Christof Ebert 
Global Software and IT 
A Guide to Distributed Development, Projects, and Outsourcing

Based on the author’s first-hand experience and expertise,
this book offers a proven framework for global software
engineering. Readers will learn best practices for managing a
variety of software projects, coordinating the activities of
several locations across the globe while accounting for cultural
differences. Most importantly, readers will learn how to engineer a
first-rate software product as efficiently as possible by fully
leveraging global personnel and resources.

Global Software and IT takes a unique approach that works for
projects of any size, examining such critical topics as:

* Executing a seamless project across multiple locations

* Mitigating the risks of off-shoring

* Developing and implementing processes for global
development

* Establishing practical outsourcing guidelines

* Fostering effective collaboration and communication across
continents and culture

This book provides a balanced framework for planning global
development, covering topics such as managing people in distributed
sites and managing a project across locations. It delivers a
comprehensive business model that is beneficial to anyone looking
for the most cost-effective, efficient way to engineer good
software products.

Table of Content

Foreword ix

About the Author xi

Introduction 1

Part I Strategy

1. Different Business Models 7

2. The Bright Side: Benefi ts 15

3. The Dark Side: Challenges 19

4. Deciding the Business Model 27

5. Preparing the Business Case 33

Part II Development

6. Requirements Engineering 39

7. Estimation and Planning 45

8. Development Processes 53

9. Practice: Global Software Architecture Development 59

10. Practice: Software Chunks and Distributed Development 69

11. Confi guration Management 81

12. Open Source Development 83

13. Quality Control 89

14. Tools and IT Infrastructure 95

15. Practice: Collaborative Development Environments 109

Part III Management

16. Life-Cycle Management 127

17. Supplier Selection and Evaluation 131

18. Supplier Management 135

19. Practice: IT Outsourcing–A Supplier Perspective
141

20. Monitoring Cost, Progress, and Performance 151

21. Risk Management 165

22. Practice: Risk Assessment in Globally Distributed Projects
179

23. Intellectual Property and Information Security 189

24. Practice: Global Software Engineering in Avionics 193

25. Practice: Global Software Engineering in Automotive 209

Part IV People and Teams

26. Work Organization and Resource Allocation 227

27. Roles and Responsibilities 237

28. Soft Skills 241

29. Training and Coaching 245

30. Practice: People Factors in Globally Distributed Projects
249

31. Practice: Requirements Engineering in Global Teams 257

32. Practice: Educating Global Software Engineering 269

Part V Advancing Your Own Business

33. Key Take-Away Tips 283

34. Global Software and IT Rules of Thumb 293

35. The World Remains Flat 297

Appendices

Appendix A Checklist/Template: Getting Started 303

Appendix B Checklist/Template: Self Assessment 309

Appendix C Checklist/Template: Risk Management 315

Glossary and Abbreviations 319

Bibliography 339

Index 349

About the author

CHRISTOF EBERT, Ph D, is Managing Director at Vector Consulting Services. He supports companies around the world to improve product development and strategy and to manage organizational changes. Dr. Ebert sits on a number of advisory and industry bodies. Over the years, he has set up and improved several offshoring sites and performed due diligence assessments. He serves on the executive board of the IEEE International Conference on Global Software Engineering series and teaches at the University of Stuttgart.