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Quantitative Software Management, Inc.
In 2001, QSM took a comprehensive look at its database of 5,000+ completed IT projects, and saw that after steady improvement for almost two decades, productivity was starting to decline. Possible causes included the arrival of large off-the-shelf ERP implementations, object-oriented architectures, and the rise of Internet projects. They also noticed a sharp increase in system size during '97-'00, a blip that QSM thought might come from architectures built to accommodate web-based technologies that arose during that timeframe.
Analysts guessed this temporary "bulge" might well be followed by a reduction in project size as development shops reused this new architecture. So far, the data seems to bear that assumption out. In fact, it looks like reuse is here to stay. Whether it is commercial off-the-shelf software, generated code or frameworks, the industry as a whole is building less new code and testing and integrating what they do build with an ever-increasing volume of preexisting software.
These insights are taken from the IT Metrics edition of the new QSM Software Almanac, published by Quantitative Software Management, Inc., a bookshelf essential for project managers in the IT industry. As the Introduction explains, “information is critical”. According to QSM, “the IT Software Almanac was commissioned to give managers, developers and industry leaders an inside look at the current state of software development”.
Other statistical discoveries reported in the Almanac include:
The Almanac is available for purchase at the QSM web site.
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