Process management for geographical information system development

Abstract

The controlled management of software processes, an area of ongoing research in the business systems domain, is equally important in the development of geographical information systems (GIS). Appropriate software processes must be defined, used and managed in order to ensure that, as much as possible, systems are developed to quality standards on time and within budget. However, specific characteristics of geographical information systems, in terms of their inherent need for graphical output, render some process management tools and techniques less appropriate. This paper examines process management activities that are applicable to GIS, and suggests that it may be possible to extend such developments into the visual programming domain. A case study concerned with development effort estimation is presented as a precursor to a discussion of the implications of system requirements for significant graphical output.