Empirical Research on Software Maintainability

Challenge

Understanding what makes software truly maintainable requires more than tooling and opinion. The Software Improvement Group needed rigorous empirical evidence, validated against international standards and peer review, to credibly assess and benchmark software quality across the industry.

Approach

Over four and a half years of R&D, we conducted empirical research on software maintainability and published findings in peer-reviewed academic venues. We designed, built, and operated SEFLab (Software Energy Footprint Laboratory) for measuring software energy consumption. We performed ISO 17025 and ISO 27001 audits to certify assessment methodologies. This is where we learned, from studying codebases across the industry, what maintainable source code actually looks like.

Outcome

Five peer-reviewed publications contributed to an evidence-based understanding of software quality. Two ISO certifications validated the assessment methodology to international standards. SEFLab became a foundation for continued research into the relationship between software design and energy consumption.