Optimized mismatch resolution for COTS selection

The use of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products in the software development process requires the evaluation of existing COTS products, and then selecting the one that best fits system requirements. In this process, it is inevitable to encounter mismatches between COTS features and system requirements. Mismatches occur as a result of an excess or shortage of COTS capabilities. Many of these mismatches are resolved after selecting a COTS product. Existing COTS-selection approaches fail to properly consider these mismatches. This article presents MiHOS (Mismatch Handling for COTS Selection), an approach that aims at addressing mismatches while considering limited resources. MiHOS can be integrated with existing COTSselection methods at two points: (i)When evaluating COTS candidates in order to estimate the anticipated fitness of the candidates if their mismatches are resolved. This helps to base our COTS-selection decisions on the fitness that the COTS candidates will eventually have if selected. (ii) After selecting a COTS product in order to plan the resolution of the most appropriate mismatches using suitable actions, such that the most important risk, technical, and resource constraints are met. A case study from the e-services domain is used to illustrate the method and to discuss its added value. Copyright  2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.