Software reuse and standardization for SMEs: the CIM-EXP perspective

Abstract

m A short analysis of software reuse and standardization possibilities for SMEs (versus large firms) is followed by the discussion of the practical application of the SALMS software repository in a small Hungarian software consulting firm, CIM-EXP Ltd. Standardization is used to produce reusable assets (design for reuse), always based on the same rules, to make application of the assets (design with reuse) easier. The first experiences are rather good in the positive effects of both the reuse and the standardization. euse of software elements is becoming more and more important in the lifecycle of software products. There are different views on the scope of reuse during the software lifecycle. One view is that reuse efforts should focus on code, as this work is more likely to have practical results [Frakes et al. 1990]. Another opinion is that all the results and resources used in a project, including human expertise, should be reused [Basili et al. 1988]. We note that all documents created during the perception-design-implementation-testing of a product, such as ideas, methodologies, requirement specifications, design results, code, executable code, test procedures and results, documentation, could be reused in later projects.