CS 3240 - Spring 2021 / Software Process Quiz

Computing ID Lecture (11:00 / 2:00) Name

Rpr6at 2:00 Ryan Robinson

On my honor as a student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this assessment.

Signature: Ryan Robinson

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● Use good grammatical structure with complete sentences
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submission deadline, but please don’t go overboard and spend hours on this when you have other things to do.
The quiz is intended to take around one hour. If you do not do well on the quiz, remember that you will have a
chance to retake these questions as a part of the final exam to earn any XP you did not get on this quiz.

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professionalism penalty.

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quizzes can be retaken as a part of the final exam.

Good luck!
1. Discuss why it is important to have a defined software development process. What are the dangers of *not*
having a defined software development process for your team? (1500 XP)
CS 3240 - S21 / Software Process Quiz

A defined software development process allows each member of the development team to clearly understand what
tasks they have to accomplish, makes it significantly easier to estimate the amount of time the project will take,
and makes it easier to identify issues with the project earlier in the development.

If you do not have a defined software development process, you could end up building the wrong product for your
customer, have miscommunication with what tasks each developer has to accomplish, severely over scope your
project, and so much more. A defined software development process is key to a successful software development
project.

2. Identify at least two aspects of the Scrum development methodology that make it appropriate to use for an
academic, one-semester project (like what we are doing). Defend why you chose these aspects. (1500 XP)

The sprint cycle makes the Scrum methodology perfect for an academic, one semester project. It allows the teams
to focus on one aspect of the software each week and then have a meeting with their TA to go over the sprint.
Because of the constant check ins and the “progress every week” mentality, it is harder for teams to fall behind.

The product backlog is another feature of this Scrum methodology that makes it perfect for a one semester
project. Because the highest priority features are at the top of the product backlog, the creation of a minimum
viable product is also prioritized. This means that hopefully every team will have a functioning product by the end
of the semester.

3. Discuss the fundamental differences between the general philosophies of agile and plan-driven software
models (i.e. think Agile Manifesto-type things). What are some aspects of each that you would directly point to as
“this is what makes this process agile / plan-driven?” (3000 XP)

At its core agile software development is a methodology built around flexibility and quick turn arounds. It’s
perfect for projects where the requirements change frequently. Plan driven, on the other hand, is a system built
around knowing exactly what the product is going to be before its even built. It’s better for projects where
mistakes have a high cost and requirements are static.

Some aspects of an agile development process are frequent requirement changes, low criticality (i.e. mistakes
don’t have a particularly high cost), and smaller teams. On the other hand, plan driven development aspects
include a small amount of requirement changes, higher criticality, and larger teams.

4. Read the scenario at the end of this quiz. Explain whether you would use a more agile or more plan-driven
methodology for this project and why. Fill out the polar chart below and use that along with other information
from the scenario and your knowledge about agile vs. plan-driven to defend your answer in full, complete
sentences. Specifically note development techniques/processes you would want to use and explain why they are
applicable in this scenario. NOTE: simply restating the chart in text form (e.g. “I put down size 10 because the
scenario says they have 10 people”) will earn no XP. (4000 XP)

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CS 3240 - S21 / Software Process Quiz

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CS 3240 - S21 / Software Process Quiz

APPENDIX: Development Scenario

Background
ChloeSoft is a small start-up company based in Richmond, VA. Started by a mix of UVA, GMU, and VT grads
(and, strangely, one WVU grad?) in 2019, the company was founded with one driving principle: the creation of
“smart home” technology… for cats. Yes, indeed - the untapped feline market. Cats who like to come and go as
they please and owners willing to pay big bucks to make it happen.

The development team is made up of 10 cat enthusiasts who graduated in 2019. Many of them had internships at
Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, so they feel pretty confident in their coding and management skills. All 10 of
these developers work together in a single open office in downtown Richmond (right near Bottoms Up Pizza, if
you are familiar with the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond). While they all have their own desk and work area,
all desks are in one, large open space, with separate rooms for making private phone calls as needed.

Project
ChloeSoft’s latest and greatest idea is the StewDoor, an automatic cat door that could be installed in an external
home door. A StewDoor would detect a cat approaching by a sensor attached to the cat’s collar. The door would
then dynamically unlock and open, allowing the cat in question access to the home.

Schlage, a company known for making locks of all shapes and sizes (including smart locks), has taken an interest
in StewDoor and wants to partner with ChloeSoft. Schlage would like to add StewDoor to an all-in-one smart
home lock kit that would come with smart locks for two external doors in addition to one StewDoor. This all-in-
one system would have to integrate with the latest in smart home technology, working with Google Home, Alexa
and Apple Home, in addition to working with Schage’s own smart lock mobile app.

The development team is thrilled by this amazing opportunity, but is really nervous. None of them have ever tied
a system like what they are building into an established system like Schlage’s, let alone ALL of the smart home
systems on the market! Schlage has provided a detailed tech guide that you have to follow in order to get
StewDoor ready for integration, but a lot of it is unfamiliar. ChloeSoft decides to hire 5 more developers to help
with this project - folks that have experience with smart home tech. The individuals you find have a lot of
experience, but are scattered all over the United States and one in Germany.

The contract from Schlage states that StewDoor has to be ready in 8 months, or else you forfeit a lot of money.
The contract doesn’t say if they will be providing any further technical or testing support. However, there is a
rather rigorous certification process your system will have to go through, which includes a review of all testing
procedures and a detailed design document.

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