TAXONOMY OF FRONT-END SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kajko-Mattsson, Mira

Affiliations: Software Maintenance Laboratory, Department of Computer and System Sciences, IT University/Stockholm University/Royal Institute of Technology, Electrum 230, SE-164, Kista, Sweden

Abstract: High diversity and complexity of front-end support processes in combination with their poor process visibility renders measurement and improvement of development, evolution and maintenance processes less reliable. Today, we have very little knowledge and insight into the front-end support processes and their activities, despite the fact that they are the dominating cost within evolution and maintenance. The area of front-end support is under-researched. The standard process models barely touch on this subject. Most of the extant models advocate the improvement of mainly back-end processes. Very few of them however, propose the improvement of their supporting front-end processes – the processes that extensively mediate or eliminate the need for changes. In this paper, we have identified 15 classes of front-end support activities within 37 support organisations in Sweden. These classes constitute a basis for building future front-end support process models, and process improvement- and measurement models. They are also useful for optimal integration with other organisational processes, such as development, evolution and maintenance.

Keywords: evolution, maintenance, corrective maintenance, help desk, product support, virtual IT enterprises

Journal: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 19-29, 2004