APPLIED COMPUTER SCIENCES,inc
Since 1987
Critical Issues for Software Development Management
DID YOU KNOW almost 70% of all software is developed with no
real planning process and few controls? In this increasingly
competitive world, software development efforts must refocus on
the critical business issues of product reliability, profitability,
and quality.
Maximum gains in these essential areas can only be seen via use
of effective process controls throughout the cycle of planning,
specification, programming, testing, documentation, release, and
upgrading. The discipline, planning, and structured procedures
to be implemented make sense from a business and productivity
standpoint. Increased profits from cost and time-to-market savings
and enhanced product quality and reputation are significant
benefits to be gained.
SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT tools provide an automated way
for developers and managers to track and control project components.
The basic tasks performed are revision control and product
build management.
All phases of product growth can be managed with planned use of
a flexible, broad-based Configuration Management tool. Specification
and design documents, source and object code, test data,
problem reports, etc can all be tracked within the framework of
a CM tool. Code can be shared between projects, team development
in a distributed environment is practical, and product build
can be defined, controlled, and reproduced. Software code can
progress in an orderly way from development, thru QA, to production.
Developers benefit from easy access to the history of product
growth, as well as on-demand reconstruction of previous versions.
Independent developer workspaces combined with regular integration
of work-in-progress brings efficiency and productivity to
the team development effort.
Problem Reports and Change Requests can be tracked, and related
to the revision history of product components.
The Software Development group that implements Configuraton
Management will take a giant step toward controlling the myriad
processes involved in completion of a product. They will gain
future benefits from establishment of good system development
policies and processes.
Contact Applied Computer Sciences for an Introductory Seminar
covering these critical issues.
