Investigating the Practice of War Rooms in Solving Critical Problems in Software Systems

• Alexandre C. Esteves UFRJ
• Luis C. de Moraes UFRJ
• Rafael M. de Mello UFRJ

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/washes.2024.2443

Abstract

The incidence of critical problems in software systems is a great challenge for software professionals and stakeholders. In this sense, we have observed a regular practice of implementing war rooms to solve these problems. We report a first interview-based study aiming to characterize the experiences of Brazilian software professionals with remote war rooms. The results indicate that war rooms are improvised compositions of technical and non-technical professionals allocated to solving critical problems. Despite communication and collaboration challenges in war rooms, they are perceived as effective for problem-solving. Furthermore, they promote positive experiences in which professionals develop technical and non-technical skills.

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