zahran: software process improvement part i jan dielewicz kai petersen sebastian stein
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Zahran: Software Process Improvement Part I
Jan Dielewicz
Kai Petersen
Sebastian Stein
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Agenda
1. Process Thinking
2. Process Discipline
3. Effective Process Environment
4. Process Maturity: The Second Wave of the Software Industry (short)
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
3 Aspects of the Process
Sommerville:
“A software process is the set of activities and associated results that produce a software product.”
Zahran:
The process must be defined.
The process performers must be trained in the process.
A process must be monitored and enforced.
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process Thinking
“Process thinking differs from conventional thinking” … “Process thinking is a natural way of thinking.” [Zahran, p. 13]
car driving as a process valid example?
process = skill?
a group following ONE process is streamlined
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process Focus vs. Product Focus
product focus:
vertical integration
several departments
process focus:
horizontal integration
crossing several departments
matrix organisation?
product focus leads to chaos
process focus leads to stable organisation
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Internalization and Institutionalization
internalization:
individual level
following process without thinking
steering, breaking, accelerating without having to think about it
institutionalization:
organisational level
everybody in organisation follows ONE process
process is enforced in organisation
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process Maturity
degree how well process is applied
how developed the process is
process is central nervous system
ties together all parts of a company like:
people
technology
organisational structure
management
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process Discipline
Discipline is “the system of rules used to maintain control or order over a group of people” ~ Concise Oxford Dictionary
For a process to be effective it must be enforced
A disciplined process is a mature process
A mature process is defined, trained, enforced, followed and continuously improving
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Weaken negative effects
A bureaucratic process may inhibit performance
Process users must take part in designing the process
Process discipline may impede creativity
If creativity required, process has to encourage creativity
Example: brainstorming
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process documentation
Can process focus exist without documentation?
Absence of process definition takes the risk with:
Dependence on individuals
‘Gurus’ joining the team
Disruptive new joiners
Inconsistency of process knowledgeIs this different when there is a process definition?
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Benefits of process discipline (1/3)
Every individual strives for the common goal of the team.
Orchestra example
Without a maestro (the process is not managed)
Without musical notes (the process is not documented)
Without practise (the process is not trained)
With everyone playing his or her notes (the process is not enforced)
Well, ok. But what about Jazz and the improvisational solos?
They perform according to some basic rules and guidelines – not a detailed defined process!
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Benefits of process discipline (2/3)
Life critical situations
Crew flying plane, surgical team, high-risk mission (space shuttle)
All following a mature process: defined, trained, enforced, followed and continuously improving
What if something unexpected happens?
Say: “Sorry, nothing stated in the process documentation for this case”
Say: “Sorry no form available”
Then skills and knowledge (intelligence) is in demand!
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Benefits of process discipline (3/3)
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process discipline and product quality
Good process good quality
Good process bad quality
Bad process good quality
Bad process bad quality
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process-focussed organisations (1/3)
“You could say that the mature process, like the mature adult, looks boring, and you could be right!” ~ Zahran
In a mature (in contrast to an immature) process,
roles and responsibilities are well defined
people follow a planned process constantly
people share and learn from experience
problems are analysed from a basis of sound knowledge
estimates are accurate
the progress predictable
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process-focussed organisations (2/3)
In process-focussed organisation
the process spreads across organisational functions
teams are empowered to make decisions relating the complete process
the process is customer focussed
the responsibility is shared across the functional divisions
the process goes align with the organisation’s goals
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process-focussed organisations (3/3)
Landmarks indicating process-focussed organisations
Central role of the process
Process consists of 3 components: document, training, enforcement-mechanism to follow the process
The process is more than a set of activities
End-to-end coverage
In software projects 3 main process types: management, engineering, support
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process Myths and Realities
Documentation Myth
Trust Myth
Verification Myth
Stability Myth
Sponsorship Myth
Continuous Enforcement Myth
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process Effectiveness and Efficiency
EFFICIENCY: DOTHINGS RIGHT
EFFECTIVENESS: DOTHE RIGHT THINGS
HACK YOURNEIGHBORS WOOD
WITH YOUR BEST AXE
HACK YOUR OWNWOOD WITH YOUR
KITCHEN KNIFE
VALIDATION VERIFICATION
THROUGHOUT PROCESSSTRATEGY
PROCESSORGANIZATION
ORGANIZATIONALSTRUCTURE
Processfollows
Strategy
Structurefollows
Process
REALITY?
WHAT? HOW?
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Making the Process more Efficient
Ownership
ProcessImprovement and
TechnologyAdvances
Feedback byProcess Users
and PMs
Traning
Measurements ofResults andFeedback
Activities andTools
BusinessResults
External Factors provide feedback, too!
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Feedback from External Factors
Laws (Standards, Trade Laws etc.)
Regulations (Industry- and Product-Specific)
Inspections and Certification
What else?
COMPETITION!
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Process Culture
A PROCESSCORPORATE
CULTURE
A PROCESSINFRASTRUCTURE+ => Process
Institutionalization
CULTURE := Set of shared basic assumptionslearned ex-post
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Megatrends in Software Industry
3 waves in software industry
1. Structured methods, Waterfall, diagrams
2. Process improvements, process maturity
3. Mechanisation of software production
in the middle of 2nd wave:
formally define processes
try to steadily improve processes
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
History of Process Maturity
Total Quality Management (see e.g. green book by Bergman et al. chapter 3)
Humphrey, W. late 1990th
Software Engineering Institute
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Software Process Maturity Standards and Initiatives
Capability Maturity Model (CMM) by SEI
ISO 9000
ISO/IEC 15504
Bootstrap
TickIT
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Levels of Process Institutionalization
1. Corporate and Organisational Level
process aligned to business goals
team members from different vertical departments formed
2. Project and Team Management Level
staff management through monitoring the process performance and NOT the individual
rewards for good process work
3. Personal Level
personal software process (PSP)
Blekinge Institute of Technology
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
References
Bergman, B. and Klefsjö, B. (2003). Quality: from Customer Needs to Customer Satisfaction. Studentlitteratur
Sommerville, I. (2004). Software Engineering. Pearson Education
Zahran, S. (1998). Software Process Improvement. Addison-Wesley