A quantitative approach to monitoring software development

A preliminary overview of a procedure for monitoring software development with respect to quality is provided. The monitoring process is based on the extraction, analysis and interpretation of metrics relating to software products and processes. The problem of interpreting software metrics data in terms that are meaningful to project and quality managers is focused on. The authors present a four-stage model of the interpretation of metrics. The model could be implemented as an advice system for managers. The authors discuss the general principles of project monitoring throughout the development life-cycle and identify metrics that may be collected throughout, from requirements specification to integration testing. They suggest some general principles for assessing the cause of abnormal metric values, for distinguishing between causes, and for responding to unfavourable project circumstances