Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
We define the 'Measures Pool' as the repository which contains a finite set of
measures defined for the attributes of software entities. Since this set might contain
hundreds of measures, as our first attempt in this study, we included the ones pro-
vided in ISO 9126 [18], [19], [20], [21], ISO 25000 [22], the ones suggested as the
minimum set of measures defined in CMMI [23] and the measures which are best
known by the organization itself in their experience factory. Every organization can
tailor the attributes and measures set in the Measures Pool based on their needs.
We defined these criteria for the measures selection from the Measures Pool based
on the guidelines defined by the standards such as ISO 15939 [9] and CMMI [23]. We
incorporated the following criteria in our model:
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Feasibility of collecting data in an organization
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Availability of human resources to collect and manage data
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Extent of intrusion and disruption of staff activities
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Availability of appropriate tools and equipment
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Personal preference
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Ease of interpretation by measurement users and measurement analysts
•
Ease of presentation and relevancy to the audience
The criteria serve as a base for measures selection, but these do not tell which of
the available measures should be collected for a specific attribute. For example, if a
measure for software size is required to be collected, all size measures available in the
Measures Pool such as Function Points, SLOC, Bytes, are selected.
2.4 Collecting Data on the Measures with Respect to the Identified Factors
Once the measures are selected based on the basic criteria defined in the previous
section, the factors (Fig. 2) which we identified to be significant in deciding on the
optimum set are considered for further decision.
A number of factors have been suggested to be considered when selecting the
measures such as cost, time, resource requirements, tools, special trainings etc. [24],
[25], [11]. We have selected the most basic ones having significant impact on the
measurement process. These factors are general and can be applied to any process that
involves measurement irrespective of its domain i.e. software process, management
process, manufacturing process etc.
Factors proposed in the OMSD Model are the core of the model and play a key role
in getting important data for selected measures which is vital for deciding on the op-
timum measures set. By means of the survey
1
, we received industrial feedback on the
identified factors. Survey was conducted in 10 different software organizations from
different countries and which have different maturity levels. Respondents are selected
on the basis of their experience regarding software measurement activities in order to
create better understanding of our defined factors and having reliable feedback from
them.
In this step, for each measure, the relevant data for each factor are to be entered by
the measurement responsible and used in final decision making.
1
For the questionnaire design, see http://sites.google.com/site/omsd09/survey
