Cross-Organizational Software Development: Design and Evaluation of a Decision Support System for Software Component Outsourcing

While the decision to outsource software development tasks was mainly considered strategically and economically, it relies on technical properties of single components and their integrability into complex systems, as well. This paper suggests a decision model that evaluates technical properties of software components to support the outsourcing decision with its implications on the cross-organizational distribution of development tasks. Following a design science approach decision criteria are deduced and logically combined in order to design a decision model. The model is then used to implement a mobile prototype for a decision support system in order to classify all software components regarding their outsourcing applicability. Both model and tool are evaluated in depth: we examine the quality of model and tool in a naturalistic and experimental evaluation setting. The overall satisfaction with utility, ease of use and intention to use is very positive

Entwicklung und Umsetzung eines Entscheidungsunterstützungssystems für das Outsourcing in der komponentenbasierten Softwareentwicklung

Software wird heutzutage oftmals unter Einbeziehung eines oder mehrerer Zulieferbetriebe erstellt. Die Verteilung der zu erstellenden Softwarekomponenten zwischen den einzelnen Entwicklerteams stellt dabei eine besondere Herausforderung dar, um ein auslieferbares Gesamtsystem zu erhalten. Zu diesem Zweck wird in diesem Buch die Entwicklung und Umsetzung eines Entscheidungsunterstützungssystems beschrieben, mit dessen Hilfe alle Komponenten einer Softwarearchitektur hinsichtlich ihrer Eignung für das Outsourcing klassifiziert werden können. Neben der theoretischen Herleitung eines entsprechenden Entscheidungsmodells werden die Implementierung eines zugehörigen Entscheidungsunterstützungssystems und dessen systematische Evaluation in diesem Buch dargelegt

GLOBALLY DISTRIBUTED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT IN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN GERMANY: REASONS, LOCATIONS, AND OBSTACLES

Many large enterprises develop their software nowadays in globally distributed settings. By using the option to outsource, the respective enterprises can realize decisive competitive advantages. In order to remain competitive, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are also forced to follow this trend and to outsource parts of their software development. However, most of the existing studies analyze the outsourcing situation in large enterprises, whereas the position of SMEs is being neglected and remains unclear. Main drivers for software development outsourcing decisions, suitable vendor locations, and problems occurring while realizing such projects may differ between large enterprises and SMEs. Therefore, in this explorative research paper we examine the outsourcing activities of eight SMEs in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Besides the question why SMEs are choosing the outsourcing option we seek to find out, which countries are best suited for outsourcing activities of SMEs as well as which obstacles in particular hinder these enterprises in successfully conducting software development outsourcing

Primary Prevention of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Large-for-Gestational-Age Newborns by Lifestyle Counseling: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

In a cluster-randomized trial, Riitta Luoto and colleagues find that counseling on diet and activity can reduce the birthweight of babies born to women at risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but fail to find an effect on GDM

Software Component Allocation in Distributed Development Settings

Abstract. Outsourcing in software development projects has become a widely adopted utility model for dealing with competitive issues such as cost pressure and the lack of skilled human resources. Established outsourcing relationships in terms of captive offshoring centers or clientvendor partnerships are prone to fail due to the lack of qualified outsourcing decisions for the allocation of software components to either in-house or external/offshored development. Therefore, this design-oriented research endeavor aims at developing a methodology and a corresponding tool to inform and improve the outsourcing decision in global software development projects on the basis of software components. For that reason, the results of explorative case studies researching outsourcing decision making as well as concepts of collaborative software development are combined and form the proposed methodology for supporting project leads in decision making and in avoiding of instinctive and spontaneous decisions on the allocation of software components.

Entwicklung und Umsetzung eines Entscheidungsunterstützungssystems für das Outsourcing in der komponentenbasierten Softwareentwicklung

Software wird heutzutage oftmals unter Einbeziehung eines oder mehrerer Zulieferbetriebe erstellt. Die Verteilung der zu erstellenden Softwarekomponenten zwischen den einzelnen Entwicklerteams stellt dabei eine besondere Herausforderung dar, um ein auslieferbares Gesamtsystem zu erhalten. Zu diesem Zweck wird in diesem Buch die Entwicklung und Umsetzung eines Entscheidungsunterstützungssystems beschrieben, mit dessen Hilfe alle Komponenten einer Softwarearchitektur hinsichtlich ihrer Eignung für das Outsourcing klassifiziert werden können. Neben der theoretischen Herleitung eines entsprechenden Entscheidungsmodells werden die Implementierung eines zugehörigen Entscheidungsunterstützungssystems und dessen systematische Evaluation in diesem Buch dargelegt