[email protected]Is Global Software Is Global Software Development A Silver Development A Silver Bullet Or Just For Bullet Or Just For Cowboys? Cowboys? Valentine Casey Valentine Casey Bournemouth Bournemouth University University 25 25 th th of November 2009 of November 2009
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[email protected] Is Global Software Development A Silver Bullet Or Just For Cowboys? Is Global Software Development A Silver Bullet Or Just For.
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Global Software DevelopmentGlobal Software Development
Formal Definition:
• The term Global Software Development (GSD) implies teams of knowledge workers located in various parts of the globe developing commercially viable software
• GSD is characterised by moving centralised software development from “home” to dispersed teams or / and external organisations in remote locations
Outsourcing Outsourcing Software Developmenttoday this term has come to mean anorganisation engaging or partnering with another company to partially or fully develop software on their behalf
Offshoring Offshoring Software Development has come to mean when an organisation establishes a division in a remote location and wholly or partially distributes software development to that location
Outsourcing and OffshoringOutsourcing and Offshoring
Global Software Global Software Development (GSD)Development (GSD)is an expanding trend is an expanding trend in the Software in the Software Industry todayIndustry today
Why is India Such a Popular Why is India Such a Popular Location?Location?
• Indian Companies Embraced Software Quality Two thirds of the world's CMMI Level 5 organizations are based in India
• Proven Track Record with Y2KStarted with Y2K now doing more technical work
• Cost AdvantageGraduateGraduate Yearly Salaries in the region of - Yearly Salaries in the region of - £5,000 (Approx)£5,000 (Approx)Software Engineer 5-10 Years Experience - Software Engineer 5-10 Years Experience - £11,000 (Approx)£11,000 (Approx)
Why is India Such a Popular Why is India Such a Popular Location?Location?
Technical Expertise
Some companies with R&D Centres in India
• Cisco Systems Inc. Cisco Systems Inc. SAP SAP• IBM Corp. IBM Corp. Goggle Goggle• Intel Corp. Intel Corp. Lucent (Bell Lucent (Bell
Labs)Labs)• Motorola Inc. Motorola Inc. Motorola LabsMotorola Labs• Texas Instruments Texas Instruments Hewlett-Packard Hewlett-Packard • Adobe Adobe Nokia Nokia • Microsoft Microsoft Yahoo Yahoo
What European What European country which was a country which was a very popular location very popular location for outsourcing and for outsourcing and offshoring software offshoring software development is development is missing off that list?missing off that list?
Irish Software Industry In Irish Software Industry In Recent YearsRecent Years
• The reality is today Irish based multinationals and indigenous software companies are now outsourcing and offshoring software development internationally
• In many cases the same people who were recipients of this type of work are now responsible for offshoring or outsourcing their work
• As a result of these developments the Irish Software Industry’s long term focus is now knowledge based, niche centric and value adding
• This provides a unique research perspective as the recipients have become the exporters
• A considerable part of my research has focused on leveraging the opportunities which carrying out research with Irish based organisations has provided
• Four Independent industry based studiesFour Independent industry based studiesUndertaken over a ten year periodUndertaken over a ten year period• Distributed software development within the one country• US organisation partnered with Irish based division of US multinational• Large Irish based division of US multinational offshored to Malaysia• Three Indian software development organisations who had project
outsourced and offshored from US and UK to them
• Research MethodologiesResearch Methodologies • Action Research • Yin based case study• Grounded theory
• Tools employedTools employed• Interviews and focus groups• Questionnaires • Direct observation and artefact review
The Objective of The Objective of Implementing a GSD strategyImplementing a GSD strategy
Goal: Gain / Maintain Competitive AdvantageGoal: Gain / Maintain Competitive Advantage
Achieved by:
• Reduction in development costs • Cheaper to Produce Software in Low Cost CentresCheaper to Produce Software in Low Cost Centres• More Competitive Price = More Market ShareMore Competitive Price = More Market Share• Increased ProfitIncreased Profit
• Ability to be first to market• ““Follow The Sun DevelopmentFollow The Sun Development” ” • 24 / 7 Development 24 / 7 Development • Example:Example: UK UK - - USUS – – India India – UK– UK(again(again))
The Reality - GSD Is A The Reality - GSD Is A Difficult Task Difficult Task
• GSD is a complex and difficult endeavour
• Never mind the hype there are lots of problems and failures
• Not the same as collocated development
• Costs are not just Salarynot just Salary there are other important costs - Training, Travel, Coordination, Delayed Delivery, Product Quality, Human!!
• Need for individuals at different and remote locations to operate as unified teams
• All the negative factors associated with distance come into play
• Physical separation negatively impacts on the operation of teams
• The opportunity for developing working relationships is reduced due to the lack of physical proximity
• Issues which can be normally discussed and clarified in an informal way in the collocated situation have to be formally articulated and remotely addressed
• Knowledge transfer is inhibited and is costly due to distance
• It is difficult to build a relationship and work closely with someone you have never met
• Team members normally work in different time zones
• The opportunity for synchronous contact may be very limited or nonexistent - i.e. 30 minutes a day
• When issues arise they can delay a project as they have to be raised utilising asynchronous tools in many cases a response is required before work on an important issue can continue
• A big problem which I identified was that issues can take much longer to resolve when dealing with remote colleagues
• If a “Follow the Sun” approach is implemented considerable overhead has to be invested in documenting what and how things have been done
• On handing over work between sites time has to be spent reading and understanding this documentation at the other location
GoodGoodCommunication Communication is the life bloodis the life bloodof every project of every project How is it impactedHow is it impactedby GSD by GSD ? ?
• The provision of adequate communication tools The provision of adequate communication tools does not mean they will be used !does not mean they will be used !
• Under the photograph have each individuals name• Val Casey, Avanindra Sing or Ping Loo
• Then a little bit about the person starting with their first name “Val has been with the company since June 2004” “Loo has been with the company since May 2005… Loo’s friendly name is Joe so if you contact him you can call him Joe”
• The reaction from the Irish team members to this suggestion was “I am not having my photograph on a web site!!”
• Even if it was only on the Intranet What was going on?Intranet What was going on?
• In the business context there are two types of culture• Organisational CultureOrganisational Culture• National CultureNational Culture
• Organisational or corporate culture has been defined as “Shared values and beliefs, which are seen to characterise particular organisations” (Dawson, 1992)
• Corporate norms, beliefs, values and objectives are imparted though training, management style, communication methods, rewards and organisational structure
• The successful transmission of organisational culture depends on the differences between its values and norms and the national culture of those who it is being imparted to
• While there may be outward compliance, national culture is hard to change and this can only effectively take place over an extended time period
• Different cultures have different attitudes to authority
• Some cultures “Revere Hierarchy” (Far Eastern Culture)• In some cultures respect is ascribed to a role
• Do whatever the boss says• Do not question or offer an opinion • Say yes to every request• Avoid if possible providing negative information
• While some of these may appear positive they have the potential for negative repercussions
• The right person has to request something to be done• Uncommunicative as to possible improvements• Agree to do everything and leave rather than say NO• Only provide negative feedback at the very latest stage in a
• What is acceptable behaviour in one culture can be totally unacceptable in another
• Humour – context and content• Test plan joke
• Remote colleagues can be innocently offended by language and behaviour
• Attitudes to gender which are acceptable in one culture can be totally unacceptable in another• Malaysian manager refusing to shake hands with his female
senior manager • Women covering their heads• Women speaking only when spoken to• Comments that are appropriate in one culture may not be
• Where culture is not understood it has led to the following situations and statements:
• ““They (remote colleagues) are arrogant”They (remote colleagues) are arrogant”
• ““They are uncooperative”They are uncooperative”
• ““They won’t tell you anything”They won’t tell you anything”
• ““What are they hiding from us?”What are they hiding from us?”
• ““How dare she ask me that who does she think she is?”How dare she ask me that who does she think she is?”
• ““What are they getting so upset about it was only a joke?”What are they getting so upset about it was only a joke?”
• They won’t even socialise with us we went to the trouble of asking They won’t even socialise with us we went to the trouble of asking them to come to the pub and they refused !”them to come to the pub and they refused !”
• I have been trying to contact him for the last 3 days over an urgent I have been trying to contact him for the last 3 days over an urgent matter now I discover it is a religious holiday over there!matter now I discover it is a religious holiday over there!
Would you be motivated and disposed to cooperate with your
remote colleagues if I told you:
“I can get someone to do your job at half the price in the Far I can get someone to do your job at half the price in the Far EastEast””““You better be more value adding and productive to justify You better be more value adding and productive to justify the extra we are paying you”the extra we are paying you”
““We have been here for 20 years but it is a cost issue if we We have been here for 20 years but it is a cost issue if we can get the work done cheaper elsewhere it is something we can get the work done cheaper elsewhere it is something we will have to look at”will have to look at”
““By the way you have to train your remote colleagues and By the way you have to train your remote colleagues and ensure they know everything about the projectensure they know everything about the project
• It is difficult to develop trust and cooperate with remote colleagues in these circumstances
• Communication, openness, provision of relevant information all help
• Trust is built on honesty• If the long term future is secured by GSD that needs to be reinforcedIf the long term future is secured by GSD that needs to be reinforced• If the objective is to transfer knowledge and close the outsourcing If the objective is to transfer knowledge and close the outsourcing
/offshoring staff located there are going to realise that/offshoring staff located there are going to realise that
• Cooperation is as important in the GSD setting as for collocated teams
• Teamness needs to be developed• A single team approach needs to be implemented• Common goals and rewards are important
• Management need to understand potential problems and play a proactive role in mitigating the risks which FEAR brings to GSD teams