CT0673 M-MSDP Managing Software Development - Free Samples

1. The relationship with the Open Source Software Development: Before reaching any conclusions with the issues that the OSO system has it has to be made sure of what the existing software WIFI Company has been using for their Open Source Software Development. For this, the consulting team needs to clarify the characteristics of both the softwares the company is using and the software that the company is willing to embark (Bass 2016). This has to be done because one of the primary characteristic of any software should be providing the freedom of the customers using the software. Ideally, these open source software should have the following features:

• Software usability for the customers as per their wish, not limiting them for any choices they make.
• The software must be at the customer’s disposal to fit the requirements. This would include the fixing of bugs, adding of functionalities and reviewing the software.
• The software must be redistributed to other potential customers, which may be free of cost or require minimal charges.
• The users must have an access to the source code for any piece of the software.

If during the examining of these characteristics in the process of evaluation for the OSO and OTOD system is found by the consulting company of DSM, then it would be a feasible option to utilize tailoring methodologies to emphasize the software developmental procedure (Yang et al. 2017). This can also include the further studying of the bugs in the system, the functionality of the software, the usability checking and the security associated with the use of the software. The entire checking of the software for the open source software development may however be made to develop less on the legal aspect of the matters. Nevertheless, the recognising of the ownership of defined processes may be an important issue.

2. Motivating the maturity of the software project: The software model that WIFI Company is keen on using for their truck order delivery is the OTOD system, which is a complex system and can often turn out to pretty overwhelming. Thus, this indeed proves the fact that the project system for the software development model is a bit immature compared to the ideal software development processes. In this context, the consulting company can incorporate several ways to the organization of WIFI and encourage them in raising the maturity levels of their software processes (Pillat et al. 2015). The motivations that DSM can provide WIFI Company is to increase the level of satisfaction for the employees, make the development process faster to meet the deadlines, lower the cost of maintenance for the software, attempting less escalations, making less defects in the system and agreeing better to the requirement of the clients according to the feasibility of the organization.
3. Quantifying the characteristics of the project: A feasible software development is characterised by a various features of that the software holds and the entire project for the software development has several characteristics of the development process that follows an ideal suite. For implementing the tailoring process, it needs to be found out what the developmental process is being followed in the organization of WIFI and to further integrate the software systems of the OSO and OTOD process if the organization is following the systematic approach (Campanelli and Parreiras 2015). To ensure this, there are several characteristics of the developmental process that DSM needs to check for. These are as follows:

• The size and complexity maintenance:In this developmental sub-process, there are a lot of divisions that needs to be checked out on for the feasible software development process (Fitzgerald and Stol 2014). This would be characterized by the type of software product being developed, the documentation process including the estimation of the number of pages the documentation of the entire process would hold, the development team and the number of people designated in it, the type of centralized or distributed system the software depends on, the feasibility study, research system, operational system, the upgrade of the existing system, the critical evaluation of the life cycle and safety measures taken, the users and number of users accessing the software.
• Formality maintenance:This phase of the developmental process is characterized by the developmental requirements, the formal reviews and the auditing system and the formal approval of the deliverables and the baselines of the software.
• Development Control Maintenance:This phase of the software development phase is characterized by the required management visibility level, the organization level and the access of acquirer organization.

4. Checking the technical detail of the software system:Before deciding the tailoring process, the DSM organization needs to check the technical details of the existing software system for WIFI Company and then needs to decide whether or not the integration of the OTOD software system would be feasible for the process. The WIFI organization specializes in delivering household and office wooden furniture, which are often heavy weighted and needs truckloads to deliver the ordered items to the customers (Barricelli and Valtolina2015). In the same way, it has been found that the OTOD software system is equally heavy weighted for the organization to implement it in the existing software system. This would also require that the customers get to use tailored software that meets all their requirements regarding the online sales as well as the on-time delivery of the furniture.
5. Maintaining the software life cycle method: It is necessary that the account information of software is made according to the software lifecycle model that took into account the integration process that the organization of WIFI required. It needed to integrate both the OSO system and the OTOD system, even when it was found that the OTOD model is heavy and complicated for the system (Klepper et al. 2015). Therefore, the consulting organization of DSM needs to look into the matter of how much time would the integration process take and what would be the outcome of the budgeting plans when these two software systems would be integrated with one another. It would only be acceptable if the tailoring process is applied after considering this characteristic of the software development model.
6. The organization as a whole with legal implications: It is often found that the hypermarket organization focuses on having software with an open process. However, since these organizations cannot use a tailoring process all by themselves except for creating frameworks, these processes cannot be initiated by the organizations like WIFI. Although, these can be addressed as these companies provide the initial idea of the tailoring process (Sánchez-Gordón and Moreno2014). Therefore, it can readily be said that the high level software integration model and the tailoring process is a brainchild of an organization that wishes to use integrated software systems. Therefore, for the tailoring process, it needs to be kept in mind that the organization’s criteria for the software integration are kept at priority besides all the other requirements for the tailoring process.

Thus, in conclusion of the description of the above 6 activities of the proposals for a tailoring process to be initiated in the organization of WIFI, it can be said that two of the processes can be readily applied to the system for the software integration process. As the consulting organization, DSM would like to specifically suggest that the two of the tailoring activities that can be put forward feasibly for the modification of the software systems would be (a) motivating the maturity of the software project and (b) checking the technical detail of the software system.

This is because, before everything else, it is required that the software development process meets the needs of the clients more than it meets the needs of the organization and therefore it needs to mature with the client’s specifications. Again, for the software development process, it needs to be specified that the requirements of the clients and the organization are coordinating with the technical details of the software (O'Connor and Laporte 2014). Therefore, as the consulting organization, DSM provides proper insights about the WIFI organization’s requirements and suggests proper tailoring procedures associated with it for the integration of the OSO and OTOD system software.

The four main delivery requirements in the scope of the OTOD project

Delivery requirements or deliverables of software are the descriptions of the services that software must deliver to the users and the constraints under which it performs. WIFI felt that OTOD’s integration component of the scope was too big as a single project and the industry standard project management methodology it was currently using was not suitable to manage it. Project changes needed to be quickly handled to meet the project’s target date, else delays would be experienced. WIFI’s senior management was now looking at opportunities to make some changes to the OTOD systems and manage the 4 delivery areas in the scope above (Pacheco et al. 2015). This is because there were too many deliverables or delivery requirements that the OTOD system was to be integrated with the existing Online Sales Order or OSO system to provide an efficient ‘after sales- delivery-service’ to its customers. The four delivery requirements that were considered to be as important ‘after-sales service areas in its scope’ are as follows:

• The sales orders for bulky items must be delivered to customers within a 7- Working-Day-Delivery-After-Sales or 7WDDAS target after it has been processed by OTOD.
• Appointment for deliveries is fixed by the customers when sales orders are confirmed.
• Zoning of truck delivery routes within the country must be incorporated into the sales orders to assist the dispatch and routing of the trucks.
• Each truck delivery route, by zones, must be pre-programmed into the GPS or Global Positioning System by the OTOD system to assist in arriving at customer’s exact location.

Based on these four deliverables, it could be seen that the process for the deliverables of the software is becoming a very bulky project. This is why DSM had strategized to integrate the system in such a way that these 4 tasks can be divided into further 3 possible sub-projects rather than the 4 extended deliverables. This can be done by leaving the first two deliverables as it is and grouping the zoning and the pre-programming of the delivery trucks within the country (Papadopoulos 2015). This is because, both of the activities involve incorporation of GPS or Global Positioning System in the software process, however; both are from different perspective. However, if these two tasks being similar in nature are put together, the software tailoring and development process would be much less time consuming and this would also protect the budgeting of the entire process. Thus as per the grouping of the sub-processes, the deliverables of the software would be as follows:

• Delivery of the orders:The sales orders for bulky items must be delivered to customers within a 7- Working-Day-Delivery-After-Sales or 7WDDAS target after it has been processed by OTOD.
• Delivery appointments:Appointment for deliveries is fixed by the customers when sales orders are confirmed.
• Zoning of delivery trucks by Global Positioning System:This must be pre-programmed into the GPS or Global Positioning System by the OTOD system to assist through the customer’s exact location.

Rationale for the management of the organization

From the perspective of a project manager, it has been found that the project management methodologies that WIFI uses for the software development process have proven to be quite heavy weighted. This is because the OTOD software system that WIFI wanted to incorporate in the existing OSO software system had been too complex a project to implement. Probably because it had too many deliverables than required and this was not at all sub-grouped into similar constraints.  

With further suggestions of the tailoring process as per the consulting company of DSM, the activities or the deliverables have been sub-grouped into similar tasks in accordance to the project because, both of the activities involve incorporation of GPS or Global Positioning System in the software process, however; both are from different perspective (Khademi, Zulkernine and Weldemariam 2015). However, if these two tasks being similar in nature are put together, the software tailoring and development process would be much less time consuming and this would also protect the budgeting of the entire process. This would further bring in delays in the project and this is why for providing feasible solutions, the software consulting organization of Dynamic Software Methodologies or DSM was contacted (Wrubel and Gross 2015). The management of WIFI wanted to use the tailoring methods of DSM as a convincing recovery plan to make amends with the project management methodology characteristics to meet OTOD‘s delivery target date and users expectations. In addition to that WIFI also needs to relook at alternatives that would reduce the overdependence of its staff on non-core projects and project activities.

Therefore, it is required that the suggestions for DSM be followed or else there might be severe results of the software integration process, given the issues that have been in the OTOD complexity.

Recommendations for the tailoring activities and their justification

WIFI is a hypermarket chain of stores all across the country that specializes in marketing their manufactured goods of wooden office and household furniture that require heavy loading and deliveries all across the country. WIFI is currently utilizing the Online Sales Order System or the OSO System which is a popular choice amongst the hypermarket chains in the industry and also an On-Time Order Delivery System or an OTOD System for the delivery of their newly integrated sales orders and truck delivery scheduling project for their delivery of heavy weighted items to offices and households (Islam, Mouratidis and Weippl 2014). The computerized OSO system is well networked, therefore, WIFI wanted to integrate this system with the OTOD system it is currently been using.

The tailoring activities that have been suggested by DSM to be implemented in the software integration process of WIFI Company for amalgamating the order of OSO and OTOD are as follows:

1. Quantifying the characteristics of the project: A feasible software development is characterised by a various features of that the software holds and the entire project for the software development has several characteristics of the development process that follows an ideal suite (Jabeen and Awan 2016). For implementing the tailoring process, it needs to be found out what the developmental process is being followed in the organization of WIFI and to further integrate the software systems of the OSO and OTOD process if the organization is following the systematic approach. To ensure this, there are several characteristics of the developmental process that DSM needs to check for. These are as follows:

• The size and complexity maintenance:In this developmental sub-process, there are a lot of divisions that needs to be checked out on for the feasible software development process. This would be characterized by the type of software product being developed, the documentation process including the estimation of the number of pages the documentation of the entire process would hold, the development team and the number of people designated in it, the type of centralized or distributed system the software depends on, the feasibility study, research system, operational system, the upgrade of the existing system, the critical evaluation of the life cycle and safety measures taken, the users and number of users accessing the software.
• Formality maintenance:This phase of the developmental process is characterized by the developmental requirements, the formal reviews and the auditing system and the formal approval of the deliverables and the baselines of the software.
• Development Control Maintenance:This phase of the software development phase is characterized by the required management visibility level, the organization level and the access of acquirer organization.

4. Checking the technical detail of the software system:Before deciding the tailoring process, the DSM organization needs to check the technical details of the existing software system for WIFI Company and then needs to decide whether or not the integration of the OTOD software system would be feasible for the process (Dittrich 2016). The WIFI organization specializes in delivering household and office wooden furniture, which are often heavy weighted and needs truckloads to deliver the ordered items to the customers. In the same way, it has been found that the OTOD software system is equally heavy weighted for the organization to implement it in the existing software system. This would also require that the customers get to use tailored software that meets all their requirements regarding the online sales as well as the on-time delivery of the furniture.

Both of these processes are justified since, an organization is only focusing on the online ventures to make their organization be more publicly appealing and to gain more market. In addition to this, the organization would like to have more client attraction in near future. Thus, the organization of WIFI would need that the software system integration is more likely to implement usability ease to the clients for them to browse the software in whichever way they wish to (Mikusz 2014). Thus, it is necessary that the software is extensively fulfilling to the customer’s requirements and expectations.

If the characteristics of the software are thoroughly tailored, it will create a window to the developers and the organization to check for its advantages and vulnerabilities all at once. Thus, if any task failure occurs, it would be easier to mitigate them and make sure that the software can be readily made to mitigate those problems. The characteristics of the software would define how likely it is to solve the queries of the clients. In addition, technical detail of the software system may not be complying with the entire requirements of the organization. Thus, this can also be tailored if all the technicalities of the software system are known. Meeting the client’s requirements is as important as meeting the requirements of the organization since, it depends a lot on the budget constraints as well as the time consumed for the development process according to the need of the software (Grady 2016). Thus, when all these are kept in mind and preceded accordingly, the tailoring process can be implemented feasibly and if these methodologies are followed for every project management methodology that WIFI takes upon, it would be very successful in the long run.

Self reflection on the topic

Software tailoring is a process that I have had a wholesome experience on theoretically with the help of this case study and the report that has been prepared in lieu of that. With this I have learned about the wholesome idea of a software development method and also an organization’s perspective on the entire process of software development from the perspective of the organization. I have learned that it is not just the task of a developer to make feasible software for a specific set of clients but also it runs through many constraints regarding an entire organization. This means that the development process is not just about the software developers producing the software with the customer requirements but also the monetary constraints, characteristics, life cycle of the development, time management and many others.

In the case study I have found that the Wood Intensive Furnishing Incorporated of WIFI is a hypermarket chain of stores all across the country that specializes in marketing their manufactured goods of wooden office and household furniture that require heavy loading and deliveries all across the country (Ahmad, Soomro and Brohi 2014). On the other hand, Dynamic Software Methodologies or DSM is an organization that specializes in software consulting and provides insights and analysis to an organization’s existing software processes and restructures them with suitable Software Project Management Methodologies. The organization of WIFI is currently utilizing the Online Sales Order System or the OSO System which is a popular choice amongst the hypermarket chains in the industry and also an On-Time Order Delivery System or an OTOD System for the delivery of their newly integrated sales orders and truck delivery scheduling project for their delivery of heavy weighted items to offices and households. The computerized OSO system is well networked, therefore, WIFI wanted to integrate this system with the OTOD system it is currently been using.

WIFI knew that the latest implementation of the OTOD project is being too big as a single project for being integrated as a single integrated component and also the current industry standard project management methodology the organization was using would not be feasible for handling the project. This would further bring in delays in the project and this is why for providing feasible solutions, the software consulting organization of Dynamic Software Methodologies or DSM was contacted.

Thus, the tailoring process that the consulting organization of DSM is willing to implement on the software integration of the WIFI Company goes through a lot of processes before actually tailoring the software development project management. From this tailoring process implementation plan, I have learned that tailoring is also a process that is not applied readily to an organization’s existing software project management system. It goes through a lot of processes before actually the tailoring is done to mitigate the risk factors of the legacy systems.

Before reaching any conclusions with the issues that the OSO system has it has to be made sure of what the existing software WIFI Company has been using for their Open Source Software Development. Then, it is found that the software model that WIFI Company is keen on using for their truck order delivery, that is the OTOD system, is a complex system and can often turn out to pretty overwhelming (Lewis et al. 2017). Thus, this indeed proves the fact that the project system for the software development model is a bit immature compared to the ideal software development processes. In this context, the consulting company can incorporate several ways to the organization of WIFI and encourage them in raising the maturity levels of their software processes. Again, for implementing the tailoring process, it needs to be found out what the developmental process is being followed in the organization of WIFI and to further integrate the software systems of the OSO and OTOD process if the organization is following the systematic approach. To ensure this, there are several characteristics of the developmental process that DSM needs to check for which includes the software requirements, usability heuristics as well as the budgeting constraints of the entire project (Shih et al. 2015). Before deciding the tailoring process, the DSM organization needs to check the technical details of the existing software system for WIFI Company and then needs to decide whether or not the integration of the OTOD software system would be feasible for the process. I have also learnt that while the tailoring process, it is necessary that the account information of software is made according to the software lifecycle model that took into account the integration process that the organization of WIFI required (Trendowiczand Jeffery 2014). It needed to integrate both the OSO system and the OTOD system, even when it was found that the OTOD model is heavy and complicated for the system. I have also learned that the tailoring process for any software development project management begins right at the grassroots level where the WIFI Company had first thought about implementing the plan of integrating the software OSO and OTOD for the benefit of the company.

This has provided me the insight that developing software and managing the project of software development may have some shortcomings of the entire system, however, having said that it is also required that the tailoring process is designed on the initial thoughts of the integration (Jelschen 2014). This gives me the idea that tailoring of a software project management for any organization is a wholesome process of analysing the entire organization to find out the need of tailoring and also the actual deliverables of the entire tailoring process by finding out where the software development project management is actually having a lack.

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that the organization of WIFI had indeed been embarked upon using a really complex OTOD process and the tailoring methods consulted as per the organization of DSM is feasible for curbing the issues regarding the complexities the furniture manufacturing company has been facing with utilizing their OSO system integrated with the OTOD system. The computerized OSO system is well networked, therefore, WIFI wanted to integrate this system with the OTOD system it is currently been using. WIFI knew that the latest implementation of the OTOD project is being too big as a single project for being integrated as a single integrated component and also the current industry standard project management methodology the organization was using would not be feasible for handling the project. This would further bring in delays in the project and this is why for providing feasible solutions, the software consulting organization of Dynamic Software Methodologies or DSM was contacted. The management of WIFI wanted to use the tailoring methods of DSM as a convincing recovery plan to make amends with the project management methodology characteristics to meet OTOD‘s delivery target date and users expectations. In addition to that WIFI also needs to relook at alternatives that would reduce the overdependence of its staff on non-core projects and project activities. Thus, the following report had projected the Software Project Management methods for the following issue that WIFI have been facing providing six different Tailoring Methods for the issues and the four main delivery requirements in the scope of the OTOD project that suggested that it should have been managed differently to reduce its complexity. This will be followed by a rationale and a self reflection on the topic in discussion.  The self reflection clearly specifies that there have been effective insights in the entire process that had enabled to achieve the learning outcomes of feasible software project management methodologies to ensure smooth handling of complex procedures with the help of tailoring processes. Thus, DSM had been successful in eliminating the issues that WIFI have been facing with their software project management methodologies.

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