Software process modeling has become an essential technique for managing software development processes. However, purely quantitative process modeling requires a detailed understanding and accurate measurement of software process, which relies on reliable and precise history data. This paper presents a semi-quantitative process modeling approach to model and manage software development processes. It allows for the existence of uncertainty and contingency during software development, and facilitates a manager’s qualitative and quantitative estimates and assessments of process progress. We demonstrate its value and flexibility by developing semi-quantitative models of the test-and-fix process of incremental software development. Results conclude that the semi-quantitative process modeling approach can support process or project management activities, including estimating, planning, tracking and decision making throughout the software development cycle.
Index Terms:
semi-quantitative modeling, software process simulation, software process management, test-and-fix process, incremental development
Citation:
He Zhang, Jacky Keung, Barbara Kitchenham, Ross Jeffery, "Semi-quantitative Modeling for Managing Software Development Processes," aswec, pp.66-75, 19th Australian Conference on Software Engineering (aswec 2008), 2008