Process Mapping and Simulation for Software Projects: Bridging the Project Management and Software Development Gap

Globalization and increased competition require that software products are introduced to the market as early as possible. For the successful development of software products it is crucial to take the process view which distinguishes between three processes that consist of multiple steps: product management processes, project management processes and software methodologies. The software industry differentiates itself from the classical production industry by having a great variety of software methodologies available. Often project management processes are perceived isolated from the product development processes for software products. In order to guarantee a successful product development the phases and milestones between these three process types need to be aligned. This work shows the process alignment from the project management view. It identifies the relationships between project management, product management and software development methodologies. Further it provides systems dynamics models for software methodologies to show the effect of these software methodologies over time and to identify the parameters that can influence the progress of a project.