Using process waiver data to improve a design process: a case study of feedback and control using the FEAST model

Abstract

Fundamental to any attempt of process reuse, the enacting organization needs to have the ability to adapt and modify itself to effectively use the recycled process elements. We examine the underlying feedback mechanism that is needed to drive and tune the organizational adaptation. We illustrate this adaptation using a process improvement case study of the 5ESS design process and the FEAST model for feedback in software development organizations. We found that it is crucial to understand the lag time between the time when the control signal is sampled and reapplied back to the design process. We discuss the 5ESS organizational setting, the FEAST feedback model, and the major observations from applying the model to the design improvement case study. We finish with a set of discussion points that illustrate important issues for any model of organizational feedback, and hence, important issues for process reuse.