IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/syspar/v33y2020i2d10.1007_s11213-019-09491-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Diagnosis of Software Projects Based on the Viable System Model

Author

Listed:
  • Julio César Puche-Regaliza

    (University of Burgos)

  • Alfredo Jiménez

    (Kedge Business School)

  • Pablo Arranz-Val

    (University of Burgos)

Abstract

This work aims to identify the shortcomings that may impair or endanger the viability of software projects, and attemps to reduce their failure rates. A diagnosis based on the Viable System Model of software projects is shown. The data collection processes necessary to make a diagnosis have been carried out through a questionnaire and personal interviews with 38 companies in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. The subsequent descriptive analysis allows us to detect 8 weak points in the organizational structure of the software projects. We highlight two of the 8 weak points in particular: the nondefinition of the next lower level of recursion and the need to improve the exploration mechanisms used to evaluate future scenarios. Although the sample seems small, a great effort was expended to interview the 38 companies due to an extension of the interview time (approximately 75 min) and the confidentiality and complexity of the topic, which required gathering a high level of detail and in-depth information on each of the projects and companies in the survey. This work offers managers a detailed reference for the diagnosis or design of viable software projects. The novel aspect of the work focuses on the application of the Viable System Model for proposing organizational changes in the development of software projects. This holistic perspective of the organizational structure of software projects will allow an increase in their success rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Julio César Puche-Regaliza & Alfredo Jiménez & Pablo Arranz-Val, 2020. "Diagnosis of Software Projects Based on the Viable System Model," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 215-236, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:syspar:v:33:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s11213-019-09491-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11213-019-09491-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11213-019-09491-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11213-019-09491-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ali Azadeh & Kosar Darivandi & Ehsan Fathi, 2012. "Diagnosing, Simulating and Improving Business Process Using Cybernetic Laws and the Viable System Model: The Case of a Purchasing Process," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 66-86, January.
    2. Leonardo A. A. Terra & Carla A. A. Ventura & Mirna L. Medeiros & João L. Passador, 2016. "Strategies for the Distribution of Power in Brazil: A Proposal from the Perspective of the Viable System Model (VSM)," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 224-234, March.
    3. Espinosa, Angela & Walker, J., 2013. "Complexity management in practice: A Viable System Model intervention in an Irish eco-community," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 225(1), pages 118-129.
    4. Elena Tavella & Thanos Papadopoulos, 2015. "Expert and novice facilitated modelling: A case of a Viable System Model workshop in a local food network," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 66(2), pages 247-264, February.
    5. Preece, Gary & Shaw, Duncan & Hayashi, Haruo, 2013. "Using the Viable System Model (VSM) to structure information processing complexity in disaster response," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 224(1), pages 209-218.
    6. Hart, Diane & Paucar-Caceres, Alberto, 2017. "A utilisation focussed and viable systems approach for evaluating technology supported learning," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(2), pages 626-641.
    7. Sameer Bathallath & Åsa Smedberg & Harald Kjellin, 2019. "The Viable System Model for Diagnosing and Handling IT-Project Interdependencies in Large Portfolios," International Journal of Information Technology Project Management (IJITPM), IGI Global, vol. 10(1), pages 72-87, January.
    8. Nicola Burgess & Nicholas Wake, 2012. "The applicability of the Viable Systems Model as a diagnostic for small to medium sized enterprises," International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 62(1), pages 29-46, November.
    9. Saadet Toprak & N. Gökhan Torlak, 2018. "An Adaptive Use of Viable System Model with Knowledge System Diagnostics Serving Industrial Democracy in a Textile Manufacturing Company," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 1-26, February.
    10. Vanita Yadav, 2016. "A Flexible Management Approach for Globally Distributed Software Projects," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 17(1), pages 29-40, March.
    11. Midgley, G., 2006. "Systemic intervention for public health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(3), pages 466-472.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Maren Berge Vik & Hanne Finnestrand & Robert L. Flood, 2022. "Systemic Problem Structuring in a Complex Hospital Environment using Viable System Diagnosis – Keeping the Blood Flowing," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 203-226, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lowe, David & Espinosa, Angela & Yearworth, Mike, 2020. "Constitutive rules for guiding the use of the viable system model: Reflections on practice," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 287(3), pages 1014-1035.
    2. Hart, Diane & Paucar-Caceres, Alberto, 2017. "A utilisation focussed and viable systems approach for evaluating technology supported learning," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(2), pages 626-641.
    3. Elena Tavella & L. Alberto Franco, 2015. "Dynamics of Group Knowledge Production in Facilitated Modelling Workshops: An Exploratory Study," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 451-475, May.
    4. Diane Hart, 2021. "Conceptualizing the systemic evaluation of dashboards in quality enhancement processes in higher education," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(6), pages 817-832, November.
    5. David Lowe & Louise Martingale & Mike Yearworth, 2016. "Guiding interventions in a multi-organisational context: combining the Viable System Model and Hierarchical Process Modelling for use as a Problem Structuring Method," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 67(12), pages 1481-1495, December.
    6. Tanya Arenas & Miguel Ángel Martínez & Xu Honggang & Oswaldo Morales & Mauricio Chávez, 2019. "Integrating VSM and Network Analysis for Tourism Strategies – Case: Mexico and the Chinese Outbound Market," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 315-333, June.
    7. Smith, Chris M. & Shaw, Duncan, 2019. "The characteristics of problem structuring methods: A literature review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 274(2), pages 403-416.
    8. Gerald Midgley & Erik Lindhult, 2021. "A systems perspective on systemic innovation," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(5), pages 635-670, October.
    9. Akmal, Adeel & Podgorodnichenko, Nataliya & Foote, Jeff & Greatbanks, Richard & Stokes, Tim & Gauld, Robin, 2021. "Why is Quality Improvement so Challenging? A Viable Systems Model Perspective to Understand the Frustrations of Healthcare Quality Improvement Managers," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(5), pages 658-664.
    10. Francesca Iandolo & Pietro Vito & Francesca Loia & Irene Fulco & Mario Calabrese, 2021. "Drilling down the viable system theories in business, management and accounting: A bibliometric review," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(6), pages 738-755, November.
    11. Maren Berge Vik & Hanne Finnestrand & Robert L. Flood, 2022. "Systemic Problem Structuring in a Complex Hospital Environment using Viable System Diagnosis – Keeping the Blood Flowing," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 203-226, April.
    12. Melinda Craike & Bojana Klepac & Amy Mowle & Therese Riley, 2023. "Theory of systems change: An initial, middle-range theory of public health research impact," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 32(3), pages 603-621.
    13. Wilson, Duncan T. & Hawe, Glenn I. & Coates, Graham & Crouch, Roger S., 2013. "A multi-objective combinatorial model of casualty processing in major incident response," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 230(3), pages 643-655.
    14. Lami, Isabella M. & Tavella, Elena, 2019. "On the usefulness of soft OR models in decision making: A comparison of Problem Structuring Methods supported and self-organized workshops," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 275(3), pages 1020-1036.
    15. Emmanuel D. Adamides & Konstantinos Georgousoglou & Yannis Mouzakitis, 2023. "Designing a Flexible and Adaptive Municipal Waste Management Organisation Using the Viable System Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-24, September.
    16. Matthieu Lauras & Frédérick Benaben & Sébastien Truptil & Aurélie Charles, 2015. "Event-cloud platform to support decision-making in emergency management," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 857-869, August.
    17. Harwood, Stephen A., 2019. "A question of interpretation: The Viable System Model (VSM)," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 274(3), pages 1198-1201.
    18. Therese Riley & Liza Hopkins & Maria Gomez & Seanna Davidson & Daniel Chamberlain & Jessica Jacob & Sonia Wutzke, 2021. "A Systems Thinking Methodology for Studying Prevention Efforts in Communities," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 34(5), pages 555-573, October.
    19. Yehia Ibrahim Alzoubi & Asif Qumer Gill, 2022. "Can Agile Enterprise Architecture be Implemented Successfully in Distributed Agile Development? Empirical Findings," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 23(2), pages 221-235, June.
    20. Berkeley, Dina & Springett, Jane, 2006. "From rhetoric to reality: A systemic approach to understanding the constraints faced by Health For All initiatives in England," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(11), pages 2877-2889, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:syspar:v:33:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s11213-019-09491-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.