Defining and Implementing a Measurement-based Software Maintenance Process

Abstract

This paper describes the measurement-based software maintenance process defined and implemented at Lockheed-Martin, Moorestown, NJ. The documented process includes extensive data collection, a tightly controlled but highly accessible database, data analysis techniques supported by software tools, and process assessment and improvement activities. The methods and techniques used are presented in a ‘how to’ fashion so that other organizations can leverage our efforts to define and implement a measurement-based process of their own. Our approach is an evolutionary one, rather than a revolutionary organizational upheaval. We describe the benefits gained from our process, including statistically validated metric results, and the subsequent process improvements implemented. This paper describes solutions to the ‘real-world’ issues faced by an organization which successfully implemented a measurement-based software maintenance process.