MONITORING THE SOFTWARE ASSET: REPOSITORY EVALUATION OF SOFTWARE REUSE

Abstract

Traditionally, software management has focused primarily upon cost control. Today, with the emerging capabilities of computer aided software engineering (CASE) and corresponding changes in the development process, the opportunity exists to view software development as an activity that creates reusable software assets, rather than just expenses, for the corporation. With this opportunity comes the need to monitor software at the corporate level, as well as at that of the individual software development project. Integrated CASE environments can support such monitoring. In this paper we propose the use of a new approach called repository evaluation, and illustrate it in an analysis of the evolving repository-based software assets of two large firms that have implemented integrated CASE development tools. The analysis shows that these tools have supported high levels of software reuse, but it also suggests that there remains considerable unexploited reuse potential. Our findings indicate that organizational changes will be required before the full potential of the new technology can be realized.