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Supporting the allocation of software development work in distributed teams with multi-criteria decision analysis

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  • Barcus, Ana
  • Montibeller, Gilberto

Abstract

In the fast moving software industry, projects have been increasingly developed by distributed teams, which are located in geographically remote offices and collaborate using information communication technologies. In such environments, project distribution presents specific challenges, as work in distributed teams increases project technical complexity, communication lines multiply and stakeholders' interests may be divergent. Despite the importance and complexity of this type of problem, it seems that there is a lack of reports, in the literature, of systems that could support these decisions. This paper presents a real-world case study, where we developed a multi-criteria model for supporting the distributed team work allocation decision for a major global software company. It was developed with a group of software development project managers, using decision conferencing and multi-attribute value analysis. The model deals not only with software engineering attributes, but also "soft" and strategic issues, like team satisfaction and training opportunities. We also discuss some issues and challenges faced during this modelling process.

Suggested Citation

  • Barcus, Ana & Montibeller, Gilberto, 2008. "Supporting the allocation of software development work in distributed teams with multi-criteria decision analysis," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 464-475, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:36:y:2008:i:3:p:464-475
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    Cited by:

    1. Höfer, Tim & von Nitzsch, Rüdiger & Madlener, Reinhard, 2019. "Using Value-Focused Thinking and Multi-Criteria Group Decision-Making to Evaluate Energy Transition Alternatives," FCN Working Papers 4/2019, E.ON Energy Research Center, Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN).
    2. Marum Simão Filho & Plácido R. Pinheiro & Adriano B. Albuquerque & Régis P. S. Simão & Raimundo S. N. Azevedo & Luciano C. Nunes, 2019. "A Multicriteria Approach to Support Task Allocation in Projects of Distributed Software Development," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2019, pages 1-22, April.
    3. Abbas, Ali E. & Hupman, Andrea C., 2023. "Scale dependence in weight and rate multicriteria decision methods," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 309(1), pages 225-235.
    4. Tim H¨ofer & Rüdiger von Nitzsch & Reinhard Madlener, 2020. "Using Value-Focused Thinking and Multicriteria Decision Making to Evaluate Energy Transition Alternatives," Decision Analysis, INFORMS, vol. 17(4), pages 330-355, December.
    5. Fasolo, Barbara & Bana e Costa, Carlos A., 2014. "Tailoring value elicitation to decision makers' numeracy and fluency: Expressing value judgments in numbers or words," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 83-90.
    6. Franco, L. Alberto & Rouwette, Etienne A.J.A., 2011. "Decision development in facilitated modelling workshops," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 212(1), pages 164-178, July.
    7. Jessop, Alan, 2014. "IMP: A decision aid for multiattribute evaluation using imprecise weight estimates," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 18-29.
    8. Franco, L. Alberto & Montibeller, Gilberto, 2010. "Facilitated modelling in operational research," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 205(3), pages 489-500, September.
    9. Montibeller, Gilberto & Franco, L. Alberto & Lord, Ewan & Iglesias, Aline, 2009. "Structuring resource allocation decisions: A framework for building multi-criteria portfolio models with area-grouped options," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 199(3), pages 846-856, December.
    10. Deanna House, 2012. "Factors that Inhibit Globally Distributed Software Development Teams," International Journal of Business and Social Research, LAR Center Press, vol. 2(6), pages 135-153, November.
    11. Deanna House, 2012. "Factors that Inhibit Globally Distributed Software Development Teams," International Journal of Business and Social Research, MIR Center for Socio-Economic Research, vol. 2(6), pages 135-153, November.
    12. Carland, Corinne & Goentzel, Jarrod & Montibeller, Gilberto, 2018. "Modeling the values of private sector agents in multi-echelon humanitarian supply chains," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 269(2), pages 532-543.
    13. Chrisovalantis Malesios & Prasanta K. Dey & Fuad Ben Abdelaziz, 2020. "Supply chain sustainability performance measurement of small and medium sized enterprises using structural equation modeling," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 294(1), pages 623-653, November.
    14. Francis Marleau Donais & Irène Abi-Zeid & E. Owen D. Waygood & Roxane Lavoie, 2021. "A Framework for Post-Project Evaluation of Multicriteria Decision Aiding Processes from the Stakeholders’ Perspective: Design and Application," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 30(5), pages 1161-1191, October.
    15. Franco, L. Alberto & Lord, Ewan, 2011. "Understanding multi-methodology: Evaluating the perceived impact of mixing methods for group budgetary decisions," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 362-372, June.
    16. G Montibeller & L A Franco, 2011. "Raising the bar: strategic multi-criteria decision analysis," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 62(5), pages 855-867, May.
    17. Montibeller, Gilberto & Franco, Alberto & Lord, Ewan & Iglesias, Aline, 2008. "Structuring multi-criteria portfolio analysis models," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 22693, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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