The Human Being as Key Element for Software Process Improvement

Scientific Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Computer Science - General, , language: English, abstract: This paper aims to explain a new approach of software process improvements (SPI). The approach will not replace the existing methods, but will support them for SPI from an additional view. The additional view consists the SPI as a networked system of the activities for SPI. The approach is an extract of a comprehensive PhD paper about SPI and defect prevention from the author. In the PhD paper the author is using over 100 important influence elements.

The title of the PhD paper is: Ganzheitlich vernetzte Fehlerprvention im Software-Entwicklungsprozess." (Unmig 2012)
Today there are various actions and constructive methods in software process improvements used. As there are a lot of different elements and subjects in the process of improvements involved - it is a complex process. The most involved elements and subjects are e.g. the human being (management, members of staff, customer, work psychology), methods, organisations, culture etc. The author's own experience and studies confirm that the human being is one of the most important elements in the process. The human being is much more involved in the process than considered in the daily work today. His work performance e.g. software process improvements depends on a lot of interlinked factors.

This paper will use an excerpt of 12 important elements of the above mentioned PhD paper. The elements will be interlinked. A software tool is used to interlink, present and simulate the interrelationship to the other elements. The approach and results can be used in all software process improvements (SPI) / software development processes to support the existing SPI approaches and measures. The support is based on the position (strengths) and relationship of the elements in the result matrix.