Dirk Hamann

Bio: Dirk Hamann is an academic researcher from Fraunhofer Society. The author has contributed to research in topics: Software development process & Software development. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 16 publications receiving 184 citations. Previous affiliations of Dirk Hamann include University of Navarra.

Support for the Process Engineer: The Spearmint Approach to Software Process Definition and Process Guidance

Abstract: The software development process and its related activities are described, implemented, analyzed, and changed by so-called Process Engineers. Process Engineers provide descriptions of software development processes to Process Performers. Because the processes usually are complex, support is needed for both Process Engineers and Process Performers. This paper reports the development and application of the process modeling environment Spearmint. The architecture of Spearmint allows for a flexible definition and addition of views which are used for retrieving filtered and tailored presentations of the process models. One distinct view, namely the Electronic Process Guide used for dissemination of process information and guidance of Process Performers, is discussed in more detail. The Spearmint environment has been validated in industrial process engineering cases.

Applications of measurement in product-focused process improvement: a comparative industrial case study

Abstract: In ESPRIT project PROFES, measurement according to the Goal/Question/Metric (GQM) approach is conducted in industrial software projects at Drager Medical Technology, Ericsson Finland, and Schlumberger Retail Petroleum Systems. A comparative case study investigates three different ways of applying GQM in product-focused process improvement: long-term GQM measurement programmes at the application sites to better understand and improve software products and processes; GQM-based construction and validation of product/process dependency models, which describe the process impact on software quality; and cost/benefit investigation of the PROFES improvement methodology using GQM for (meta-) analysis of improvement programmes. This paper outlines how GQM is applied for these three purposes.

A product-process dependency definition method

Abstract: The success of most software companies depends largely on software product quality. High product quality is usually a result of advanced software development processes. Hence, improvement actions should be selected based on sound knowledge about the dependencies between software product quality attributes and software development processes. This article describes a method for developing product/process dependency models (PPDMs) for product-driven software process improvement. The basic idea of the PPDM approach is that there are dependencies between product quality attributes, which are examined according to ISO 9126, and the software processes, which are assessed with the BOOTSTRAP methodology for example. The Goal-Question-Metric approach is used for product/process dependency hypothesis generation, analysis, and validation. We claim that after finding and using these dependencies it is possible to focus improvement activities precisely and use resources more efficiently. The approach is currently being applied in three industrial applications in the ESPRIT project PROFES. (Less)

Adapting PROFES for use in an agile process : An industry experience report

Abstract: Background: Agile methods are starting to get established not only in new business organizations, but also in organizations dealing with innovation and early product development in more traditional branches like automotive industry. Customers of those organizations demand a specified quality of the delivered products. Objective: Adapt the PROFES Improvement Methodology for use in an industrial, agile process context, to ensure more predictable product quality. Method: An explorative case study at BMW Car IT, which included several structured interviews with stakeholders such as customers and developers. Result: Adapted PROFES methodology with regard to agility and initial product-process dependencies, which partially confirm some of the original PROFES findings. Conclusion: The cost-value ratio of applying PROFES as an improvement methodology in an agile environment has to be carefully considered.

A product-process dependency definition method

Abstract: The success of most software companies depends largely on software product quality. High product quality is usually a result of advanced software development processes. Hence, improvement actions should be selected based on sound knowledge about the dependencies between software product quality attributes and software development processes. The article describes a method for developing product/process dependency models (PPDMs) for product driven software process improvement. The basic idea of the PPDM approach is that there are dependencies between product quality attributes, which are examined according to ISO 9126, and the software processes, which are assessed with the BOOTSTRAP methodology for example. The Goal-Question-Metric approach is used for product/process dependency hypothesis generation, analysis, and validation. We claim that after finding and using these dependencies, it is possible to focus improvement activities precisely and use resources more efficiently. The approach is currently being applied in three industrial applications in the ESPRIT project PROFES.

The knowledge-creating company : how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation

Abstract: How has Japan become a major economic power, a world leader in the automotive and electronics industries? What is the secret of their success? The consensus has been that, though the Japanese are not particularly innovative, they are exceptionally skilful at imitation, at improving products that already exist. But now two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hiro Takeuchi, turn this conventional wisdom on its head: Japanese firms are successful, they contend, precisely because they are innovative, because they create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies. Examining case studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, 3M, GE, and the U.S. Marines, this book reveals how Japanese companies translate tacit to explicit knowledge and use it to produce new processes, products, and services.

Evaluation and Measurement of Software Process Improvement—A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract: BACKGROUND-Software Process Improvement (SPI) is a systematic approach to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a software development organization and to enhance software products. OBJECTIVE-This paper aims to identify and characterize evaluation strategies and measurements used to assess the impact of different SPI initiatives. METHOD-The systematic literature review includes 148 papers published between 1991 and 2008. The selected papers were classified according to SPI initiative, applied evaluation strategies, and measurement perspectives. Potential confounding factors interfering with the evaluation of the improvement effort were assessed. RESULTS-Seven distinct evaluation strategies were identified, wherein the most common one, “Pre-Post Comparison,” was applied in 49 percent of the inspected papers. Quality was the most measured attribute (62 percent), followed by Cost (41 percent), and Schedule (18 percent). Looking at measurement perspectives, “Project” represents the majority with 66 percent. CONCLUSION-The evaluation validity of SPI initiatives is challenged by the scarce consideration of potential confounding factors, particularly given that “Pre-Post Comparison” was identified as the most common evaluation strategy, and the inaccurate descriptions of the evaluation context. Measurements to assess the short and mid-term impact of SPI initiatives prevail, whereas long-term measurements in terms of customer satisfaction and return on investment tend to be less used.

Continuous software engineering and beyond: trends and challenges

Abstract: Throughout its short history, software development has been characterized by harmful disconnects between important activities e.g., planning, development and implementation. The problem is further exacerbated by the episodic and infrequent performance of activities such as planning, testing, integration and releases. Several emerging phenomena reflect attempts to address these problems. For example, the Enterprise Agile concept has emerged as a recognition that the benefits of agile software development will be sub- optimal if not complemented by an agile approach in related organizational function such as finance and HR. Continuous integration is a practice which has emerged to eliminate discontinuities between development and deployment. In a similar vein, the recent emphasis on DevOps recognizes that the integration between software development and its operational deployment needs to be a continuous one. We argue a similar continuity is required between business strategy and development, BizDev being the term we coin for this. These disconnects are even more problematic given the need for reliability and resilience in the complex and data-intensive systems being developed today. Drawing on the lean concept of flow, we identify a number of continuous activities which are important for software development in today’s context. These activities include continuous planning, continuous integration, continuous deployment, continuous delivery, continuous verification, continuous testing, continuous compliance,continuous security, continuous use, continuous trust, continuous run-time monitoring, continuous improvement (both process and product), all underpinned by continuous innovation. We use the umbrella term, ``Continuous *'' (continuous star) to identify this family of continuous activities.

Process Guides: Effective Guidance for Process Participants

Abstract: A process guide is a reference document for a particular process, providing assistance to process participants in carrying out that process. Although most organizations have such documents (e.g., standards, manuals), they are frequently deficient in both form and content, and often go unused. This paper describes a program of applied research on improving both the usefulness and usability of process guides. It first discusses an exemplary paper-based process guide. It then describes a prototype web-based Electronic Process Guide (EPG). The paper then introduces a key element of our vision for the future, Collaborative Process Guides (CPGs), which will be integrated with other forms of process technology as well as with collaboration technology. An incremental plan is outlined for developing and maturing the "technology" for this advanced process guidance (EPGs and CPGs). This plan can also be interpreted as a strategy for incrementally introducing process technology into an organization, avoiding user resistance and overcoming some of the perceived drawbacks of process-sensitive software engineering environments.