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The Experience Factory: Strategy and PracticeThe quality movement, that has had in recent years a dramatic impact on all industrial sectors, has recently reached the system and software industry. Although some concepts of quality management, originally developed for other product types, can be applied to software, its specificity as a product which is developed and not produced requires a special approach. This paper introduces a quality paradigm specifically tailored on the problem of the systems and software industry. Reuse of products, processes and experiences originating from the system life cycle is seen today as a feasible solution to the problem of developing higher quality systems at a lower cost. In fact, quality improvement is very often achieved by defining and developing an appropriate set of strategic capabilities and core competencies to support them. A strategic capability is, in this context, a corporate goal defined by the business position of the organization and implemented by key business processes. Strategic capabilities are supported by core competencies, which are aggregate technologies tailored to the specific needs of the organization in performing the needed business processes. Core competencies are non-transitional, have a consistent evolution, and are typically fueled by multiple technologies. Their selection and development requires commitment, investment and leadership. The paradigm introduced in this paper for developing core competencies is the Quality Improvement Paradigm which consists of six steps: (1) Characterize the environment, (2) Set the goals, (3) Choose the process, (4) Execute the process, (5) Analyze the process data, and (6) Package experience. The process must be supported by a goal oriented approach to measurement and control, and an organizational infrastructure, called Experience Factory. The Experience Factory is a logical and physical organization distinct from the project organizations it supports. Its goal is development and support of core competencies through capitalization and reuse of its cycle experience and products. The paper introduces the major concepts of the proposed approach, discusses their relationship with other approaches used in the industry, and presents a case in which those concepts have been successfully applied.
Document ID
19990021257
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Other
Authors
Basili, Victor R.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD United States)
Caldiera, Gianluigi
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
November 1, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: Software Engineering Laboratory Series: Collected Software Engineering Papers
Volume: 13
Subject Category
Computer Programming And Software
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NsG-5123
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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