A rapid simulation modelling process for novice software process simulation modellers

In recent years, simulation modelling of software processes have has promoted as a tool to understand, study, control, and manage software development processes. Claims have been made that simulation models are useful and effective at gaining insight into software development processes. However, little has been said about the process of developing simulation models for software engineering problems. Simulation modelling is a young discipline in software engineering. Consequently, many number software process simulation modellers are thought to be novices. The simulation modelling process is believed to have had an effect on the quality of a simulation study. Although there is a body of knowledge available in the general simulation literature to guide and educate novices, the software process simulation modelling literature lacks information for novice software process simulation modellers to understand and adopt a simulation modelling process. This thesis aims to develop a simulation modelling process for novice software process simulation modellers. This thesis reports how the development and evaluation of a simulation modelling process for novice software process simulation modellers. The rapid simulation modelling process (RSMP) is based on an empirical study of the contexts and practices of expert simulation modellers in SPSM and Operational Research (OR). The RSMP is intended to be independent of a particular simulation technique (i. e. system dynamics or discrete event simulation) and guides novice software process simulation modellers through a set of steps that should be undertaken during a simulation study; the RSMP emphasises heavy client contact and provides guidelines for model documentation. The RSMP has been evaluated through controlled experiments with novice software process simulation modellers using system dynamics (SD) modelling. In the future, it will be further evaluated with software process simulation modellers using discrete event simulation. The RSMP has also been evaluated with a panel of expert software process simulation modellers. The main contribution of this study lies in providing novice software process simulation modellers with a simulation modelling process, which embodies real world simulation practice and is intended to be independent of a particular simulation technique

A comparative analysis of business process modelling techniques

Business process modelling is an increasingly popular research area for both organisations and academia due to its usefulness in facilitating human understanding and communication. Several modelling techniques have been proposed and used to capture the characteristics of business processes. However, available techniques view business processes from different perspectives and have different features and capabilities. Furthermore, to date limited guidelines exist for selecting appropriate modelling techniques based on the characteristics of the problem and its requirements. This paper presents a comparative analysis of some popular business process modelling techniques. The comparative framework is based on five criteria: flexibility, ease of use, understandability, simulation support and scope. The study highlights some of the major paradigmatic differences between the techniques. The proposed framework can serve as the basis for evaluating further modelling techniques and generating selection procedures

Simulation in manufacturing and business: A review

Copyright @ 2009 Elsevier B.V.This paper reports the results of a review of simulation applications published within peer-reviewed literature between 1997 and 2006 to provide an up-to-date picture of the role of simulation techniques within manufacturing and business. The review is characterised by three factors: wide coverage, broad scope of the simulation techniques, and a focus on real-world applications. A structured methodology was followed to narrow down the search from around 20,000 papers to 281. Results include interesting trends and patterns. For instance, although discrete event simulation is the most popular technique, it has lower stakeholder engagement than other techniques, such as system dynamics or gaming. This is highly correlated with modelling lead time and purpose. Considering application areas, modelling is mostly used in scheduling. Finally, this review shows an increasing interest in hybrid modelling as an approach to cope with complex enterprise-wide systems

Model-based assessment of software evolution processes

This paper argues that quantitative process models must be considered essential to support sustained improvement of E-type software evolution processes and summarises some of the experiences gained in the FEAST projects to date. Modelling guidelines are provided

Using Simulation to Aid Decision Making in Managing the Usability Evaluation Process

Context: This paper is developed in the context of Usability Engineering. More specifically, it focuses on the use of modelling and simulation to help decision-making in the scope of usability evaluation. Objective: The main goal of this paper is to present UESim: a System Dynamics simulation model to help decision-making in the make-up of the usability evaluation team during the process of usability evaluation. Method: To develop this research we followed four main research phases: a) study identification, b) study development, c) running and observation and finally, d) reflexion. In relation with these phases the paper describes the literature revision, the model building and validation, the model simulation and its results and finally the reflexion on it. Results: We developed and validated a model to simulate the usability evaluation process. Through three different simulations we analysed the effects of different compositions of the evaluation team on the outcome of the evaluation. The simulation results show the utility of the model in the decision making of the usability evaluation process by changing the number and expertise of evaluators employed. Conclusion: One of the main advantages of using such a simulation model is that it allows developers to observe the evolution of the key indicators of the evaluation process over time. UESim represents a customisable tool to help decision-making in the management of the usability evaluation process, since it makes it possible to analyse how the key process indicators are affected by the main management options of the Usability Evaluation Process

A Lightweight State Machine for Validating Use Case Descriptions

This paper presents a tool to provide an enaction capability for use case descriptions. Use cases have wide industry acceptance and are well suited for constructing initial approximations of the intended behaviour. However, use case descriptions are still relatively immature with respect to precise syntax and semantics. Hence, despite promising work on providing writing guidelines, rigorous validation of use case descriptions requires further support. One approach to supporting validation is to use enaction. Indeed, enactable models have been used extensively within process modelling to clarify understanding of descriptions. Given the importance of requirements validation, such automated support promises significant benefits. However, the need to produce formal descriptions, to drive enaction, is often seen as a barrier to the takeup of such technologies. That is, developers have traditionally been reluctant to increase the proportion of effort devoted to requirements activities. Our approach involves the development of a lightweight state-machine, which obviates any need to create intermediate formal descriptions, thereby maintaining the simple nature of the use case description. Hence, this 'lightweight' approach, which provides an enaction capability ‘for minimal effort’, increases the likelihood of industrial take-up

Réplica de un experimento que estudia las relaciones extroversión-calidad y extroversión-satisfacción en equipos de desarrollo de software

Versión electrónica de la ponencia presentada en la XVII Jornadas de Ingeniería del Software y de Bases de Datos (JISBD’2012), celebrada en 2012 en AlmeríaA la hora de formar un equipo de desarrollo se suelen tener en cuenta factores tales como el conocimiento y la pericia de los distintos miembros que formarán parte del equipo. Existe una tendencia, defendida por los sociólogos, que recomienda que también se tengan en cuenta factores relativos a la personalidad de los miembros del equipo, entre ellos, la extroversión de los mismos. En un estudio anterior se llevó a cabo un experimento controlado para estudiar la relación entre la extroversión de los miembros del equipo de trabajo y la calidad de los productos software obtenidos y la satisfacción percibida durante el proceso de desarrollo. En dicho estudio se concluyó que equilibrar la presencia de miembros extrovertidos y no extrovertidos en un equipo de trabajo lleva a conseguir productos de mejor calidad y, especialmente, a que la satisfacción percibida por los miembros del equipo sea muy superior que cuando los equipos sólo cuentan con miembros de carácter únicamente extrovertido o no extrovertido. Este trabajo presenta una réplica del estudio original y los resultados obtenidos confirman los resultados del experimento original para la relación positiva y directa entre los equipos con un número equilibrado de integrantes extrovertidos y no extrovertidos y la calidad de las especificaciones de requisitos software desarrolladas. Al mismo tiempo, la percepción de la satisfacción de los integrantes de los equipos sigue siendo positiva en la mayor parte de los casos.Esta investigación se ha financiado gracias a los siguientes proyectos: MEDUSAS (CDTI-MICINN and FEDER IDI-20090557), ORIGIN (CDTIMICINN and FEDER IDI-2010043(1-5)), PEGASO/MAGO (MICINN and FEDER, TIN2009-13718-C02-01), EECCOO (MICINN TRA2009_0074), MECCA (JCMM PII2I09-0075-8394), IMPACTUM (JCCM PEII11-0330-4414), Tecnologías para la Replicación y Síntesis de Experimentos en IS (MICINN TIN2011-23216) and Go Lite (MICINN TIN2011-24139)

Using system dynamics to teach about dependencies, correlation and systemic thinking on the software process workflows

It is important to count on tools to help software professionals to evaluate the software process and how it may be affected by factors related to its deployment. Simulation models are a valuable means to illustrate the behaviour of such a process since scenario generation supports the prediction of potential outcomes and the prevention of undesired scenarios which are harmful to the process and the company in charge of the project to be developed. This work explores the effectiveness of introducing system dynamics (SD) models in the software engineers' process of understanding, from a management perspective, the software process dynamics. The used SD simulation model of the software process emphasises the representation of an iterative process. The COCOMO II model drivers and their main attributes were used, providing a set of reference factors that affect the software process, the estimation of project cost and the effort required. A set of 59 junior software professionals with no previous knowledge about SD participated in a validation study. For simple predictive scenarios, there was no important improvement effect, while for more complex predictive scenarios SD helped them to guess better and provide a rationale for the expected behaviour of the software process performance.This work has beensupportedby the Madrid Government (Comunidad de Madrid‐Spain) under the Multiannual Agree-ment with UC3M in the line of Excellence of University Professors (EPUC3M17) and in the context of the V PRICIT (Regional Programme of Research and Technological Innovation