Graduating from a defined software development process to a managed process -a case history

Abstract

The Software Cost and Resources Assessment Tool (SOCRAT) project was initiated by the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in October 1991 to investigate the factors that affect dedicated control system (DCS) costs and to construct a prototype cost estimation tool. Logica were contracted to perform the study and delivered the first SOCRAT in April 1992. The SOCRAT project is important because it shows what organisations can do once they have established a software development process model, and design their systems around reusable software components. Humphreys (1989) characterised the transition from the 'defined process' to the 'managed process' by the attempt to cost the steps in the development process. The paper gives a practical demonstration of how this can be done.<>