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Variation of risk profile across software life cycle in IS outsourcing

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Abstract

Global software development (GSD) is an area that receives much attention from researchers today. In this context, we undertook an investigation of the variation of risk profile in offshore-outsourced software projects, across the software life cycle. The scope of the investigation was limited to risks associated with technical aspects, methods, and procedures used in software development. Based on literature survey, we developed a questionnaire to measure the risks and outcomes in software projects. Using the questionnaire, we conducted a survey of 145 software projects executed by global IT companies. We built a structural equation model showing the interdependence of underlying risk factors and their influence on project outcome. We further explored how the risk profile varied across the software life cycle stages such as development, maintenance, and modernization.

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Abbreviations

CMMI:

Capability Maturity Model Integration, 2010

GDSP:

Geographically Distributed Software Projects

GSW:

Global Software Development

ODC:

Offshore Development Centre (a dedicated centre located at the vendor site at offshore for providing software services exclusively for a client, having the look and feel of the client’s IT environment)

IS:

Information systems

IT:

Information technology

PM:

Project manager

Risk:

In this study, this term represents risks in software development (in the absence of other qualifiers)

SLA:

Service Level Agreement, a contractual agreement to provide a defined level of services with respect cost, schedule and technical performance

SME:

Subject matter expert

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Agni College of Technology, Thalambur, Chennai, India

    Srikrishnan Sundararajan

  2. School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Kochi, India

    Bhasi Marath

  3. Department of Computer Applications, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Kochi, India

    Pramod K. Vijayaraghavan

Authors
  1. Srikrishnan Sundararajan
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  2. Bhasi Marath
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  3. Pramod K. Vijayaraghavan
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Correspondence to Srikrishnan Sundararajan.

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Software life cycle

Software life cycle

In this study, the authors use the term “software life cycle” to encompass the transformational stages in the life of software namely, development, maintenance, and modernization, where changes to software code is involved.

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Sundararajan, S., Marath, B. & K. Vijayaraghavan, P. Variation of risk profile across software life cycle in IS outsourcing. Software Qual J 27, 1563–1582 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11219-019-09451-8

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