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. 2020 Sep 21:6:e294.
doi: 10.7717/peerj-cs.294. eCollection 2020.

Development of a valid and reliable software customization model for SaaS quality through iterative method: perspectives from academia

Abdulrazzaq Qasem Ali  1 , Abu Bakar Md Sultan  1 , Abdul Azim Abd Ghani  1 , Hazura Zulzalil  1
Affiliations

Development of a valid and reliable software customization model for SaaS quality through iterative method: perspectives from academia

Abdulrazzaq Qasem Ali et al. PeerJ Comput Sci. .

Abstract

Despite the benefits of standardization, the customization of Software as a Service (SaaS) application is also essential because of the many unique requirements of customers. This study, therefore, focuses on the development of a valid and reliable software customization model for SaaS quality that consists of (1) generic software customization types and a list of common practices for each customization type in the SaaS multi-tenant context, and (2) key quality attributes of SaaS applications associated with customization. The study was divided into three phases: the conceptualization of the model, analysis of its validity using SaaS academic-derived expertise, and evaluation of its reliability by submitting it to an internal consistency reliability test conducted by software-engineer researchers. The model was initially devised based on six customization approaches, 46 customization practices, and 13 quality attributes in the SaaS multi-tenant context. Subsequently, its content was validated over two rounds of testing after which one approach and 14 practices were removed and 20 practices were reformulated. The internal consistency reliability study was thereafter conducted by 34 software engineer researchers. All constructs of the content-validated model were found to be reliable in this study. The final version of the model consists of 6 constructs and 44 items. These six constructs and their associated items are as follows: (1) Configuration (eight items), (2) Composition (four items), (3) Extension (six items), 4) Integration (eight items), (5) Modification (five items), and (6) SaaS quality (13 items). The results of the study may contribute to enhancing the capability of empirically analyzing the impact of software customization on SaaS quality by benefiting from all resultant constructs and items.

Keywords: Content validity; Customization approaches; Iterative method; Model development; Reliability study; SaaS quality; Software as a service.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare there are no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Proposed model of this study.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Conceptual model of this study.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Methodology phases of this study.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Results of I-CVI within Content Validity rounds.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Results of S-CVI within content validity rounds.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Final proposed software customization model for SaaS quality.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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