Software quality management improvement through mentoring: an exploratory study from GSD projects

Proceeding of: OTM 2011 Workshops: Confederated InternationalWorkshops and Posters: EI2N+NSF ICE, ICSP+INBAST, ISDE, ORM, OTMA, SWWS+MONET+SeDeS, and VADER 2011, Hersonissos, Crete, Greece, October 17-21, 2011Software Quality Management (SQM) is a set of processes and procedures designed to assure the quality of software artifacts along with their development process. In an environment in which software development is evolving to a globalization, SQM is seen as one of its challenges. Global Software Development is a way to develop software across nations, continents, cultures and time zones. The aim of this paper is to detect if mentoring, one of the lead personnel development tools, can improve SQM of projects developed under GSD. The results obtained in the study reveal that the influence of mentoring on SQM is just temperate

A lightweight assessment method for medical device software processes

This paper outlines the MDevSPICE-Adept process assessment method. MDevSPICE-Adept is a lightweight process assessment method that has been created for the MDevSPICE software process assessment model which is currently being developed for the medical device industry. MDevSPICE is a fully validated release of a medical device software process assessment model (formerly known as Medi SPICE), which was developed by the authors. While the MDevSPICE process assessment model is detailed and comprehensive, there is industry demand for a lightweight medical device software process assessment method. To address this requirement the MDevSPICE-Adept method has been developed. Details on how this has taken place and the procedures for implementing an MDevSPICE-Adept process assessment are presented. Information is also provided regarding how an MDevSPICE process assessment was undertaken in an Irish based medical device company. A summary of the issues identified from this process assessment and the actions taken to facilitate process improvement is also presented. Finally, plans for future work are discussed

Improving Safety in Medical Devices from Concept to Retirements

As with many domains the use of software within the healthcare industry is on the rise [1, 2] within the last 20 years

A Canvas for Establishing Global Software Development Collaborations

Jufo-id:80620There is an increasing need and interest for organizations to collaborate with internal and external partners on a global scale for creating software-based products and services. Potential risks and different strategies need to be addressed when setting up such collaborations. Aspects such as cultural and social features, coordination, infrastructure, organizational change processes, or communication issues need to be con- sidered. Although there are already experiences available with respect to setting up global collaborations, they mainly focus on specific areas. It is dicult for companies to quickly assess if they have considered all rele- vant aspects. An overall aid that guides companies in systematically setting up global collaborations is widely missing. In this paper we present a study based on the snowballing method as a systematic approach to literature review. Based on this literature review and inputs from indus- try we investigated what aspects and practices need to be considered when establishing global software development collaborations and how to prioritize them. Based on that we created activity roadmaps that aggregate existing experiences. Reported experiences were structured into nine main aspects each containing extracted successful practices for set- ting up global software development collaborations. As a result we came up with an initial version of a canvas that is proposed as guidance for companies for setting up global collaborations in the software development domain.Peer reviewe

Remote project management: challenges and best practices

With the advance of technology, such as the internet and media communications, the world has become much more connected. People have shortened the physical distance through technology facilitations. This advance not only has affected the social side of humanity, but has also opened up doors so that organizations could take part of these benefits. People were trained and encouraged to work from home. Companies saw an opportunity to reduce costs and get the most qualified professionals regardless of their geographic location. In this way, Project Management (PM) with Remote Teams (RT) has taken a relevant place inside organizations. In face of the pandemic situation the world is undergoing, working remotely stopped being an option and became the way to move on. There is an uncountable study on scientific community about PM talking about issues, challenges, best practices, frameworks and other topics, but only a few of them is direct related with remote project management (RPM) and/or RT. To fill this gap, this research aims to identify the main RPM challenges as well as the practices to mitigate such challenges. To evaluate and demonstrate findings, 30 qualitative interviews were performed and 69 surveys were applied with Project Managers who are developing their activities in a remote mode 100% of the time after the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the end, it is possible to see a list of 14 challenges and 13 best practices they had to apply to maintain their projects in the track and support their teams in this such difficult moment. The author concluded that was a disruptive moment for both workers and companies. Increased quality of life and flexible schedules were identified as a great benefit. On the other hand, much more dedicated work-hours were needed to maintain projects productivity.Com o avanço da tecnologia, tal como a internet e os meios de comunicação o mundo ficou muito mais conectado. As pessoas passaram a encurtar a distancia fisica através de facilidades tecnologicas. Esse avanço não afetou apenas o lado social da humanidade, mas abriu portas para que as organizações também pudessem usufruir desses beneficios. As pessoas foram capacitadas e incentivadas a trabalhar de casa. As empresas viram uma oportunidade de reduzir custos e obter os mais qualificados profissionais independente de sua posição geografica. Desta forma, a gestão de projetos com equipas remotas passou a ter um relevante lugar dentro das organizações. Diante da situação pandêmica que o mundo está a ultrapassar, trabalhar remotamente deixou de ser opção e passou a ser a forma de seguirmos em frente. Existem incontaveis estudos na comunidade cientifica a dissertar sobre gestao de projetos, seus riscos, desafios, melhores praticas, ferramentas e outros assuntos pertinentes. Mas somente um grupo pequeno e restrito de estudos estão diretamente relacionados com a gestão de projetos remota e equipas remotas. Para preencher essa lacuna, esse estudo visa identificar os principais desafios da gestão de projetos remota, bem como as práticas para mitiga-los. Para avaliar e demonstrar os resultados, 30 entrevistas qualitativas e 69 questionarios foram aplicados com gestores de projetos que estão desenvolvendo suas atividades de modo remoto 100% do tempo após o inicio da pandemia Covid-19. No final, pode-se ver uma lista de 14 desafios e 13 boas praticas que foram adotadas para manter seus projetos em dia e apoiar suas equipas nesse momento tão dificil. O autor conclui que foi um momento disruptivo tanto para os trabalhadores quanto para as empresas. Aumento da qualidade de vida e horarios mais flexiveis foram vistos como um grande beneficio. Em contra-partida, foram necessarias muito mais horas de dedicacao ao trabalho para que fosse possivel manter a produtividade dos projetos

Kansainvälinen ohjelmistokehitys : Ongelmat projektinhallinnassa ja hajautetuissa tiimeissä

Globalisaatio on prosessi, joka on jo vuosia vaikuttanut voimakkaasti yhteiskunnan kehitykseen. Ohjelmistokehitys ei tässä trendissä muodosta poikkeusta. Ohjelmistokehityksessä globalisaatio näkyy suunnittelu- ja kehitystyön, etenkin ohjelmistojen toteutuksen ja testauksen, hajautumisena useamman valtion alueelle. Kyse on pienimmillään siitä, että työ suoritetaan eri maassa, kuin mistä se tilataan. Laajimmillaan hajautuksessa työtä suoritetaan useassa eri maassa tai kohteessa. Tässä työssä tarkastellaan teknologisen kehityksen mahdollistamaa kansainvälistä ja hajautettua ohjelmistokehitystä. Kansainvälinen ohjelmistokehitys on lisääntynyt jo vuosia ja tietyillä toimialoilla sen voi ajatella olevan jo alan yleinen normi. Kansainvälisesti hajautetulla ohjelmistokehityksellä saavutetaan monia etuja, mutta siihen liittyy myös vaikeuksia, joita ei aina osata ottaa riittävästi huomioon. Tämän takia hajautettujen ohjelmistokehitysprojektien epäonnistumisprosentti on korkea verrattuna paikallisesti toteutettuihin kehitysprojekteihin. Työn tarkastelun näkökulmana on projektinhallinta kansainvälisessä sovelluskehityksessä sekä hajautettujen tiimien toiminta. Työssä selvitetään, millaisia ongelmia kyseisten projektien hallintaan sekä virtuaalitiimien toimintaan liittyy ja miten ongelmien vaikutuksia voi minimoida tai poistaa. Työ on toteutettu narratiivisena kirjallisuuskatsauksena. Aineiston haussa on käytetty Internetistä löytyviä hakutietokantoja, joista on ollut luontevaa olettaa löytyvän tietojärjestelmätieteeseen liittyviä tutkimuksia ja artikkeleita. Aineistohaku on rajattu englanninkieliseen aineistoon. Hakusanoina tietokannoissa on käytetty kansainväliseen ja hajautettuun sovelluskehitykseen ja virtuaalitiimeihin liittyviä sanoja. Merkittävimpinä hyötyinä ohjelmistokehityksen kansainvälistymisessä nähdään muun muassa siitä saatavat kustannussäästöt sekä mahdollisuus rekrytoida osaavaa työvoimaa. Kansainvälisesti hajautetun ohjelmistokehityksen esteet liittyvät työskentelyn maantieteelliseen, ajalliseen, kulttuurilliseen ja organisatoriseen etäisyyteen. Nämä etäisyydet monimutkaistavat hajautetun tai virtuaalisen tiimiin toimintaa verrattuna paikallisesti työskentelevään tiimiin. Esteisiin on pyrittävä vastaamaan sopeuttamalla käytetyt projektinhallinnan menetelmät hajautettuun työskentelyyn. Erityistä huolta on pidettävä siitä, että hajautetun työryhmän roolit ja sisäinen vastuunjako ovat kaikille ryhmän jäsenille selkeitä. Jos hajautetun työryhmän jäsenet tulevat erilaisilta kielialueilta ja kulttuurisista taustoista, on ryhmän johtamisessa varmistettava, että kaikki osallistujat jakavat yhteisen vision tehtävästä ja kommunikaatio hoidetaan niin, että väärinkäsitykset pystytään minimoimaan. Kansainvälisesti hajautetulla ohjelmistokehityksellä saavutetun kokonaishyödyn laskeminen on vaikeaa, koska osa kustannuksista on piileviä ja sen takia hankalia vertailla saavutettuihin hyötyihin. Kansainvälisellä ohjelmistokehityksellä katsotaan saavutetun merkittäviä hyötyjä, joskin hyödyt ovat monesti tavoiteltuja vaatimattomampia. Työssä tunnistetut ongelmat vastaavat keskeisiä projektinhallinnan yleisiä osa-alueita. Odotetusti hajautettujen tiimien keskeiset vaikeudet liittyivät tiedonvälitykseen ja kommunikointiin

Desenvolvimento Descentralizado de Software na Força Aérea

A Força Aérea, ramo com forte pendor tecnológico, dispõe dum conjunto de sistemas de informação, construídos à sua medida, que visam auxiliar os seus processos de negócio. A missão de construir tais sistemas está cometida à Repartição de Sistemas de Informação da Direção de Comunicações e Sistemas de Informação, através dum modelo centralizado de desenvolvimento de software. Porém, a incapacidade de atrair e reter recursos humanos qualificados na área das tecnologias de informação torna cada vez mais complicada a missão desta repartição. Através de uma metodologia de raciocínio dedutivo, assente numa estratégia qualitativa, e no desenho de pesquisa de estudo de caso, este trabalho visa avaliar a possibilidade da Força Aérea adotar um modelo de desenvolvimento de software descentralizado, aproveitando o conhecimento existente nas suas unidades, em prol da missão. Partindo da análise das linhas gerais do modelo, complementado com experiências e exemplos de aplicabilidade em organizações civis, concluiu-se que poderá acrescentar valor ao desenvolvimento de software na Força Aérea, permitindo que militares fora da esfera da Direção de Comunicações e Sistemas de Informação, mas por ela coordenados e supervisionados, possam desenvolver software, criando sinergias que respondem à continua procura por novas soluções informáticas, utilizando os escassos recursos disponíveis. Abstract: The Air Force, as a technological branch disposes of a variety of information systems, that aim the support of its core business processes. The mission of building such systems is entrusted on the Information Systems Division of the Communications and Information Systems Department, through a centralized model of software development. However, the inability to attract and retain qualified human resources in the area of information technology makes the mission of this Division increasingly complex. Using a deductive reasoning methodology, based on a qualitative strategy, and the case study research design, this study aims to evaluate the possibility of the adoption, by the Air Force of a decentralized software development model, taking advantage of the existing knowledge in its Base Units, on its mission’s best favor. This study consubstantiates the basis of this model, complemented by the experiences and examples of its applicability in civil organizations, concluded that could add value to software development in the Air Force, allowing military personnel outside the sphere of the Communications and Information Systems Department, coordinated and supervised by this department, could develop software, promoting the creation of synergies aiming to respond to the continuous search for new IT solutions with the scarce resources available.N/

A Systematic Approach to Setting Up Distributed Global Collaborations for Software-based Products in the Automotive Domain

There is an increasing need for organizations to collaborate with internal and external partners on a global scale for creating software-based products and services. Many aspects and risks need to be addressed when setting up such global collaborations. Different types of collaborations such as engineering collaborations or innovation-focused collaborations need to be considered. Further aspects such as cultural and social aspects, coordination, infrastructure, organizational change process, and communication issues need to be examined. Although there are already experiences available with respect to setting up global collaborations, they are mainly focusing on certain specific areas. An overall holistic approach that guides companies in systematically setting up global collaborations for software-based products is widely missing. The goal of this thesis is to analyze existing literature and related information and to extract topics that need be taken into account while establishing global software development collaborations - to identify solutions, risks, success factors, strategies, good experiences as well as good examples. This information is structured in a way so that it can be used by companies as a well-grounded holistic approach to guide companies effectively in setting up long-term global collaborations in the domain 'software development'. The presented approach is based on scientific findings reported in literature, driven by industry needs, and confirmed by industry experts. The content of the thesis consists of two main parts: In the first part a literature study analyzes existing experience reports, case studies and other available literature in order to identify what aspects and practices need to be considered by organizations when setting up global collaborations in the domain software development. Secondly, based on the results from the literature review and consultation with the industrial partner Daimler AG, the identified aspects and practices are structured and prioritized in the form of activity roadmaps, which present a holistic guide for setting up global collaborations. The developed guidance worksheet, the so-called 'Global canvas', is meant to be a guide and reminder of all major activities that are necessary to perform when doing global collaborations for software-based products and services. The main contributions of this thesis are an analysis of the state of the practice in setting-up of global software development collaborations, identification of aspects and successful practices that need to be addressed by organizations when doing global collaborations for software-based products and services and the creation of a holistic approach that presents scientific findings to industry in an effective and credible way and guides companies in systematically setting up global collaborations

Recomendação de revisores de código no desenvolvimento distribuído de software

Code review is one of the main software defect mitigation techniques. Intrinsically collaborative, the process involves the analysis of source code modifications by technical peer in adherence to the guidelines of each repository. However, the efficiency of this approach is directly associated with choosing the appropriate technical peers to conduct the scrutiny. Especially in global software development, where members of the development team are geographically scattered with time and availability constraints and there are cultural and technical differences, choosing the reviewer becomes a complex task without the aid of computational tools. The aim of this paper is to present Gitrev, a tool that gathers reviewer recommendation methods for distributed software development that enhance collaboration in the review process. Taking into account the particularities of decentralised production processes, the proposed methods are based on historical interactions between developers, through the design of a collaborative network based on data from GitHub hosted open source repositories. The evaluation of the presented solution is a historic research based on the related literature and objective metrics of efficiency of the reviewers’ participation and instantiated on four major projects available on the platform. The results shows the recommended reviewers enhance interaction and collaboration among team members and adhere significantly to the objectives of the review process.A revisão de código é uma das principais técnicas de diminuição de defeitos de software. Intrinsecamente colaborativo, o processo envolve a análise das modificações no código fonte por um revisor, de acordo com as diretrizes de cada repositório. Contudo, a eficiência da técnica está diretamente associada à escolha dos pares técnicos adequados para realizar o escrutínio. Especialmente no Desenvolvimento Distribuído de Software (DDS), onde os membros da equipe de desenvolvimento estão espalhados geograficamente com restrições de horário e disponibilidade, além de diferenças culturais e técnicas, a escolha do revisor vira tarefa complexa sem auxílio de ferramentas computacionais. O objetivo do presente trabalho é apresentar o GitRev, uma plataforma que reúne diferentes métodos de recomendação de revisores para o desenvolvimento distribuído de software, potencializando a colaboração no processo de revisão. Levando em consideração as particularidades dos processos descentralizados de produção, são propostos métodos baseados nas interações históricas entre os desenvolvedores. Esta análise é realizada através da modelagem de uma rede social colaborativa tendo como base os dados oriundos dos repositórios open source hospedados no GitHub. Uma pesquisa histórica é conduzida para avaliar a solução apresentada, calcada na literatura relacionada e em métricas objetivas de eficiência da participação dos revisores e instanciado em quatro grandes projetos disponíveis na plataforma. Com os resultados obtidos, é possível observar que os revisores recomendados aumentam a interação e colaboração entre os envolvidos e aderem significativamente aos objetivos do processo de revisão