Factors Impacting Defect Density in Software Development Projects

This study empirically examines the impact of technical and situational factors on the quality of software development. Defect density was used to measure the post-implementation quality of software projects. The non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and the parametric Welch T-test were used to test the differences in defect density for technological and situational factors related to these projects. Results suggest technological and situational factors significantly impact the quality of software. Empirical findings revealed the following factors result in lower defect density: (1) project enhancements versus new project development; (2) smaller projects versus larger projects; (3) using a development methodology; (4) using later generation programming languages; (5) developing projects with in-house teams; (6) using an iterative development methodology versus a waterfall development methodology; (7) using larger development teams versus smaller teams; (8) using CASE tools; and (9) developing projects on a standalone platform versus developing on a client\server multiplatform.