The use and effects of an electronic process guide and experience repository: a longitudinal study

This paper presents a consolidated view of two evaluations on the use of an electronic process guide and experience repository within a small software development company. The use and effects of the tool were studied over a period of one and a half years, first for 6 months and then 1 year after its installation, for another 5 months. The tool was used regularly and in a consistent manner in both studies but declining usage was observed in the second study. The repository remained used to retrieve mostly examples and templates but the number of retrievals of anecdotal experiences, such as lessons learned had noticeably increased. Similar benefits such as time saving and improved documentation quality were observed in both studies, with additional benefits in the second study like improved project planning and cost estimation, and easier negotiation and traceability of altered or new system requirements with clients. The initial load that users experienced in learning to use the tool was not observed in the second study. The results show that tangible benefits can be realised quickly and continued to be experienced, leading to users having higher morale and more confidence in executing their tasks.