Subcontracting processes in software service organisations - An experience report

Abstract

Software systems and projects have become more and more distributed. This emphasises the need for ensured software quality, which impacts e.g. customer satisfaction, development costs, and delivery schedules. Concerns about the software quality become even more important in the case of subcontracted software projects, and in the case of multi-site projects in particular. In this paper we describe a practisederived process to assess the potential subcontractors at their selection stage and later to evaluate the cooperation with them. For both purposes, particular criteria suites and frameworks are proposed. The criteria include software-specific and productivity metrics, but also more qualitative criteria. We report initial observations from usage of the process in industry. The assessment results are expected to help in making decisions about subcontractor selection, and later on assigning specific types of projects to specific subcontractors based on their suitability. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009.