Case Study Research in Software Engineering: Guidelines and Examples

CHAPTER 12

AN ITERATIVE CASE STUDY OF QUALITY MONITORING

12.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter reports the experience of the first author conducting a case study on quality management in an iterative development environment. The study has a flexible design and primarily uses quantitative data, while qualitative data are taken in for explanatory purposes. The case comprises three projects within one company, developing consumer products with an extensive list of features, as requested by the market. Quantitative data are collected from defect management databases, project reports, and product plans.

A PhD student (Andersson) was given access to the premises and databases under a nondisclosure agreement. She worked part time at the company for about half a year. At regular intervals, every third or fourth week, a feedback meeting was held with the main contact person from the company, the PhD student, and the supervisor. At these meetings, the progress was followed up, and the next step in the study was decided.

A highly iterative software development organization is a very complex, contemporary phenomenon, without clear boundaries between technical and organizational issues. Hence, it is clearly feasible for a case study.

Existing case study methodology handbooks at the time [217] did not sufficiently define how to conduct such a study. Thus, a new case study process was needed to address the issues adherent to the situation, which has clear characteristics of the cyclicality of action ...