Knowledge Management and Quality Control in Software Outsourcing Projects

2022 ◽  
pp. 1484-1510
Author(s):  
Rajorshi Sen Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Software Projects ◽  
Software Development Project ◽  
Critical Knowledge

This article describes how entrepreneurs face critical risks in terms of quality control and knowledge management while outsourcing software development to independent service providers. First, it is recommended that lump-sum payment contracts should be avoided since software development project involves uncertainty. Instead, a variable payment contingent on observed quality can induce the service provider to exert optimal effort on the project. Second, entrepreneurs must not overlook the importance of providing economic incentives. They can protect their intellectual property by withholding critical knowledge and paying information rents in terms of higher than market wages to the service providers. Third, a startling result is that a low wage nation is not necessarily the optimal location to outsource software development projects. Thus, high wage-strong IPR nations might be chosen instead of low wage-weak IPR nations. Finally, the article explains the apparent paradox that software projects are often outsourced to locations that are characterized by weak intellectual property rights regime and high propensity of imitation.

Knowledge Management and Quality Control in Software Outsourcing Projects

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 31-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajorshi Sen Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Apparent Paradox ◽  
Software Development Project ◽  
Lump Sum

This article describes how entrepreneurs face critical risks in terms of quality control and knowledge management while outsourcing software development to independent service providers. First, it is recommended that lump-sum payment contracts should be avoided since software development project involves uncertainty. Instead, a variable payment contingent on observed quality can induce the service provider to exert optimal effort on the project. Second, entrepreneurs must not overlook the importance of providing economic incentives. They can protect their intellectual property by withholding critical knowledge and paying information rents in terms of higher than market wages to the service providers. Third, a startling result is that a low wage nation is not necessarily the optimal location to outsource software development projects. Thus, high wage-strong IPR nations might be chosen instead of low wage-weak IPR nations. Finally, the article explains the apparent paradox that software projects are often outsourced to locations that are characterized by weak intellectual property rights regime and high propensity of imitation.

Managing Software Projects with Team Software Process (TSP)

2013 ◽  
pp. 84-117
Author(s):  
Salmiza Saul Hamid ◽  
Mohd Hairul Nizam Md Nasir ◽  
Shamsul Sahibuddin ◽  
Mustaffa Kamal Mohd Nor
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Software Process ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Software Projects ◽  
Engineering Teams ◽  
Software Development Project ◽  
Software Failure ◽  
Team Software Process

Despite the widespread use of sound project management practices and process improvement models over the last several years, the failure of software projects remains a challenge to organisations. As part of the attempt to address software industry challenges, several models, frameworks, and methods have been developed that are intended to improve software processes to produce quality software on time, under budget, and in accordance with previously stipulated functionalities. One of the most widely practised methods is the Team Software Process (TSP). The TSP was designed to provide an operational framework for establishing an effective team environment and guiding engineering teams in their work. This chapter provides an overview of the TSP and its associated structures and processes. It also highlights how the TSP operational framework can assist project manager and software development team to deliver successful projects by controlling and minimizing the most common software failure factors. Comparative analysis between the TSP and conventional project management has also been presented. Additionally, the results of TSP implementation in industrial settings are highlighted with particular reference to scheduling, quality, and productivity. The last section indicates additional advantages of TSP and comments on the future of TSP in the global software development project.

Software Project Managers under the Team Software Process

2012 ◽  
pp. 115-126
Author(s):  
Marcos Ruano-Mayoral ◽  
Ricardo Colomo-Palacios ◽  
Ángel García-Crespo ◽  
Juan Miguel Gómez-Berbís
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Software Process ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Software Project ◽  
Software Projects ◽  
Software Development Project ◽  
Team Software Process ◽  
Definition Of

Despite the clear relevance of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) market in world economics and the evident lack of success of software projects, organizations devote little effort to the development and maturity of the software project manager profession. This work analyzes the figure of project manager from the perspective of the Team Software Process (TSP), and it considers the required skills, attitudes and knowledge for a software development project. The basis for the study is the analysis of relevant references from the literature for their subsequent categorization into different competency concepts. The results of the analysis are compared with the contributions which the Guide to the SWEBOK® and the PMBOK® Guide models provide of the profiles of the project manager. The results indicate that the literature relating to the Team Software Process is focused on the definitions of skills and attitudes, and to a lesser extent on knowledge components. The lack of the definition of the components which comprise competency constitutes a challenge for software development organizations that use TSP, whose project managers should confront the task with full capacities, and without the help of established and recognized competencies. The current work attempts to establish the competencies for project managers identified in the literature, in the environment of the use of TSP for software development, using a study based on content analysis.

scholarly journals Knowledge management in small software development organisations: A South African perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mzwandile M. Shongwe
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Software Process Improvement ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Software Development Project ◽  
Organisational Routines ◽  
Software Development Methodologies ◽  
Knowledge Intensive

Background: Software organisations have been experiencing software development failures since the beginning of software development. Globally, latest Standish Group CHAOS reports indicate that only 29% of projects are successful. In South Africa (SA), the ITWeb report (2013) indicates that only 11% of all projects are successful. Intervention strategies such as software process improvement (SPI) frameworks and new software development methodologies such as agile methods have been introduced to address this issue. These intervention strategies do not seem to be effective because software development projects continue to fail. To address this issue, software organisations are turning to knowledge management (KM). This is because software development is a knowledge-intensive task.Objectives: The study aimed to investigate KM practices in small, medium and micro (SMMEs) software development organisations in SA and to determine if KM has benefited the organisations.Method: Fifteen software development project managers from 15 software development SMMEs were interviewed. Content analysis was used to analyse the data.Results: The study found six KM practices in the organisations: knowledge acquisition, creation, storage, sharing, organisation and application. The study found that KM has benefited organisations by making them effective, efficient and productive.Conclusions: The study concluded that software development organisation have adopted KM, although informally, and that KM practices have improved organisational routines and processes.

Managing Software Projects with Team Software Process (TSP)

2011 ◽  
pp. 149-182
Author(s):  
Salmiza Saul Hamid ◽  
Mohd Hairul Nizam Md Nasir ◽  
Shamsul Sahibuddin ◽  
Mustaffa Kamal Mohd Nor
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Software Process ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Software Projects ◽  
Engineering Teams ◽  
Software Development Project ◽  
Software Failure ◽  
Team Software Process

Despite the widespread use of sound project management practices and process improvement models over the last several years, the failure of software projects remains a challenge to organisations. As part of the attempt to address software industry challenges, several models, frameworks, and methods have been developed that are intended to improve software processes to produce quality software on time, under budget, and in accordance with previously stipulated functionalities. One of the most widely practised methods is the Team Software Process (TSP). The TSP was designed to provide an operational framework for establishing an effective team environment and guiding engineering teams in their work. This chapter provides an overview of the TSP and its associated structures and processes. It also highlights how the TSP operational framework can assist project manager and software development team to deliver successful projects by controlling and minimizing the most common software failure factors. Comparative analysis between the TSP and conventional project management has also been presented. Additionally, the results of TSP implementation in industrial settings are highlighted with particular reference to scheduling, quality, and productivity. The last section indicates additional advantages of TSP and comments on the future of TSP in the global software development project.

Managing Software Projects with Team Software Process (TSP)

2014 ◽  
pp. 1550-1583
Author(s):  
Salmiza Saul Hamid ◽  
Mohd Hairul Nizam Md Nasir ◽  
Shamsul Sahibuddin ◽  
Mustaffa Kamal Mohd Nor
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Software Process ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Software Projects ◽  
Engineering Teams ◽  
Software Development Project ◽  
Software Failure ◽  
Team Software Process

Despite the widespread use of sound project management practices and process improvement models over the last several years, the failure of software projects remains a challenge to organisations. As part of the attempt to address software industry challenges, several models, frameworks, and methods have been developed that are intended to improve software processes to produce quality software on time, under budget, and in accordance with previously stipulated functionalities. One of the most widely practised methods is the Team Software Process (TSP). The TSP was designed to provide an operational framework for establishing an effective team environment and guiding engineering teams in their work. This chapter provides an overview of the TSP and its associated structures and processes. It also highlights how the TSP operational framework can assist project manager and software development team to deliver successful projects by controlling and minimizing the most common software failure factors. Comparative analysis between the TSP and conventional project management has also been presented. Additionally, the results of TSP implementation in industrial settings are highlighted with particular reference to scheduling, quality, and productivity. The last section indicates additional advantages of TSP and comments on the future of TSP in the global software development project.

scholarly journals Analogy-based model for software project effort estimation

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ardiansyah Ardiansyah ◽  
Murein Miksa Mardhia ◽  
Sri Handayaningsih
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Manhattan Distance ◽  
Software Project ◽  
Effort Estimation ◽  
Software Projects ◽  
Software Development Project ◽  
Project Effort ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Project Estimation

Accurate effort estimation of software development plays an important role to predict how much effort should be prepared during the works of a software project so that it can be completed on time and budget. Some sectors, e.g. banking sectors, were renowned fields of software projects, not only due to its huge size of project, but also extremely expensive and takes a long time to completion. Project estimation is essential for software development project able to run on time and budget with maximum quality. This study aims to investigate the accuracy of software project effort estimation with the Analogy method using three parameters: Euclidean, Manhattan and Minkowski distance. Analogy based estimation consists several stage included similarity measure, analogy adaptation, estimation calculation and model evaluation. The results showed that the best combination of Analogy methods was using Manhattan distance with an accuracy of 50% MMRE, 28% MdMRE and Pred(25) 48%. Thus, we can concluded that this model can be used to predict accurately.

Software Project Managers under the Team Software Process

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Ruano-Mayoral ◽  
Ricardo Colomo-Palacios ◽  
Ángel García-Crespo ◽  
Juan Miguel Gómez-Berbís
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Software Process ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Software Project ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Software Projects ◽  
Software Development Project ◽  
Team Software Process

Despite the clear relevance of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) market in world economics and the evident lack of success of software projects, organizations devote little effort to the development and maturity of the software project manager profession. This work analyzes the figure of project manager from the perspective of the Team Software Process (TSP), and it considers the required skills, attitudes and knowledge for a software development project. The basis for the study is the analysis of relevant references from the literature for their subsequent categorization into different competency concepts. The results of the analysis are compared with the contributions which the Guide to the SWEBOK® and the PMBOK® Guide models provide of the profiles of the project manager. The results indicate that the literature relating to the Team Software Process is focused on the definitions of skills and attitudes, and to a lesser extent on knowledge components. The lack of the definition of the components which comprise competency constitutes a challenge for software development organizations that use TSP, whose project managers should confront the task with full capacities, and without the help of established and recognized competencies. The current work attempts to establish the competencies for project managers identified in the literature, in the environment of the use of TSP for software development, using a study based on content analysis.

scholarly journals Suppliers’ software development project start-up practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 880-896
Author(s):  
Helena Merikoski ◽  
Paula Savolainen ◽  
Jarmo J. Ahonen
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Software Development Project ◽  
Business Goals ◽  
Start Up

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a life cycle phase of a software development project which is substantial for the success of the project. This paper visualizes the project start-up phase from suppliers’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach The method is a theory building from case studies. The data were collected from three software supplier firms by conducting process modeling separately in each firm. Findings The study resulted in a model of a supplier’s software project start-up which includes start-up practices and involved roles. The results indicate that project start-up is an integral and structured phase of project life cycle, which influences the execution of a software development project, especially from the supplier’s perspective in the project business context. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on the start-up phase of software development projects delivered to external customers. Therefore, developed project start-up model is applicable as such in software supplier firms. Practical implications The project start-up model presented in this paper indicates that project start-up is a complex and multi-dimensional activity in a supplier firm. This study suggests that if the project start-up phase is clearly defined, planned and followed in a supplier firm, it reduces confusion and miscommunication among the people involved in the project and helps to achieve the business goals of a project. Originality/value This study emphasizes that it is necessary to make a distinction between the perspectives of the customer and the supplier when studying projects in the project business context. The findings contribute the new knowledge for managing outsourced software development projects.

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