Many different quality approaches are available in the software industry. Some of the ap-proaches, such as ISO 9001 are not software specific, i.e. they define general requirements for an organization and they can be used at any company. Others, such as Automotive SPICE have been derived from a software specific approach, and can be used for improving specific (in this case automotive) processes. Some are created to improve development processes (e.g. CMMI for Development), others focus on services (e.g. CMMI for Services), and again others are related to particular processes such as software testing (e.g. TMMi) or resource manage-ment (e.g. People CMM). A number of differences among quality approaches exist and there can be various situations in which the usage of multiple approaches is required, e.g. to strengthen a particular process with multiple quality approaches or to reach certification of the compliance to a number of stand-ards. First of all it has to be decided which approaches have potential for the organization. In many cases one approach does not contain enough information for process implementation. Consequently, the organization may need to use several approaches and the decision has to be made how the chosen approaches can be used simultaneously. This area is called Multi-model Software Process Improvement (MSPI). The simultaneous usage of multiple quality ap-proaches is called the multi-model problem. In this dissertation we propose a solution for the multi-model problem which we call the Pro-cess Based Unification (PBU) framework. The PBU framework consists of the PBU concept, a PBU process and the PBU result. We call PBU concept the mapping of quality approaches to a unified process. The PBU concept is operationalized by a PBU process. The PBU result includes the resulting unified process and the mapping of quality approaches to the unified process. Accordingly, we addressed the following research question: Does the PBU framework provide a soluti

Applying methodologies of Software Process Improvement (SPI) is an effective way for businesses to remain competitive in the software industry. However, many organizations find implementing software process initiatives challenging. Agile Estimation Techniques and Innovative Approaches to Software Process Improvement reviews current SPI techniques and applications through discussions on current and future trends as well as the presentation of case studies on SPI implementation. Ideal for use by academics, students, and policy-makers, as well as industry professionals and managers, this publication provides a complete overview of current tools and methodologies regarding Software Process Improvement.

This book contains a collection of thoroughly refereed papers presented at the 5th International Conference on Evaluation of Novel Approaches to Software Engineering, ENASE 2010, held in Athens, Greece, in July 2010. The 19 revised and extended full papers were carefully selected from 70 submissions. They cover a wide range of topics, such as quality and metrics; service and Web engineering; process engineering; patterns, reuse and open source; process improvement; aspect-oriented engineering; and requirements engineering.

This volume constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 19th EuroSPI conference, held in Vienna, Austria, in June 2012. The 29 revised papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected. They are organized in topical sections on SPI and business factors; SPI lifecycle and models; SPI assessment and quality; SPI processes and standards; SPI in SMEs; SPI and implementation; creating environments supporting innovation and improvement; standards and experiences with the implementation of functional safety; business process management; SPI in SMEs - a project management perspective.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 12 International Conference on Product-Focused Software Process Improvement, PROFES 2011, held in Torre Canne, Italy, in June 2011. The 24 revised full papers presented together with the abstracts of 2 keynote addresses were carefully reviewed and selected from 54 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on agile and lean practices, cross-model quality improvement, global and competitive software development, managing diversity, product and process measurements, product-focused software process improvement, requirement process improvement, and software process improvement.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination, SPICE 2011, held in Dublin, Ireland, in May/June 2011. The 15 revised full papers presented and 15 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on process modelling and assessment, safety and security, medi SPICE, high maturity, implementation and improvement.

Advancements in technology have allowed for the creation of new tools and innovations that can improve different aspects of life. These applications can be utilized across different technological platforms. Application Development and Design: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a comprehensive reference source for the latest scholarly material on trends, techniques, and uses of various technology applications and examines the benefits and challenges of these computational developments. Highlighting a range of pertinent topics such as software design, mobile applications, and web applications, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for researchers, academics, engineers, professionals, students, and practitioners interested in emerging technology applications.