work, a definition of the architecture is encouraged by using different recurrent configurations that strengthen the process and yield efficient results for the development of a software project. The patterns presented constitute a catalog, which serves as a vocabulary for communication among project participants [1], [2], and also can be implemented through software tools, thus facilitating patterns implementation [3]. Additionally, a tool that can be obtained under GPL (General Public license) is provided for this purpose

Service Elements Valuation Using an Enterprise Architecture Language

This article defines a service as an architecture of processes, software and infrastructure elements for serving people. An architecture language therefore is a means to structure and analyze the values of service elements and the service as a whole. We provide a value-based perspective, which first includes a review of the concept of value in the context of service architectures for services. Here we conclude that multiple, even competing, values are at stake for different parts of a service. Second, the paper discusses a method for the valuation of a service using competing value constructs. We also demonstrate by a case how a formal architecture language can be used to calculate service values. Finally, the results are discussed and suggestions for further research are given

0028/2009 - Problemas na Elicitação de Requisitos: Uma visão de pesquisa/literatura

A primeira fase na engenharia de requisitos é a elicitação de requisitos, na qual as informações sobre as necessidades do cliente são adquiridas, sendo crucial e crítica e podendo comprometer todas as etapas subseqüentes do desenvolvimento. O presente relatório apresenta um levantamento dos problemas que ocorrem durante a elicitação de requisitos citados na literatura da área

Developing a Strategic Evaluation Framework for Technology and Architecture Asset Information Management Project

Organisaation kyky arvioida investointeihin liittyviä kustannuksia, hyötyjä ja lopputuloksia ennen investointipäätöstä on yksi menestyksellisen liiketoiminnan ratkaisevista tekijöistä. Aikana jolloin informaation ja tietämyksen merkitys on korostunut, edellä mainittujen asioiden arvioiminen on yhä vaikeampaa. Tämä johtuu siitä, että nykyisin investointiprojekteihin liittyvät tekijät ovat luonteeltaan yhä aineettomampia. Monimutkainen projektiympäristö, useat sidosryhmän jäsenet ja IT-järjestelmien ajan myötä tärkeämmäksi muuttunut rooli vaikeuttavat tilannetta entisestään. Tämä johtaa siihen, että yritysten on kehitettävä uusia metodeja liiketoimintasuunnitelmissaan esiintyvien immateriaalisten hyötyjen arvioimiseksi. Teoreettisen ja empiirisen tutkimuksen tuloksena tämä lopputyö esittää arviointikehyksen jolla voi arvioida yksittäisen investointiprojektin soveltuvuutta ja toteutettavuutta. Oletuksena on, että tämän investointiprojektin arvioiminen perinteisillä metodeilla johtaa vääristyneisiin tuloksiin, koska immateriaalisia tekijöitä ei ole otettu huomioon. Investointiprojektin arviointi tehdään määrittämällä projektin sidosryhmän jäsenten huolenaiheet ja odotukset, analysoimalla niitä ja käyttämällä löydöksiä investointipäätöksessä. Sidosryhmän jäsenten huolenaiheet liittyvät asioihin, kuten riskeihin, kustannuksiin ja epävarmuuteen. Tämän lopputyön tavoitteena on tarjota käytännöllinen projektisuunnitelman arviointikehys projektijohtajille, projektiportfolion hallinnoijille, päätöksentekijöille ja analyytikoille. Arvioinnin tuloksia voidaan käyttää projektisuunnitelman kehittämisessä tai investointipäätöksen tekemisessä.Organization's ability to assess investment related costs, benefits, and estimate the investment outcomes before investing is one of the determinants of successful business. This has become increasingly difficult as during the era of what we widely refer as "knowledge economy", the investment project related factors are often of intangible nature. Complex project environment with multiple stakeholders and increasingly more important role of IT systems further complicates the situation. This is why most of middle and large sized corporations are dealing with intangible issues, such as valuing of knowledge assets, in their pursuit for organizational effectiveness. The implications are that in addition to traditional tangible benefits justifiable in financial terms, a new set of intangible benefits appear in project business cases. A new approach to evaluate such investment projects is needed. As a result of theoretical review and empirical studies, this thesis introduces a framework for assessing single investment project's feasibility. It is assumed that this investment project involves intangible issues and cannot be easily justified with traditional financial measures. The investment project assessment is done by identifying related stakeholder concerns and benefit expectations, analyzing them, and using the findings to converge on an investment decision. The stakeholder concerns are related to issues such as risks, costs, and uncertainty. The goal of this thesis is to provide a practical framework tool for project managers, decision makers, such as portfolio managers, and analysts to evaluate a single project's business case which captures the reasoning for the initiating project. The evaluation results can be used to formulate a decision whether investment should be made. The results can also be used to further improve the business case as the project context is known better after utilizing the framework