Global Software and IT – A Guide to Distributed Development, Projects, and Outsourcing

Based on the author's first-hand experience and expertise, this book offers a proven framework for global software engineering. Readers will learn best practices for managing a variety of software projects, coordinating the activities of several locations across the globe while accounting for cultural differences. Most importantly, readers will learn how to engineer a first-rate software product as efficiently as possible by fully leveraging global personnel and resources. Global Software and IT takes a unique approach that works for projects of any size, examining such critical topics as: Executing a seamless project across multiple locations Mitigating the risks of off-shoring Developing and implementing processes for global development Establishing practical outsourcing guidelines Fostering effective collaboration and communication across continents and culture This book provides a balanced framework for planning global development, covering topics such as managing people in distributed sites and managing a project across locations. It delivers a comprehensive business model that is beneficial to anyone looking for the most cost-effective, efficient way to engineer good software products.

Table of Contents:
Foreword ix About the Author xi Introduction 1 Part I Strategy 1. Different Business Models 7 2. The Bright Side: Benefi ts 15 3. The Dark Side: Challenges 19 4. Deciding the Business Model 27 5. Preparing the Business Case 33 Part II Development 6. Requirements Engineering 39 7. Estimation and Planning 45 8. Development Processes 53 9. Practice: Global Software Architecture Development 59 10. Practice: Software Chunks and Distributed Development 69 11. Confi guration Management 81 12. Open Source Development 83 13. Quality Control 89 14. Tools and IT Infrastructure 95 15. Practice: Collaborative Development Environments 109 Part III Management 16. Life-Cycle Management 127 17. Supplier Selection and Evaluation 131 18. Supplier Management 135 19. Practice: IT Outsourcing-A Supplier Perspective 141 20. Monitoring Cost, Progress, and Performance 151 21. Risk Management 165 22. Practice: Risk Assessment in Globally Distributed Projects 179 23. Intellectual Property and Information Security 189 24. Practice: Global Software Engineering in Avionics 193 25. Practice: Global Software Engineering in Automotive 209 Part IV People and Teams 26. Work Organization and Resource Allocation 227 27. Roles and Responsibilities 237 28. Soft Skills 241 29. Training and Coaching 245 30. Practice: People Factors in Globally Distributed Projects 249 31. Practice: Requirements Engineering in Global Teams 257 32. Practice: Educating Global Software Engineering 269 Part V Advancing Your Own Business 33. Key Take-Away Tips 283 34. Global Software and IT Rules of Thumb 293 35. The World Remains Flat 297 Appendices Appendix A Checklist/Template: Getting Started 303 Appendix B Checklist/Template: Self Assessment 309 Appendix C Checklist/Template: Risk Management 315 Glossary and Abbreviations 319 Bibliography 339 Index 349