Application for Tracking Bugs in Software Development: Improving Project Management Efficiency

Abstract

The rapid growth of Albania’s IT sector has highlighted inefficiencies in software development, particularly in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) reliant on manual bug tracking methods like spreadsheets and email. These approaches often lead to delayed resolutions, fragmented data, and poor team coordination, increasing project costs and compromising quality. This research aims to address these challenges by developing an automated, centralized bug tracking platform tailored for Albanian SMEs, enhancing project management efficiency and transparency. Unlike costly commercial tools like Jira, which are often inaccessible to resource-constrained firms, this solution prioritizes affordability and usability. Built using C#, ASP.NET MVC, MySQL, Entity Framework, and Bootstrap, the platform was developed following the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and evaluated through stakeholder interviews, user surveys, and empirical testing. The system achieved a 58.6% reduction in bug resolution time (from 5.8 to 2.4 hours), with 80% of users rating the interface as intuitive and 90% expressing confidence in its security features, including ASP. NET Identity and role-based authorization. By streamlining workflows and fostering collaboration (averaging 3.2 comments per bug), this platform offers a scalable, cost- effective solution for SMEs. It contributes to software engineering by demonstrating how integrated technologies can modernize development processes in resource limited contexts, with potential for broader adoption in Albania and beyond.