Evaluating UML tool support for effective coordination and communication across geographically disparate sites

Model driven software evolution provides a means to address some of the cultural differences experienced when software is developed across geographical boundaries and time zones. This scenario is now common place in the global software engineering domain. The lack of synchronization between design models and source code, for a development team working in different time zones, can lead to strained relationships between the geographically disparate sites. This problem is compounded when the separate sites have differing design and development cultures. Model driven software evolution can help address these concerns. In this paper, we present an extensive empirical evaluation of commercial CASE tools supporting UML undertaken by an off-shore development facility of a multi-national software development company. Through a defined set of selection criteria the importance of model driven software evolution is reflected in the emphasis placed on round-trip engineering. The resulting tool selected for adoption is identified along with a post-selection analysis of the performance of this tool