The document discusses a capability-driven method for selecting and evolving software-service bundles that cater to varying client contexts and performance requirements. It outlines objectives such as improving collaboration between vendors and clients and monitoring delivery performance to ensure continuous improvement. The paper includes an application example and emphasizes the importance of adapting to changing circumstances in software-service delivery.

1. Selection and Evolutionary
Development of Software-Service
Bundles: a Capability Based Method
Jānis Grabis1, Kurt Sandkuhl2
1Institute of Information Technology, Riga Technical University,
Kalku 1, Riga, Latvia
2 Chair of Business Information Systems , University of Rostock,
Albert-Einstein-Straße 22, Rostock, Germany
grabis@rtu.lv, kurt.sandkuhl@uni-rostock.de

2. Outline
• Motivation
• Objectives and problem statement
• Method elaboration
• Application example
• Conclusion

3. Software-Service Bundle
• Software is available
in different versions
• Software is made
available with a
number of additional
services
• Support
• Domain expertise
• Outsourcing

4. State of the Art
• Product-line development
– Pohl et al. (2005)
• Packaged software selection
– Jadhav and Sonar (2009)
• Evidence based software engineering
– Olsson and Bosch (2015)

5. CDD Approach
• Assumptions
– Suitability of software-service bundles is context
dependent
– A bundle optimizing performance is desirable
– Clients share software usage data
• Capability driven development (CDD) is an
approach for delivering services in different
contexts at the desired level of performance
– Bērziša et al. (2015)

6. Objectives
• To elaborate a method allowing
collaboration between vendor and client
in selection of the right configuration of
software-service bundles and continuous
improvement of the selected
configuration
– Based on the CDD approach

7. Problem Statement
Software-
service bundle
O1 O2
O3 O4
O5 O6
Performance and
context data
Vendor
Client A
Context
Performance
O5
Client B
Context
Performance
O4
Client C
Context
?
?

8. Evolutionary development process
Create capability
support matrix
Define capability
model
Engage new
client
Select appropriate
configuration
Deploy solution
Monitor delivery
Goals not achieved
Context has changed
• Capability model
• What factors affect service delivery and
which solutions could be used
• Capability support matrix
• Which configuration is suitable in a
specific context situation
• Continuous improvement
• Development of new configurations

9. Evolutionary Development Stages
Design stage
Delivery stage
Evolution

10. Design Stage
• Initial configuration of the software-service
bundle is selected and deployed for a new
client
• Relevant parameter for the selection:
– Context elements: have a context range
– Context situations: combinations of context
element values from the context range
– Most plausible context situation Cnew for a new
client
– Configurations Oj derived from
Capability Support Matrix
• Client also sets KPI
• Least cost configuration Oj appropriate for
context situation faced by the new client
1
1
1
1 N2 …
1
H
2
…
Configurations
ContextSituations
CSM
),...,( 1 iiTii crcrCR 
 
N
H
CRCR
CSCS
 ...
,...,
1
1
)1|min( i
new
ij CSCSaj 

11. Delivery Stage
• Software-service bundle is in use by the client
• Context situations and delivery performance are monitored
• Delivery performance:
– Monitoring is based on real-time values of KPI
– Actual values are compared to target values
– On underperformance, recommendation to revise solution is
issued
• Context monitoring
– Comparison of observed context situation with context
situations supported by current configuration
– If current configuration no longer fits, warning is issued
• Context monitoring serves as an advanced warning system to
potential performance deterioration

12. Evolution
• Adjustment of software-service bundle to
changing circumstances
• Violations of performance objectives or
unsupported context situations suggest an
upgrade of the current configuration
• Alternative ways
– Selection of a more suitable configuration from
CSM
– Reevaluate CSM for the software product
– Special software-service bundle needs to be
developed

13. Application Example
• Business information exchange process
– Manual processing
– Automated processing
– Outsourcing

14. Capability Model

15. Capability support matrix
Processing load
level
Load volatility O1 O2 O3
Low Low 1
Low Medium 1 1
Low High 1
Medium Low 1
Medium Medium 1 1
Medium High 1
High Low 1
High Medium 1
High High 1

16. Simulated Evolution
• Demand for data processing services is
simulated
– Changing demand level
– Changing demand volatility
• EXP1
– Is manual processing appropriate for low
demand situation?
• EXP2
– Is outsourcing needed for high volatility
situations?
low,if 100
medium,if 00 1000
high,if 1000
PLC





   
 

17. Simulation Results (EXP1)
O1 O2

18. Simulation Results (EXP2)
O2 O3

19. Conclusion
• Incentives for data sharing
• Limitations of simulation based
evaluation
• Cost of evolutionary development