Improving Software Development Workflow and Process Modeling

In this book, we interpret and apply the time-tested insights from manufacturing and service operations (OM) and supply chain research to the management of software development. We also integrate Information Systems, Organizational Behavior, and Management Accounting research to shed light on how to improve software development process. The field of Information Systems has not entirely ignored the developer's desire to improve the management of software development processes. But the IS approach has focused on mapping, coding and standardizing the process. In contrast, the research in OM emphasizes modeling and quantifying the capacity decisions in a highly uncertain context, and focuses on continuous improvement. Very recently, some of this OM material has been interpreted for the software development context and it is now widely recognized as offering a fresh perspective for the development process. We expand the scope of this OM interpretation and offer a unifying framework tomodel and improve software development workflow. People engaged in developing software or in managing the development process will find, in this book, a new way to look at their work. It will offer a way to understand the important characteristics of workflow in their workplace, tools to model the flow, identify problems and issues, and, finally, help with generating and implementing ideas for improvement.