journal article·2021-07-24Open access

A Collaborative Method for Scoping Software Product Lines: A Case Study in a Small Software Company

Marta Cecilia Camacho, Francisco Álvarez, César A. Collazos, Paul Leger, Julián Dario Bermúdez, Julio Ariel Hurtado

Applied Sciences· Volume 11· Issue 15

Abstract

SPL scoping is the activity for bounding Software Product Lines (SPL), gathering heterogeneous knowledge from diverse sources. For achieving an agreement among different stakeholders, a commonalty scope must be understood and committed to. However, gathering this knowledge from stakeholders with individual interests is a complex task. This paper reports the experience of scoping the SPL of a small Colombian software company, applying and evaluating a collaborative method called CoMeS-SPL. The company was looking to develop a set of products from a product previously developed with great potential to be adapted and sold to different customers. From a collaborative relationship university–enterprise model, the research groups that developed CoMeS-SPL proposed to use it answering to the company needs for defining an organization-suitable reuse scope around its platform called CORA. Both parties joined in the scoping co-production of the first SPL of the company. This method implied that the company would perform new tasks and involve other roles different for those who are used to defining the scope of a single product. The company actors considered that they obtained a useful scope and perceived the collaboration as valuable because they shared different knowledge and perspectives. The researchers were able to provide feedback on their proposed model, identifying successes and aspects to improve. The experience allowed strengthening the ties of cooperation with the company, and new projects and consultancies are being carried out.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Advanced Software Engineering Methodologies · Software Engineering Techniques and Practices · Software Engineering Research

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Affiliations

Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo en Informática, Facultad de Ingeniería, Institución Universitaria Colegio Mayor del Cauca, Popayán 190003, Colombia

Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes 20100, Mexico

IDIS Research Group, Departamento de Sistemas, Facultad de Ingeniería Electrónica y Telecomunicaciones, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán 190003, Colombia

Escuela de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo 1781421, Chile

Sunset Software House S.A.S, Popayán 190003, Colombia

Funding

Network of training of human talent 583 for social and productive innovation in the department of Cauca”

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