Frank Keenan

Do agile GSD experience reports help the practitioner

Agile software development has steadily gained momentum and acceptability as a viable approach to software development. As software development continues to take advantage of the global market, agile methods are also being attempted in geographically distributed settings. In this paper, the authors discuss the usefulness of published research on agile global software development for the practitioner. It is contended that such published work is of minimal value to the practitioner and does not add anything to the guidance available before the existence of current agile methods. A survey of agile GSD related publications, from XP/Agile conferences between 2001 and 2005, is used to support this claim. The paper ends with a number of proposals which aim to improve the usefulness of future agile GSD research and experience.

Towards a systemic approach to autonomic systems engineering

An autonomic system is structured as a network of autonomic elements that collaborate to achieve the systems purpose. This paper examines the potential benefit of using well-established systems concepts and techniques in the development of such systems. In particular, it considers the possible role of Checklands Soft Systems Methodology and Beers Viable Systems model in system design. The paper summarizes the relevant aspects of each approach and then assesses both their individual and joint strengths in support of the construction and evaluation of designs. Some practical issues in the use of these approaches are also identified. The discussion is illustrated using aspects of the design of an autonomic operating system.

Development of a Process Assessment Model for Assessing Medical IT Networks against IEC 80001-1

Increasingly medical devices are being designed to allow them to exchange information over an IT network. However incorporating a medical device into an IT network can introduce risks which can impact the safety, effectiveness and security of the medical device. Medical devices are stringently tested according to regulation during the design and manufacture process. However until the introduction of IEC 80001-1: Application of Risk Management for IT-Networks incorporating Medical Devices, no standard addressed the risks of incorporating a medical device into an IT network. In order to perform an assessment (which is compliant with ISO/IEC 15504-2) of an IT network against IEC 80001-1, a Process Assessment Model is required. Based on the relationship between IEC 80001-1 and ISO/IEC 20000-1, this paper examines how the TIPA transformation process developed by Public Research Centre Henri Tudor was used to develop a process assessment model (TIPA PAM) for ISO/IEC 20000-1. It also examines how a process assessment model can be developed following that transformation process to assess Medical IT networks against IEC 80001-1.

Developing acceptance tests from existing documentation using annotations: An experiment

The importance of good software testing is often reported. Traditionally, acceptance testing is the last stage of the testing process before release to the customer. Unfortunately, it is not always appropriate to wait so long for customer feedback. Emerging agile methods recognise this and promote close interaction between the customer and developers for early acceptance testing, often before implementation commences. Indeed, Acceptance Test Driven Development (ATDD) is a process that uses customer interaction to define tests and tool support to automate and execute these. However, with existing tools, tests are usually written from new descriptions or rewritten from existing documentation. Here, the challenge is to allow developers and customers to annotate existing documentation and automatically generate acceptance tests without rewrites or new descriptions. This paper introduces the related ideas and describes a particular experiment that assesses the value of using annotated text to create acceptance tests.

Risk management of medical IT networks: an ISO/IEC 15504 compliant approach to assessment against IEC 80001-1

The incorporation of a medical device into an IT network can introduce risks that may not have been addressed during the design and manufacture of the device. IEC 80001-1 is a lifecycle risk management standard which was developed to address these risks. This paper presents research which has been performed to date which has led to the development of a Process Reference Model (PRM) and Process Assessment Model (PAM) which can be used by Healthcare Delivery Organisations to assess themselves against IEC 80001-1. This paper also presents future work in this area which includes the development of an assessment method for IEC 80001-1 and the validation of the PRM, PAM and assessment method.

Development and validation of the MedITNet assessment framework: improving risk management of medical IT networks

The use of networked medical devices can provide a number of benefits such as improved patient safety, reduced costs of care and a reduction in adverse events. Traditionally, medical devices were placed onto a proprietary IT network provided by the manufacturer of the device. Today, medical devices are increasingly designed for incorporation into a hospital’s general IT network enabling devices to exchange critical information. However, this can introduce risks and negate the potential benefits to patients. While the IEC 80001-1 standard has been developed to aid Healthcare Delivery Organisations (HDOs) in addressing these risks, HDOs may struggle to understand and implement the requirements. The MedITNet framework has been developed to allow HDOs to assess the capability of their risk management processes against the requirements of IEC 80001-1. MedITNet provides a flexible assessment framework enabling HDOs to gain a greater understanding of the requirements of the standard and to improve risk management processes by determining their current state and highlighting areas for improvement. This paper examines the challenges faced by HDOs in the risk management of medical IT networks and briefly explains the components of the MedITNet framework and how the framework addresses these challenges. This paper also details how Action Design Research (ADR) was used in the development and validation of MedITNet.

The Approach to the Development of an Assessment Method for IEC 80001-1

IEC 80001-1 is a risk management standard that addresses the risks associated with the incorporation of a medical device into an IT network. Our research in the area of IEC 80001-1 has to date been focused on the development of a Process Reference Model (PRM) and Process Assessment Model (PAM) for assessment against IEC 80001-1. In this paper we present the approach to the next phase of our research which focuses on the development of an assessment method which will be used to perform an assessment using the IEC 80001-1 PAM. The assessment method will ensure a standardized approach to performing an assessment while identifying key success and will contain a list of questions which will allow assessors to determine the capability level of processes within the PAM. The results of the assessment can be used as a basis for process improvement.

Investigating the Suitability of Agile Methods for Requirements Development of Home Care Systems

The ageing population in developed countries brings many benefits but also many challenges, particularly in terms of the development of appropriate technology to support their ability to remain in their own home environment. One particular challenge reported for such Home Care Systems (HCS) is the identification of an appropriate requirements development technique for dealing with the typical diverse stakeholders involved. Agile Methods (AMs) recognize this challenge and propose techniques that could be useful. This paper examines the desirable characteristics identified for requirements development in HCS and investigates the extent to which agile practices conform to these. It also sets out future work to improve the situation for the non compliant points found.

Soft Systems Methodology: An Aid to Agile Development?

In principle, an agile approach to information systems development has the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the development process. One apparent disadvantage, however, is that agile methods tend to be strongly “product-focused”, meaning that they place greater emphasis on creating and modifying information systems than on understanding the context in which they are to be used. As a result, higher level requirements and issues can be less well understood. This paper argues for the use of more context analysis in agile development, while acknowledging that any extra effort required must be modest to stay within the general agile ethos. In particular, the paper considers the extent to which soft systems methodology might be a suitable way to perform such analysis. It is concluded that although this methodology is generally perceived as time-consuming, it is essentially sympathetic to the agile approach and is flexible enough to integrate with existing agile techniques.

Tag Oriented Agile Requirements Identification

Requirements elicitation, particularly for agile development, presumes the availability of a customer. However, in many cases, as with market-driven projects, a customer is not necessarily available. Here, the challenge is to support the identification of potential requirements by other means. With web development, one approach is to examine other web sites that exhibit similar characteristics to the project under consideration. In certain cases, it may be possible, with appropriate tool support, to easily and quickly identify and document potential requirements. This poster describes one such prototype tool.