From the overall discussion above and based on the data analysis we present an important diagram which is the theoretical diagram which illustrates in figures 5.9. This diagram is the result from merging process of all the individual network diagrams and main categories that have been discussed in details in above sections. In details, Appendix G and H, which shown an individual and relational network diagrams, have illustrated the flow of this merging process. In order to align with the research objectives, the discussion in this part will be focused on the software process and process improvement issues.
Figure 5.9: Overall Theoretical Diagram
Figure 5.9 shows that the software process improvement including the maintenance and evolution processes are started from process loss or process focus which was influences internal and external variables as discussion in part 5.8. The process formation is created and will indicate the process that need to improve, change or upgrade. As discussed in the same part, the improvement, maintenance and evolvement of the software development process in VSEs are done in informal, indirect and small scale at one time but in a high frequent. The analysis in this part also shows that VSEs followed or adopted the agile development approaches which involved a lot of interaction or communication either with the customers or the developers, high focus of the development process and having a minimal documentation process in the organization.
Due to small team size, flat team and organization structure, staffs or management geographical location, autonomous working style and macro project management as explain in part 5.4 and 5.6, the communication process are more become informal and autonomous. Beside that the uses of the communication tools are also being used extensively among peoples in communicate and shared their knowledge. In term of documentation process, the analysis indicates that in VSEs the documentation processes have been practiced either informally or at individual
level as discussed in part 5.7.3. The analysis also shows that due to macro project management style, autonomous working style, standard technology and similar development process have lead to the these situation. Moreover the interviewees admitted that only the issues related to business procedure and technical specification are being formally documented.
The analysis also indicated that due to the informal communication, informal documentation and autonomous work have created the informal and personal organization learning and sharing process as discusses in part 5.7.2. Therefore from learning and sharing process a new idea and weakness of the area that need to improved, change and upgrade. This process will start back at the process formation and iterate.
Continuing from the discussion above, the analysis also indicates the relationship between the software quality standard and software process improvement. Based from the analysis, it shows that the level of acceptance in VSEs is low and no VSEs have accredited or followed software quality standard in their development process. The main reasons are varied, including low requirement from client and market, small team size, time and cost constraints and business priority reason as explained in part 5.9. However, their level of awareness about the benefit of software quality standards is acceptable based on the answered given in the interviews and focus group session. The analysis also indicates the some criteria as indicate in part 5.9 needs to consider by the software industry in order to encourage VSEs in seriously adopted software quality standard.
In overall in this chapter, we present and discuss the relationships between the individual main categories and the network diagram from the above parts. These processes have created theoretical and relational diagrams for the present research study. These diagrams show the flow of improvement process happened in VSE and variables which influence the whole software development process. Beside that diagram also indicate the relation between SPI and software quality standard issues in VSEs.
5.11
Summary
This chapter presents the findings and results of the first stage analysis for the current study. It has been discussed in detail the important categories that influences the VSEs in order to improve, maintain and evolve the software development process. The findings also indicate a pattern on how the development process have been practiced in VSEs and explained on how the knowledge in development process is managed. Beside that, the findings also indicated the positive relationship between KM, SPI and Team as an indication to our research questions. This could be understood from how development team are interacting and sharing each others in mastering and performing their job which related to development process. Furthermore the results also elaborated the acceptance level of software quality standard and its important criteria that should exist in order to encourage VSEs seriously involve and adopt software quality standard. Moreover, the combinations of all categories and criteria have been shown in a theoretical diagram that presents the overall process happened in VSEs. The next chapter discusses the findings and results from the stage two data analysis. The purpose is to enhance researchers understanding on the research issues/questions and also to validate some of the research findings in stage one analysis in order to support our research hypothesis.