PI: J. Leon Zhao, Dept. of Management Information Systems, University of Arizona Co-PI: Brian McGough, Kuali Foundation, Indiana University Co-PI: Keith Provan, Dept. of Management and Organizations, University of Arizona Co-PI: Young-Jun Son, Dept. of Systems and Industrial Engineering, University of Arizona Software development is a complex endeavor, especially for enterprise software systems that require the collaboration of many stakeholders that form a complex social network. This project focuses on developing a testbed for process-driven and simulation-based knowledge conglomeration in enterprise software development called "Saguaro Software Simulation Testbed" (or simply SOFTSIM). Essentially, SOFTSIM is a live knowledgebase that is capable of supporting effective communication in a complex social network in the context of enterprise software development. In particular, the project situates the development and validation of the conceptual framework and software system in the context of Kuali, which is a community-based open source project currently under development by a consortium of nine major universities ( www.kuali.org). The SOFTSIM testbed will lead to better tools that enable more effective management of knowledge in software engineering. Further, SOFTSIM will help derive teaching modules in several related areas such as software engineering, systems analysis and design, knowledge management, workflow management, and simulation. Finally, this research will contribute to the development of better and less expensive software systems.
