- Copyright 2002
- Dimensions: 6-1/4" x 9-1/4"
- Edition: 1st
-
Book
- ISBN-10: 0-201-77577-8
- ISBN-13: 978-0-201-77577-8
Every development organization can benefit by paying attention to process improvement, yet all too many "process improvement initiatives" fail to deliver on their promises. In this concise book, two of the field's leading consultants present easy-to-apply techniques for achieving rapid and quantifiable benefits -- and then maintaining your momentum to deliver even greater value over time. Drawing on their experience with more than 3,000 developers and 100 organizations, Neil S. Potter and Mary E. Sakry show you exactly what works -- and what doesn't work. Next, they present a step-by-step guide to identifying your best opportunities for process improvement, deploying changes effectively, and tracking your progress. The book also includes a detailed example plan document designed to help you jumpstart your process improvement initiative. Making Process Improvement Work includes a foreword by noted software process expert Karl Wiegers. For all developers, project and IT managers, and clients seeking to maximize the effectiveness of the software development process and the value of the software it delivers.
Sample Pages
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Table of Contents
Foreword vii
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xv
Chapter 1: Developing a Plan 1
Scope the Improvement 4
Develop an Action Plan 23
Determine Risks and Plan to Mitigate 38
Summary 49
Chapter 2: Implementing the Plan 51
Sell Solutions Based on Needs 52
Work with the Willing and Needy First 57
Keep Focused on the Goals and Problems 71
Align the Behaviors of Managers and Practitioners 73
Summary 75
Chapter 3: Checking Progress 77
Are We Making Progress on the Goals? 78
Are We Making Progress on Our Improvement Plan? 87
Are We Making Progress on the Improvement Framework? 88
What Lessons Have We Learned So Far? 101
Summary 113
Conclusion 115
Appendix A: Mapping Goals and Problems to CMM 117
Appendix B: Mapping Goals and Problems to CMM and CMMI 125
Appendix C: Action Plan Example 133
Appendix D: Risk Management Example 139
Appendix E: Mini-Assessment Process 145
References 157
Index 161
Praise For Making Process Improvement Work: A Concise Action Guide for Software Managers and Practitioners
Praise for Making Process Improvement Work
"At last a commonsense and business-oriented approach to process
improvement. This book gives very practical instruction that is easy to apply.
Your people will thank you for it."
-Nancy K. M. Rees, Vice President and Chief Engineer, Xerox Corporation
"This is a short, concise volume that gets right to the heart of process improvement with specific, concrete steps and excellent examples. It's a book you can use today."
-Dennis J. Frailey, Principal Fellow, Raytheon Company
"If your customers demand better, faster cycle times and higher quality products, your software development and project management process must change. Making Process Improvement Work shows you how to define your real goals and devise practical strategies for achieving them. Of course, if you're perfectly happy with the way your development teams perform and your customers are always thrilled with your products, don't read this book."
-From the Foreword by Karl Wiegers, Principal Consultant, Process Impact
"As a manager of a software development organization, I found the book interesting, meaningful, and useful. In my work at Bradley Company, I've used the goalproblem approach that the book advocates and have firsthand knowledge that it works well. We've made remarkable progress with it. I specifically liked the following about the book:
- It is short and concise, which is refreshing. Nothing is more irritating than reading through a bunch of fluff. When that happens, I go into skim reading mode and possibly miss important points or the book isn't finished.
- The examples are very good, especially rewording of problems into goals and the compelling versus noncompelling goal examples. The how-to's are very good. I'm using some today. After reading this book, I plan to start using the risk management approach, especially the prioritization technique.
- Insights into different companies given in the examples are great for learning. Very few people in the industry have the background to credibly write a book containing this valuable information.
- The book answered my questions, such as 'How do you vary the approach based on the size of an organization and what happens when you want to achieve a CMM certification and there are residual practices that don't match a business problem?'"
-Teresa M. Light, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Bradley Company
"This book delivers a very clear message about what the focus of the improvement process should be. It makes one stop and think on what the objective really is. Do I want to get certified on whatever the trend the last consultant brought in or do I want to achieve a determined business goal? People will have to take two steps back and rethink about their goals. The book is very easy to read. It does not throw the reader off with high technical jargon. I have the responsibility to oversee all software projects at the largest insurance company in Guatemala, but I would even give it to an end user or somebody from a nontechnical department with the purpose to acquire buy-in in the improvement process."
-Alejandro Acevedo, Seguros G&T (Guatemala)
"At IBM, I was for many years, a key member of the OS/390 project office, working directly with development managers to assure their deliverables met lifecycle development standards of all kinds. Since leaving IBM, I have worked as a consultant in similar roles. Guidance and tips in this book have helped me land a very good assignment as a 'software process improvement mentor' in a large insurance company. The book is unique; much of what is written can be found in a variety of sources but not in one book."
-Wayne Yaddow, Consultant
"I would buy the book, because it is straightforward, with real-life examples and to the point (in Dutch 'gezond verstand' translated directly 'healthy mind, brains')."
-Maurits Van Cappellen, Alcatel (Belgium)
"This book is a blessing in disguise! It is well written, has examples and templates that can be easily used — a great start point for many. It covers all the highlights from management support to culture. I also really like how the book works the problem set and identification of goals into positive, desired state nomenclature. By doing so it can actually propel folks into action. The language of the book is written so that even beginners in the SPI world can get immediate understanding of how to start/continue."
-Barbara Marasco, Xerox
"I found this book exceedingly practical and helpful, particularly in planning an improvement program. I was able to use its advice on planning with no further research or guidance and was very pleased with the results. I expect to refer to these ideas repeatedly and to recommend this book to others who do process improvement. The real-world examples and step-by-step approach are very effective at making the reader feel capable of tackling an improvement program and succeeding at it. Finally, but actually uppermost in my mind, I fully subscribe to the philosophy of the authors that we should undertake improvements because they will help our business."
-Kathy Rhode, USA
"Bravo! A book that provides real help with the 'critical' issues in a process improvement program. The risk management process is very 'doable' and the discussion of the adoption and resistance issues is exactly what people on the process improvement journey need to know. The approach is extremely practical. I especially applaud the 'don't force it' attitude with advice like 'If there are no unmet needs, goals, or problems to solve, then you should mutually agree that nothing will be done.'"
-Helen Smelser, Texas Instruments, Dallas
"The numerous examples, cases, graphs, and templates give the reader the tools to start the improvements in his or her own organization. Furthermore, the book is fun and easy to read."
-Robbert Schravendijk, Quint Wellington Redwood (The Netherlands)
"This is a great book. It is evident it is written from real experience. The chapter summaries are awesome. Anyone starting out or progressing in an improvement project will find this book extremely helpful. The content covers the important steps in action planning. It remains generic rather than tackling the specific practices of one of the accepted models. [The] illustrations are excellent. More than are usually presented in a small handbook. The expertise of the authors and the Process Group is unquestioned. This work further demonstrates their competence in leading improvement efforts and the ability to relate to the managers and change agents."
-Al Bennett, Software Engineering Manager, ITT Industries, Aerospace/Communications Division
"I like the approach described in the book and only regret that we did not have this insight two years ago when we first started our software process improvement journey. We could have avoided many of the pitfalls."
-Tom Tougas, Harmon Industries, MO