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Towards a Multi-criteria Development Distribution Model: An Analysis of Existing Task Distribution Approaches

Distributing development tasks in the context of global software development bears both many risks and many opportunities. Nowadays, distributed development is often driven by only a few factors or even just a single factor such as workforce costs. Risks and other relevant factors such as workforce capabilities, the innovation potential of different regions, or cultural factors are often not recognized sufficiently. This could be improved by using empirically-based multi-criteria distribution models. Currently, there is a lack of such decision models for distributing software development work. This article focuses on mechanisms for such decision support. First, requirements for a distribution model are formulated based on needs identified from practice. Then, distribution models from different domains are surveyed, compared, and analyzed in terms of suitability. Finally, research questions and directions for future work are given.