Process Improvement in Practice – a Handbook for IT Companies (original) (raw)
Related papers
A model for the implementation of software process improvement: a pilot study
2003
Little attention has been paid in the literature on "how to implement" software process improvement (SPI) which has resulted in limited success for many SPI efforts. In this paper we report on our recent empirical study which explored the experiences and perceptions of practitioners about SPI implementation. We visited 11 companies and conducted 14 in-depth interviews. Using the different experiences and opinions of practitioners regarding SPI implementation, we have developed a model for the implementation of SPI programmes. This model has six phases -awareness, learning, pilot implementation, SPI implementation action plan, implementation across the organization and maintenance -and provides advice to practitioners in effectively implementing SPI programmes.
Practical software process improvement - the IMPACT project
Proceedings 2001 Australian Software Engineering Conference, 2001
For many years now software process improvement (SPI) has been recognised as an effective way for companies to improve the quality of the software they produce and the productivity with which they work. Much work has gone into developing and selling improvement paradigms, assessment methods, modelling languages, tools and technologies. The challenge for small-tomedium software development companies (SMEs) now is to find a way to apply these SPI technologies to realise their company's improvement goals. For SMEs the most pressing requirements for improvement paradigms are that they are not only effective but that they realise tangible results quickly, can be implemented incrementally and utilise the many existing process improvement technologies. This paper presents a framework for SPI that realises these needs. The framework is designed to utilise a range of improvement technologies and supports continuous and highly focused improvement over many projects, thus producing timely, cost-effective and tangible improvements for SMEs. The effectiveness of the framework is illustrated in this paper with its application in a small, Sydney-based, webdevelopment company.
2014
This volume constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 21st EuroSPI conference, held in Luxembourg, in June 2014. The 18 revised papers presented together with 11 invited papers in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected. They are organized in topical sections on SPI and very small entities; process improvement frameworks; testing and improvement issues; SPI and people issues; SPI and quality issues; software processes in various contexts. The volume also contains selected keynote papers from EuroSPI workshops and invited papers covering the topic of creating environments supporting innovation and improvement.
Process Improvement in Four Small Software Companies
2001
For many small software companies, full-scale software process improvement (SPI) initiatives are often out of reach due to prohibitive costs and lack of SPI knowledge. However, to compete in the global market, software developers must improve their productivity, time to market and customer satisfaction.
A Model for the Implementation of Software Process Improvement: An Empirical Study
2004
Little attention has been paid in the literature on "how to implement" software process improvement (SPI) which has resulted in limited success for many SPI efforts. In this paper we report on our recent empirical study which explored the experiences and perceptions of practitioners about SPI implementation. We visited 11 companies and conducted 14 in-depth interviews. Using the different experiences and opinions of practitioners regarding SPI implementation, we have developed a model for the implementation of SPI programmes. This model has six phases -awareness, learning, pilot implementation, SPI implementation action plan, implementation across the organization and maintenance -and provides advice to practitioners in effectively implementing SPI programmes.
Implementing software process improvement: an empirical study
Software Process: Improvement and Practice, 2002
In this paper we present survey data characterizing the implementation of SPI in 85 UK companies. We aim to provide SPI managers with more understanding of the critical success factors of implementing SPI. We present an analysis of the critical implementation factors identified in published case studies. We use a questionnaire to measure the use of these factors in 'typical' software companies. We found that many companies use SPI but the effectiveness of SPI implementation is variable. Many companies inadequately resource SPI and fail to evaluate the impact of SPI. On the other hand, companies show a good appreciation of the human factors associated with implementing SPI.
Practical Software Process Improvement - The IMPACT Approach
For many years now software process improvement (SPI) has been recognised as an effective way for companies to improve the quality of the software they produce and the productivity with which they work. Much work has gone into developing and selling improvement paradigms, assessment methods, modelling languages, tools and technologies. The challenge for small-tomedium software development companies (SMEs) now is to find a way to apply these SPI technologies to realise their company's improvement goals. For SMEs the most pressing requirements for improvement paradigms are that they are not only effective but that they realise tangible results quickly, can be implemented incrementally and utilise the many existing process improvement technologies. This paper presents a framework for SPI that realises these needs. The framework is designed to utilise a range of improvement technologies and supports continuous and highly focused improvement over many projects, thus producing timely, cost-effective and tangible improvements for SMEs. The effectiveness of the framework is illustrated in this paper with its application in a small, Sydney-based, webdevelopment company.
A Successful Case of Software Process Improvement Programme Implementation
Agile Estimation Techniques and Innovative Approaches to Software Process Improvement
This chapter describes the experience of a Spanish software company founded in 2000, which bet strongly on quality as the way to progress towards maturity. The authors discuss the continuous evolution the company experienced through the implementation of quality standards. The actions related to the deployment and improvement of both the management and production processes are detailed. The most significant results and lessons learned during the improvement path are presented. The experience gained from continuous improvement has facilitated the deployment of a knowledge reuse strategy that enables an effort and cost reduction when implementing a new quality standard.
Some Key Topics to be Considered in Software Process Improvement
2014
This chapter summarizes a set of relevant aspects that may have a strong influence on the effectiveness of software process improvement and, as a consequence, on the competitiveness of software companies. Also included are the results obtained from a survey carried out in large companies on their processing needs in order to be more competitive. The organizational structures seen in different projects highlight the relevance of suitable processes as well as a culture of individual and organizational commitment. With this focus in mind, this chapter provides detailed information about teams, their construction and performance so that they can be effective in developing and implementing the processes. Finally, the chapter provides information about successful change management as well as advice on qualification of the workforce and technological tendencies, which is of key importance to achieve the objectives of competitiveness and process improvement.