Enhanced AZ-Model for Requirement Change Management in the Context of Global Software Development

Abstract

Software organizations are increasingly embracing the advantages of Global Software Development (GSD), such as access to highly skilled developers and reduced development costs. However, the implementation of Requirement Change Management (RCM) activities in GSD is often hindered by a lack of communication and coordination among project stakeholders, as well as an insufficient focus on traceability and monitoring of RCM activities. To overcome these issues, we have enhanced and improved an existing RCM framework to mitigate the identified challenges and to develop a quality product while achieving customer satisfaction and business objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed Enhanced AZ-Model, we sought feedback from the industrial experts and performed a statistical analysis of the collected data. The Enhanced AZ-Model was further validated by performing simulations of the model. The empirical and simulation results indicate that the Enhanced AZ-model efficiently and effectively manage the demanded changes according to the budget and time constraints.