Automating Software Traceability in Very Small Companies: A Case Study and Lessons Learne

NeumÃ¼ller, Christian; GrÃ¼nbacher, Paul

doi:10.1109/ASE.2006.25

Automating Software Traceability in Very Small Companies: A Case Study and Lessons Learne

by Christian NeumÃ¼ller, Paul GrÃ¼nbacher

Abstract:

There is a wide consensus on the benefits of software traceability. However, traceability techniques are still not commonly used in industry $typically only in larger companies and if mandated by standards such as the CMMI or ISO 15504. Success stories in small companies are quite rare. However, small companies represent a significant share of the IT industry and a better understanding of their needs is essential for the research community. This paper presents APIS, a traceability environment we developed and introduced in a very small software company. We discuss the traceability approach and report on key lessons learned. We have found in the project that comparably simple automation techniques are surprisingly effective. We believe that the lessons learned in this project are relevant for researchers and practitioners facing similar challenges

Reference:

Christian NeumÃ¼ller, Paul GrÃ¼nbacher, "Automating Software Traceability in Very Small Companies: A Case Study and Lessons Learne", IEEE Computer Society, pp. 145-156, 2006.

Bibtex Entry:

@Conference{Neumueller2006,
  Title                    = {Automating Software Traceability in Very Small Companies: A Case Study and Lessons Learne},
  Author                   = {Christian NeumÃ¼ller and Paul GrÃ¼nbacher},
  Booktitle                = {Proceedings 21st IEEE/ACM Int'l Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE 2006), 18-22 September, Tokyo, Japan},
  Year                     = {2006},
  Pages                    = {145-156},
  Publisher                = {IEEE Computer Society},

  Abstract                 = {There is a wide consensus on the benefits of software traceability. However, traceability techniques are still not commonly used in industry $typically only in larger companies and if mandated by standards such as the CMMI or ISO 15504. Success stories in small companies are quite rare. However, small companies represent a significant share of the IT industry and a better understanding of their needs is essential for the research community. This paper presents APIS, a traceability environment we developed and introduced in a very small software company. We discuss the traceability approach and report on key lessons learned. We have found in the project that comparably simple automation techniques are surprisingly effective. We believe that the lessons learned in this project are relevant for researchers and practitioners facing similar challenges},
  Doi                      = {10.1109/ASE.2006.25},
  ISBN                     = {0-7695-2579-2},
  Researchr                = {http://researchr.org/publication/NeumullerG06},
  Tags                     = {case study}
}