Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
development; digital economy; product data management; information ergonom-
ics; and legal and contractual issues. This business-related side of software engi-
neering focuses on the delivery of software solutions that meet a company's needs,
fit within a specified technical environment, and that are delivered on time and on
budget. Well established development methods are combined with a suite of
development tools to aid in this process.
1.4.3 Psychology Related
Closely related to the business side of software engineering is the management of
the people involved in a software engineering project. This often includes a
number of teams working on different portions of a project with their own set of
goals and deadlines. The efficient and effective management of those individuals is
paramount to the development of a successful software product (Schach
2008
).
Furthermore, every individual involved in the development process must be able to
communicate effectively not only with his or her own team, but with all of the
other members of the project. To this end, basic psychological concepts of com-
munication and group dynamics are extremely useful in the management of a
software project team. Team organization and management will be discussed in
detail in later chapters.
1.4.4 Engineering Related
Software engineering is the application of engineering concepts and practices to
the field of software development. Engineering can be thought of as a field that
relates abstract scientific knowledge to everyday products. This typically means
applying science and math in order to design and develop some real world utility,
such as a bridge, a toothbrush or the landing gear of a space shuttle. In the field of
software engineering, this practitioner uses many of these same engineering-based
practices to apply computer science and mathematics to design and implement
some sort of software system.
1.5 Software Life-Cycles
1.5.1 Understanding the Software Development Process
There are a number of different approaches for developing high-quality software
that satisfies both the needs and expectations of its users. Some of these approa-
ches differ from each other significantly; however they all share a common feature:
