Communications in computer and information science, 2017
Scrumban combines two Agile approaches (Scrum and Kanban) to create a management framework for im... more Scrumban combines two Agile approaches (Scrum and Kanban) to create a management framework for improving software engineering practices. Scrumban is expected to override both Scrum and Kanban, as it inherits the best features of both. However, there is little understanding of the possible impact of Scrumban on software development in prior studies. This study first makes a comparison among Scrum, Kanban, and Scrumban and then investigates the impact of Scrumban on six major challenges of global software development. This study was conducted in a distributed project at two Software Factories in two universities in Finland and Italy. The results show that Scrumban could positively affect issues such as evenness of different sites, communication, and cultural issues as well as leveraging resources among sites. However, there are still few challenges that require alternative methodologies and tools other than Scrumban to be overcome.
The increasing complexity of software-intensive systems (SIS) has led to a completely new concept... more The increasing complexity of software-intensive systems (SIS) has led to a completely new concept: Very Large-Scale Requirements Engineering (VLSRE), where the sheer number of requirements typically exceeds 10,000. Design for eXcellence (DfX) principles and their execution have been studied in different contexts for decades. However, DfX has not been in the focus of the Requirements Engineering (RE) process, and especially not in the VLSRE context. This paper addresses the DfX topic through an empirical study of the DfX REprocess and practices in a large global ICT organisation operating in the VLSRE mode. The result of this study is a conceptual framework that helps to overcome the challenges identified, leading towards changes in the operational procedures of the DfX REprocess , accommodating the requirements of very large-scale development. The piloting of the framework has been started in the case company, and initial feedback has been positive. The findings of this study offer new insights for scholars and practitioners.
Coordination in software projects is a challenge, particularly when it comes to distributed softw... more Coordination in software projects is a challenge, particularly when it comes to distributed software development (DSD). Agile software development is a well-known paradigm for improving software development; however, there is little understanding of its impact on DSD projects. This paper describes an empirical study conducted within two Software Factory settings in Finland and Italy to investigate how Scrumban can impact coordination in geographically distributed software development. It provides the results from a project case that applied Scrumban to develop a web-based application for Time-banking. This study shows that aspects of Scrumban, such as iterative development, enhanced visibility, and limited work-inprogress, would alleviate the challenges of leveraging resources, synchronization between distributed sites, communication, and culture. It also explains that technical and security issues in the coordination of distributed projects may demand for solutions other than Scrumban.
Over the past decade, major advancements in software development have occurred in the global cont... more Over the past decade, major advancements in software development have occurred in the global context. Global software development (GSD) is an effective strategy, and many higher educational institutions have been offering GSD courses. These courses are usually organized together with another institution situated in a different location. However, conducting such a course with more than one institution is not so economical since it involves greater collaboration among various institutions than in the case of a general onsite course. In this paper, we present an onsite simulation that deals with the specifics in the field of GSD training and teaching. We analyzed the students’ learning reflections with a phenomenographic approach to validate the relevance of the design science construct of the course model containing an onsite simulation. Based on the analyzed data, it is possible to organize a GSD course on a single location with the aid of role-play simulation. The presented course model can help an institution prepare its students to solve most of the common problems faced in industrial GSD settings.
International Conference on Information Systems, 1996
Experiences of making software development and purchase contracts between a user organization and... more Experiences of making software development and purchase contracts between a user organization and several software vendors are analyzed over a decade-long period. Three information systems histories are presented as case examples. The analysis is based on observations of the contract negotiations. Transaction cost framework is used to explain the forms of the joint organizational relations between the parties. The analysis yields a descriptive model that depicts in a concise way how the relationships have evolved. The model identifies encounters between the vendors and the client which may change the contractual state between the parties. The passages between consecutive encounters are called episodes. By perceiving contractual systems development as a series of encounters and episodes, it is possible to identify the critical turning points of development work and to display the dynamics of contracting. The paper ends with a discussion of the findings and some implications for researchers and practitioners.
International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering, Dec 1, 1995
The BOOTSTRAP approach to software process assessment and improvement offers a methodology which ... more The BOOTSTRAP approach to software process assessment and improvement offers a methodology which can be suitably used with different types of the software process and products, and with different software producing organization structures and sizes. The approach is supported by cumulative data about the software industry as a whole as well as its individual sectors. At the same time BOOTSTRAP is based on the ISO 9000 series quality standards and appropriately general software project management standards (ESA-PSS-05), as well as is related to such defacto maturity standards as SEI's CMM. More granularity in expressing capability (in terms of scale and multidimensionality) makes BOOTSTRAP particularly suitable for process improvement. While having established position in Europe and participating in such wider standardization efforts as ISO/SPICE, it is important for BOOTSTRAP to look for comparisons of assumptions and results elsewhere. This paper presents the BOOTSTRAP methodology and and in conclusions brings forward some topics that may constitute a cultural interface orspecific boundary conditions between different software process assessment and improvement approaches.
In recent few years, the adoption of agile and lean development practices has increased remarkabl... more In recent few years, the adoption of agile and lean development practices has increased remarkably. However, this is not the end, new and innovative approaches that support continuous practices are needed. Continuity is required in all the levels of the organisation; from business strategy and planning to software development and thereafter to operational deployment, as well as between these levels. Continuous planning means implementing planning practices continuously, in rapid parallel cycles, instead of the predefined and regular planning occasions. Continuous planning is not commonly adopted and applied throughout the organisation and currently involves only a certain level of planning, e.g. release planning. Based on the current literature, continuous planning is a relatively new and not yet fully studied field of research. To augment the knowledge relating to continuous planning, this research plan presents how the knowledge relating to continuous planning is going to be incre...
In this paper a new Experimental and Explorative Research (EER) research strategy is proposed. It... more In this paper a new Experimental and Explorative Research (EER) research strategy is proposed. It combines experimental software engineering with exploratory research of new technologies. EER is based on several years experience of using and developing the approach in research of future mobile applications. In large international projects explorative application research includes quite often both industrial software developers and experienced researchers. This kind of an experimental research environment resolves the subject problem found in student experiments. It also does not have the difficulties found in experimental design and control of industrial projects that are constrained by strict commercial conditions. EER strategy provides benefits for both worlds: (1) experimental software engineering research benefits from almost industry level projects that can be used as experimentation environments, and (2) future mobile telecom application research benefits from better control and understanding of the characteristics of the applications and their development methods and processes.
IFIP International Federation for Information Processing
Oulu has been a place for business and export industry in Northern Finland. In the 1970s began a ... more Oulu has been a place for business and export industry in Northern Finland. In the 1970s began a difficult period of recession. Then, declining and unemployment-ridden Oulu seemed unexpectedly to start to boom. High technology products were being produced in the city and these products were sold more and more in international market. The main contribution of the paper is to provide a more thorough view of the multi-scientific expertise apparent in the gradual building of the growth base of the 'Oulu phenomenon'. The analysis shows the crucial role of system-theoretical and softwareoriented expertise and complements earlier views.
IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, 2009
The region of Oulu has been emphasizing the importance of electronics industry for its business g... more The region of Oulu has been emphasizing the importance of electronics industry for its business growth since the 1960s. After a pitch-dark recession, the region developed in the 1990s into a new, well-established hub of information and communication technology (ICT) in Finland. The city with its 100,000 inhabitants occupied nearly 10,000 ICT professionals in 1995. This article will contribute to the body of research knowledge through analyzing the role of computer science, in particular information systems and software engineering, for the development of the ICT industry in Oulu in the latter half of the 1980s. This analysis is based on a variety of both primary and secondary sources. This article suggests that the system-theoretical and software-oriented research expertise played a key role for the rapid and successful ICT business development of the Oulu region.
Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, 2009
... To solve the dilemma more attention should be paid on analyzing and value based argumentation... more ... To solve the dilemma more attention should be paid on analyzing and value based argumentation of ... demand and supply chain, and is the purchasing and production capability manager of oneportfolio. ... That is why he suggests total cost model instead of optimization of a single ...
IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, 2009
This paper discusses the internationalization of software business in the Oulu region. Despite it... more This paper discusses the internationalization of software business in the Oulu region. Despite its small size, the region grew rapidly and very successfully into a global information and communication technology business center. The University of Oulu, which was the northern most university in the world at the time of its establishment (1958) had a strong emphasis on engineering since its very beginning. Research on electronics was carried out since the early 1960s. Later, when the Department of Information Processing Science was founded in 1969, research on information systems and later also on software engineering was carried out. This paper discusses the role of the information systems and software engineering research for the business growth of the region. Special emphasis is put on understanding the role of system-theoretical and software development expertise for transferring research knowledge into practice.
Product roadmapping enhances the product development process by enabling early information and lo... more Product roadmapping enhances the product development process by enabling early information and long-term decision making about the products in order to deliver the right products to the right markets at the right time. However, relatively little scientific knowledge is available on the application and usefulness of product roadmapping in software product development context. This study develops a framework for software
... Home > Software process assessment and improvement. Information; Discussion; Files. Re... more ... Home > Software process assessment and improvement. Information; Discussion; Files. Report. Report number, ESPRIT-5441. Title, Software process assessment and improvement : the BOOTSTRAP approach. Author(s), Kuvaja, Pasi (et al.). Imprint, Oxford : Blackwell, 1994. ...
2017 43rd Euromicro Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications (SEAA), 2017
Context and motivation] Due to lack of resources and teams with low levels of experience, startup... more Context and motivation] Due to lack of resources and teams with low levels of experience, startups face several challenges during their product development, such as product customization, attracting new customers, and mastering the technology uncertainty. To increase their market presence and compensate for their lack of resources, startups need to consider other options such as joint ventures and partnerships. [Question/problem] Some companies that share highly similar resources and businesses can be potential competitors with one another. The effect of interaction with such potential competitors with respect to startups to obtain expertise has not been often reported in the literature to date. [Principal ideas/results] In this study, we simulated two software startups in a controlled experiment to evaluate the effect of interaction with a potential competitor in the effort estimation process. A real startup case was also involved in analyzing the effect. The results of the study show that there is a statistically significant difference in the effectiveness when cooperating with a competitor in the process. Experiment participants also considered the interaction with the potential competitor useful based on the exchange of important information and ideas regarding the product domain. [Contribution] This paper contributes by demonstrating the effect of interaction with a potential competitor in the effort estimation process. In addition, our study encourages further research on startups working in with the competitors in other software engineering knowledge areas.
We address the management of open innovation in the agile context. The open innovation management... more We address the management of open innovation in the agile context. The open innovation management principles are approached from the perspectives of process and communication. The goal is a multidisciplinary theoretical framework of open innovation, agile development, communication, motivation and incentives. Practical frameworks, models, and principles are presented for managers and consultants, who build up open innovation communities. The main research questions are: 1. Which features transform business context towards management of open innovation? 2. Which dimensions of communicative influence could benefit management of open innovation? 3. How to model open innovation in an agile context? 4. How to analyze communicative influence in practical cases of innovation? We propose a facilitated innovation process model which links together agile development, product management and company internal as well as external innovation processes. The model emphasizes the innovation broker's viewpoint. External and internal stakeholders are involved through subsequent phases of the product or service innovation process. We also propose a tentative framework for determinants of communicative influence which is used to analyze empirical cases involving three start-up SMEs in an early idea generation phase. Innovator motivation is enhanced through exchange of incentives. Finally future research is shortly described.
We address the management of customer involvement in new product development (NPD), in a situatio... more We address the management of customer involvement in new product development (NPD), in a situation, where industry is in a transition phase towards open innovation. We'll focus on one main point of open innovation management practices with customer involvement. How to get committed customers at the first place, how to motivate customers to participate in NPD-programs and how to keep them involved? The open innovation management theory is approached from the perspective of communication. The goal is a multidisciplinary theoretical framework of open innovation, management strategy, communication, motivation and incentives. Throughout theory development practical methods, guidelines or best practises are presented for managers and consultants, who build up committed customer communities. The research questions: 1. What principles guide the manager coordination of communicational acts leading to customer commitment? 2. Which elements of company's communicative actions attract the customers and lead to the growth of the commitment? We conduct a longitudinal process study and our research strategy is multiple case study. We interview both managers and consumers during 2007-2008. The cases will vary from the finnish start-ups to large international companies. A common denominator for the cases is that they all are on the brink of starting to develop customer commitment practises with NPD.
Communications in computer and information science, 2017
Scrumban combines two Agile approaches (Scrum and Kanban) to create a management framework for im... more Scrumban combines two Agile approaches (Scrum and Kanban) to create a management framework for improving software engineering practices. Scrumban is expected to override both Scrum and Kanban, as it inherits the best features of both. However, there is little understanding of the possible impact of Scrumban on software development in prior studies. This study first makes a comparison among Scrum, Kanban, and Scrumban and then investigates the impact of Scrumban on six major challenges of global software development. This study was conducted in a distributed project at two Software Factories in two universities in Finland and Italy. The results show that Scrumban could positively affect issues such as evenness of different sites, communication, and cultural issues as well as leveraging resources among sites. However, there are still few challenges that require alternative methodologies and tools other than Scrumban to be overcome.
The increasing complexity of software-intensive systems (SIS) has led to a completely new concept... more The increasing complexity of software-intensive systems (SIS) has led to a completely new concept: Very Large-Scale Requirements Engineering (VLSRE), where the sheer number of requirements typically exceeds 10,000. Design for eXcellence (DfX) principles and their execution have been studied in different contexts for decades. However, DfX has not been in the focus of the Requirements Engineering (RE) process, and especially not in the VLSRE context. This paper addresses the DfX topic through an empirical study of the DfX REprocess and practices in a large global ICT organisation operating in the VLSRE mode. The result of this study is a conceptual framework that helps to overcome the challenges identified, leading towards changes in the operational procedures of the DfX REprocess , accommodating the requirements of very large-scale development. The piloting of the framework has been started in the case company, and initial feedback has been positive. The findings of this study offer new insights for scholars and practitioners.
Coordination in software projects is a challenge, particularly when it comes to distributed softw... more Coordination in software projects is a challenge, particularly when it comes to distributed software development (DSD). Agile software development is a well-known paradigm for improving software development; however, there is little understanding of its impact on DSD projects. This paper describes an empirical study conducted within two Software Factory settings in Finland and Italy to investigate how Scrumban can impact coordination in geographically distributed software development. It provides the results from a project case that applied Scrumban to develop a web-based application for Time-banking. This study shows that aspects of Scrumban, such as iterative development, enhanced visibility, and limited work-inprogress, would alleviate the challenges of leveraging resources, synchronization between distributed sites, communication, and culture. It also explains that technical and security issues in the coordination of distributed projects may demand for solutions other than Scrumban.
Over the past decade, major advancements in software development have occurred in the global cont... more Over the past decade, major advancements in software development have occurred in the global context. Global software development (GSD) is an effective strategy, and many higher educational institutions have been offering GSD courses. These courses are usually organized together with another institution situated in a different location. However, conducting such a course with more than one institution is not so economical since it involves greater collaboration among various institutions than in the case of a general onsite course. In this paper, we present an onsite simulation that deals with the specifics in the field of GSD training and teaching. We analyzed the students’ learning reflections with a phenomenographic approach to validate the relevance of the design science construct of the course model containing an onsite simulation. Based on the analyzed data, it is possible to organize a GSD course on a single location with the aid of role-play simulation. The presented course model can help an institution prepare its students to solve most of the common problems faced in industrial GSD settings.
International Conference on Information Systems, 1996
Experiences of making software development and purchase contracts between a user organization and... more Experiences of making software development and purchase contracts between a user organization and several software vendors are analyzed over a decade-long period. Three information systems histories are presented as case examples. The analysis is based on observations of the contract negotiations. Transaction cost framework is used to explain the forms of the joint organizational relations between the parties. The analysis yields a descriptive model that depicts in a concise way how the relationships have evolved. The model identifies encounters between the vendors and the client which may change the contractual state between the parties. The passages between consecutive encounters are called episodes. By perceiving contractual systems development as a series of encounters and episodes, it is possible to identify the critical turning points of development work and to display the dynamics of contracting. The paper ends with a discussion of the findings and some implications for researchers and practitioners.
International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering, Dec 1, 1995
The BOOTSTRAP approach to software process assessment and improvement offers a methodology which ... more The BOOTSTRAP approach to software process assessment and improvement offers a methodology which can be suitably used with different types of the software process and products, and with different software producing organization structures and sizes. The approach is supported by cumulative data about the software industry as a whole as well as its individual sectors. At the same time BOOTSTRAP is based on the ISO 9000 series quality standards and appropriately general software project management standards (ESA-PSS-05), as well as is related to such defacto maturity standards as SEI's CMM. More granularity in expressing capability (in terms of scale and multidimensionality) makes BOOTSTRAP particularly suitable for process improvement. While having established position in Europe and participating in such wider standardization efforts as ISO/SPICE, it is important for BOOTSTRAP to look for comparisons of assumptions and results elsewhere. This paper presents the BOOTSTRAP methodology and and in conclusions brings forward some topics that may constitute a cultural interface orspecific boundary conditions between different software process assessment and improvement approaches.
In recent few years, the adoption of agile and lean development practices has increased remarkabl... more In recent few years, the adoption of agile and lean development practices has increased remarkably. However, this is not the end, new and innovative approaches that support continuous practices are needed. Continuity is required in all the levels of the organisation; from business strategy and planning to software development and thereafter to operational deployment, as well as between these levels. Continuous planning means implementing planning practices continuously, in rapid parallel cycles, instead of the predefined and regular planning occasions. Continuous planning is not commonly adopted and applied throughout the organisation and currently involves only a certain level of planning, e.g. release planning. Based on the current literature, continuous planning is a relatively new and not yet fully studied field of research. To augment the knowledge relating to continuous planning, this research plan presents how the knowledge relating to continuous planning is going to be incre...
In this paper a new Experimental and Explorative Research (EER) research strategy is proposed. It... more In this paper a new Experimental and Explorative Research (EER) research strategy is proposed. It combines experimental software engineering with exploratory research of new technologies. EER is based on several years experience of using and developing the approach in research of future mobile applications. In large international projects explorative application research includes quite often both industrial software developers and experienced researchers. This kind of an experimental research environment resolves the subject problem found in student experiments. It also does not have the difficulties found in experimental design and control of industrial projects that are constrained by strict commercial conditions. EER strategy provides benefits for both worlds: (1) experimental software engineering research benefits from almost industry level projects that can be used as experimentation environments, and (2) future mobile telecom application research benefits from better control and understanding of the characteristics of the applications and their development methods and processes.
IFIP International Federation for Information Processing
Oulu has been a place for business and export industry in Northern Finland. In the 1970s began a ... more Oulu has been a place for business and export industry in Northern Finland. In the 1970s began a difficult period of recession. Then, declining and unemployment-ridden Oulu seemed unexpectedly to start to boom. High technology products were being produced in the city and these products were sold more and more in international market. The main contribution of the paper is to provide a more thorough view of the multi-scientific expertise apparent in the gradual building of the growth base of the 'Oulu phenomenon'. The analysis shows the crucial role of system-theoretical and softwareoriented expertise and complements earlier views.
IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, 2009
The region of Oulu has been emphasizing the importance of electronics industry for its business g... more The region of Oulu has been emphasizing the importance of electronics industry for its business growth since the 1960s. After a pitch-dark recession, the region developed in the 1990s into a new, well-established hub of information and communication technology (ICT) in Finland. The city with its 100,000 inhabitants occupied nearly 10,000 ICT professionals in 1995. This article will contribute to the body of research knowledge through analyzing the role of computer science, in particular information systems and software engineering, for the development of the ICT industry in Oulu in the latter half of the 1980s. This analysis is based on a variety of both primary and secondary sources. This article suggests that the system-theoretical and software-oriented research expertise played a key role for the rapid and successful ICT business development of the Oulu region.
Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, 2009
... To solve the dilemma more attention should be paid on analyzing and value based argumentation... more ... To solve the dilemma more attention should be paid on analyzing and value based argumentation of ... demand and supply chain, and is the purchasing and production capability manager of oneportfolio. ... That is why he suggests total cost model instead of optimization of a single ...
IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, 2009
This paper discusses the internationalization of software business in the Oulu region. Despite it... more This paper discusses the internationalization of software business in the Oulu region. Despite its small size, the region grew rapidly and very successfully into a global information and communication technology business center. The University of Oulu, which was the northern most university in the world at the time of its establishment (1958) had a strong emphasis on engineering since its very beginning. Research on electronics was carried out since the early 1960s. Later, when the Department of Information Processing Science was founded in 1969, research on information systems and later also on software engineering was carried out. This paper discusses the role of the information systems and software engineering research for the business growth of the region. Special emphasis is put on understanding the role of system-theoretical and software development expertise for transferring research knowledge into practice.
Product roadmapping enhances the product development process by enabling early information and lo... more Product roadmapping enhances the product development process by enabling early information and long-term decision making about the products in order to deliver the right products to the right markets at the right time. However, relatively little scientific knowledge is available on the application and usefulness of product roadmapping in software product development context. This study develops a framework for software
... Home > Software process assessment and improvement. Information; Discussion; Files. Re... more ... Home > Software process assessment and improvement. Information; Discussion; Files. Report. Report number, ESPRIT-5441. Title, Software process assessment and improvement : the BOOTSTRAP approach. Author(s), Kuvaja, Pasi (et al.). Imprint, Oxford : Blackwell, 1994. ...
2017 43rd Euromicro Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications (SEAA), 2017
Context and motivation] Due to lack of resources and teams with low levels of experience, startup... more Context and motivation] Due to lack of resources and teams with low levels of experience, startups face several challenges during their product development, such as product customization, attracting new customers, and mastering the technology uncertainty. To increase their market presence and compensate for their lack of resources, startups need to consider other options such as joint ventures and partnerships. [Question/problem] Some companies that share highly similar resources and businesses can be potential competitors with one another. The effect of interaction with such potential competitors with respect to startups to obtain expertise has not been often reported in the literature to date. [Principal ideas/results] In this study, we simulated two software startups in a controlled experiment to evaluate the effect of interaction with a potential competitor in the effort estimation process. A real startup case was also involved in analyzing the effect. The results of the study show that there is a statistically significant difference in the effectiveness when cooperating with a competitor in the process. Experiment participants also considered the interaction with the potential competitor useful based on the exchange of important information and ideas regarding the product domain. [Contribution] This paper contributes by demonstrating the effect of interaction with a potential competitor in the effort estimation process. In addition, our study encourages further research on startups working in with the competitors in other software engineering knowledge areas.
We address the management of open innovation in the agile context. The open innovation management... more We address the management of open innovation in the agile context. The open innovation management principles are approached from the perspectives of process and communication. The goal is a multidisciplinary theoretical framework of open innovation, agile development, communication, motivation and incentives. Practical frameworks, models, and principles are presented for managers and consultants, who build up open innovation communities. The main research questions are: 1. Which features transform business context towards management of open innovation? 2. Which dimensions of communicative influence could benefit management of open innovation? 3. How to model open innovation in an agile context? 4. How to analyze communicative influence in practical cases of innovation? We propose a facilitated innovation process model which links together agile development, product management and company internal as well as external innovation processes. The model emphasizes the innovation broker's viewpoint. External and internal stakeholders are involved through subsequent phases of the product or service innovation process. We also propose a tentative framework for determinants of communicative influence which is used to analyze empirical cases involving three start-up SMEs in an early idea generation phase. Innovator motivation is enhanced through exchange of incentives. Finally future research is shortly described.
We address the management of customer involvement in new product development (NPD), in a situatio... more We address the management of customer involvement in new product development (NPD), in a situation, where industry is in a transition phase towards open innovation. We'll focus on one main point of open innovation management practices with customer involvement. How to get committed customers at the first place, how to motivate customers to participate in NPD-programs and how to keep them involved? The open innovation management theory is approached from the perspective of communication. The goal is a multidisciplinary theoretical framework of open innovation, management strategy, communication, motivation and incentives. Throughout theory development practical methods, guidelines or best practises are presented for managers and consultants, who build up committed customer communities. The research questions: 1. What principles guide the manager coordination of communicational acts leading to customer commitment? 2. Which elements of company's communicative actions attract the customers and lead to the growth of the commitment? We conduct a longitudinal process study and our research strategy is multiple case study. We interview both managers and consumers during 2007-2008. The cases will vary from the finnish start-ups to large international companies. A common denominator for the cases is that they all are on the brink of starting to develop customer commitment practises with NPD.
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