Improving software organizations

Global competition, the time sensitivity of the new Internet economy, and increasing customer demand for better software quality are pushing companies to undertake software process improvement (SPI) initiatives. Numerous software organizations worldwide have implemented these initiatives with varying degrees of success. Many have adhered to standard SPI practice, only to experience less-than-satisfactory results when the execution proves more difficult than expected and enthusiasm and resources wane.

Improving Software Organizations offers a modern perspective on SPI. It outlines and discusses what it takes to move from SPI theory to successful SPI initiatives. Based on the results of the three-year National Danish SPI Initiative, this book draws on the experiences of four world-class companies—Danske Data, Brüel & Kjær, Ericsson Denmark, and Systematic Software Engineering. It presents a proven roadmap for successful SPI. It distills in-depth studies of these organizations—the strategies, approaches, and specific techniques that yielded tangible results. It presents a comprehensive framework for planning and executing successful SPI projects throughout the project lifecycle.

Improving Software Organizations presents the major lessons learned in the four companies. It provides an overview of the theories and models that formed the basis of the SPI initiatives. It also provides an in-depth examination of the four companies" development organizations, how each began the SPI initiative, what mistakes were made, and how they ultimately succeeded.

You will learn:

• The five key principles of the SPIfocus on problems, emphasize knowledge creation, encourage participation, integrate leadership, and plan for continuous improvement
• How diverse companies adapt standard
• SPI theory to achieve desired results
• How to structure learning conditions in SPI initiatives
• Maturity level assessments, including CMM, BOOTSTRAP, and other customized approaches
• Knowledge transfer, customer maturity, and organizational learning
• Proper paths for carrying out risk assessments
• The specifics of implementing a metrics program
• Tips on improving requirements specification

For each of the five SPI principles, the book offers examples from practice that demonstrate how successful organizations approached the issue. From these examples and the more detailed case studies, you will gain the understanding of how to design, implement, and execute an SPI initiative that is right for your organization.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

I: Learning to Improve

1: Learning SPI in Practice

2: Mapping SPI Ideas and Practices

II: Learning from Experience

3: The Correct Effort

4: The Ambitious Effort

5: The Grass Root Effort

6:The Adolescent Effort

III: Initiating Learning

7: Learning From Assessments

8: From Problem Reports to Better Products

9: What's the Problem in SPI? 10: Project Assessments

11: A Framework for Selecting Assessment Strategy

IV: Organizing for Learning

12: Knowing SPI: Some Theoretical Reflections on Knowledge Transfer

13: Improving Customer Relations

14: Strategies for Organizational Learning in Software Process Improvement

V: Techniques for Learning to Improve

15: Framework for Organizational Implementation of Software Process Improvement in Practice

16: Risk Management in Process Action Teams

17: Principles of Metrics Implementation

18: Better Requirements