FAQ on Software Engineering (Unit 5)
Question 1:
What is Risk in Software Engineering?
In software engineering, risk refers to the possibility of an unwanted event occurring that can negatively affect the success of a software project.
- It is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative impact on project objectives like time, cost, quality, or performance.
- Risks can arise from many areas such as technology, people, processes, requirements, environment, or business.
👉 Examples of risks involved in software development:
- Key developer leaving the project (people risk)
- New technology not working as expected (technical risk)
- Sudden changes in customer requirements (requirement risk)
- Delay in hardware/software delivery (schedule risk)
Risk Strategies:
To deal with risks, software engineers use two main strategies: Reactive and Proactive.
1. Reactive Risk Strategy ("Fix-it-later approach")- Here, no major effort is made to identify or plan for risks beforehand.
- Risks are addressed only after they occur.
- This is also called the crisis management approach.
- It often leads to cost overruns and delays.
👉 Example: A project team that does not anticipate the risk of a developer leaving.
When a developer suddenly quits, the team scrambles to reassign tasks and train a replacement, causing project delays.
2. Proactive Risk Strategy ("Plan-ahead approach")
- Risks are identified, analyzed, and planned for before they occur.
- The team develops risk management plans, including mitigation and contingency strategies.
- This minimizes damage and increases project stability.
👉 Example: The project team that anticipates a key developer leave.
A proactive team cross-train other team members and document code thoroughly. When the developer actually resigns, the impact is minimal, and the project continues smoothly.
Question 2:Define Software Risks in detail. What are the different types of risks that might arise during software development?
- In Software Engineering, risk refers to the possibility of an undesirable event that can negatively impact the successful completion of a software project.
- It is the probability of loss combined with the consequences of that loss.
- Software risks can arise from people, process, technology, business, or external factors.
- Identifying, analyzing, and managing these risks early is crucial to ensure software projects finish on time, within budget, and with good quality.
A risk usually has three main components:
- Uncertainty – The risk may or may not happen.
- Loss – If the risk occurs, it can cause negative effects (cost, time, performance, quality, etc.).
- Impact – The severity of damage it can cause to the project or organization.
👉 Example:
- If requirements are not properly understood (uncertainty), the software may not satisfy user needs (loss), leading to project failure (impact).
Types of Software Risks:
Risks in software development can be categorized in different ways. A widely used classification is:
1. Project Risks
- Related to the environment in which the project is being developed.
- They affect schedule, resources, cost, and people.
- Examples:
- Unrealistic deadlines.
- Inadequate budget allocation.
- Lack of skilled developers/testers.
- Poor communication among team members.
2. Technical Risks
- Related to the technology used in the project.
- They threaten the quality, performance, or functionality of the software.
- Examples:
- Use of new or unproven technology.
- Integration issues with third-party tools or systems.
- Technical complexity not well understood.
- Performance or scalability failures.
3. Business Risks
- Associated with the market or business impact of the software product.
- Examples:
- Product fails to meet user needs.
- Competitors release better software earlier.
- Change in business priorities.
- Customer may cancel the project.
4. Operational Risks
- Risks that affect the daily operation and support of the software.
- Examples:
- Inadequate maintenance plan.
- Poor documentation for users or developers.
- System downtime or data loss after release.
5. External Risks
- Risks beyond the control of the project team.
- Examples:
- Changes in government regulations or legal policies.
- Natural disasters (flood, earthquake).
- Market changes due to new competitors.
6. Schedule Risks
- Directly related to time management of the project.
- Examples:
- Wrong effort estimation.
- Unexpected delays in key tasks.
- Dependency on external vendors or clients causing slippage.
7. Cost Risks
- Related to budget overrun and financial mismanagement.
- Examples:
- Underestimation of total development cost.
- Increase in hardware/software licensing fees.
- Unexpected resource requirement.
