Managing Risks in Global Software Engineering: Principles and Practices

Globally distributed software development poses substantial risks to project and product management. Not all eventualities can however be buffered, because in the global economy, developing and implementing products must be fast, cost effective and adaptive to changing needs. Therefore, there is a need to utilize different techniques to effectively and efficiently mitigate risks. This article systematically introduces risk management in global software engineering (GSE) for development projects and product evolution. Methods include using basic project, supplier and quality management techniques, process frameworks (e.g., CMMI), product life-cycle management, effective communication processes, SLA based escalation, competence management, and innovation management. A longitudinal empirical field study over several years from a captive SW center of a worldwide leading ICT company in India provides practical experiences and indicates how to effectively apply GSE risk management practices.