SPEM-Based Process Anti-Pattern Models for Detection in Project Data

A common need in software project management and process improvement is to detect the occurrence of project mishaps and management mistakes, if possible based on data available from project management and development tools. Process anti-patterns describe such re-occurring problems in textual form intended for human consumption, and the lack of their unambiguous, formalized models hinders their detection in project data. This paper discusses how process anti-patterns can be modeled using Software & System Process Engineering Metamodel (SPEM) and describes an approach to transform such models into queries over data of actual software projects. An implementation of the approach in the form of Eclipse Process Framework Composer plug-in is also presented.