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    P. Kuvaja

    Customer involvement in software development is essential for building successful software products. Incremental improvements and enhancements of software require an in-depth and continuous understanding of customer needs. Also,... more
    Customer involvement in software development is essential for building successful software products. Incremental improvements and enhancements of software require an in-depth and continuous understanding of customer needs. Also, mechanisms for managing customer feedback data need to be in place. However, previous research shows that the feedback loops from customers are slow and the process for obtaining timely feedback is challenging. In this study, we investigate customer feedback mechanisms and the ways in which customer data can be used to inform continuous improvement of software products. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, we present a multiple-case study conducted in five Finnish software companies, where we identify how customer feedback data is collected and used in different product development activities. Second, we provide an explanatory 'customer touch point' (CTP) model which provides an overall understanding of customer feedback data collection and the related challenges in the case companies during software development.
    DevOps is a predominant phenomenon in the web domain. Its two core principles emphasize collaboration between software development and operations, and the use of agile principles to manage deployment environments and their configurations.... more
    DevOps is a predominant phenomenon in the web domain. Its two core principles emphasize collaboration between software development and operations, and the use of agile principles to manage deployment environments and their configurations. DevOps techniques, such as collaboration and behaviour-driven monitoring, have been used by web companies to facilitate continuous deployment of new functionality to customers. The techniques may also offer opportunities for continuous product improvement when adopted in the embedded systems domain. However, certain characteristics of embedded software development present obstacles for DevOps adoption, and as yet, there is no empirical evidence of its adoption in the embedded systems domain. In this study, we present the challenges for DevOps adoption in embedded systems using a multiple-case study approach with four companies. The contribution of this paper is to introduce the concept of DevOps adoption in the embedded systems domain and then to identify key challenges for the DevOps adoption.
    Software process defines the way in which software development is organized, managed, measured, supported and improved. This paper gives the classification and the features of the current most popular standards of software process... more
    Software process defines the way in which software development is organized, managed, measured, supported and improved. This paper gives the classification and the features of the current most popular standards of software process assessment and improvement (including ISO, CMM, Bootstrap and QIP), and introduces the basic idea of Process Model Language (PML) and Process-sensitive Software Engineering Environment (PSEE).
    One of the basic assumptions behind most software process improvement methods is that improved processes lead to improved product quality. Despite the popularity of SPI methods, there is a lack of both methods and experience reports on... more
    One of the basic assumptions behind most software process improvement methods is that improved processes lead to improved product quality. Despite the popularity of SPI methods, there is a lack of both methods and experience reports on the explicit relationship between software process improvement (SPI) and product improvement. PROFES is a methodology that helps to shift from generic process improvement towards focused improvement of the software processes based on explicit product quality requirements. It combines and enhances methods such as goal-oriented measurement (GQM), process assessment (ISO15504), product and process modelling, and experience factory. The integration of these methodologies helps to focus improvement activities and to use resources more efficiently. PROFES introduces a new method for establishing product process dependencies (PPD), which are used to describe the relationship and interdependency between process and product quality. PPDs are a core element of ...
    ... Systems Jorma Taramaal, Munish Khurana2., Pasi Kuvaja2, Jari Lehtonen3, Markku Oivol and Veikko Seppanen' ... ware. As software is easy to change or replace, it hasgot an increasingly important role in embedded... more
    ... Systems Jorma Taramaal, Munish Khurana2., Pasi Kuvaja2, Jari Lehtonen3, Markku Oivol and Veikko Seppanen' ... ware. As software is easy to change or replace, it hasgot an increasingly important role in embedded systems. ...
    BOOTSTRAP methodology was initially developed in an ESPRIT project together with European industry. After February 1993, the methodology has been managed and further developed by a European Economic Interest Group, called BOOTSTRAP... more
    BOOTSTRAP methodology was initially developed in an ESPRIT project together with European industry. After February 1993, the methodology has been managed and further developed by a European Economic Interest Group, called BOOTSTRAP Institute. BOOTSTRAP 3.0 was released in September 1997. It is compliant with the PDTR version of ISO 15504, the emerging standard on software engineering. The methodology contains a process model and an assessment method. The process model is based on the ISO 15504 reference model. In addition to the Process and Capability dimensions, it contains a Technology dimension. The Process dimension contains 33 different Processes organised in six clusters: Organisation, Life Cycle Dependent, Management, Support, Customer-Supplier, and Process Related. The Capability dimension consists of six levels, each level consisting of one of more Process Attributes, adopted from ISO 15504. An assessment is conducted at SPU and project levels. The BOOTSTRAP Institute organises and co-ordinates assessor training and registration scheme. BOOTSTRAP methodology is being used in two European projects, PROFES and SPAM.
    Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) is shown to be a potential marker for poor prognosis in breast cancer, but the biology of TIMP-1 is only partially understood. In this study, TIMP-1 production was studied in a co-culture... more
    Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) is shown to be a potential marker for poor prognosis in breast cancer, but the biology of TIMP-1 is only partially understood. In this study, TIMP-1 production was studied in a co-culture model of hormone-independent breast cancer cell lines and mesenchymal stem cells mimicking the stromal components of the tumor. In addition, the prognostic value of TIMP-1 was histologically evaluated in a clinical material of 168 patients with hormone-independent breast tumors. The hormone-independent breast cancer (BC) cell lines MDA-MB-231, M4A4 and NM2C5 did not produce TIMP-1 protein in measureable quantities. Six tested primary mesenchymal stem cell lines all produced TIMP-1. Co-culturing of mesenchymal stem cells and breast cancer cells resulted in positive immunocytochemical diffuse staining for TIMP-1 for both cell types. Culturing breast cancer cells with MSC-conditioned media resulted in a positive cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for TIMP-1, and TIMP-1 protein concentration in cell lysates increased 2.7-fold (range 1.1-4.7). The TIMP-1 mRNA levels remained unaffected in BC cells. This might suggest that breast cancer cells can take up TIMP-1 produced by stromal cells and are thus displaying cellular immunoreactivity. In addition, TIMP-1 was shown to improve stratification of prognosis in clinical material.
    ... Home > Software process assessment and improvement. Information; Discussion; Files. Report. Report number, ESPRIT-5441. Title, Software process assessment and improvement : the BOOTSTRAP approach. Author(s), Kuvaja, Pasi (et... more
    ... Home > Software process assessment and improvement. Information; Discussion; Files. Report. Report number, ESPRIT-5441. Title, Software process assessment and improvement : the BOOTSTRAP approach. Author(s), Kuvaja, Pasi (et al.). Imprint, Oxford : Blackwell, 1994. ...
    In this paper the principles and contents of a new product characteristics driven improvement methodology for embedded systems and product development (PROFES 5) is introduced. The paper includes also experiences of application of the... more
    In this paper the principles and contents of a new product characteristics driven improvement methodology for embedded systems and product development (PROFES 5) is introduced. The paper includes also experiences of application of the methodology in practice. The methodology was recently developed in an ESPRIT Project called PROFES (PROduct Focused improvement of Embedded Software processes). The methodology aims at helping organisations improve their product quality characteristics through improving ...
    This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2010, held in Trondheim, Norway, in June 2010. In order to better evaluate the submitted papers and to highlight the... more
    This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2010, held in Trondheim, Norway, in June 2010. In order to better evaluate the submitted papers and to highlight the applicational aspects of agile software practices, there were two different program committees, one for research papers and one for experience reports. Regarding the research papers, 11 out of 39 submissions were accepted as full papers; and as far as the experience reports were concerned, the ...
    68 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ASSESSING EMBEDDED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Pasi Kuvaja1, Jari Maansaari1, Veikko Seppänen2, Jorma Taramaa2 (in alphabetical order) 1Department of Information Processing Science, University of Oulu PO Box 3000, ...
    Lean Software Development has attracted a great deal of attention during last years. However, it remains unclear how Lean is implemented in a domain that fundamentally differs from the automotive industry in which it originated. This... more
    Lean Software Development has attracted a great deal of attention during last years. However, it remains unclear how Lean is implemented in a domain that fundamentally differs from the automotive industry in which it originated. This study provides empirical evidence of how Lean can be combined with Agile methods to enhance software development processes. A case study was conducted at Elektro bit Wireless Segment, which has used Agile from 2007 and began to adopt Lean in 2010. Our findings evidence numerous compatibilities between Lean and Agile. In addition to well-established practices in Agile, Lean thinking has brought new elements to software development such as Kanban and work-in-progress limits, a "pull" and "less waste" oriented culture, and a stronger emphasis on transparency and collaborative development. Scaling flexibility, business management involvement and waste reduction were found as challenges, whilst setting up teams, self-organization and empo...
    Research Interests:
    ... Home > Software process assessment and improvement. Information; Discussion; Files. Report. Report number, ESPRIT-5441. Title, Software process assessment and improvement : the BOOTSTRAP approach. Author(s), Kuvaja, Pasi (et... more
    ... Home > Software process assessment and improvement. Information; Discussion; Files. Report. Report number, ESPRIT-5441. Title, Software process assessment and improvement : the BOOTSTRAP approach. Author(s), Kuvaja, Pasi (et al.). Imprint, Oxford : Blackwell, 1994. ...
    Research Interests:
    ABSTRACT The SEI maturity model has been successfully used for evaluating the software process at both the project and organization levels. The SEI model includes specific questions for software maintenance and contains maintenance... more
    ABSTRACT The SEI maturity model has been successfully used for evaluating the software process at both the project and organization levels. The SEI model includes specific questions for software maintenance and contains maintenance implicitly as a part of the total maturity level of an organization. In the present work, the authors argue that the SEI model can also be used more specifically for defining the majority level of maintenance work of an organization. They give reasons and discuss possibilities of the use of the SEI model for evaluating the maturity level of maintenance, and present results gathered in Europe during the ESPRIT project BOOTSTRAP. In the light of their findings the authors argue that the current dichotomy between maintenance and development should be changed so that the development of the maintenance process should be considered as a part of the whole software process development in the organizations
    ... General Chair Giuseppe Visaggio University of Bari and Daisy-Net, Italy Program Co-chairs Danilo Caivano University of Bari ... Reidar Conradi Beniamino Di Martino Torgeir Dingsøyr Tore Dyba Davide Falessi Raimund Feldmann Rudolf... more
    ... General Chair Giuseppe Visaggio University of Bari and Daisy-Net, Italy Program Co-chairs Danilo Caivano University of Bari ... Reidar Conradi Beniamino Di Martino Torgeir Dingsøyr Tore Dyba Davide Falessi Raimund Feldmann Rudolf Ferenc Alfredo Garro Paul Gruenbacher ...
    Research Interests:
    ... General Chair Giuseppe Visaggio University of Bari and Daisy-Net, Italy Program Co-chairs Danilo Caivano University of Bari ... Reidar Conradi Beniamino Di Martino Torgeir Dingsøyr Tore Dyba Davide Falessi Raimund Feldmann Rudolf... more
    ... General Chair Giuseppe Visaggio University of Bari and Daisy-Net, Italy Program Co-chairs Danilo Caivano University of Bari ... Reidar Conradi Beniamino Di Martino Torgeir Dingsøyr Tore Dyba Davide Falessi Raimund Feldmann Rudolf Ferenc Alfredo Garro Paul Gruenbacher ...