Simulation-based decision support for bringing a project back on track: The case of RUP-based software construction

Abstract

RUP-based development has proven successful in various contexts. The iterative and phased development approach provides a framework for how to develop software efficiently and effectively. Yet, there are plenty of occasions that the projects go off-track in terms of the key parameters of the project such as quality, functionality, cost, and schedule. The challenge for the software project manager is to bring the project back on track. Simulation, in general, and system dynamics based simulation in particular, is established as a method to pro-actively evaluate possible scenarios and decisions. The main contribution of this paper is a method called SIM-DASH; it combines three established techniques for providing decision support to the software project manager in the context of RUP-based development. SIM-DASH consists of (i) a system dynamics modeling and simulation component for RUP-based construction, (ii) dashboard functionality providing aggregated and visualized information for comparing actual versus targeted performance, and (iii) knowledge and experience base describing possible actions that have proven successful in the past for how to bring a project back on track. As part of (iii), decision trees and experiencebased guidelines are used. The interplay between these three components provides pre-evaluated actions for bringing the current project iteration back on track. As proof-of-concept, a case study is provided to illustrate the key steps of the method and to highlight its principal advantages. For this purpose, SIM-DASH was substantiated retrospectively for a real-world SAP web system development project within the banking field. While the method is applicable for different issues and scenarios, we study its impact for the specific issue of adding personnel to testing and/or development in order to ensure improved project performance to achieve established quality levels of feature development.

Adapting Rational Unified Process (RUP) approach in designing a secure e-Tendering model

“…This study shows that the RUP is one of the best system development methodologies that can be used as one of the research methodology in Software Engineering domain related to secured design of any observed application. This methodology has been tested in various studies in certain domain, such as in Simulation-based Decision Support [6], Security Requirement Engineering [7], Business Modeling and Secure System Requirment [8], and so forth. As a conclusion, these studies showed that the RUP one of a good research methodology that can be adapted in any Software Engineering (SE) research domain that required a few artifacts to be generated such as use case modeling, misuse case modeling, activity diagram, and initial class diagram from a list of requirements as identified earlier by the SE researchers.…”

Experimentation with dynamic simulation models in software engineering: planning and reporting guidelines

“…Additionally, we searched for simulation studies in the main conference (ICSSP 3 ) and journal (SPIP, 4 including its new title JSEP), applying the same criteria from the qSLR. We found seven other simulation studies(Al-Emran et al 2010;Birkhölzer et al 2010;Houston and Lieu 2010;Bai et al 2012;Paikari et al 2012;Concas et al 2013;Houston and Buettner 2013) in these venues.…”