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Exploring the Impact of Task Allocation Strategies for Global Software Development Using Simulation

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Software Process Change (SPW 2006)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 3966))

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Abstract

We describe a hybrid computer simulation model of the software development process that is specifically architected to study alternative ways to configure global software development projects, including phased-based, module-based, and follow-the-sun allocation strategies. The model is a hybrid system dynamics and discrete event model. In this paper, test cases have been developed for each allocation strategy, and project duration under each configuration is computed under a range of plausible assumptions for key parameters. The primary finding is that although under ideal assumptions, follow-the-sun is able to produce impressive reductions in time-to-market, under more realistic assumptions the reverse is true, thus corroborating findings by other researchers. Further analysis reveals the presence of some interaction between the assumptions, but the results remain robust.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business Administration, Portland State University, 631 SW Harrison St., Portland, OR, USA

    Siri-on Setamanit & David Raffo

  2. Systems Science PhD, Portland State University, 1604 SW 10th Ave., Portland, OR, USA

    Wayne Wakeland

Authors
  1. Siri-on Setamanit
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  2. Wayne Wakeland
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  3. David Raffo
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Massey University, New Zealand

    Qing Wang

  2. Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway

    Dietmar Pfahl

  3. Portland State University, 631 SW Harrison St., Portland, OR, USA

    David M. Raffo

  4. School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, AL10 9AB, Hatfield, Herts, UK

    Paul Wernick

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© 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Setamanit, So., Wakeland, W., Raffo, D. (2006). Exploring the Impact of Task Allocation Strategies for Global Software Development Using Simulation. In: Wang, Q., Pfahl, D., Raffo, D.M., Wernick, P. (eds) Software Process Change. SPW 2006. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3966. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11754305_30

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11754305_30

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-34199-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-34201-4

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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