A constraint-driven human resource scheduling method in software development and maintenance process

Software processes are highly people-dependent and knowledge transfer-centric compared to traditional manufacturing processes. Different people are responsible for different types of knowledge transformation according to the skill set and expertise they master. This adds a great deal of complicated factors in resolving the scheduling problem in software development and maintenance process planning. The existing human resource scheduling methods do not take into account the differences between human resource capabilities and capacities in processes execution. This paper presents a constraint-driven human resource scheduling method in software development and maintenance process. A constraint model is set up based on the software process model and human resource model. A constraint-driven scheduling method is provided to realize the optimal human resource scheduling in software development and maintenance process. The method can be used in the mature organizations whose human resources have the determinate capabilities. It provides the excellent decision support to the project manager.