Understanding and Improving Knowledge Flow in Software Organizations

Software teams and organizations use various tools — either by design or appropriation — to manage and share knowledge. Software engineering practitioners recognize that good documentation and effective knowledge sharing are critical to the success of a project and also to developer productivity. Yet, writing and maintaining documentation is often an afterthought for software engineering teams, and its very utility is subject to the software development methodology followed. What is more, managing knowledge or spending time to share information with others is typically not part of the reward structure for software developers, leading them to give it a low priority. This results in breakdowns in the flow of knowledge due to missing or poor quality information, duplication of effort, and reinvention of workarounds.
Microsoft builds a large number of complex software products and its engineers use a variety of tools during development. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Margaret-Anne Storey

Student:

Eirini Kalliamvakou

Partner:

Microsoft Canada

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

Program: