Distributed and Colocated Projects: a Comparison

The aim of this work is to point out through experimentation some of the problems that arise with distributed software development, such as the need for new techniques and methods for managing projects and processes, so as to achieve better assignment of activities among the various working groups, together with efficient communication among the members of each team. The paper analyzes the post mortem data on two projects, one conducted at a single site and the other at several different sites concurrently. The findings show that effort estimates are less accurate if the project is a small one, while increasing the number of staff members increases the risk of defects and hence rework; this generates a greater gap between expected and real staff requirements. The study also confirms that in distributed processes there is a greater need for communication among the working members than in colocated processes.