31,673 research outputs found
Naming the Pain in Requirements Engineering: A Design for a Global Family of Surveys and First Results from Germany
For many years, we have observed industry struggling in defining a high
quality requirements engineering (RE) and researchers trying to understand
industrial expectations and problems. Although we are investigating the
discipline with a plethora of empirical studies, they still do not allow for
empirical generalisations. To lay an empirical and externally valid foundation
about the state of the practice in RE, we aim at a series of open and
reproducible surveys that allow us to steer future research in a problem-driven
manner. We designed a globally distributed family of surveys in joint
collaborations with different researchers and completed the first run in
Germany. The instrument is based on a theory in the form of a set of hypotheses
inferred from our experiences and available studies. We test each hypothesis in
our theory and identify further candidates to extend the theory by correlation
and Grounded Theory analysis. In this article, we report on the design of the
family of surveys, its underlying theory, and the full results obtained from
Germany with participants from 58 companies. The results reveal, for example, a
tendency to improve RE via internally defined qualitative methods rather than
relying on normative approaches like CMMI. We also discovered various RE
problems that are statistically significant in practice. For instance, we could
corroborate communication flaws or moving targets as problems in practice. Our
results are not yet fully representative but already give first insights into
current practices and problems in RE, and they allow us to draw lessons learnt
for future replications. Our results obtained from this first run in Germany
make us confident that the survey design and instrument are well-suited to be
replicated and, thereby, to create a generalisable empirical basis of RE in
practice
Software development: A paradigm for the future
A new paradigm for software development that treats software development as an experimental activity is presented. It provides built-in mechanisms for learning how to develop software better and reusing previous experience in the forms of knowledge, processes, and products. It uses models and measures to aid in the tasks of characterization, evaluation and motivation. An organization scheme is proposed for separating the project-specific focus from the organization's learning and reuse focuses of software development. The implications of this approach for corporations, research and education are discussed and some research activities currently underway at the University of Maryland that support this approach are presented
Enterprise Systems Analysis and Modelling
In ES implementations, process modelling is a critical and often overlooked activity. This paper proposes a framework for process modelling of ES. The four steps method involves: Current Situation Analysis, Business Process Improvements and Requirements, Gap Analysis, and To-be process to develop. Outputs of the methodology are an interdependent set of organizational and system proposed changes, and feedback loops to the ES vendors and to the strategy of the firm. In-depth case studies and extensive literature review provides methodological support. For practitioners, this study provides useful insights into one of the reasons by which companies could be frustrated with ES implementation.E-business, ERP
Using an Architecture Description Language to Model a Large- Scale Information System – An Industrial Experience Report
An organisation that had developed a large Information System wanted to embark on a programme of significant evolution for the system. As a precursor to this, it was decided to create a comprehensive architectural
description. T his undertaking faced a number of challenges, including a low general awareness of software modelling and software architecture practices . The approach taken for this
project included the definition of a simple, specific, architecture description language. This paper describes the experiences of the project and the ADL created as part of it
Applications of structural optimization methods to fixed-wing aircraft and spacecraft in the 1980s
This report is the summary of a technical survey on the applications of structural optimization in the U.S. aerospace industry through the 1980s. Since applications to rotary wing aircraft will be covered by other literature, applications to fixed-wing aircraft and spacecraft were considered. It became clear that very significant progress has been made during this decade, indicating this technology is about to become one of the practical tools in computer aided structural design
Annotated bibliography of Software Engineering Laboratory literature
An annotated bibliography of technical papers, documents, and memorandums produced by or related to the Software Engineering Laboratory is given. More than 100 publications are summarized. These publications cover many areas of software engineering and range from research reports to software documentation. All materials have been grouped into eight general subject areas for easy reference: The Software Engineering Laboratory; The Software Engineering Laboratory: Software Development Documents; Software Tools; Software Models; Software Measurement; Technology Evaluations; Ada Technology; and Data Collection. Subject and author indexes further classify these documents by specific topic and individual author
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