scholarly journals An empirical Study Investigation of Task Allocation Process Barriers in the Context of Offshore Software Development Outsourcing: An Organization Size Based Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-128
Author(s):  
Muhammad Akbar et. al.
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Task Allocation ◽  
Organization Size ◽  
Allocation Process ◽  
Software Development Outsourcing

scholarly journals A Multicriteria Approach to Support Task Allocation in Projects of Distributed Software Development

Complexity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Marum Simão Filho ◽  
Plácido R. Pinheiro ◽  
Adriano B. Albuquerque ◽  
Régis P. S. Simão ◽  
Raimundo S. N. Azevedo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Decision Analysis ◽  
Task Allocation ◽  
Task Assignment ◽  
Task Type ◽  
Distributed Software Development ◽  
Distributed Software ◽  
Allocation Process ◽  
Verbal Decision Analysis ◽  
Automated Tools

Organizations are increasingly investing in Distributed Software Development (DSD) over the years. A typical decision-making problem in the distributed scenario consists of deciding which team should be allocated each task. That decision takes into account a relative degree of subjectivity. That setting is suitable for applying Verbal Decision Analysis (VDA). This paper introduces an approach to support the allocation of tasks to distributed units in DSD projects, structured on the hybridisation of methods of Verbal Decision Analysis for classification and rank ordering applied to influencing factors and executing units. Firstly, a review of the literature was conducted aiming to identify the approaches to support the allocation of tasks in DSD contexts. Then, an approach was developed by applying VDA-based methods for classification and ordering. Bibliographic research and the application of surveys with professionals allowed identifying and characterising the main elements that influence task assignment in DSD projects. Afterwards, experiences were carried out in five real-world companies. In the end, the proposed approach has been submitted to the evaluation by the professionals of the participating companies and by some project management experts. The proposed approach comprises a workflow containing responsible actors and descriptions of the activities. Automated tools are also employed in automating the implementation of the approach. After applying the approach in five companies, task assignment recommendations are presented in groups for each company, according to the task type, i.e., requirements, architecture, coding, and testing, ranging from the most to the least preferable office. Results of the experiences and evaluations held during this work present evidence that the proposed approach is flexible, adaptable, and easy to understand and to use. Moreover, it helps to reduce decision subjectivity and to think of new aspects, supporting the task allocation process in DSD.

scholarly journals A Decentralized Framework for Managing Task Allocation in Distributed Software Engineering

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 10633
Author(s):  
Chetna Gupta ◽  
Varun Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Task Allocation ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Distributed Software Development ◽  
Development Environment ◽  
Distributed Software ◽  
Allocation Process ◽  
Dependency Type ◽  
Software Practitioners

In distributed software development, planning and managing fair and transparent task allocation is both critical and challenging. The objective of this paper is to propose a decentralized blockchain-oriented, transparent task allocation framework to improve the quality of the task allocation process. It addresses the concerns of (i) enhancing collaboration, (ii) inhibiting knowledge vaporization, and (iii) reducing documentation problems. The proposed method is a novel two-fold process: First, it identifies and categorizes tasks exhibiting different dependencies and complexities to create equal task clusters based on their dependency type, difficulty, cost, and time. Second, it uses a blockchain-oriented framework to broadcast, check bid validity, allow developers to bid on tasks matching their roles and expertise, evaluate, and announce the winner for task allocation using smart contracts. Results of experimentation, surveys, and interviews with software practitioners conclude that the proposed solution is transparent and effective in allocating tasks (with Cranach’s alpha of 0.894) at a low cost of contract execution in a distributed software development environment. Overall, the proposed approach will have a positive and significant impact in industrial settings.

scholarly journals The best task allocation process is to decide on one’s own: effects of the allocation agent in human–robot interaction on perceived work characteristics and satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Tausch ◽  
Annette Kluge
Keyword(s):  
Task Allocation ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Work Characteristics ◽  
Allocation Decision ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
Organizational Unit ◽  
Allocation Process ◽  
Task Identity

AbstractNew technologies are ever evolving and have the power to change human work for the better or the worse depending on the implementation. For human–robot interaction (HRI), it is decisive how humans and robots will share tasks and who will be in charge for decisions on task allocation. The aim of this online experiment was to examine the influence of different decision agents on the perception of a task allocation process in HRI. We assume that inclusion of the worker in the allocation will create more perceived work resources and will lead to more satisfaction with the allocation and the work results than a decision made by another agent. To test these hypotheses, we used a fictional production scenario where tasks were allocated to the participant and a robot. The allocation decision was either made by the robot, by an organizational unit, or by the participants themselves. We then looked for differences between those conditions. Our sample consisted of 151 people. In multiple ANOVAs, we could show that satisfaction with the allocation process, the solution, and with the result of the work process was higher in the condition where participants themselves were given agency in the allocation process compared to the other two. Those participants also experienced more task identity and autonomy. This has implications for the design of allocation processes: The inclusion of workers in task allocation can play a crucial role in leveraging the acceptance of HRI and in designing humane work systems in Industry 4.0.

Distributed task allocation for multiple heterogeneous UAVs based on consensus algorithm and online cooperative strategy

2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (9) ◽  
pp. 1464-1473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weinan Wu ◽  
Naigang Cui ◽  
Wenzhao Shan ◽  
Xiaogang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Task Allocation ◽  
Consensus Algorithm ◽  
Communication Link ◽  
Communication Mode ◽  
Cooperative Strategy ◽  
Bayesian Theorem ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Distributed Framework ◽  
Allocation Process ◽  
Distributed Task Allocation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a distributed task allocation method for cooperative mission planning of multiple heterogeneous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on the consensus algorithm and the online cooperative strategy. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the allocation process is conducted in a distributed framework. The cooperative task allocation problem is proposed with constraints and uncertainties in a real mission. The algorithm based on the consensus algorithm and the online cooperative strategy is proposed for this problem. The local chain communication mode is adopted to restrict the bandwidth of the communication link among the UAVs, and two simulation tests are given to test the optimality and rapidity of the proposed algorithm. Findings This method can handle both continuous and discrete uncertainties in the mission space, and the proposed algorithm can obtain a feasible solution in allowable time. Research limitations/implications This study is only applied to the case that the total number of the UAVs is less than 15. Practical implications This study is expected to be practical for a real mission with uncertain targets. Originality/value The proposed algorithm can go beyond previous works that only deal with continuous uncertainties, and the Bayesian theorem is adopted for estimation of the target.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document