Table Of ContentManaging Component-Based Development
in Global Teams
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Managing Component-Based
Development in Global
Teams
Julia Kotlarsky and Ilan Oshri
© Julia Kotlarsky and Ilan Oshri 2009
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2009 978-0-230-22244-1
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First published 2009 by
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ISBN 978-1-349-30802-6 ISBN 978-0-230-24619-5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230246195
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
Contents
List of Figures and Tables vi
Preface ix
1 Introduction 1
Part I The Essence of Globally Distributed Teams 13
and Component-Based Development
2 The Management of Globally Distributed Software 15
Development
3 The Management of Component-Based Software 35
Development
Part II How Leading Firms Managed 65
Component-Based Development in
Global Teams
4 Observations of GD CBD at LeCroy Corporation 69
5 Observations of GD CBD at SAP 99
6 Observations of GD CBD at TCS 125
7 The Case of Baan: How Not to Manage Global Teams 159
Part III Component-Based Development in 199
Global Teams: Learnt Lessons
8 What Can Be Learnt From These Cases? 201
9 Towards a Framework of Successful Global Distributed CBD 236
Appendices 247
References 257
Index 268
v
List of Figures and Tables
Figures
1.1 Research focus 7
1.2 Related research streams 8
2.1 The Waterfall approach: traditional software 19
development lifecycle
2.2 Scenario A – GDSD organised by phase/process step 20
2.3 Scenario B – GDSD organised by product structure 21
(product module)
2.4 Scenario C – only well-defined tasks distributed 22
across locations
2.5 Scenario D – GDSD based on product customisation 22
2.6 Potential factors that contribute to success in 28
GDSD projects
2.7 Potential factors that contribute to success in 34
GD teams
3.1 The main concepts behind components 39
(adapted from Alexandersen et al. 2003)
3.2 V-cycle approach: CBD lifecycle (modified from 43
Herzum and Sims, 2000)
3.3 A detailed V development process for CBD (adapted 44
from Crnkovic et al. 2005)
3.4 Division of onsite/offshore work for development 51
of the Skandia platform
3.5 Potential factors that may contribute to success 63
in GD CBD
3.6 A question-led framework regarding success factors 64
of CBD in global teams
4.1 Division of responsibilities between NY and 70
Geneva offices
4.2 Major chronological phases of the Maui project 71
4.3 Maui product architecture (schematic) 72
4.4 Organisational structure of LeCroy software team 74
(as of December 2001)
4.5 How LeCroy organises and manages GD CBD to 76
be successful
vi
List of Figures and Tables vii
5.1 Organisational structure of KM Collaboration group 103
(as of June 2002)
5.2 How SAP organises and manages GD CBD to be 104
successful
6.1 Quartz component-based architecture 126
6.2 Technical overview of Quartz implementation 127
6.3 Quartz product development and solution 128
implementation methodology
6.4 Skandia project: Apollo CB architecture 129
6.5 Dresdner project: Investment and e-commerce bank 130
6.6 Typical organisational structure of the Quartz 132
implementation project: Skandia and Dresdner
projects
6.7 How TCS organises and manages GD CBD to 133
be successful
6.8 Skandia project: Onsite-offshore delivery model 136
7.1 Baan stock prices 160
7.2 Products included in the E-Enterprise suite 163
7.3 Organisational structure of the E-Enterprise 165
development group (as of March 2002)
7.4 Roles (people) involved in the management of each 169
of the eight products comprising E-Enterprise
7.5 Compatibility between versions of different products 180
8.1 Inter-site coordination: Propositions 212
8.2 Appropriate tools and technologies: Propositions 217
8.3 Social ties: Propositions 222
8.4 Knowledge sharing: Propositions 228
8.5 Components management: Propositions 233
9.1 Theoretical framework 237
9.2 How companies organise and manage GD CBD 239
to be successful
Tables
2.1 Types of collaboration technology 26
4.1 Contribution of managerial practices to success 77
at LeCroy
5.1 Contribution of managerial practices to success at SAP 105
6.1 Contribution of managerial practices to success at TCS 134
7.1 The rise and fall of Baan Co. 161
7.2 Capabilities of SD tools at Baan 182
viii List of Figures and Tables
7.3 Collaborative technologies used in Baan 182
7.4 Would adoption of CBD help to avoid the 193
problems: Discussion
8.1 Similarities and differences between the studied cases 202
8.2 Managerial practices: Comparison of results 204
across cases
8.3 Capabilities of SD tools: Comparison of results 213
across cases
8.4 Requirement for ICT infrastructure: Comparison 214
of results across cases
8.5 Collaborative technologies: Comparison of results 215
across cases
8.6 Factors contributing to success (per success dimension) 234
9.1 Factors contributing to success 238
9.2 Checklist for managers 243
9.3 A guide to tools and technologies for managers 244
of GD CBD
Preface
Globally Distributed Component-Based Development (GD CBD) is expected
to become a promising area, as increasing numbers of companies are
setting up software development in a globally distributed environment
and at the same time are adopting Component-Based Development
(CBD) methodologies. This process of globalisation and adoption of CBD
methodology has introduced potential benefits as well as new challenges
in the management of software projects.
On the one hand, it is expected that adoption of CBD will further
facilitate globally distributed development of software products, as hap-
pened in industries such as aeronautics, automotive, electronics and
computers hardware, where Component-Based (CB) architectures have
been successfully used for setting up globally distributed design and
production. Within the software industry, it is suggested that compo-
nents could be developed in parallel independently by teams located in
the same building or at remote locations. It has been argued that CBD
enables each site to take ownership of particular components and work
on them independently without much need for inter-site communica-
tion and coordination.
On the other hand, research on co-located CBD projects has reported
difficulties associated with the management of CBD projects, such as
lack of stable standards, lack of reusable components, and problems
related to the granularity and generality of components. In the light of
these problems, achieving the true potential of CBD, which is mainly
about reusing components, is challenging even in co-located CBD pro-
jects. Globally distributed organisations may face the above-mentioned
and additional challenges (caused by geographical, time-zone and cul-
tural differences) when adopting the practice of CBD.
Being an emerging area, the management of GD CBD has evolved pri-
marily on an ad hocbasis. We are happy to share with you the insights we
have gained in the last eight years regarding the most effective practices
companies should apply when organising and managing GD CBD.
ix
