Improving the software process
William E. Riddle · International Conference on Software Engineering · 1987
Needs and possibilities for software processes are constantly changing, and improvement is therefore a continual process. Part of the task of software process improvement is the comparative evaluation of alternatives with the intent of deciding whether to shift to a new process or keep/adjust an existing one. An equally important task is to constantly increase the flexibility to adapt a software process to meet new project-related or organizational needs or utilize new technology.The intent of this panel is to expose, compare and contrast a variety of strategies and tactics for improving the software process. The assumption is that no single strategy or set of tactics will ever be best in all situations. To set the stage, the strategy and tactics discussed in the paper “Tailoring the Software Process to Project Goals and Environments,” by Basili and Rombach, will be presented. The panelists, each of whom has a direct responsibility for software technology improvement, will then briefly present the approaches they are using to guide software process improvement. The ensuing discussion is intended to uncover critical differences and similarities and lead to an understanding of the contexts in which the various approaches can succeed.