Quantitative assessment of software maintenance and requirements volatility

Abstract

This paper describes analysis techniques used to quantitatively assess the software maintenance process of a large military contractor, and the results obtained. The analysis techniques make use of basic data collected throughout the maintenance process. The data collected are extensive and allow a set of functional enhancements to be traced to process activities and product impact. Simple nonparametric statistical techniques are then applied to test relationships between data items. The results provide valuable information for predicting process and product characteristics, and assessing the maintenance process.