Jyrki Kontio

A case study in applying a systematic method for COTS selection

This paper describes a case study that used and evaluated key aspects of a method developed for systematic reusable off-the-shelf software selection. The paper presents a summary of the common problems in reusable off-the-shelf software selection, describes the method used and provides details about the case study carried out. The case study indicated that the evaluated aspects of the method are feasible, improve the quality and efficiency of reusable software selection and the decision makers have more confidence in the evaluation results, compared to traditional approaches. Furthermore, the case study also showed that the choice of evaluation data analysis method can influence the evaluation results.

Using the focus group method in software engineering: obtaining practitioner and user experiences

This paper reflects on three cases where the focus group method was used to obtain feedback and experiences from software engineering practitioners and application users. The focus group method and its background are presented, the methods weaknesses and strengths are discussed, and guidelines are provided for how to use the method in the software engineering context. Furthermore, the results of the three studies conducted are highlighted and the paper concludes in a discussion on the applicability of the method for this type of research. In summary, the focus group method is a cost-effective and quick empirical research approach for obtaining qualitative insights and feedback from practitioners. It can be used in several phases and types of research. However, a major limitation of the method is that it is useful only in studying concepts that can be understood by participants in a limited time. We also recommend that in the software engineering context, the method should be used with sufficient empirical rigor.

Implementing requirements engineering processes throughout organizations: success factors and challenges

This paper aims at identifying critical factors affecting organization-wide implementation of requirements engineering (RE) processes. The paper is based on a broad literature review and three longitudinal case studies that were carried out using an action research method. The results indicate that RE process implementation is a demanding undertaking, and its success greatly depends on such human factors as motivation, commitment and enthusiasm. Therefore, it is essential that the RE process is useful for its individual users. Furthermore, the results indicate that organizations can gain benefits from RE by defining a simple RE process, by focusing on a small set of RE practices, and by supporting the systematic usage of these practices. q 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experiences in improving risk management processes using the concepts of the Riskit method

This paper describes experiences from two organizations that have used the Riskit method for risk management in their software projects. This paper presents the Riskit method, the organizations involved, case study designs, and findings from case studies. We focus on the experiences and insights gained through the application of the method in industrial context and propose some general conclusions based on the case studies.

An industrial case study of implementing software risk management

Explicit risk management is gaining ground in industrial software development projects. However, there are few empirical studies that investigate the transfer of explicit risk management into industry, the adequacy of the risk management approaches to the constraints of industrial contexts, or their cost-benefit. This paper presents results from a case study that introduced a systematic risk management method, namely the Riskit method, into a large German telecommunication company. The objective of the case study was (1) to analyze the usefulness and adequacy of the Riskit method and (2) to analyze the cost-benefit of the Riskit method in this industrial context. The results of (1) also aimed at improvement and customization of the Riskit method. Moreover, we compare our findings with results of previous case studies to obtain more generalized conclusions on the Riskit method. Our results showed that the Riskit method is practical, adds value to the project, and that its key concepts are understood and usable in practice. Additionally, many lessons learned are reported that are useful for the general audience who wants to transfer risk management into new projects.

Challenges of software product companies: results of a national survey in Finland

We report findings from a survey that has been conducted in Finland to study how the software product companies have matured and evolved over the years. In addition to introducing some key terms for characterizing the software product business, we provide some overall data on the sector, and discuss some specific issues related to the software RD and their biggest challenges in growth are not technical but management and marketing related. Furthermore, we also discovered that the most important improvement areas are improving the degree of productization and level of competence of personnel and that the ability to network with other companies is critical for younger companies. This survey also revealed that programming and planning are the two most common types of subcontracting, and difficulties in modularity and specifications are the biggest hurdles that prevent wider use of subcontracting.

Risk management in software development: a technology overview and the Riskit method

Explicit and systematic management of risks in software projects has become a more common practice amongst leading software organizations, However, often the methods used have severe theoretical and practical limitations that may lead to biased or inappropriate control of risks. The first part of this tutorial presents a critical overview of the current risk management technology, discussing the pros and cons of main approaches, as well as guidelines for their use. The second part of the tutorial presents the Riskit method with concrete examples and exercises. Riskit is a risk management method that has been developed to provide a theoretically sound, yet practical risk management approach. The method has been used and evaluated in several industrial projects in Europe and in the U.S.

Towards better software projects and contracts: commitment specifications in software development projects

Any software development project requires commitments from its participants. These commitments can include money, resources, deadlines, and specified functionality for the end product. The authors have developed a framework and a set of guidelines to support the specification of such commitments. They have evaluated the framework empirically in a series of case studies. The studies indicated that the framework addresses commitment specification issues that are normally not covered in project contracts and that the specification framework was considered beneficial by project representatives.

The fourth international workshop on economics-driven software engineering research (EDSER-4)

Traditionally, the study of software engineering has been primarily a technical endeavor with minimal attention given to its economic context. Design and implementation methods are proposed based on technical merits without making adequate links to economic considerations. Engineering seeks to create value relative to resources invested in a given context, whether commercial or not. Software development essentially is an irreversible capital investment and software should add value to the organization just as any other capital expenditure that creates a net benefit.

Software Business Education for Software Engineers: Towards an Integrated Curriculum

All software is developed to create value to its stakeholders. Software engineering decisions and business value are closely linked with each other: technical decisions may have a profound impact on the business potential of software. Yet, software engineering education usually does not provide students with sufficient knowledge on business-related issues. We believe that the general business education is too abstract and unfocused to address the specific characteristics of software business. This paper suggests specific areas of business competencies that should be integrated into the software engineering curriculum. In addition, we compare these topics with software business curricula in three Finnish universities.