Designing Software Project Management Models Based on Supply Chain Quality Assurance Practices

Abstract

This paper is a project progress report of an innovative approach to software process improvements. It starts with a theory that whether some of the supply chain quality assurances practices be put into software projects as part of improving their development efficiencies. This paper is a snapshot of the events of this project. It starts with analyzing processes in various complex software projects. A test script automation project was chosen. This paper gives details on the factors on which the choice was made, how the process bottlenecks were identified and how a process improvement solution was designed. This process improvement solution includes a project management model which is capable to take into account all the new variables and provide the ability to track and monitor the process improvements made from this model, hence providing a productivity analysis capability. An excel workbook which was custom designed as part of the solution is also part of this paper. This excel workbook is where the project team members would enter the various times and is used by the project managers to estimate, track , monitor the productivity of the team in improving the delivery efficiencies in time and quality. In short, this is a snapshot of how a process improvement model can be designed which has a productivity analysis capability for a self feedback. This paper also describes the human factors such as reluctance to change and the overhead for the project members. This paper is an attempt to customize the regular project management techniques to target the process inefficiencies of complex software projects. This paper also provides of how to use customizations such as projects like these to create more generic models for process improvement solutions which have more robust productivity analyzing capabilities.