Perspective-based evaluation of software process management tool suites

The selection of tools that best match an organization's needs is a difficult task. In the field of software process management (SPM), the primary reason for this is that different SPM tool suites support different SPM approaches and different process modeling approaches. In addition, some SPM tool suites are so complex that extensive background knowledge is required in order to select among them. Finally, software organizations often have an unclear perception of their SPM-related requirements. This paper describes our development and validation of a framework addressing these problems and allowing rational selection of appropriate SPM tool suites. The framework is based upon the factors that help an organization systematically identify its SPM requirements and successfully identify, comparatively evaluate, and select the most suitable tool suite.