Evaluating the Contributions of a Structured Software Development and Maintenance Methodology

  • Authors:

  • Kay M. Nelson;Mehdi Ghods

  • Affiliations:

  • Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business, 2100 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USA nelson_k@cob.osu.edu;The Boeing Company, P.O. Box 24346, Seattle, WA 98124, USA Mehdi.Ghods@boeing.com

  • Venue:
  • Information Technology and Management
  • Year:
  • 2002

Quantified Score

Hi-index 0.00

Visualization

Abstract

This study evaluates a vendor supplied structured software development and maintenance methodology (SDMM) which was implemented in a large manufacturing firm. Thirty project teams using the methodology are measured for contributions to IS productivity compared to teams using no methodology. The performance of these projects is evaluated using both objective metrics and subjective measures taken from stakeholders of the software applications. The performance results of these thirty systems are then contrasted to the performance results of thirty-five applications in the same firm that do not use this SDMM and to one hundred sixteen applications across eleven other organizations. All of these applications had been in operation at least six months when they were studied. The software systems developed and maintained using the SDMM were found to have some significant cost and quality performance gains over the applications that do not use a methodology. However, these systems were found to have lower levels of configuration management, a feature not found within the methodology.