Software lifecycle management based on the OMG Essence standard

Andrii Zelenkov, Ludmila Mandrikova, Yevhen Borovkov

Abstract


Subject of Study: The article focuses on the processes of managing the software development lifecycle. The goal is to enhance the efficiency of team-based software development and to foster the advancement of practices, methods, and methodologies in software engineering. Objectives: to analyze the specifics of project management in software development, to study the OMG Essence standard regarding the description of software engineering methods and practices, and to develop a procedure for managing the software lifecycle using the Essence language and kernel. Research Methods: the study employs scientific and technical documentation analysis, system analysis, and the planning and modeling of the software development process. Results. A comprehensive approach to software lifecycle management has been developed based on the OMG Essence standard. The domain-specific Essence language, featuring both textual and graphical syntax, is used to describe software engineering methods and practices. Practices can be adapted or newly created to meet the specific needs of a project and the organizational structure of an IT company; methods can be composed of various practices. To monitor software progress and status, as well as to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a team's workflow, the use of Alpha states is proposed. An Alpha (Abstract-Level Progress Health Attribute, ALPHA) is a key abstract element of a software engineering project that must be tracked and assessed. It is suggested to plan and manage software development projects, based on Alpha states. By knowing the initial and desired states of a set of Alphas, the OMG Essence standard helps determine the list and content of actions needed to move the project forward. The software lifecycle management process was demonstrated using a software development project in Essence WorkBench, and this tool was thoroughly examined. Conclusions. A software lifecycle management procedure has been developed in accordance with the OMG Essence standard. It is proposed to use the performance indicators (KPIs) of both the client organization and the software development company alongside Alpha checklists to assess the state of individual Alphas. The study identifies ways to further develop software lifecycle management methodologies based on OMG Essence, including enhancing Essence WorkBench or creating a new tool capable of integrating with systems that automate various software engineering practices and project management processes.

Keywords


OMG Essence; software lifecycle management; software engineering; project management; competency

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32620/aktt.2025.2.09