How project duration, upfront costs and uncertainty interact and impact on software development productivity? A simulation approach

Copyright © 2014 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. Identifying impact factors on software development productivity and the static relations between the impact factors and performance has been the main focus in the literature. Insight into the dynamic relation between key factors and performance dimensions would expand and complement the conventional wisdom on software development productivity. This is the first study to present such dynamic relationship based on an Analytical Theory of Project Investment. Through simulation, we have demonstrated the dynamic relationship between project duration, the uncertainty level of the perceived project value, the fixed project upfront cost and software development productivity. The findings provide practitioners with insight into how these factors interact and impact on software development project productivity