Introduction to Software Project Management

Chapter 8

Development and Management Standards

8.1 Microsoft Solutions Framework

Microsoft solutions framework (MSF) is a disciplined approach to software development, first introduced by Microsoft® in 1994, to overcome some of the limitations of existing development practices, such as the inability to adapt to changing requirements. The method emphasizes a deliberate application of proven techniques. In fact, it includes best practices applied in Microsoft®, observed in other organizations, and suggested by effective development processes.

The main motivation for MSF is to define a method that mixes agile and traditional techniques to get the best of the two approaches. In fact, according to the Visual Studio Team System (2004), agile relies ...