Customer Reviews

Software Engineering Processes: Principles and Applications

5 star:		(6)
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1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is an excellent source of information for software engineers and managers who want to examine, or compare their own software processes against the current SE process models. It is well written, easy to follow, and covers all of the current popular process models.

The book discusses the history, philosophy, and assessment techniques for CMM, ISO 9001, BOOTSTRAP, and ISO 15504. Each of the models is explained and a formal description of each of the process models is provided using a process algebra.

A reference model, SEPRM, that the authors have developed, can be used to transform and compare the various models between each other. It is this reference model that provides a domain that contains all of the process models. By using the SEPRM a software engineer can analyze the interrelationships of the current process models.

This book was very good and I found the information in it to be very useful. For anyone looking to improve their software development processes this book would be of great benefit.

With the increased awareness that software development is not done randomly but like all other engineering fields it also has to follow a process, this book focuses on the principles and applications of software engineering processes. It begins with fundamentals of Software Engineering to give a clear understanding of the techniques and processes for the reader who is new to this field. It speaks about how the Software Engineering has evolved from the past and what the modern domain of Software Engineering is. Then it talks about CMM, explaining in detail the CMM process model and its capability levels. It is further explained how CMM can be used for assessment of a software project, thus giving the reader good understanding of the use of much discussed model.

The book also talks about other process models such as ISO 9001, ISO 15504, BOOTSTRAP and SEPRM. It explains in detail about all of these capability models their process subsystems, the processes in the subsystem and the practices of the processes, giving description of the rating scale for all the models for doing assessments. The author has provided algorithms for all process models to do assessments and also put all the processes and their practices in an assessment form that makes the life of the auditors very easy. This algorithms and assessment form are also very beneficial for software engineering students as it gives them a feel how these models are used in industry for assessment.

I found the information on the SEPRM model to be very thorough. The book talks in detail on how this reference model helps in bringing forward the whole picture of the SE process system. Also, I found the model to be well integrated and comprehensive with the Software Engineering process. This model combines all of the above-mentioned models and it enables transformation of process capability levels between existing process models and standards. This is 2D model that helps in finding the weak areas in the software process that need improvement.

Overall, the book gives a good understanding of the various process models and their use. Besides, I found it very useful to get such good information on all of them in just one comprehensive text as it helped me to understand the application of these models simultaneously, and also helped me to compare them with each other. I would recommend this book to people who want to get better understanding of the software engineering process and the various process models.

I have been looking around for a book which provides comprehensive and incisive information on software engineering processes for a long time. Finally I found this one. It has been really helpful to me and has answered lots of my questions.

If software development methodology is the key of today, software engineering process will be the answer of tomorrow. When trying to apply a model, we need to understand the model's history, philosophy behind, assessment method, algorithm, and most important, its advantages and disavantages. This book has covered all those areas for the most popular and innovative models. The insightful analysis will help us gain a deep understanding of those models.

However, this book is more than an introduction to those models. The most impressive part to me is the transformation and relationship analysis between models. So far few books have really covered this topic. With its cutting-edge SEPRM model, this book is able to provide a macro view on interrelationships of the different models.

To anyone who wants to learn the in-and-out of software engineering process and prepare for the challenge of tomorrow, I will definitely recommend this book.

I had to buy this book for my doctoral studies in IT systems architecture class. I just have one issue with "SEPRM" - authors make it sound as if it is a widely used model. I have not found any other reference to this model, outside of this book; nor have I come across it during the 16 years of work experience in IT. Perhaps stating it as authors' proposed model would've made it clearer.

Also, chapter 9 is titled "SEPRM Model". "SEPRM" stands for "Software Engineering Process Reference Model". So, put together the title reads "Software Engineering Process Reference Model Model" - duh...

I was obligated to purchase this book when I took a course from the author a few years ago. At the time I found myself frustrated with this book's abstract principles and algorithms for quantifying simple management techniques. I know now that I was right to think that it was silly.

Now I have a few years under my belt as a manager of a team of 13 software engineers for a fortune 100 software company. To say that I have yet to do anything remotely related to this book is an understatement. It attempts to quantify common sense, basic management skills, and simple scheduling skills, into a set of painfully complicated algorithms and equations. If the author were writing a book on how to swim, I'm sure he'd find a way to explain it through linear algebra.

This book is not worth the paper it's printed on, and it's currently headed to the recycle bin. Had I not been obligated to purchase it for a course at the University if Calgary (specific figures in the book were required) I never would have purchased it. How come there are so many glowing reviews for this book here? I can only assume it is coincidence that the reviewers' names are the same as the author's Teaching Assistants at the University of Calgary.

There is a proverb saying that in order to defame something better defend it badly. This is exactly what this book does to Software Engineering (SE) process. While the SE process has received much attention in the past 20 years and has been flourished with a handful of practical processes, methodologies and tools, this book leads the reader to the stone-age era of SE. It describes the software development process from a narrow scope and non-practical viewpoint of the so called software engineering process reference model (SEPRM). First, the authors try to give readers the feeling that SEPRM is the only good and useful reference model, which is apparently misleading. Second, the unified framework and the formal representation of the software process presented in this book is awkward, and finally, the authors interpretations of the fundamental theories and philosophies behind them are at the best incorrect and misleading. I strongly recommend our young SE students not to read or use this book as a reference for SE practices. For me, the only joy (and may be sadness) of reading this book was that the more I read it the more I understood that the author doesn't know and doesn't know that he doesn't know!

This book provides a reference model called SEPRM (software engineering process reference model) against which the major capability and quality models can be quantitatively compared.

The models compared in the book are: ISO 15504 (SPICE; Software Process Improvement Capability Determination), CMM (SEI's Capability Maturity Model), Bootstrap (European Software Institute) and ISO 9000-3. What makes the book valuable is the methodical, quantitative manner in which each of the models can be compared using a process algebra against the author's software engineering reference model. This allows organizations that are striving for software engineering process improvement to make objective decisions regarding which of the models addressed in this book is the best fit for their business model, organizational culture and market.

Given that each of the four major capability and quality models discussed are internationally recognized, each with strengths and weaknesses, the decision making process set forth in the book can be made based on fact instead of bias.

What I particularly like about the book is the complete and deep understanding I gained about SPICE, CMM, Bootstrap and ISO 9000-3. I was quite familiar with each before I read the book, but the insights I gained about measurable strengths and weaknesses of each approach compared to the SEPRM were illuminating. Moreover, I learned a lot from dissecting the SEPRM itself, leading to an understanding of process modeling independent of software engineering processes. This in itself makes this book valuable to those of us who design and implement processes in environments where there are competing standards.

The book presents information regarding the natural progression of the software industry and provides a semantic definition of the term "Software Engineering". This is crucial in understanding the merits in adopting any software development processes & practices.

It then discusses the various software processes currently in practice such as ISO 9001, ISO 15504, BOOTSTRAP, and CMM. The reader will not only have an appreciation for each process model but gain insights into improving processes in their own workplace.

From here, it introduces the Software Engineering Process Model (SEPRM) that is able to harmonize the models and provide a translation mechanism between them. The SEPRM is a comprehensive and unifying concept for process models. There are many excellent concepts in the SEPRM that would benefit any Company or individual.

I have read this book many times because it is very easy to read and it contains valuable insight into ISO 9001, CMM, ISO 15504, SEPRM, and BOOTSTRAP models.

I have been an internal quality auditor for a couple of years and have gained much knowledge by reading this book. Gaining an understanding of the author's SEPRM provides a very good reference to the understanding of the other quality models and future quality models.

The revolutionary Two Dimensional (2D) model process capability level presented in this book makes findings interpreation easy. Most importantly, it provides the ability to quickly identify areas requiring corrective action.

Finally, the tranformation and relationship analysis between the models in the book gave good insight into how a company can improve the current company process with positive impact in a cost effective way.

I would recommend this book to anyone who are interested in understanding how quality models can impact company's bottom line.