BY KANNAN MOHAN, PENG XU, AND BALASUBRAMANIAM RAMESH

IMPROVING THE CHANGE-
MANAGEMENT PROCESS
It is crucial to integrate SCM and traceability, but significant
challenges slow progress toward this goal.

Acommon reason for the failure of a significant number of software development projects is the continuous evolution of software caused by volatility in customer requirements. Sources of volatility are diverse, ranging from changes in technology, evolving end-user needs, and dynamic market pressures. The evolution of software systems consumes significant resources, especially when change-management practices do not adequately support the process. Software configuration management (SCM) practices help in the management, control, and execution of change and evolution of systems [ 1]. Specifically, SCM helps in identifying the structure of the software product, controlling changes incorporated in software artifacts, maintaining the status of these artifacts, and generating reports for auditing and status reporting