Software Engineering Institute

The scientific treatment of the software process is relatively new and, as with any new field, the initial terminology is often confusing. When terms can have a diversity of meanings, technical communication is more difficult and technological progress is constrained. This paper defines a core set of concepts about the software process. These concepts are intended to facilitate communications and to provide a framework for further definitions. The definitions focus on essential concepts; however, they do not represent a comprehensive glossary of common software process terms. Following an initial overview, this paper outlines the basic process concepts which underlie the definitions. The definitions are then grouped in four sets: a framework for process definition, an engineering of process, an enactment of process, and process properties. This is followed by illustrations of the use of these concepts in several domains. The paper concludes with some observations on the definition process.