ABSTRACT

To advance knowledge about evolution of practices within a software organisation, we offer a retrospective reflection based on several years of research into a software unit at Ericsson AB. Covering 16 years of evolution, we developed multiple publications from continuously expanding sources of software technology implementation data. While these publications report from specific junctures of software practice evolution at the unit, our retrospective reflection allows us to consider the impacts of the unit’s investments into two technology paradigms over the sixteen-year period: first into CMM-RUP with a focus on discipline and structured practices and years later into Agile-Lean with a focus on flexibility and responsive practices. Hence, we adopt retrospective reflection to investigate how imprints from the two paradigms, despite considerable timespan between the related technology implementations, eventually complemented each other in the unit’s software practices. Because one paradigm focuses on discipline and structured practices and the other on flexibility and responsive practices, our retrospective reflections consider how the two paradigms together impacted the software unit’s ambidextrous capability. As a result, we advance the idea that as software organisations over time invest in complementary technology paradigms they leave important technology traces with sustainable impacts on their software practices.

摘要

为了推进有关软件组织内实践演变的知识，我们根据对 Ericsson AB 软件部门的多年研究进行回顾性反思。在 16 年的发展过程中，我们从不断扩大的软件技术实施数据来源开发了多种出版物。虽然这些出版物报告了该部门软件实践演变的特定时刻，但我们的回顾性反思使我们能够考虑该部门在 16 年期间对两种技术范式的投资的影响：首先是 CMM-RUP，重点是学科和结构化实践，几年后进入敏捷精益，专注于灵活性和响应性实践。因此，我们采用回顾性反思来研究两种范式的印记，尽管相关技术实施之间存在相当长的时间跨度，但最终在单位的软件实践中相互补充。因为一种范式侧重于纪律和结构化实践，而另一种则侧重于灵活性和响应性实践，所以我们的回顾性反思考虑了这两种范式如何共同影响软件单元的灵巧能力。因此，我们提出了这样的想法，即随着软件组织随着时间的推移投资于互补技术范式，他们会留下重要的技术痕迹，对其软件实践产生可持续的影响。我们的回顾性思考考虑了这两种范式如何共同影响软件单元的灵巧能力。因此，我们提出了这样的想法，即随着软件组织随着时间的推移投资于互补技术范式，他们会留下重要的技术痕迹，对其软件实践产生可持续的影响。我们的回顾性思考考虑了这两种范式如何共同影响软件单元的灵巧能力。因此，我们提出了这样的想法，即随着软件组织随着时间的推移投资于互补技术范式，他们会留下重要的技术痕迹，对其软件实践产生可持续的影响。