MCom (Business Information Systems) / Deparment of Business Information Systems / The extent of success of a given project can be increased by using an appropriate Project Management Methodology (PMM) that takes into account the specific characteristics of the project (such as complexity, size, budget, nature of risk, etc.). PMMs have evolved over the years to become more diverse, complex, with evolving and dynamic ICT platforms. Such PMMs have traditionally been used as frameworks to guide the project management process for decision makers (such as Project Managers, Project Owners and Project Teams). The choice of selecting an appropriate project methodology is daunting; apart from other considerations related to project characteristics such as budget, scope, schedule, performance and resource constraints. One of the vital stages of a successful software development project is selecting a good software development methodology that best suits that project. The aim of this research is to investigate the critical factors to be considered by project managers in the selection of the software development methodology for the project. These critical factors are then used as a foundation for an architecture for an “unbounded rule-based expert system. A survey was conducted amongst project managers to determine the critical factors necessary for the selection of a software development methodology. From the findings of the study, it was established the critical factors revolved around three constructs of Project Excellence Enablers, Excellent Project Management Practices, and Business Value Proposition factors. The findings from this study therefore provided a rationale and a basis for the evolution of an “Unbounded Rule-Based Expert Systems Architecture” as a basis for the selection of the right software development methodology / NRF

In vielen Bereichen des täglichen Lebens, angefangen vom Online-Banking bis hin zur Steuerung im Flugzeug, kommt Software mit laufzeitkritischen nicht-funktionalen Eigenschaften (NFE) zum Einsatz. Die Erfüllung der NFE spielt in diesen Anwendungen eine zentrale Rolle. Um dies zu erreichen, ist eine systematische und zielorientierte Behandlung dieser Anforderungen während der Entwicklung zwingend erforderlich. NFE zeichnen sich im Gegensatz zu funktionalen Eigenschaften durch besondere Merkmale aus, die ein adaptives Vorgehen zur Definition des Entwicklungsprozesses erzwingen. In der Arbeit wird eine Methodik zur kontextbasierten Anpassung von Vorgehensmodellen an laufzeitkritische NFE auf der Basis von Prozessmustern sowie das PROKRIS-Framework als unterstützende Umgebung vorgestellt.

Background: Effort estimation is one of the cornerstones in project management with the purpose of creating efficient planning and the ability to keep budgets. Despite the extensive research done within this area, one of the biggest and most complex problems in project management within software development is still considered to be the estimation process. Objectives: The main objectives of this thesis were threefold: i) firstly to define the characteristics for a large project, ii) secondly to identify factors causing inaccurate effort estimates and iii) lastly to understand how the identified factors impact the effort estimation process, all of this within the context of large-scale agile software development and from the perspective of a project team.Methods: To fulfill the purpose of this thesis, an exploratory case study was executed. The data collection consisted of archival research, questionnaire, and interviews. The data analysis was partly conducted using the statistical software toolStata.Results: The definition of a large project is from a project team’s perspective based on high complexity and a large scope of requirements. The following identified factors were identified to affect the estimation process in large projects: deficient requirements, changes in scope, complexity, impact in multiple areas, coordination, and required expertise, and the findings indicate that these are affecting estimation accuracy negatively. Conclusions: The conclusion of this study is that besides the identified factors affecting the estimation process there are many different aspects that can directly or indirectly contribute to inaccurate effort estimates, categorized as requirements, complexity, coordination, input and estimation process, management, and usage of estimates.

Organizations has become more hybrid enabling the workers to work partially from the office and partially from home. As remote work was found to have an impact on team collaboration, communication, productivity, and performance, concerns have been raised about Agile Software Development (ASD) teams working remotely. Thus, the purpose of the study is to understand the impact hybrid work has on productivity in ASD teams. The study aims to contribute with knowledge regarding the relationship with hybrid work and productivity. A single case study was conducted, with the use of a sequential mixed method research design. The SPACE framework was utilized to define productivity in software development and was also utilized to support the distributed survey. Moreover, three dimensions of SPACE were selected; job satisfaction, performance, collaboration and communication. Additionally, a focus group interview was conducted to provide a deeper understanding of the survey findings. The empirical findings indicate the hybrid work to impact job satisfaction, and collaboration and communication positively. While the performance was high, there was a low impact of hybrid work. The empirical findings imply that investments in the tools and resources are crucial for the job satisfaction. Furthermore, meetings that involve high participation in collaboration and communication should require physical presence. By allowing for continuous meetings regarding the well-being of workers, a sustainable work-life balance can potentially be achieved. Limitations can be found in the study where the findings are restricted to the context of a single case study. Thus, further research can be conducted to enrich the findings with other settings and strategies. / Organisationer har blivit mer hybrida vilket gör det möjligt för arbetarna att arbeta delvis från kontoret och delvis hemifrån. Eftersom distansarbete har visat en inverkan på samarbete, kommunikation, produktivitet och prestanda i team, har det väckts rädsla om att team i agil mjukvaruutveckling (ASD), ska arbeta på distans. Syftet med studien är att förstå vilken inverkan hybrid arbete har på produktiviteten i ASD-team. Studien syftar till att bidra med kunskap om sambandet med hybrid arbete och produktivitet. En enskild fallstudie genomfördes med användning av en sekventiell forskningsdesign med blandad metod. SPACE-ramverket användes för att definiera produktivitet i mjukvaruutveckling och användes dessutom för att underbygga den distribuerade undersökningen. Dessutom valdes tre dimensioner av SPACE ut; arbetsglädje, prestation, samarbete och kommunikation. Vidare genomfördes en fokusgruppsintervju för att skapa en djupare förståelse av resultaten från undersökningen. De empiriska resultaten indikerar hybrid arbetet har en positiv inverkan på arbetstillfredsställelse, samarbete och kommunikation. Det visade sig att prestandan i arbetet var hög men att hybrid arbete inte längre påverkade dess resultat. De empiriska resultaten tyder på att investeringar i verktyg och resurser är avgörande för arbetstillfredsställelsen. Dessutom bör möten med högt engagemang i samarbete och kommunikation kräva fysisk närvaro. Genom att införa kontinuerliga möten angående arbetarnas välbefinnande kan en hållbar balans mellan arbete och privatliv potentiellt uppnås. Begränsningar kan hittas i studien där resultaten är begränsade till sammanhanget för en enskild fallstudie. Således kan ytterligare forskning utföras för att berika resultaten med andra miljöer och strategier.

Abstract Software engineering is advancing according to market needs. Consequently, software development methods that initially caused controversies such as Agile, and more recently Lean, are increasingly being adopted by the software industry. Particularly, Lean Software Development, which was initially regarded as one of the Agile methods, is acquiring an identity of its own as a means to scale Agile. However, Lean thinking is still open to interpretation in the domain of software development, which differs fundamentally from the manufacturing domain where Lean originally emerged. Specific issues such as the essence of Lean Software Development, the compatibility of Lean and Agile and the best combination of them are not properly understood. This dissertation addresses Lean thinking and its combination with Agile in the field of software development, by providing empirical evidence on how software-intensive organisations use them in practice. The research was performed in four phases. First, the relevant literature was analysed to identify research opportunities. Second, a survey strategy was used to investigate status and trends in the adoption of Agile and Lean. The third phase explored in detail how Agile and Lean are combined in practice, by conducting case studies on two large-scale, industry-leading companies that were transforming their processes from Agile Software Development into Lean Software Development. Finally, in the fourth phase, the results of the previous research phases were synthetized to draw conclusions and outline implications. The results of the study confirmed the interest of practitioners in using a combination of Agile and Lean. Unlike in manufacturing, the borders of Agile and Lean are not clearly defined in the software domain. The results provided evidence of numerous compatibilities between Agile and Lean in software development. Generally, the use of Agile methods at a prescriptive level is guided by Lean principles. However, Lean thinking also brings new practical elements to software development processes, such as Kanban, work-in-progress limits, a ‘pull’ and ‘less waste’-oriented culture and an extended emphasis on transparency and collaborative development. The results showed the fundamental importance of practices that enable quick feedback, fast learning and adaptation. / Tiivistelmä Ohjelmistotuotanto kehittyy markkinoiden tarpeiden mukaisesti. Aiemmin kiisteltyjä ketteriä menetelmiä, ja nykyään myös Lean-menetelmiä sovelletaan yhä useammin ohjelmistoteollisuudessa. Lean-menetelmiin perustuva Lean-ohjelmistokehitys erottuu selkeämmin välineenä laajentaa ketterien menetelmien käyttöä. Lean on yhä monitulkintainen ohjelmistotuotannossa, joka poikkeaa teollisuustuotannosta, josta Lean on peräisin. Lean-ohjelmistokehitystä, Lean- ja ketterien menetelmien yhteensopivuutta ja niiden parasta yhdistelmää ei vielä ymmärretä riittävän hyvin. Tämä väitöskirja käsittelee Lean-menetelmien yhdistämistä ketteriin menetelmiin ohjelmistotuotannossa. Tutkimus esittää kokemusperäistä tietoa, kuinka näitä menetelmiä käytetään ohjelmisto-alan organisaatioissa. Tutkimus oli nelivaiheinen. Aluksi tutkimusmahdollisuudet kartoitettiin tutkimalla aiheeseen liittyvää kirjallisuutta. Seuraavaksi tutkittiin kyselytutkimuksen avulla Lean- ja ketterien menetelmien käyttämisen nykytilaa ja kehitystä. Kolmannessa vaiheessa tapaustutkimuksilla selvitettiin Lean- ja ketterien menetelmien yhdistämistä käytännössä. Tapaustutkimuksia tehtiin kahdessa suuressa yrityksessä, jotka olivat muuttamassa prosessejaan ketteristä menetelmistä kohti Lean-ohjelmistokehitystä. Lopuksi aiemmat tutkimusvaiheet yhdistettiin johtopäätöksiä ja vaikutusten hahmottamista varten. Tutkimuksen tulokset vahvistavat Lean- ja ketterien menetelmien yhdistämisen kiinnostavan ohjelmistotuotannonharjoittajia. Lean- ja ketterien menetelmien rajat eivät ole selkeästi määriteltyjä ohjelmistotuotannossa. Tulokset tukevat käsitystä Lean- ja ketterien menetelmien yhteensopivuudesta. Lean ohjaa yleisellä tasolla ketterien menetelmien käyttöä. Lean tuo kuitenkin myös uusia elementtejä ohjelmistotuotantoon, kuten Kanban-menetelmän, keskeneräisen työn rajoittamisen, kysyntään perustuvan ’pull’-menetelmän ja turhan työn vähentämistä tavoittelevan ’less-waste’-työkulttuurin. Lean-ajattelu myös lisää painotusta läpinäkyvyyteen ja yhteistyöhön.

Productivity improvement in the software industry is one of the major challenges facing many software development companies in this century. Most companies have adopted agile methodologies in order to profit from the benefits claimed for them. Agile methodologies are characterised by frequent software delivery, short feedback loops, quicker response to change, and problem identification earlier in the development process. The agile approach has been recognised as paving a way for companies to acquire higher software productivity, delivering good-quality and cost-effective software, enabling software development companies to respond to business challenges with their demands for high quality, high performance and high development speed in delivering the final product. For companies that adopt agile methodologies, understanding the factors that influence their teams’ software development productivity is a challenging task for management and practitioners today. In this research, an analysis is presented that identifies productivity factors that affect agile teams. It is a study of agile methods to identify common agile practices and/or values that have impact on productivity, and describes suitable metrics that could be used to measure agile team productivity. A qualitative research approach was used, and the case study was chosen as the research strategy. Two South African companies that are located in two different provinces and that adopted agile methodologies in their software development, were selected for the case studies. Qualitative content analysis was used in the research to permit subjective interpretation of factors that influence agile team productivity, and to analyse to what extent these factors affected productivity. This research has shown that an understanding of the factors that influence an agile team’s productivity gives significant insight into the way agile teams work, motivates team members to work together, and leads to uniform metrics in tracking each team’s progress. The study indicates that tracking an agile team’s work and providing adequate tools needed to execute their tasks results in improving agile team productivity. It should be recognised that using metrics to measure performance in agile teams is helpful in creating a team’s culture and trust. In this study, it was found that the factors identified in both literature and case studies affected productivity in the two companies under study, both positively and negatively. The study also found that applying the correct metrics in assessing, analysing and reviewing an agile team’s performance is important when monitoring productivity. Successful software delivery is only possible if individuals are committed to their work, are provided with the necessary tools and have access to a stable working environment. In addition, individual factors such as knowledge, skills, abilities, personalities and experience should be considered when forming agile teams. Consideration of these factors will result in grouping people that are able to work together and achieve a common goal, which is important in improving productivity. A conceptual framework for agile team productivity was proposed. The discussion of the findings is presented in more detail in this research. / School of Computing / M.Sc. (Computing)

This dissertation investigates current trends concerning exceptions. Exceptions influence the reliability of software systems. In order to develop software systems that are most robust, thus delivering higher availability at a lower development and operating cost, the occurence of exceptions needs to be reduced and the effects of the exceptions controlled. In order to do this, issues such as detection, identification, classification, propagation, handling, language implementation, software testing and reporting of exceptions must be attended to. Although some of these areas are well researched there are remaining problems. The quest is to establish if a unified exception-handling framework is possible and viable, which can address the issues and problems throughout the software development life cycle, and if so, the requirements for such a framework. / Computing / M.Sc. (Information Systems)

South Africa has shown an increased interest and awareness of Open Source Software (OSS) in the past decade. One of the reasons for this was the support from the Shuttleworth Foundation for Open Source initiatives. Migrating to OSS is a difficult and time consuming activity that should not be underestimated by the migration team. Careful planning and roll-out procedures should be in place before one commence on this journey. Process reference models are used in different fields to capture the generic process flow of activities. For the OSS domain, no process reference models could be found for migration purposes. Therefore, this study has as aim the suggestion of an initial set of process reference models for an organisational OSS migration. These process reference models were identified by capturing the process models for a case study that entailed the migration of the CSIR software systems and desktops from proprietary to OSS. From this set of process models, the migration processes were identified and refined to a set of suggested process reference models for organisational OSS migrations. This set of process reference models are useful to determine the processes necessary for organisations considering migrating to OSS. The study is divided into four research questions, where the first focusses on use and value of process reference models and the second on what is already known about OSS migration processes. The third deals with key processes within an organisational open source migration (OOSM) and the last with process reference models for an OOSM. For the first research question, the use and value of process reference models and the usefulness of utilising process reference models is discussed as well as using process models as a modelling tool to identify and capture processes. For the second research question, a summary is provided of what we know about OSS migration processes and a description about what the researcher and others have learnt about OSS, OSS migrations, process reference models, the process and its structure. For the third research question, the key processes within an OOSM is discussed as well as all the processes that took place during the OSS migration project from basic administrative processes to complex processes, from the beginning of the project until its completion. Lastly, for the fourth research question, process reference models that are essential for an OOSM and possible generic migration process models bound to reoccur are identified by the researcher and validated using a focus group discussion. / M.Tech. (Information Technology)

People work together to solve a wide variety of problems using different forms of cooperation for each class of problem. Modern technology is complex, and therefore it is unusual for an individual to attempt the development of a major project single-handedly. In an attempt to provide computer-based support for the problems that arise when two or more people attempt to cooperate to perform a task or solve a problem, the area of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) becomes relevant. The software development process almost invariably involves cooperation that crosses group, professional, and subcultural boundaries. The complexity of software development demands that highly integrated groups of analysts, designers, and users are involved in the process. Many development activities may occur concurrently. The area of CSCW and advanced information technology, with its enormous capabilities for transmitting and storing information, holds considerable promise for the software development process. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

Business process management (BPM) is a philosophical approach to organisation-wide management in which the focus is on the processes through which it operates, and in particular the streamlining and optimising of these processes, for which software solutions may be used. CTexT is an intrapreneurial software organisation that has been experiencing problems with software development due to a lack of formal processes relating to customer support, versioning, configuration, quality, risk and project management. The objective of the study is to determine whether the implementation of an electronic BPM system can effectively solve CTexT's development problems and thereby improve its overall software development capacity. More specifically, the focus is on i) the effect of the resulting standardisation on creativity and innovation, and ii) implementation matters, such as the type of processes that can be subjected to an electronic system, and how CTexT can overcome the time and cost constraints of such a system. The study investigates these questions by means of a literature investigation in combination with interviews with knowledgeable respondents from other innovative and software organisations. Interviews with six employees from CTexT determine the relevance of these findings and highlight critical areas for process improvement. Since BPM systems improve organisational efficiencies and are generally employed in larger corporate contexts marked by transactional and repetitive activities where they enforce administrative rules, the conclusion is drawn that a BPM system will not be suitable for an intrapreneurial organisation, and that it is likely to cause more disruption to the creative environment than improve its operations. It is further shown that although a BPM system is theoretically applicable to software development, it generally does not seem to be applied practically in the industry, and the suitability of this process as manageable through a BPM system is seriously questioned. Instead, the research points to improvement through the application of software development methodologies and a holistic approach towards BPM. The investigation at CTexT confirms that its development problems relate to flawed methodologies and that remedies should therefore focus on improving its methodologies and controlling certain aspects of the software development life cycle by means of suitable software tools. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007