CFR5210

Software process modelling and management

J Han

6 points
* 4 hours per week
* Second semester
* Peninsula
* Prerequisite: Software development experience
* Prohibitions: SFT4030

Objectives At the completion of this subject the students should be able to appreciate the importance of software process management to software quality; understand the critical issues of software process management; identify the key practice areas for software process improvement; understand the purpose and limitations of software quality/process standards; select and apply a software process model or framework to a given organisation or project; use the available technologies and tools for software process modelling, management and improvement.

Synopsis The success of software projects requires not only well-qualified individuals but also the support of an orderly software process. This subject addresses the essential issues related to management, modelling, improvement and technology support for the software process. Topics include (1) concepts, principles and issues of software process management: personal processes versus organisational processes, project planning and traceability, organisational involvement and group coordination, quantitative measures, continuous process improvement; (2) standards, frameworks and instantiations of software processes and process improvement: international standards and initiatives for software quality and software processes such as ISO9001 and the SPICE project, models and approaches for software process maturity classification, measurement and improvement such as CMM, standards and models in organisational and project settings; (3) process-centered software engineering environments (PSEEs): technology support for software processes, relationships to process management and improvement, PSEE concepts and developments, process modelling and representation, implementation issues of PSEE, example PSEEs.

Assessment Readings/discussions: 20%
* Practical work: 40%
* Written (3000 words): 40%

Recommended texts

Garg P K and Jazayeri M Process-centered software engineering environments IEEE Computer Society Press, 1995
Humphrey W S Managing the software process Addison-Wesley, 1989
Jenner M G Software quality management and ISO9001 Wiley, 1995
Paulk M C and others The capability maturity model: Guidelines for improving the software process Addison-Wesley, 1995
Schmauch C ISO9000 for software developers rev. edn, 1995