Value-Based Software Engineering: a Case Study

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Value-Based Software Engineering: a Case Study COVER FEATURE Value-Based Software Engineering: A Case Study The value-based approach to software development integrates value considera- tions into current and emerging software engineering principles and practices, while developing an overall framework in which these techniques compatibly reinforce each other. Barry Boehm he increasing pace of change in the infor- plex project. But it has absolutely nothing to say Li Guo mation technology field makes feedback about the stakeholder value of the system the pro- Huang control essential for organizations to sense, ject is developing. It serves a purpose, but needs to University of evaluate, and adapt to changing value be incorporated into feedback control systems that Southern California T propositions in their competitive market- focus on the real stakeholder value being earned. place. Traditional project feedback control mecha- The value-based software engineering agenda, nisms, such as earned-value systems, can effectively described in the “Accounting for Value in Software control the development efficiency of relatively sta- Engineering” sidebar, seeks to integrate value con- ble projects in well-established value situations. But siderations into current and emerging software these mechanisms are insensitive to the project’s engineering principles and practices, while devel- return-on-investment factors, and they can lead to oping an overall framework in which they com- wasteful misuse of an organization’s scarce resources. patibly reinforce each other. One area that VBSE Neglecting to monitor and control the value that addresses—value-based planning and control— software adds was not too risky when business val- includes principles and practices for extending tra- ues changed slowly and software made minor con- ditional cost, schedule, and product planning and tributions to them. However, such neglect is in- control techniques that also manage the value creasingly risky in today’s world of software-driven delivered to stakeholders. product lines and tornado-driven changes in the information technology marketplace—and will only USING EARNED VALUE become more so. Many IT projects have faithfully Performing feedback control of a large software delivered products on or near their planned bud- project becomes difficult because hundreds of tasks gets and schedules, only to find that the business progress concurrently during development. Some need for the product had largely disappeared, or tasks will be ahead on budget and schedule, that competitors had already captured its planned others behind. Current earned-value systems let market niche. managers of large projects achieve better control A particular anomaly in the monitoring and con- of such complex situations. trol area, the Earned Value Management System,1 Most software cost and schedule estimation provides a useful technique for monitoring and con- models include breakdowns of a project’s budget trolling the cost, schedule, and progress of a com- and schedule by software component, development 0018-9162/03/$17.00 © 2003 IEEE Published by the IEEE Computer Society March 2003 33 Accounting for Value in Software Engineering Developers perform much of current insufficient basis for an engineering disci- herit the system’s objectives and value software engineering practice and pline. Most concerns expressed about the considerations. research in a value-neutral setting, in adequacy of software engineering focus on • Verification and validation. Ensuring which they tend to do the following: the shortfalls in its underlying science. But that a software solution satisfies its it is difficult for a value-neutral approach value objectives, and organizing • treat every requirement, use case, to provide guidance for satisfying the engi- V&V tasks to operate as an invest- object, and defect as equally impor- neering definition of making its products ment activity. tant; useful to people, as this involves dealing • Planning and control. Extending tra- • express and practice methods as with different people’s utility functions or ditional cost, schedule, and product largely logical activities involving value propositions. planning and control techniques to mappings and transformations; include the value delivered to stake- • use earned-value systems to track A value-based software holders. project cost and schedule, but not engineering agenda • Risk management. Developing prin- stakeholder or business value; Progress has been made over the years ciples and practices for identifying, • practice a separation of concerns to integrate some value-oriented perspec- analyzing, prioritizing, and mitigat- that confines software engineers’ tives into software engineering. This ing risk. responsibility to turning software includes approaches such as participatory • Quality management. Prioritizing requirements into verified code; and design, user engineering, cost estimation, desired quality factors with respect • set goals for improving productiv- software economics, software investment to stakeholders’ value propositions. ity or correctness independent of analysis, and software engineering ethics. • People management. Stakeholder stakeholder value considerations. However, these approaches generally have teambuilding and expectations man- been treated as add-on band-aids to base- agement, managing the project’s Given that today’s software has a major line software engineering principles and accommodation of all stakeholders’ influence on system costs, schedule, and practices. The value-based software engi- value propositions throughout the value, and that software decisions inter- neering agenda1 includes the following life cycle, and integrating ethical con- twine inextricably with system-level deci- elements: siderations into daily project practice. sions, we can no longer afford to follow • Principles and practices. These this approach. • Requirements engineering. Develop- include COTS-based systems, rapid Further, value-neutral software engi- ing principles and practices for iden- development, agile methods, high- neering principles and practices cannot tifying a system’s success-critical dependability systems, systems of deal with most sources of software pro- stakeholders, eliciting their value systems, and ethics. ject failure. Major studies such as the propositions with respect to the sys- Standish Group’s CHAOS report (www. tem, and reconciling these value This agenda has been actively pursued standishgroup.com) reveal that value-ori- propositions into a mutually satisfac- by the Economics-Driven Software Engi- ented shortfalls cause most software pro- tory set of objectives for the system. neering Research (EDSER) community ject failures. These shortfalls include lack • Architecting. Reconciling system (www.edser.org). of user input, incomplete or changing objectives with achievable architec- requirements, lack of resources, unrealis- tural solutions. Reference tic expectations, unclear objectives, and • Design and development. Developing 1. B. Boehm, Value-Based Software Engineer- unrealistic time frames. techniques to ensure that the soft- ing, to be published in ACM Software Value-neutral methods also provide an ware’s design and development in- Eng. Notes, Mar. 2003. phase, and task activity. A development team can budgeted cost of work scheduled (BCWS), use these models to set up an earned-value system which equals the sum of the earned values for in which it can consider the estimated cost for each all tasks scheduled to be completed by time T; task as the value earned for the project when the the budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP), task completes. or project-level earned value, which equals the The earned-value system works as follows. sum of the earned values for all tasks actually completed by time T; and the actual cost of the 1. The project team develops a set of tasks neces- project through time T. sary for the project’s completion, and associ- 4. If the BCWP equals or exceeds the BCWS, the ated budgets and schedules for each task. project is on or ahead of schedule. 2. Developers assign each task an earned value 5. If the BCWP equals or exceeds the project cost, (EV) for its completion, usually its task budget. the project is on or ahead of budget. 3. As a project proceeds, the project team reviews 6. If the BCWP is significantly less than the BCWS, three primary quantities at selected times T: the the project cost at time T, or both, the project 34 Computer Yes Develop/ Perform BCWP≥ Yes BCWP≥ update plans, to plans BCWS? cost? BCWS is significantly overrunning its schedule, bud- get, or both, and corrective action must be per- No No formed. Determine corrective actions Figure 1 summarizes the six earned-value feedback process steps. Earned-value system example Figure 1. Earned-value feedback process. The process first determines if the Figure 2 provides an example of how the earned- budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP) is greater than or equal to the budgeted value system can help assess the likely cost to com- cost of work scheduled (BCWS). It next determines if BCWP is greater than or plete a software project and how to track its equal to cost. If both hold true, development proceeds; if either proves false, the progress. For simplicity, we assume that the pro- project team determines corrective actions. ject starts with four sequential tasks: prototypes, analyses, plans, and specs. First, we assign an earned value to each task. We estimate that the completion of prototypes will take two months and $15,000, the analyses
Recommended publications
  • Small Business Crisis Management Strategies Dovie Wilson Walden University
    Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2016 Small Business Crisis Management Strategies Dovie Wilson Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, and the Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Management and Technology This is to certify that the doctoral study by Dovie Wilson has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Greg Banks, Committee Chairperson, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty Dr. Beverly Muhammad, Committee Member, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty Dr. Peter Anthony, University Reviewer, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2016 Abstract Small Business Crisis Management Strategies by Dovie Wilson MA, Liberty University, 2013 BS, Troy University, 2011 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University August 2016 Abstract The absence of adequate crisis management strategies in small firms could result in a premature small business closure. A qualitative multiple-case study was used to explore the crisis management strategies that 3 small business owners have used to survive an unexpected operational interruption.
    [Show full text]
  • COVID-19 Crisis Management Toolkit for Women-Owned Businesses
    GUIDEBOOK COVID-19 COVID-19 Crisis Management Toolkit for Women-owned Businesses SHETRADES COMMONWEALTH GUIDEBOOK About SheTrades THE SHETRADES INITIATIVE The International Trade Centre launched the SheTrades initiative to create an ecosystem of integrated solutions that empower women economically through greater participation in trade and investment. THE GOAL: Connect 3 million women to market by 2021. THE PLAN: To work with partners including governments, private sector partners, international organizations, and others to expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Through country-based activities, SheTrades enables women entrepreneurs to improve the quality of their products and services. THE SHETRADES COMMONWEALTH PROJECT The SheTrades Commonwealth project aims to increase economic growth and job creation in Commonwealth countries by enabling the increased participation of women-owned businesses in international trade. The project is funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) under the framework of the SheTrades Initiative. COMMONWEALTH-WIDE SUPPORT: SheTrades Outlook, a key output of the project, is an innovative interactive mapping tool that focuses on how countries support women’s participation in international trade. Policymakers, private sector partners, and other stakeholders will benefit from access to analysis of legislation and outcomes, best practices, and key documents. 2 COUNTRY-LEVEL INTERVENTIONS: The SheTrades Commonwealth project supports: • Women-owned businesses - to make them more competitive and connect them to markets, by building their competitiveness and their capacity to participate in trade, through intensive training, mentoring and coaching. In addition to supporting their participation in trade fairs and other business generation activities • Business Support Organizations (BSOs) - to improve their service offerings for women entrepreneurs.
    [Show full text]
  • Relationship, Trust and Crisis Communication on Social Media with Millennials and Generation Z
    Relationship, trust and crisis communication on social media with millennials and generation Z by Danielle Golway B.A., Kansas State University, 2015 A THESIS submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF SCIENCE Journalism and Mass Communication College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2017 Approved by: Major Professor Xiaochen Angela Zhang Copyright © Danielle Golway 2017. Abstract This study examined crisis communication on social media applying relationship management theory. There are few credibility checks on social media platforms, and some say publics no longer believe messages through this type of media (Domonoske, 2016; Ho, 2012). However, many people get news from social media platforms and trust the information they read (Turcotte, York, Irving, Scholl, & Pingree, 2015). Crisis theories suggest strong relationships are less affected by crisis situations, and relationships are heavily based on trust (Broom, Casey, & Ritchey, 1997; Coombs, 2000; Coombs & Holladay, 2006; Ledingham, 2003). Through a survey, this study found a statistically significant positive relationship between perceived organization- public relationship, trust and, credibility in crisis communication on social media within the Millennial and Generation Z groups. These generations are the most active on social media, and this study challenged the claim that they do not believe information online (Richards, 2017; Statista, 2016). Keywords: Crisis Communication, Social Media, Relationship Management
    [Show full text]
  • Crisis Management
    REPRINT risk & R&Ccompliance DATA PRIVACY INCRISIS EUROPE MANAGEMENT REPRINTED FROM: RISK & COMPLIANCE MAGAZINE JAN-MARJUL-SEP 20152014 ISSUE rriskisk && && compliance compliance ������������ JAN-MAR 2014 RC ��������������������������������� RC www.riskandcompliancemagazine.com Inside this issue: ������������������ FEATURE The evolving role������� of ���������������������������������the chief risk officer �������������������������������������EXPERT FORUM Managing���������������� your company’s regulatory������������ exposure �������������������� HOT TOPIC ��������������������� Data privacy in Europe ��������� ���������������������������� ������������� www.riskandcompliancemagazine.com VVisitisit the website to request a free copy of the full e-magazine Published by Financier Worldwide Ltd [email protected]@financierworldwide.com © 20152014 Financier Worldwide Ltd. All rights reserved. risk & R&Ccompliance www.riskandcompliancemagazine.com 2 RISK & COMPLIANCE Jul-Sep 2015 www.riskandcompliancemagazine.com ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW CRISIS MANAGEMENT Michael B. Schwartz Principal KPMG T: +1 (713) 319 2258 E: [email protected] Michael Schwartz is a principal in KPMG LLP’s Forensic Advisory Services practice. He assists corporate and public sector clients in preventing, detecting and investigating fraud, waste, abuse and other misconduct. Mr Schwartz is a national leader for providing public sector, anti-bribery and corruption and crisis management- related Forensic services. Prior to
    [Show full text]
  • Definitions in Crisis Management and Crisis Leadership
    Security Nexus Research DEFINITIONS IN CRISIS Key Points . The term “leader” or MANAGEMENT “leadership” have taken on many symbols and AND CRISIS LEADERSHIP definitions throughout history. By Deon Canyon1 . Several descriptions of Introduction what makes for effective The following terms are framed differently by social phenomena and leadership have gained more professional sectors so there is little agreement on their exact favor than others. Among the definition. In fact, there are so many published definitions that to more widely accepted present them all would not be constructive. This variety in the meaning factors are traits, behavior, of terms, which would be completely bewildering to a scientist, and is information processing, completely contrary to a scientific approach, has resulted in authors relationships and follower having to redefine terminology repeatedly in almost every paper and perceptions (Kets de Vries, book that is published. The following terms are defined in this paper 2004). with prominent examples so that their use in the DKI-APCSS executive . In this paper, we examine course on Comprehensive Crisis Management is clear. two types of organizations; Leadership those in normal-mode that It has been argued that the term ‘leadership’ is ambiguous due to its predominantly pursue a origins in the common vocabulary (Yukl, 2006, Janda, 1960). If this is linear path, and those in truly the case, all languages must be said to be entirely ambiguous crisis-ready-mode that apart from recently constructed words. At this point, it is necessary to experience a greater degree look backwards to clarify concept origins. of non-linear events. The earliest written evidence of this originates from Egyptian hieroglyphics dating back to 2300 BC.
    [Show full text]
  • Crisis Management
    Global Center for Corporate Governance Stepping in: The board’s role in crisis management Introduction A true crisis brings a punishing level of scrutiny In a crisis, when the stakes are and pressure that can be overwhelming if an organization is not prepared to manage it. A high and scrutiny is intense, good crisis response is, of course, about swiftly the board has a unique fixing what has gone wrong, but it is also about role. Stepping in may be being externally focused—communicating to stakeholders, shareholders, regulators— uncomfortable, but stepping and it is about making big decisions that aside is not an option. have a significant impact on the future of the organization. September 2019 Nearly 60% of respondents of more than WHAT DO WE MEAN 500 crisis management experts believe that BY ‘CRISIS’? organizations face more crises today than they A crisis is not a ‘bad did 10 years ago.i day in the office’. It Our own experience working with clients tells can make or break us that the frequency and velocity of crises is growing. Just think of the last decade that has organizations and brought us the banking crisis, the Arab spring, careers. It will always require an debilitating cyber-attacks on government, on executive-level response. political parties and on private companies, The British Standards Institute (BSI)’s European terrorist attacks, not to mention high profile Guidance on Crisis Management defines a crisis governance failures. as ‘an unprecedented or extraordinary event In this increasingly volatile environment, it is or situation that threatens an organization no longer possible to say ‘it can’t happen to and requires a strategic, adaptive, and timely us’ or ‘we’d manage.’ In post crisis reviews we response in order to preserve its viability increasingly see investors, regulators and other and integrity’.ii A crisis can emerge from an interested stakeholders scrutinizing the crisis incident or from a longer-running issue.
    [Show full text]
  • Crisis Management
    3rd EDITION THE NEW RULES OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT ISSUES & CRISIS PLANNING AND RESPONSE IN THE DIGITAL AGE Edited by Ron Culp Professional in Residence, Public Relations & Advertising, DePaul University Published by RockDove Solutions Creator of the award-winning crisis management platform, In Case of Crisis The New Rules of Crisis Management COPYRIGHT Copyright Pending 2018 by RockDove Solutions All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. RockDove Solutions is the creator of In Case of Crisis, an award-winning crisis management platform. In Case of Crisis is trusted by over 750 global brands to prepare for and respond agilely to a broad array of digital and traditional crises. You can learn more about RockDove Solutions and In Case of Crisis by visiting www.rockdovesolutions.com or calling 1-800-787-1639. Copyright Pending 2019 RockDove Solutions, Inc., all rights reserved 2 The New Rules of Crisis Management FLORIDA SUNSHINE AWARD FOR BEST PUBLICATION 2018 WASHINGTON DC THOTH AWARD FOR BEST PUBLICATION 2018 PRESTIGE AWARD FOR BEST BROCHURE 2018 Copyright Pending 2019 RockDove Solutions, Inc., all rights reserved 3 The New Rules of Crisis Management CONTENTS FOREWORD 5 CHAPTER 6: 46 CHRISTOPHER BRITTON THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA AND ANALYTICS IN THE DIGITAL AGE JEFF BODZEWSKI INTRODUCTION 6 DIGITAL AGE DEMANDS NEW APPROACH TO CRISIS CHAPTER 7: 51 MANAGEMENT RON CULP CRISIS IMPLICATIONS FOR BRANDS
    [Show full text]
  • Boin Introduction and Editorial Arrangement © Arjen Boin 2008
    Crisis Management ii contents SAGE LIBRARY IN BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT Crisis Management VOLUME II Edited by Arjen Boin Introduction and editorial arrangement © Arjen Boin 2008 First published 2008 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, or by any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. Every effort has been made to trace and acknowledge all the copyright owners of the material reprinted herein. However, if any copyright owners have not been located and contacted at the time of publication, the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity. SAGE Publications Ltd 1 Oliver’s Yard 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP SAGE Publications Inc. 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320 SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd B 1/I 1, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Mathura Road New Delhi 110 044 SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd 33 Pekin Street #02-01 Far East Square Singapore 048763 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-1-84787-088-9 (set of three volumes) Library of Congress Control Number: 2007934293 Typeset by Star Compugraphics Private Limited, Delhi Printed on paper from sustainable resources Printed and bound in Zrinski d.d.
    [Show full text]
  • A Guide to Creating a Crisis Management Plan
    1 2 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................3 What Is a Crisis?........................................................................................................................................3 THE IMPORTANCE OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................4 PRE-CRISIS CONSIDERATIONS ...............................................................................................................5 Assess Your Risks and Establish Goals ......................................................................................................5 Create a Crisis Management Team...........................................................................................................6 Identify Stakeholders and Consider Communication Channels................................................................8 Set Alert Levels .........................................................................................................................................9 Practice the Crisis Management Plan .....................................................................................................13 MID-CRISIS CONSIDERATIONS.............................................................................................................14 Evaluate the Situation ............................................................................................................................14
    [Show full text]
  • Strategic Crisis Management
    OECD Risk Management: STRATEGIC CRISIS MANAGEMENT OECD Risk Management: Strategic Crisis Management Charles Baubion 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Note by the OECD Secretariat ..................................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 5 2. New forms of crises are calling for new and innovative crisis management responses .......................... 6 2.1 New nature of crisis ............................................................................................................................ 6 2.2 Increased vulnerabilities of modern societies ..................................................................................... 7 2.3 Changing roles of governments and increased demand from citizens and the media ........................ 7 2.4 A changing landscape for risk managers ............................................................................................ 8 3. Managing crises remains at the core of government’s roles in risk management .................................... 8 4. Crisis management: traditional approach vs. dealing with novelty ......................................................... 9 4.1 Crisis management frameworks and concepts ................................................................................... 9 4.2 Crisis Preparedness: planning scenarios vs. preparing for the unknown ........................................
    [Show full text]
  • Essential Steps for Crisis Management and Crisis Containment Andromachi Ioannou – 126109 IB X3215 Dr
    Essential Steps for Crisis Management and Crisis Containment Andromachi Ioannou – 126109 IB X3215 Dr. Andreas Andrianopoulos Word count: 3 , 0 3 2 4 / 2 1 / 2 0 1 5 2 Introduction While international business expansion undoubtedly presents many opportunities, there are also a multitude of challenges that companies face when deciding to operate on a global scale. This is because today’s international business environment is largely uncontrollable, highly uncertain and complex and constantly evolving, which exposes companies to multiple areas of risk. As a consequence, no organization, regardless of its size or strength is immune from a crisis that can strike unexpectedly, and that can have profound negative effects on its operations, can imperil future growth, profitability, and even the company’s survival. Managers must recognize the necessity to develop the skills to handle any threat and challenge that will inevitably arise, and make it a priority to be ready to handle such a crisis, through careful and meticulous preparation. A crisis is any situation or series of events that launch a group, team or an organization into a downward spiral, by threatening to harm people or property and negatively impact and damage an organization, its stakeholders, or even an entire industry if not handled effectively and efficiently, characterized by “high consequence, low probability, ambiguity, and decision- making time pressure,” (J. Hale, Dulek, and D. Hale, 2005), and always creates three inter related threats: public safety, financial loss due to disruption of operations and loss of market share, and inevitably reputation damage, because it reflects poorly on an organization (Coombs, 2011).
    [Show full text]
  • Project Management Core Curriculum
    NOW GUARANTEE DELIVERY LIVE CLASSES ON-SITE or ONLINE, Equally Well Project Management Game Bottom-Line and Team-Based Training ® Management PCI has gamified PM skills and tools into digital project games; in the cloud. Accessed onto students laptops – anywhere in the world. SOCIAL LEARNING. Learn in teams. Practice tools on game with immediate feedback on results. MAKE DECISIONS to complete project. SEE on Screen what worked – what failed. Discard fails – take what worked back to apply on next project. COMPRESS 4 – 6 MONTHS PROJECT LIFE CYCLE INTO 16 – 24 GAME and TEAM-BASED FUN HOURS Courses include: - Project Management - The Basics (in class or on demand) - Project Management - Foundations - PMP® or CAPM® Certification Curriculum - Project Team Leadership - PTLC Advanced - Applied Risk Management - Applied AGILE - PM Professional Day Workshops - Single Topic Courses - Versions for Information Technology and Construction Available in: 1) class or 2) full remote or 3) a blended solution! The PMI Registered Education Provider logo, PMI, PMP, CAPM and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. ® North America +1 (201) 489-9200 - Europe: 33 0 7 78 12 07 89 pci global inc. www.pciglobal.com PROJECT MANAGEMENT - THE BASICS 8 Learning Hours - On-Site or Online class or e-learning or both Audience: Anyone in your company; executive, senior manager, team leader, individual contributor and administrative staff who have never had any formal training in project management. Also, for new hires or leadership development programs who have assigned projects but lack any methodology or training. Learning Model: (1) Instructor Led - Team-based learning model with Case Study, simple tools, and exercises on how to apply each.
    [Show full text]