A System Dynamics Model That Simulates a Significant Late Life Cycle Manpower Increase Phenomenon

Abstract

Available software metrics data from an initially schedule and cost-driven satellite flight software project contains a late life cycle staff spike from a lack of initial rigor in inspection and unit testing. In order to study the effects on the number of staff from varying the degree of inspection and unit test rigor, Madachy’s inspection-based system dynamics model was modified to add unit testing and an integration test feedback loop. This modified Madachy model generated a similar late life cycle manpower rate increase from a parametric lack of up-front rigor in these same defect removal techniques.