1999 Volume 8 Issue 2 Pages 79-98
IDEF0 is expected to serve as business process analysis and modeling method. It is also useful as a method for handling software development process. However, we have been receiving few reports of IDEF0 application to actual software development. Taking scheduling systems field that is very difficult to develop and that has been developed on a trial-and-error basis as an example, this paper discusses the IDEF0-based software development process analysis. The IDEFO project has not only developers but also users and operators participate in the analysis. We describe the process characteristics of four examples of past development as AS-IS models, and also describe the process improvement policy as a TO-BE model, based on the comparison of the AS-IS models. The result of the analysis indicates the following two: (1) It is possible to discuss process characteristics and improvement policy among the three parties using the created model as a common foundation. The model creation process is effective for improving communication among the three parties. (2) It is necessary to understand considerations for the IDEF0 application from the standpoint of describability, readability, and executability to obtain the effects in (1). These points can be guidelines for applying IDEF0 to software development process analysis from now on.
