Software Engineering: Issues, Mitigation and Project Success

This essay examines the significant issues plaguing software engineering, focusing on the causes of project failures and proposing effective mitigation strategies. It highlights the dynamic nature of software development, the pressure of market demands, and the impact of vague requirements, inadequate workforce, and time management problems. The essay delves into the flawed nature of software engineering, discussing issues such as project delays, budget overruns, and stakeholder dissatisfaction. It emphasizes the need for clear requirements, experienced workforce, and efficient time management. The essay proposes practical solutions, including the use of appropriate software languages, knowledge sharing, hybrid methodologies, and user involvement, to address these challenges and improve the success rate of software projects. The importance of prototyping, on-job training, and effective communication with stakeholders is also discussed to ensure project success.

Running head: SOFTWARE ENGINEERING: ISSUES AND MITIGATION PROCEDURE
Software Engineering: Issues and Mitigation Procedure
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1SOFTWARE ENGINEERING: ISSUES AND MITIGATION PROCEDURE
Globalisation and evolution in fields of science have not occurred in a day. Moreover,
science is the most dynamic field of research. The process is ever developing and the
principals of software engineering is not an exception. Therefore, the motive of software
engineering discipline is to continue the culture of developing different application and
ensuring smooth execution of those as per requirements. Before discussing the issues faced
by software professionals it is important to know the matters they deal with. Centrally, as
argued by Jones, Capers (106), for development and maintenance of computer or smart
devices’ software engineers are devoted to and make things user efficient. Technically,
software applications must comply with systems, discipline and efficiency norms. Hence,
within a periodical gap new programming language or software methodology is being
invented. Not only the invention, a developer must comply with the throughout maintenance
and monitor its performance. In order to do that they have to be disciplined enough to
complete series of software engineering process. In case of undisciplined approach, the
delivery might have been delayed and other issue from the customers will raise. A disciplined
developer is capable of enhancing productivity and satisfies customers at the same time.
In this wide and detailed range of operations it has been noticed that different
software systems like cloud computing, big-data, and numerous cyber systems are being
consistently innovated to fulfil dynamic needs of customers. The science is itself full of
dynamism, in addition to that high market pressure is influencing the engineers to work more
for innovation. Therefore, the entire process of software development and maintenance is
getting disturbed continuously. According to Casale, Giuliano (39), these challenges are
leading towards a disrupted system and demanding more professionals into the disciplined in
order to handle the pressure of continuous demand of new software application. The
customers are facing issues not in terms of quality of software but the market is seeking for
security concerns too. On one hand, there are several quality concerns which are being

2SOFTWARE ENGINEERING: ISSUES AND MITIGATION PROCEDURE
obvious and to solve all those queries, engineers are compromising with security issues.
Therefore, from both the ends the requirements are not met properly. Privacy is important in
terms of securing personal data. In this era of globalisation, as discussed in Vitale, Valeria
(147), every business organisations is sharing data virtually. The weak development of
software leads to incidents of cyber-crime which highlights flaws within the discipline.
Developers are partly dependent on consumers in terms of identifying the problem or if there
is any security concerns. Actually, until the customers’ are exploring applications the flaws
cannot be identified in some cases.
It has been realised that there is a lack of development when it comes to prepare a set
of principals regarding development, designing and coding. This loop holes are leading
towards delay in delivering projects along with that budget increases. In such cases, the
company might faces issues of order cancellation and stakeholder management does not get
the desired support from such a flawed software engineering discipline. Above mentioned
issues are it has been observed that software development tends to initiate controversy. It is
believed that a discussion on flaws helps to generate solutions. The first point which needs to
be noticed is that if the discipline is free of flaws there would be no need of discussing such
topics. This ensures intensity of the issues related to software engineering. The success rate of
industry, which is 30%, itself suggests the flawed nature of its operation for past twenty
years. As mentioned before, most of the time there are issues of delay in delivery of order
cancellation. Cancellation of order can happen for many reasons including doubts regarding
investments, lack of understanding among engineers or lack of expertise to execute the
desired outcome. Hence, it can be confidently said that entire system and contemporary
practices have become flawed.
A list can be made of reasons that why software engineering has been considered as a
flawed discipline. First of all, requirements are in most of the cases vague and unhelpful.

3SOFTWARE ENGINEERING: ISSUES AND MITIGATION PROCEDURE
Understanding of clear requirements takes time and lots of efforts are required in
communication. Most of the time, lack of experience and due to cultural or technical reasons
people proceed work based on vague instruction. As a result, they have to face hazards
regarding desired outcome. Besides, inadequate workforce, lesser work engagement and
demotivated employees are the reasons behind its flawed nature. Time management is
another reason. This development processes are unpredictable in terms of duration. While
working on project several mistakes can take place or problems can occur. Timely delivery is
a rare incident in this discipline. According to the changed preferences of the customer in
middle of the processing a software can hamper the entire flow of a particular project.
There are certain indication which allow us to understand the associations with
failures. As supported by the performance index of Tata consultancy services, the first reason
of such project failure is the lack of basic conception in designing or difficulties faced by
professional regarding understanding the design requirements. The report has mentioned in
the year 2007, the organisation dealt with 62% failed projects in terms of deadline, almost
49% projects suffered from budget issues and 50% has turned out to be more expensive than
expectation. No less than 30% delivered an unpredictably bad performance and 40% has
failed to add expected business value. The researches have consistently addressed lack of
user involvement and underdeveloped conception of engineering theories for this. Project
failure and dissatisfaction among stakeholders are increasing for this reason.
There are several of reading regarding this matter, yet it needs to be realised that with
the increasing change in market in terms of customers’ requirements, the occurrence of same
project design is almost next to impossible. According to Kaur, Rupinder, and Jyotsna
Sengupta , software projects are regarded as failures when they are incapable of meeting the
criteria of customers. Most of the IT projects run over the budget plan, it has become difficult
for companies to address so many failures together. Monetary resource has declined and an

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increasing demand of investors has been spotted. All the software design is unique and talks
time to develop and explore to find out processing faults. However, due to high market
demand this known principals are not being followed properly. Above all, time management
is another issue behind faults in desired result. As collected from several system engineer it
has been understood that it is an art of adaptation as far as understanding of practices and
software products is concerned. Apart from running over budget, most of the IT project has
been terminated due to misunderstood requirements and has fails to address business goals. In
order to avoid the most recurrent issues regarding software engineering following procedures
or practices must be kept in mind.
At first, it must be remembered that software product development needs design
based on programme-language that is associated with procedure of software implementation
or development. This practice will ensure appropriate application of required software
language. In addition to that, various literatures like Vijayasarathy and Charles W. Butler
(89), highlights the role of organisation in terms of knowledge sharing and training as far as
flawless implementation of software engineering practices are concerned. It has stated that
software development methodologies are varied which have both the traditional and
contemporary approach. It has strongly suggested that team efficiency, organisational culture,
HR strategies and complexities of project requirements everything matters in discipline of
software engineering. In case of any discrepancy or misunderstanding project tends to fail.
Although, contemporary methodologies are more reliable in terms of delivering the work on
time or in a speedily manner, yet some of the traditional models like waterfall model is still
helpful to avoid failure. Therefore, engineers can take a hybrid approach, consider multiple
methodologies in order to make agendas successful. Moreover, the chosen methodologies are
dependent on characteristics of project, team expertise and organizational structure too.

5SOFTWARE ENGINEERING: ISSUES AND MITIGATION PROCEDURE
There is an important part of software development is to design. While designing the
software the market need, issues must be remembered. The development must address or
intends to solve the ongoing issues the consumers are facing. Simultaneously, as described in
Zahedi et al. (998), global discipline of software development is devoted towards mitigating
the social challenges and have to build supportive knowledge to develop accordingly. While
sharing knowledge development teams face various issues. Organisations are bound to
introduce feasible practices to identify the challenges and consult advanced experience and
literature to solve those issues. Based on the finding of same literature addressed before, there
are six central concerns which revolve around management conflict, team structure and
expertise, technological aids, social supports and procedure of development; which are
responsible for restrictions and project failures. Therefore, to solve that matter while
designing the solution engineers must have the plan ready regarding constructing and
implementing it without any doubt in mind. Management must be pro-active to find out
ongoing difficulties and whenever doubt occurs professionals must address it in level zero
while the analysis and planning are going on. In case, if faulty product is delivered the
consequence will be either rejection for taking the order or plenty of complaints. Hence, as
described in Gotterbarn, Don (84), it is better to solve the general doubts while it is at
discussion stage. Diagrams, designs, blueprints, coding related issues must be resolved and
approved from the client in its initial stage only. Therefore, work practice must be efficient
enough. There are vet less complain as far as technological help is concerned. People have
reported that even if there are other complications, engineers mostly do not face any issue due
to IT infrastructure. Engineers’ effort has serious role to maintain in project outcome.
Therefore, as a major reason ineffective strategies, planning and lack of depth can be
considered for such a large proportion of project failure. Therefore, entire design, monetary
issues, design, blueprint, trial period all of these must include in practices of software

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development. In case, the organisational atmosphere is not cooperative enough, those issues
must be addressed so that employees can nurture themselves with available sources of
knowledge; from both the managers and co-employees. While recruiting professional
engineers, HR managers should focus on their knowledge of programming language for
ensuring future efficiency.
As per the study of Abrahamsson, Pekka, et al. to reduce such risk the concept of
‘prototyping’ has become crucial these days. It is associated with a trial run of the developed
solution. Both the developers and stakeholders has scope to share opinion regarding
mitigating of faults which are subjected to be captured on trial. While building the system,
the output has been gone through a tested system where a cross check has been performed to
evaluate all the requirements have been met or not. Designs are verified by the prototype
users and reviewed as well. According to users’ comments engineers prepares themselves for
further development of that particular software. In case of realization that employees are not
efficient enough then arrangement of on job trainings for assigned workers. Even users are
provided with certain trainings to run the programme properly. Such performance and
capacity index can be measured through XP spike, a non-renewable test code. The effectively
of network development is important for the successful implementation of various
development process. Hence, it can be stated that it is not possible to gain attention towards
the introduced protype until some customers are addressing its flaw and opening more
channels for development. As a result, it would be able to attract more developers into a
particular development process. Therefore, the software development industry is entirely
controlled by commercial needs and probably for this reason the discipline has become
flawed and risk oriented. The company will remain cost effective and can save themselves
from major risk of losing both the monetary and energy of human resources.

7SOFTWARE ENGINEERING: ISSUES AND MITIGATION PROCEDURE
Fig.1 Process Diagram (Created by Author)
Therefore, to conclude it can be said in an era where every issue has a digitalized
solution software engineers must address every flaws from their end. It will allow to execute
business processes in easier way. The flaws within the discipline has already been
acknowledged and although solutions are available, software people need to be more system
oriented, engaged to work in order to implement those practices. It is true that they have to
face a great deal of market pressure within a short span of time yet if the right practice can be
evolved then future risks can be avoided. It will be not an issue then to stick to requirement
strictly and yet performing as an efficient professional.

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References
Abrahamsson, Pekka, et al. "Agile software development methods: Review and
analysis." arXiv preprint arXiv:1709.08439 (2017).
Casale, Giuliano, et al. "Current and future challenges of software engineering for services
and applications." Procedia Computer Science 97 (2016): 34-42.
Gotterbarn, Don. "Not all codes are created equal: The software engineering code of ethics, a
success story." Journal of Business Ethics 22.1 (1999): 81-89.
Jones, Capers. “Sizing Up Software.” Scientific American, 279.6. (1998): 104–109.
Kaur, Rupinder, and Jyotsna Sengupta. "Software process models and analysis on failure of
software development projects." arXiv preprint arXiv:1306.1068 (2013).
Libicki, Martin C., Lillian Ablon, and Tim Webb. The defender’s dilemma: Charting a
course toward cybersecurity. Rand Corporation, 2015.
Vijayasarathy, Leo R., and Charles W. Butler. "Choice of software development
methodologies: Do organizational, project, and team characteristics matter?." IEEE
software 33.5 (2016): 86-94.
Vitale, Valeria. "Transparent, Multivocal, Cross-disciplinary: The Use of Linked Open Data
and a Community-developed RDF Ontology to Document and Enrich 3D
Visualisation for Cultural Heritage." Digital Classics Outside the Echo-Chamber:
Teaching, Knowledge (2016): 147.
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knowledge sharing challenges and practices in global software

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