Hybrid modeling and simulation for trustworthy software process management: a stakeholder-oriented approach

Process Management Model (PMM) and Process Simulation Model (PSM) are the critical infrastructural components of the Trustworthy Process Management Framework (TPMF), which involves a large and heterogeneous group of stakeholders in process modeling and simulation to improve process trustworthiness. Process Modeling Stakeholders (PMS) have different levels of dependency on various process modeling and simulation techniques. They may also possess different perspectives or concerns in modeling. To support trustworthy process management, this paper integrates the stakeholder-oriented approach and hybrid simulation technique into software process modeling at three levels of abstraction (i.e., activity, sub-process and system). The hybrid process simulation combines micro-level discrete process models with the macro-level continuous process models to capture process dynamics. In particular, the stakeholder-oriented approach addresses the various perspectives of PMS during process modeling and simulation. Finally, a case study with a realistic process model demonstrates that this approach incrementally integrates stakeholders' modeling concerns through hybrid simulation, which is difficult to achieve using discrete or continuous modeling/simulation techniques independently. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.