Modeling and analysis of software development management as closed loop control

Abstract

Managed software development organizations are de facto closed loop systems, in which management actions influence future behavior based on observations of previous behavior thus forming a closed feedback loop. It is well known from control theory that a closed loop system might exhibit dynamics very different from the dynamics of its open loop components. Therefore, it is the goal of this work to study the importance of closed loop effects in the context of software process dynamics. To this end, an exemplary model is presented with a work-test-rework cycle as operational part and a productivity estimation and personnel allocation model as management component. The behavior of this closed loop system is probed with respect to typical disturbances and nonlinearities of software processes. The results underscore the importance of such a closed loop analysis.