0 I E E E S O F T WA R E J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0 0 7 4 0 -7 4 5 9 / 0 0 / $ 1 0 . 0 0 © 2 0 0 0 I E E E factors affect software-development productivity in any given environment.

OBJECTIVE -the aim is to investigate how software project productivity has changed over time. Within this overall goal we also compare productivity between different business sectors and seek to identify major drivers. METHOD -we analysed a data set of more than 600 projects that have been collected from a number of Finnish companies since 1978. RESULTS -overall, we observed a quite pronounced improvement in productivity over the entire time period, though, this improvement is less marked since the 1990s. However, the trend is not smooth. We also observed productivity variability between company and business sector. CONCLUSIONS -whilst this data set is not a random sample so generalisation is somewhat problematic, we hope that it contributes to an overall body of knowledge about software productivity and thereby facilitates the construction of a bigger picture.

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Abstract:There is relatively little research on software Project Estimation and Measurement Systems (PEMS). Commercial PEMS vary in functionality and effectiveness. Their intended users thus do not know what to expect from PEMS and how to evaluate them. This paper creates an information system design product theory for the class of PEMS that prescribes the meta-requirements, the meta-design, and applicable theories for all products within the class. Meta-requirements and the meta-design are derived from the project estimation and measurement literature, experiences obtained during more than ten years of empirical work in Finnish Software Measurement Association, and a commercially available PEMS.