Introducing MODIST

MODIST is a method and tool to help the Managers of large Software Projects make more effective decisions in relation to Quality and Risk.

MODIST uses:

• a comprehensive knowledge base of empirical data about software projects
• causal models that describe software project and process attributes
• Bayesian Network (BN) technology to execute the causal models
• an easy-to-use User Interface based on questionnaires and graphs.

MODIST is innovative in:

• applying an integrated approach to managing uncertainty, risk and quality
• using probabilistic causal models to capture the impact of human factors
• supporting quantitative risk assessment with incomplete data
• scaling up BN-based modelling to complex distributed software development
• hiding the underlying model complexity from end-users

MODIST supports software management activities in several areas of application: bid support, procurement, project development, assessment of progress and compliance, and process improvement.

See also the summary of Key Features, and explanatory Technical Papers.

A prototype of the MODIST tool is now available for free evaluation.

MODIST has been developed with the financial support of the Commission of the European Communities under the Information Society Technologies programme (Project IST-2000-28749). The project partners are Agena, IAI, Philips Digital Systems Laboratories, Philips Innovative Applications and QinetiQ.