In Search of Efficient Flexibility: Effects of Software Component Granularity on Development Effort, Defects, and Customization Effort.

Author List: Subramanyam, Ramanath; Ramasubbu, Narayan; Krishnan, M. S.;
Information Systems Research, 2012, Volume 23, Issue 3, Page 787-803.
Simultaneously achieving efficiency and flexibility in enterprise software production has been a considerable challenge for firms. Newer software development paradigms such as component-based and model-driven development attempt to overcome this challenge by emphasizing modular design of complex systems. However, there is a paucity of rigorous empirical research on the use of such software methodologies and the associated extent to which trade-offs between efficiency and flexibility can be influenced. Addressing this gap, we investigate the performance outcomes of a model-driven, component-based software development methodology using data collected from an enterprise software development firm that deployed such a methodology for its product development processes. Examining the design, development, and implementation of 92 business software components of the firm's enterprise resource planning product, we discuss how the design of software components, specifically component granularity, affects development efficiency (development effort and defects) and flexibility (customization effort). Our results suggest that (a) components that are coarse grained are associated with higher flexibility (lower customization effort) but are also associated with lower development efficiency (more development effort and defects), and (b) defect proneness of a component plays a mediating role on the relationship between component granularity and flexibility. These findings present strong evidence for the existence of trade-offs between efficiency and flexibility in mass-customized software product life cycles. They establish component granularity as a key design dimension that needs to be managed judiciously to enable potential trade-off shifting mechanisms through the use of software methodologies that emphasize modular design approaches.
Keywords: complexity; component granularity; component-based software development; efficiency; flexibility; model-driven development; modular design; project performance; software engineering
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#208 0.200 feedback mechanisms mechanism ratings efficiency role effective study economic design potential economics discuss profile recent component granularity turn compared using
#232 0.165 software development product functionality period upgrade sampling examines extent suggests factors considered useful uncertainty previous called complementarities greater cost present
#93 0.131 performance results study impact research influence effects data higher efficiency effect significantly findings impacts empirical significant suggest outcomes better positive
#16 0.111 infrastructure information flexibility new paper technology building infrastructures flexible development human creating provide despite challenge possible resources specific advances developing
#294 0.094 development systems methodology methodologies information framework approach approaches paper analysis use presented applied assumptions based proposed described examines basis proposes
#251 0.093 implementation erp enterprise systems resource planning outcomes support business associated understanding benefits implemented advice key implementing scope functional post-implementation implementations
#94 0.064 effort users advice ras trade-off recommendation agents difficulty decision make acceptance product loss trade-offs context perceived influence laboratory reasons consumers