An Evaluation of Software Development Practices among Small Firms in Developing Countries

Abstract

For software development firms to be competitive they must assure the quality of the software product. This has led many firms to adopt software process improvement (SPI) programs such as the capability maturity model integration (CMMI). However, for small software firms, especially those in developing countries with limited resources, these programs are often too cumbersome and costly to implement. To address this issue, this paper proposes a simplified SPI model for small firms (SPM-S) comprised of 10 key software development practices; with fewer practices, the proposed model should be more accessible and less costly to implement. Using data collected in four developing countries in the English-speaking Caribbean from 112 developer/user dyads, the model is evaluated with respect to its impact on software quality. The findings show that the software development process coupled with supporting technology (e.g. project management tools) significantly impact software product quality. Implications for software process improvement in small firms and future research are discussed.

Information Systems Quality and Success in Canadian Software Development Firms

“…The indicators variables for the 'Process maturity' construct were taken from a study conducted by Chevers, Moore, Duggan & Mills (2008) in which they identified ten CMMI levels 2 and 3 process areas (which will be called 'CMMI practices') that were considered applicable for a simplified process improvement framework. These practices included risk management, technical solution, organization training, requirement management merged with requirement development, integrated project management, project planning, organization process definition, organization process focus, project monitoring and control and finally verification merged with validation.…”

“…However, one fundamental change was the inclusion of the ten indicator variables for the process maturity construct which were taken from the top ranked practices in a study by (Chevers et al, 2008) involving 30 IS professionals in four focus group sessions. In these focus group sessions, participants were presented with the eighteen (18) established CMMI levels 2 and 3 process areas (which are called practices in this study).…”

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