Impact of a Traceability Dashboard in a Large-scale Company: A Case Study

Abstract

Traceability is known as an important aspect of the development process. However, there are no universal tools that solve the traceability issues for all organizations. Thus, many choose to develop their own solutions. Due to this trend, there is an interest to explore if organizations are able to achieve their traceability goals by using custom traceability tools. In this paper, we investigate the utilization of a custom-made Traceability Dashboard and identify possible improvements through a case study involving a large-scale company. One observation and ten interviews were conducted, Additionally, a questionnaire was sent out to 133 practitioners, of which 37 answered. The results reveal ways in which the dashboard facilitates the development process. However, the utilization of the tool is still immature, and there is a need for improvements. The Traceability Dashboard has not reached its full potential, but there is seemingly low resistance to utilizing the tool. The practitioners who already utilize the dashboard realize its benefits and look forward to its increased integration into the company’s traceability practices.