Mitigating the Risk Management challenges in Global Software Development

Abstract

Global Software Global Software Development (GSD) has become increasingly popular as organizations look for ways to reduce costs, tap into global talent, and accelerate product development. However, managing software development across geographically dispersed teams poses unique challenges that can negatively impact project success. One of the biggest challenges in GSD is risk management, where the inability to identify and mitigate risks can lead to project delays, cost overruns, and quality issues. To mitigate these challenges, software organizations need to adopt a comprehensive risk management approach that addresses various aspects of GSD projects. In this research a risk management framework has been proposed by integrating several agile practices and seven risk management principles. The seven risk management principles help identify and manage risks at earlier stages, while the agile practices help improve communication and collaboration among team members. Incorporating seven risk management principles and various agile practices into one single framework or conceptual model known as RMMM (Risk Mitigation, Monitoring, and Management plan), GSD teams can effectively manage risks, minimize their impact, and ensure successful project delivery. The proposed model encompasses the identification, analysis, and mitigation of potential risks, emphasizing clear communication protocols, realistic project timelines, appropriate technology tool selection, and team members' requisite skills and expertise. Through rigorous research and validation from industry experts specializing in GSD, the RMMM model has proven to be highly effective in enhancing risk management in this context. The validated Risk Management Framework for Global Software Development (GSD) boasts a 66.7% comprehensiveness rate. Over 75% of experts are confident in its implementation, and more than 55% find it feasible and applicable to GSD, showcasing its potential to enhance project outcomes in complex distributed contexts.