Title :
A Perspective-Based Model of Quality for Software Engineering Processes
Author :
Kroeger, Trent ; Davidson, Neil
Author_Institution :
Centre of Excellence in Defence & Ind. Syst. Capability, Univ. of South Australia, Adelaide, SA
Abstract :
Increasingly, software engineering organisations are defining and implementing processes as a means to support, guide and control project execution. An assumption underlying this process-centric approach to business improvement is that the quality of the process will influence the quality, cost and time-to-release of the software produced. Given this presumed relationship, a critical question arises of what constitutes quality for software engineering processes. This paper describes the results of research undertaken to investigate this question and presents a perspective-based model of quality for software engineering processes that is derived from the stated experiences of software engineering practitioners. The model proposes that practitioners perceive the overall quality of a process with respect to the four quality attributes of suitability, usability, manageability and evolvability and that these judgements are influenced by key process properties and environmental factors. The paper also suggests how knowledge of these quality attributes, properties, environmental factors and their relationships can be practically applied to support software process engineering activities.
Keywords :
environmental factors; project management; software maintenance; software metrics; software quality; software reusability; business improvement; environmental factor; perspective-based model; project execution; quality attribute; software cost; software evolvability; software manageability; software process engineering; software quality; software suitability; software usability; Australia; Computer industry; Costs; Electrical equipment industry; Environmental factors; Environmental management; Industrial control; Software engineering; Software quality; Usability; grounded theory; process quality attributes; quality model; software process;
Conference_Titel :
Software Engineering Conference, 2009. ASWEC '09. Australian
Conference_Location :
Gold Coast, QLD
Print_ISBN :
978-0-7695-3599-9
DOI :
10.1109/ASWEC.2009.40