Benefits and challenges of distributed development and their role in global software development

Abstract

Globally Distributed Development has arguably become a phenomenon in the past decades. Organizations have tried to utilize benefits of Globally Distributed Development and gain an upper hand in the global market. Organizations have tried Global Software Development, since the nineties with varying degrees of success.

This thesis analysed the effects that could cause an organization to begin or to give up a Globally Distributed Development process. This thesis was made as a literature review. Scientific literature was analysed to answer predetermined research questions: What has an impact in Global Software Development, which practises could be successful in Global Software Development and what differences could there be between Global Software Development and Global Game Software Development.

Effects that could influence the decision either way, were distributed to benefits and challenges. Then they were further divided to processes and dimensions. Processes were: communication, coordination and control. Dimensions were divided to: temporal dimension, geographical dimension and socio-cultural dimension. A three by three grid was made from the processes and dimensions. Effects were placed within the table and analysed, to see how they might influence Distributed Development.

Conclusions included that benefits could arguably be further divided to Effortless and Effortful benefits. These benefits are individual, depending on the organization, but in general, it was argued that Effortless benefits should be utilized as best as possible and Effortful benefits should be prioritized. Conclusions of challenges didn’t yield as conclusive results. Arguably, most of the challenges are somehow connected. meaning that alleviating one will likely have adverse effects in another challenge. Careful planning, execution and follow-up was recommended when organization tries to alleviate different challenges of Distributed Development.

Analysis of the benefits and challenges yielded further information. Results were divided to three parts: communication, control and coordination. Most significant piece of information was the importance of planning. GSD without a well-formed plan is going to fail. Distributed development has too many moving parts to allowing hap-hazard plans and executions of those plans. Furthermore, importance of communication was highlighted within the analysis, as an integral part of success in GSD.

Utilization of Outsourcing in Globally Distributed Game Development is a significant part of game development, as multiple components of game-design require skills that a programmer might not possess. Voice acting and ability to make music to name just a few. For game software organization, utilisation of outsourcing could arguably be significantly more important than to a regular software organization. Not only due to the vast array of talents needed, but also due to the short period of time they are needed. As a result, Distributed Game Software Development could be called as: single site software organization, with outsourced autonomous multi-site subsidiary task development teams.

Finally, this thesis summarizes the literary review, by arguing that communication and pre-development work are arguably the two most important factors when considering the suggestions for a successful globally distributed development.