An experimental investigation of time delays in software project staffing

Abstract

Failing software development projects are plaguing the Department of Defense and other Federal service agencies today. Compounding this fact, the complexity of today's software projects makes it extremely difficult to isolate the underlying problem areas. The System Dynamic Model (SDM), a quantitative tool that simulates software development life cycles, enables us to investigate these problem areas as well as many other pertinent areas. It allows the isolation and manipulation of management variables allowing analysis which in turn leads to a better understanding of the effects variables have on projects. This thereby presents an opportunity to suggest solutions. This thesis uses this System Dynamic Model's gaming interface to investigate the effects of time delays on software project management. Specifically, this experiment focuses on how software project managers compensate for assimilation and hiring delays inherent to a single project environment. The effect of these delays are measured in terms of staffing level decisions, final cost, and project completion