The situational method engineering (SME) literature is surveyed and a synoptic evaluation presented in the context of formalizing and regularizing the conceptual framework and underpinning theory. Metamodels proposed for use in SME are evaluated as well as high- level process models for method construction. Method fragments and method chunks are then described formally followed by their identification and creation (from existing methods, from scratch or from past usage). Method creation is then analyzed in terms of various processes for constructing a full methodology from the method fragments/chunks. In particular, we contrast the use of the "map" technique and of the "deontic matrix" technique. The survey is concluded with an evaluation of some ideas on method tailoring and the emerging research on quality evaluation applied to SME.

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Situational method engineering: State-of-the-art review

: Very little published evidence exists about the impact of the Capability Maturity ModeiSm (CMM) or CMM-based appraisals on subsequent software process improvement and organizational performance. A few credible case studies do exist, but it is uncertain how widely their results apply. We present evidence here from a much broader cross section of software organizations. Our results suggest that process maturity does indeed pay off in better product quality, ability to meet schedule commitments, and other indicators of organizational performance. The vast majority of survey respondents also report that their appraisals proved to be highly accurate and useful in guiding their subsequent process improvement efforts. Not all organizations have been equally successful, however, and improvement often takes longer and costs more than expected. We identify several factors, most of them under management control, that distinguish more successful from less successful organizations.

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After the Appraisal: A Systematic Survey of Process Improvement, its Benefits, and Factors that Influence Success.

http://doras.dcu.ie/16737/1/Investigating_Software_Process_in_Practice.pdf

Investigating software process in practice: A grounded theory perspective

Process-oriented information systems (IS) aim at the computerized support of business processes. So far, contemporary IS have often fail to meet this goal. To better understand this drawback, to systematically identify its rationales, and to derive critical success factors for business process support, we conducted three empirical studies: an exploratory case study in the automotive domain, an online survey among 79 information technology professionals, and another online survey among 70 business process management experts. This paper summarizes the findings of these studies, puts them in relation with each other, and uses them to show that ";process orientation"; is scarce and ";process awareness"; is needed in IS engineering.

/pdf/unleashing-the-effectiveness-of-process-oriented-information-3qt8ly8fcu.pdf

Unleashing the Effectiveness of Process-Oriented Information Systems: Problem Analysis, Critical Success Factors, and Implications

While previously available methodologies for software like those published in the early days of object technology claimed to be appropriate for every conceivable project, situational method engineering (SME) acknowledges that most projects typically have individual characteristics and situations. Thus, finding the most effective methodology for a particular project needs specific tailoring to that situation. Such a tailored software development methodology needs to take into account all the bits and pieces needed for an organization to develop software, including the software process, the input and output work products, the people involved, the languages used to describe requirements, design, code, and eventually also measures of success or failure. The authors have structured the book into three parts. Part I deals with all the basic concepts, terminology and overall ideas underpinning situational method engineering. As a summary of this part, they present a formal meta-model that enables readers to create their own quality methods and supporting tools. In Part II, they explain how to implement SME in practice, i.e., how to find method components and put them together and how to evaluate the resulting method. For illustration, they also include several industry case studies of customized or constructed processes, highlighting the impact that high-quality engineered methods can have on the success of an industrial software development. Finally, Part III summarizes some of the more recent and forward-looking ideas. This book presents the first summary of the state of the art for SME. For academics, it provides a comprehensive conceptual framework and discusses new research areas. For lecturers, thanks to its step-by-step explanations from basics to the customization and quality assessment of constructed methods, it serves as a solid basis for comprehensive courses on the topic. For industry methodologists, it offers a reference guide on features and technologies to consider when developing in-house software development methods or customising and adopting off-the-shelf ones.

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Situational Method Engineering

In June 1991, the International Standards group for Software Engineering approved a study period to investigate the need and requirements for a standard for software process management. A new international work item has been subsequently raised. The resulting project is named SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination). The project aims to build on the best features of existing software assessment methods.

Alec Dorling

Papers

SPICE: Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination

SPICE: Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination