Performing operational release planning, re-planning and risk analysis using a system dynamics simulation model
(2008) In Software Process: Improvement and Practice 13(3). p.265-279- Abstract
- Software release planning takes place on strategic and operational levels. Strategic release planning aims at assigning features to subsequent releases such that technical, resource, risk and budget constraints are met. Operational release planning focuses on the development of a single software release. Its purpose is to assign resources to feature development tasks such that total release duration is minimized under given process and project constraints. Replanning becomes necessary on the operational level because of addition or deletion of features during release development, due to changes in the workforce, or due to changes in process and project constraints. The allocation of resources to feature development tasks depends on the... (More)
- Software release planning takes place on strategic and operational levels. Strategic release planning aims at assigning features to subsequent releases such that technical, resource, risk and budget constraints are met. Operational release planning focuses on the development of a single software release. Its purpose is to assign resources to feature development tasks such that total release duration is minimized under given process and project constraints. Replanning becomes necessary on the operational level because of addition or deletion of features during release development, due to changes in the workforce, or due to changes in process and project constraints. The allocation of resources to feature development tasks depends on the accurate estimation of planning parameters like task size, developer productivity or dependencies between task types. Risk analysis can help assess the reliability of a chosen release plan due to variation in these dependencies. In this article, we present elements of a simulation-based methodology to planning, replanning and risk analysis of software releases on an operational level. Even though there exist approaches addressing these three aspects individually, our proposed approach combines all of them into one single package and, hence, offers stronger support to decision makers. The core element of the methodology is the process simulation model REPSIM-2 (Release Plan Simulator, Version 2). We describe the functionality of REPSIM-2 and illustrate its usefulness for planning, replanning and risk analysis through application scenarios. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1662710
- author
- Al-Emran, Ahmed and Pfahl, Dietmar LU
- publishing date
- 2008
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Re-planning, Release Planning (RP), Process simulation, Replanning, Operational planning, Risk analysis, Software release planning, System dynamics, Behavioral research, Computer software, Mobile telecommunication systems, Parameter estimation, Reliability, Reliability analysis, Resource allocation, Risk assessment, Risk management, Risks, Risk perception, Safety factor, Accurate estimation, Application scenarios, Budget constraints, Core elements, Decision maker (DM), Feature development, Operational level, In process, Planning parameters, Project constraints, Process simulations, Simulation-based, Single package, System dynamics simulation
- in
- Software Process: Improvement and Practice
- volume
- 13
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 265 - 279
- publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Inc.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:47749128506
- ISSN
- 1077-4866
- DOI
- 10.1002/spip.381
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 22da9be2-13dd-456f-8156-41e0a07130ad (old id 1662710)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 09:10:06
- date last changed
- 2022-01-29 08:33:41
@article{22da9be2-13dd-456f-8156-41e0a07130ad, abstract = {{Software release planning takes place on strategic and operational levels. Strategic release planning aims at assigning features to subsequent releases such that technical, resource, risk and budget constraints are met. Operational release planning focuses on the development of a single software release. Its purpose is to assign resources to feature development tasks such that total release duration is minimized under given process and project constraints. Replanning becomes necessary on the operational level because of addition or deletion of features during release development, due to changes in the workforce, or due to changes in process and project constraints. The allocation of resources to feature development tasks depends on the accurate estimation of planning parameters like task size, developer productivity or dependencies between task types. Risk analysis can help assess the reliability of a chosen release plan due to variation in these dependencies. In this article, we present elements of a simulation-based methodology to planning, replanning and risk analysis of software releases on an operational level. Even though there exist approaches addressing these three aspects individually, our proposed approach combines all of them into one single package and, hence, offers stronger support to decision makers. The core element of the methodology is the process simulation model REPSIM-2 (Release Plan Simulator, Version 2). We describe the functionality of REPSIM-2 and illustrate its usefulness for planning, replanning and risk analysis through application scenarios. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.}}, author = {{Al-Emran, Ahmed and Pfahl, Dietmar}}, issn = {{1077-4866}}, keywords = {{Re-planning; Release Planning (RP); Process simulation; Replanning; Operational planning; Risk analysis; Software release planning; System dynamics; Behavioral research; Computer software; Mobile telecommunication systems; Parameter estimation; Reliability; Reliability analysis; Resource allocation; Risk assessment; Risk management; Risks; Risk perception; Safety factor; Accurate estimation; Application scenarios; Budget constraints; Core elements; Decision maker (DM); Feature development; Operational level; In process; Planning parameters; Project constraints; Process simulations; Simulation-based; Single package; System dynamics simulation}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{3}}, pages = {{265--279}}, publisher = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}}, series = {{Software Process: Improvement and Practice}}, title = {{Performing operational release planning, re-planning and risk analysis using a system dynamics simulation model}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/spip.381}}, doi = {{10.1002/spip.381}}, volume = {{13}}, year = {{2008}}, }