Software Process Improvement and Assessment

An Incremental Approach to Software Process Assessment and Improvement

by Alberto Sampaio

Edwin Gray, Alberto Sampaio, Oddur Benediktsson
Journal of Software Quality Control

This paper considers assessment techniques based on the use of questionnaires, assessment matrices, workshops, and... more This paper considers assessment techniques based on the use of questionnaires, assessment matrices, workshops, and pro-forma assessment schemas; together with people issues such as motivation and involvement. With strong reference to SPICE process capability levels and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model, the authors suggest a novel framework containing a possible sequence of improvement steps towards the Established Level 3. The main conclusion in this paper is that an incremental improvement path can be defined using process assessment that commences with questionnaires, then goes on to matrices, workshops, and finally reaches pro-formas. Furthermore, it seems quite plausible that all four types of assessment techniques should be employed on an ongoing basis in a staged fashion.

Towards an Internal Numerical Taxonomy of Software Process Assessment Methods

by Alberto Sampaio

Sampaio, A., Gray, E., Martins, M., , Sampaio, I.B. Towards an Internal Numerical Taxonomy of Software Process Assessment Methods, Mensura'06 - Intl Conf. on Software Process and Product Measurement, November 6-8, 2006, Cadiz, Spain, Edited by Alain Abran, Reiner Dumke and Mercedes Ruiz, pp.252-263, 2006. ISBN: 978-84-9828-101-9.

Abstract.
Objectives: The main goal of this paper is the internal comparison and classification of software... more Abstract.
Objectives: The main goal of this paper is the internal comparison and classification of software process assessment methods.
Methods: This exploratory study used a new
methodology, based on numerical taxonomy. Eight software process assessment methods (SCAMPI; RAPID; SPICE; EVALUATION; BOOTSTRAP; SA-SI; MMA, and CBA-IPI)
were classified. For the study were used documents describing the assessment methods.
Results: A data table with a final set of 112 characters; proximity matrices of methods from step 4, and the final result was a hierarchical taxonomy of the eight methods selected from a set of taxonomies (step 5) validated (step 6) for a significance level of 5%.
Conclusions: The internals
comparison and classification produced are preliminary and are in accordance with our perceptions about the internal relationships between the methods. From the taxonomy was
concluded that the methods SCAMPI and Bootstrap are the closest, followed by CBA-IPI, RAPID and MMA, Evaluation, SA-SI and SPICE by this order. Because of the exploratory
nature of the work, the need for more studies is pointed.

An experience: a small software company attempting to improve its process

by Narciso Cerpa

S. Otoya and N.Cerpa, “A Small Software Company Attempting to Improve Its Process”, Proceedings of Ninth International Workshop on Software Technology and Engineering Practice, Pittsburgh, USA, August 30 – September 2, 1999, ISBN 0-7695-0328-4. DOI: 10.1109/STEP.1999.798788.

The Capability Maturity Model1 for software (CMMSM)
has been used by many organizations as a framework formore The Capability Maturity Model1 for software (CMMSM)
has been used by many organizations as a framework for
improving the software development process. However,
small organizations have encountered difficulties applying
the CMM, since some of its key practices are
inappropriate to their software projects. Thus, LOGOS2
international has derived a tailored version of the CMM
for small businesses, organizations, and projects.
This study presents the practices of a small organization
(Winapp) attempting to improve its software process. The
improvement practices were implemented on a needs
basis, and business priorities, without using any proven
framework. In this paper we compare the practices before
and after the improvements based on developers’
perceptions of team performance. The results from this
study suggest that Winapp has obtained substantial gains
from its process improvement, since it has improved the
perceived quality of the product delivered for projects of
larger size, with greater complexity and constraints.

Using the System Modular Analysis Approach to Represent the Level 2 of the CMM-SW

by Narciso Cerpa

J. Pereira, and N. Cerpa
Proceedings of the 7th World Multiconference on Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics, 2003, pp 376-381, ISBN 980-6560-01-9.

In this article, we introduce a model for the CMM-SW's Level 2
based in the management process analysis approach... more In this article, we introduce a model for the CMM-SW's Level 2
based in the management process analysis approach known as
System Modular Analysis (SMA). This technique permits to
represent the schema relating the key process areas (KPA) of
the CMM-SW Level 2 and also the interaction structure
established by the CMM-SW among the common features on
each KPA. Furthermore, we show that the fundamental
cybernetic approach of the SMA (depicting the control and
regulation schemas of management) represents the PDCA
(Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle of a KPA structure, as defined by
goals and common features.

A Practitioner Experiment in Understanding Software Process Improvement Using Systems Modular Analysis

by Narciso Cerpa

N. Cerpa, J. Pereira and J. Verner
P. Abrahamsson et al. (Eds.): Software Process Improvement, Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) 4764, pp. 82–93, 2007, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007, ISSN 0302-9743.

Software process improvement (SPI) models can be difficult to understand, principally because they lack visual... more Software process improvement (SPI) models can be difficult to understand, principally because they lack visual representations relating concepts to text. Some models do not provide guidelines to help us understand their properties: i.e., their modular structure, the control-regulation configuration of common features in a key process area, and the arrangement of key process areas at each level. We propose Systems Modular Analysis (SMA) as a graphical modelling approach to facilitate understanding of SPI models. Using SMA, we reveal the internal structure of a key process area (KPA) in CMM-SW as a non-redundant configuration of common features. When the Level 2 KPAs of CMM-SW are modelled using SMA, a normative structure which shows a modular and recursive arrangement of process areas is obtained. We conduct an experiment to show how SMA helps in understanding CMM-SW. We conclude that SMA significantly improves understanding of the properties and structure of CMM-SW Level 2.

Classification of usability problems (CUP) scheme: augmentation and exploitation

by Ebba Hvannberg

Co-authored with Sigurbjorg Groa Vilbergsdottir and Effie Law. Published in NordiCHI 2006 Conference Proceedings. ACM.

Existing defect classification schemes are mainly used to characterize software defects. A few of them are... more Existing defect classification schemes are mainly used to characterize software defects. A few of them are specifically applicable to usability problems, but they have not been validated and their reliability has been assessed in a limited way. The aim of this study is to evaluate comprehensively the Classification Usability Problems (CUP) scheme. First, the reliability was evaluated with raters of different levels of expertise and experience in using CUP. Second, the acceptability was assessed with a questionnaire. Third, the validity was assessed with developers in a field study. Results show that some form of training is required for inexperienced evaluators to exploit CUP fully, but a simplified version of CUP may still be useful for developers and usability practitioners. The evaluation framework employed proved effective for revising CUP and may be applied to validate other related schemes.

Formal Versus Agile: Survival of the Fittest

by Jonathan Bowen

Sue Black (University of Westminster), Paul P. Boca (Hornbill Systems), Jonathan P. Bowen, Jason Gorman (Codemanship), and Mike Hinchey (LERO). IEEE Computer, 42(9):37-45, September 2009.

The potential for combining agile and formal methods holds promise. Although it might not always be an easy... more The potential for combining agile and formal methods holds promise. Although it might not always be an easy partnership, it will succeed if it can foster a fruitful interchange of expertise between the two communities.

Ten Commandments of Formal Methods

by Jonathan Bowen

Jonathan P. Bowen and Michael G. Hinchey (NJIT). IEEE Computer, 28(4):56-63, April 1995. doi:10.1109/2.375178

Previous version available as Technical Report No. 350, University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, 18pp, September 1994.

See also: PC World Russia, September/October 1997.
Part 1, 9:50-55, September 1997.
Part 2, 10:62-67, October 1997.
Russian translation of original paper.

The formal methods community is in general very good at undertaking research into the mathematical aspects of formal... more The formal methods community is in general very good at undertaking research into the mathematical aspects of formal methods, but not so good at promulgating the use of formal methods in an engineering environment and at an industrial scale. Technology transfer is an extremely important part of the overall effort necessary in the acceptance of formal techniques. This paper explores some of the more informal aspects of applying formal methods and presents some maxims with associated discussion that may help in the application of formal methods in an industrial setting.

Ten Commandments Ten Years On: Lessons for ASM, B, Z and VSR-net

by Jonathan Bowen

Jonathan P. Bowen and Michael G. Hinchey. In Jean-Raymond Abrial and Uwe Glaesser (eds.), Rigorous Methods for Software Construction and Analysis. Springer-Verlag, LNCS, Volume 5115, pages 219-233, 2009.

Just over a decade ago, a paper Ten Commandments of Formal Methods, suggested some guidelines to help ensure the... more Just over a decade ago, a paper Ten Commandments of Formal Methods, suggested some guidelines to help ensure the success of a formal methods project. It proposed ten important requirements (or “commandments”) for formal developers to consider and follow, based on our knowledge of several industrial application success stories, most of which have been reported in more detail in two books. The paper was surprisingly popular, is still widely referenced, and used as required reading in a number of formal methods courses. However, not all have agreed with some of our commandments, feeling that they may not be valid in the long-term. We re-examine the original commandments over ten years on, and consider their validity in the light of a further decade of industrial best practice and experiences, especially with respect to formal notations like ASM, B and Z. We also cover the activities of the UK Verified Software Repository Network (VSR-net) in the context of UK Grand Challenge 6 on Dependable Systems Evolution.

A Metamodel for Assessable Software Development Methodologies

by Cesar Gonzalez-Perez

Software Quality Journal, vol.13, issue 2, 2005.

Towards supporting simultaneous use of process-based quality approaches

by Zador Daniel Kelemen

Quality Organizer: a support tool in using multiple quality approaches

by Zador Daniel Kelemen

A Process Based Unification of Process-Oriented Software Quality Approaches

by Zador Daniel Kelemen

Identifying criteria for multimodel software process improvement solutions– - based on a review of current problems and initiatives

by Zador Daniel Kelemen

The Online Method Engine: From Process Assessment to Method Execution

by Kevin Vlaanderen

Vlaanderen, K., Weerd, I. van de, & Brinkkemper, S. (2011). The Online Method Engine: From Process Assessment to Method Execution. To appear in the Proceedings of Method Engineering (ME2011). Paris, France.

The field of method engineering has seen an increasing amount of interesting approaches and techniques over the last... more The field of method engineering has seen an increasing amount of interesting approaches and techniques over the last ten years. The coverage of these techniques ranges from the modeling of processes and systems to the situational construction of new ones. However, access to the required domain knowledge is often not available, and the effort re- quired for effective method engineering is in most cases too much. To overcome these problems, we propose an incremental approach for pro- cess assessment, process improvement, and process execution, based on method engineering techniques and tools. The approach is implemented in the Online Method Engine; a holistic solution that supports these three aspects. In this paper, we give a conceptual overview of the approach, along with an overview of the current state of development.

Model-Driven Assessment in Software Product Management

by Kevin Vlaanderen

Vlaanderen, K., Weerd, I. van de, & Brinkkemper, S. (2010). Model-Driven Assessment in Software Product Management. International Workshop on Software Product Management (IWSPM). Sydney, Australia.

The maturity of Software Product Management (SPM) in software companies is generally low. In order to enhance the... more The maturity of Software Product Management (SPM) in software companies is generally low. In order to enhance the overall maturity of SPM in the industry, we are developing a knowledge infrastructure that helps product managers in increasing their knowledge of the field and improving the SPM processes in their organization. An important part of this infrastructure is the assessment of a company’s current situation. This paper presents a novel approach to assessing a company’s SPM processes, by deducing its maturity based on process-deliverable diagrams. The approach is implemented using MetaCase’s MetaEdit+, and evaluated in seven cases.

Enhancing Productivity Through Products And Knowledge Reuse

by Arturo Mora-Soto

This paper was presented at 18th. EuroSPI Conference. Roskilde, Denmark. June 27th. to 29th. 2011.

One of the symptoms of project failure is the low efficiency of use of software process assets and the quality of... more One of the symptoms of project failure is the low efficiency of use of software process assets and the quality of products developed. This paper describes a reuse-based solution to the existing problems and limitations of representing knowledge, experience of processes and products generated during the development of a software project. This solution has been successfully validated in real projects.

Med-Trace

by Valentine (Val) Casey

Fergal McCaffery and Valentine Casey
11th International SPICE Conference on Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination 2011

Traceability is central to medical device software development and essential for regulatory approval. To achieve... more Traceability is central to medical device software development and essential for regulatory approval. To achieve compliance an effective traceability process needs to be in place. This is difficult to achieve due to the lack of specific guidance which the medical device regulations and standards provides. This has resulted in many medical device companies employing inefficient software traceability processes. In this paper we briefly outline the development and implementation of Med-Trace a lightweight software traceability process assessment and improvement method for the medical device industry.

Med-Trace: Traceability Assessment Method for Medical Device Software Development

by Valentine (Val) Casey

Valentine Casey, Fergal Mc Caffery,
European Systems and Software Process Improvement and Innovation Conference, EuroSPI 2011.

Traceability is central to medical device software development and essential for regulatory approval. To achieve... more Traceability is central to medical device software development and essential for regulatory approval. To achieve compliance an effective traceability process needs to be in place.  This process must ensure the need for clear linkages and traceability from software requirements - including risks - through the different stages of the software development and maintenance lifecycles. This is difficult to achieve due to the lack of specific guidance which the medical device standards and documentation provides.  This has resulted in many medical device companies employing inefficient software traceability processes. In this paper we outline the development and implementation of Med-Trace a lightweight software traceability process assessment and improvement method for the medical device industry. We also present and discuss our findings from two industry based Med-Trace assessments.

How Can Software SMEs Become Medical Device Software SMEs

by Valentine (Val) Casey

Fergal Mc Caffery, Valentine Casey & Martin Mc Hugh,
European Systems and Software Process Improvement and Innovation Conference, EuroSPI 2011.

The amount of software content within medical devices has grown considerably over recent years and will continue to do... more The amount of software content within medical devices has grown considerably over recent years and will continue to do so as the level of complexity of medical devices increase. This is driven by the fact that software is introduced to produce sophisticated medical devices that would not be possible using only hardware. This therefore presents opportunities for software development SMEs to become medical device software development organisations. However, some obstacles need to be addressed and overcome in order to make the transition from being a generic software development organisation to becoming a medical device software development organisation. This paper describes these obstacles and how research that is currently being performed within the Regulated Software Research Group in Dundalk Institute of Technology may be used to assist with this transition.