Classification of Software Transfers

Many companies have development sites around the globe. This inevitably means that development work may be transferred between the sites. This paper defines a classification of software transfer types, it divides transfers into three main types: full, partial and gradual transfers to describe the context of a transfer. The differences between transfer types, and hence the need for a classification, are illustrated with staffing curves for two different transfer types. The staffing curves are obtained through a combination of interviews with both high-level management and a group of experts, and an industrial case study. From the empirical work, it is concluded that the distribution of personnel differs for different types of transfer, which means that it is crucial to be clear about different classes of software transfers. If not, it is easy to underestimate the effort needed to transfer software work as well as additional costs related to the transfer as such.