Jonathan Thiry:
The Software Configuration Management Checkup and Improvement Framework,
summary, report, August 2010.

Abstract:

Software development has evolved considerably since its beginning in the middle of the 20th century. This is, for the most part, the consequence of technological innovations and also the new management techniques introduced. However development teams still face some problems in their workflow. Software Configuration Management (SCM) is supposed to help by bringing some solutions.

Despite the wider broadcast coverage of SCM nowadays, many companies still have a hard time managing their developments. Documented problems are still encountered. The literature available does not seem to be helpful.

These companies do not realize the importance of SCM and how it could help them with their issues. SCM education inside and outside the company is certainly not consequent enough. These people need to understand the relation between the two parts, their symptoms and the SCM problems.

The outcome of this study includes two lists: the first contains symptoms encountered by software teams and the second "classic" SCM problems mostly inspired by the literature. In addition several interviews have been conducted with people working in different companies between France and Sweden. Depending on the interviewee SCM knowledge, information has been more useful for the symptoms list (little knowledge but good development experience) or the problems list (SCM expert).

Therefor the main purpose of this study is to relate symptoms with their configuration Management problems. These mappings give life to the project and can change how people see surface problems related to software development.

The interaction required by the mappings between symptoms and problems led to a product difficult to use on paper. A website (www.cmcheckup.org) has been created to overcome this limitation.

By using the product companies will understand their SCM problems hidden behind symptoms easily identifiable. With their problems unmasked, companies will easily find the path to the solutions they need to implement.