Skip to main content

Examining Software Maintenance Processes in Small Organizations: Findings from a Case Study

  • Chapter
Software Engineering Research,Management and Applications 2011

Part of the book series: Studies in Computational Intelligence ((SCI,volume 377))

Abstract

Software maintenance constitutes a critical function that enables organizations to continually leverage their information technology (IT) capabilities. Despite the growing importance of small organizations, a majority of the software maintenance guidelines are inherently geared toward large organizations. Literature review and case-based empirical studies show that in small organizations software maintenance processes are carried out without following a systemic process. Rather, they rely on ad-hoc and heuristics methods by organizations and individuals. This paper investigates software maintenance practices in a small information systems organization to come up with the nature and categories of heuristics used that successfully guided the software maintenance process. Specifically, this paper documents a set of best practices that small organizations can adopt to facilitate their software maintenance processes in the absence of maintenance-specific guidelines based on preliminary empirical investigation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Anquetil, N., De Oliveira, K.M., De Sousa, K.D., Batista Dias, M.G.: Software maintenance seen as a knowledge management issue. Information & Softw. Technology 49(5), 515–529 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. April, A., Hayes, J.H., Abran, A., Dumke, R.: Software maintenance maturity model (SMmm): The software maintenance process model. J. of Softw. Maintenance & Evolution: Research & Practice 17(3), 197–223 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Benbasat, I., Goldstein, D.K., Mead, M.: The case research strategy in Information Systems. MIS Q. 11, 369–386 (1987)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Bray, H.E., Sniderman, P.M.: Attitude attribution: A group basis for political reasoning. American Political Science Rev. 79, 1061–1078 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Brodman, J.G., Johnson, D.L.: What small businesses and small organizations say about the CMM. In: Proceedings of 16th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 1994), pp. 331–340. IEEE Computer Society Press, New York (1994)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  6. Darke, P., Shanks, G., Broadbent, M.: Successfully completing case study research:combining rigor relevance and pragmatism. Information Systems J. 8, 273–289 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Garcia, S.: Thoughts on applying CMMI in small settings. Presented in Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute (2005), http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/adoption/pdf/garciathoughts.pdf

  8. Grubb, P., Takang, A.A.: Software maintenance concepts and practice, 2nd edn. World Scientific Publishing, Singapore (2003)

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. Hofer, C.: Software development in Austria: Results of an empirical study among small and very small enterprises. In: Proceedings Euromicro Conference (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  10. IEEE, Std 1044, IEEE standard classification for software anomalies, IEEE (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kahneman, D., Tversky, A.: On the psychology of prediction. Psychological Rev., 237–251 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kahneman, D., Tversky, A.: Intuitive prediction: Biases and corrective procedures. TIMS Studies in Management Sciences, 313–327 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Lau, R.R., Redlawsk, D.P.: Advantages and disadvantages of cognitive heuristics in political decision making. American J. of Political Science 45(4), 951 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Lientz, B.P., Swanson, E.B.: Software Maintenance Management. Addison Wesley, Reading (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Orlikowski, W., Baroudi, J.: Studying information technology in organizations: Research approaches and assumptions. Information Systems Research 2.1, 1–28 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Osborne, W.M.: Building and Sustaining Software Maintainability. In: Proceedings of Conference on Software Maintenance, pp. 13–23 (1987)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Parsons, J., Saunders, C.: Cognitive heuristics in Software Engineering: Applying and extending anchoring and adjustment to artifact reuse. IEEE Transactions on Softw. Engineering 30(12), 873–888 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Pigoski, T.M.: Practical software maintenance: Best practice for managing your software investment, pp. 29–36, 117–138. Wiley, New York (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Shanteau, J.: Cognitive heuristics and biases in behavioral auditing: Review, comments and observations. Accounting, Organizations & Society 14(1/2), 165–177 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Simon, H.A.: Models of Man: Social and Rational. Wiley, New York (1957)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  21. Sniderman, P.M., Brody, R.A., Tetlock, P.E.: Reasoning and choice: Explorations in Political Psychology. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  22. Software CMM. Mid-Year Update by Software Engineering Institute (2005), www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/casestudies/profiles/pdfs/upload/2005sepSwCMM.pdf

  23. Software Industry Statistics for 1991-2005, Enterprise Ireland (2006), http://www.nsd.ie/htm/ssii/stat.htm

  24. Stacy, W., Macmillian, J.: Cognitive bias in Software Engineering. Communications of the ACM 38(6), 57–63 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Staples, M., Niazi, M., Jeffery, R., Abrahams, A., Byatt, P., Murphy, R.: An exploratory study of why organizations do not adopt CMMI. J. of Systems & Softw. 80(6), 883–895, 13 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Takang, A.A., Grubb, P.A.: Software maintenance concepts and practice. Thompson Computer Press, London (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Walsham, G.: Doing Interpretive Research. European J. of Information Systems 15, 320–330 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Yin, R.: Case study research design and methods, 2nd edn., vol. 9. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks (1994)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Hasan, R., Chakraborty, S., Dehlinger, J. (2012). Examining Software Maintenance Processes in Small Organizations: Findings from a Case Study. In: Lee, R. (eds) Software Engineering Research,Management and Applications 2011. Studies in Computational Intelligence, vol 377. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23202-2_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23202-2_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-23201-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-23202-2

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics