The SPIRE Handbook Table of Contents

Page No.

Preface

Part 1 Business Manager's Guide to SPI…………....………. 1

Chapter 1 Why do we care?……………………….………….....…… 3

1.1 Why bother with software process improvement (SPI)?……….......... 3
1.2 Software process thinking………………………………………...... 4
1.3 Defining software process improvement (SPI)……………….......…. 8
1.4 Problems and solutions for small businesses……………....……...…. 8

Chapter 2 Benefits and what do they cost?………………………… 11

2.1 What's the real return?………………………………………..…….. 11
2.2 Documented results of process improvement…………………...…… 12
2.3 Return on investment calculation……………………………….....…. 14
2.4 The environment for success……………………………………….... 16
2.5 An SPI case study………………..…………………………………. 18

Chapter 3 The need for business leadership………………...…..…… 21

3.1 Introduction………………………………………………….........… 21
3.2 SPI goals are well understood……………….………………….....… 22
3.3 Technical staff are involved in SPI…………………………........…… 23
3.4 Senior management monitoring of SPI………………………….......... 23
3.5 Compensated SPI responsibilities………………………………........ 24
3.6 SPI people are well respected in the organisation…………….......….. 24
3.7 Staff time and resources are dedicated to process improvement…....... 25
3.8 Get some extra help……………………………………………….... 26

Part 2 Champion's Guide to SPI……………….................….... 27

Chapter 4 The continuous improvement cycle………………..……… 29

4.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………. 29
4.2 Step 1, Examine organisation's needs……………………………...… 29
4.3 Step 2, Initiate process improvement……………….………….…..… 31
4.4 Step 3, Prepare and conduct process assessment………………....…. 31
4.5 Step 4, Analyse results and derive action plan………………….....….. 33
4.6 Step 5, Implement improvements…………………….…………......... 35
4.7 Step 6, Confirm improvements………………………….……..…….. 36
4.8 Step 7, Sustain improvement gains…………………….………...…... 36
4.9 Step 8, Monitor performance………………………….……….…..... 36

Chapter 5 People and culture………………………………………… 37

5.1 Management responsibility and leadership………………………..…. 37
5.2 Values, attitudes and behaviour………………………………...…… 37
5.3 Improvement goals and motivation…………………………….....….. 39
5.4 Communication and teamwork………………………………....…… 40
5.5 Recognition…………………………………………………………. 41
5.6 Education and training………………………………………………. 41
5.7 Personal culture improvements…………………………………....… 42

Chapter 6 Managing process improvement………………………….. 43

6.1 Introduction to managing SPI………………………………….……... 43
6.2 Initial considerations………………………………………………..... 43
6.3 SPI project planning……………………………………………….… 46
6.4 SPI project management……………...……………………………… 46

Part 3 Software Processes and Best Practice……....................... 53

Chapter 7 A software process framework………………………...…… 55

7.1 Introduction to software processes and capability…………………....... 55
7.2 The process dimension……………………………………..…….….... 59
7.3 The capability dimension…………………………………..…….…….. 62
7.4 How to use the framework……………………………….……….…… 70

Chapter 8 Customer-Supplier Processes……………………………….. 73

8.1 Introduction to Customer-Supplier Processes (CUS)……..…...........…. 73
8.2 Acquisition Process (CUS.1)…………………..………………......….. 74
8.3 Acquisition Preparation Process (CUS.1.1)……….......……….……..... 77
8.4 Supplier Selection Process (CUS.1.2)…………………....…..…...…… 80
8.5 Supplier Monitoring Process (CUS.1.3)…………………......………… 83
8.6 Customer Acceptance Process (CUS.1.4)…………………….....….…. 85
8.7 Supply Process (CUS.2)………………………………….………….... 87
8.8 Requirements Elicitation Process (CUS.3)……………….……….....….. 92
8.9 Operation Process (CUS.4)……………………………………....….….95
8.10 Operational Use Process (CUS.4.1)……………...........…………….... 97
8.11 Customer Support Process (CUS.4.2)…………………............……... 99

Chapter 9 Engineering Processes…………………....…………............ 103

9.1 Introduction to the Engineering Processes (ENG)……….…......….……. 103
9.2 System Requirements Analysis and Design Process (ENG.1.1)……….... 104
9.3 Software Requirements Analysis Process (ENG.1.2)………..........……. 108
9.4 Software Design Process (ENG.1.3)………………......…..…..………. 111
9.5 Software Construction Process (ENG.1.4.)…………….......……...…... 115
9.6 Software Integration Process (ENG.1.5)……………….......………….. 118
9.7 Software Testing Process (ENG.1.6)………………..…....………….… 121
9.8 System Integration and Testing Process (ENG.1.7).………...........…..… 123
9.9 System and Software Maintenance Process (ENG.2)……..……..….….. 126

Chapter 10 Support Processes………………………………………....... 131

10.1 Introduction to the Support Processes (SUP)........……………...……... 131
10.2 Documentation Process (SUP.1)……………..….…......……..……….. 132
10.3 Configuration Management Process (SUP.2)…..…….........…...…....…. 135
10.4 Quality Assurance Process (SUP.3)………………....………………… 139
10.5 Verification Process (SUP.4)……………………….....………...…….. 143
10.6 Validation Process (SUP.5)…………………………..…………..…… 146
10.7 Joint Review Process (SUP.6)……………..………...…………..….… 149
10.8 Audit Process (SUP.7)…………………………….……………..…… 153
10.9 Problem Resolution Process (SUP.8)……………….....……....………. 156

Chapter 11 Management Processes………………………………..…… 159

11.1 Introduction to the Management Processes (MAN)……….…...........…. 159
11.2 Management Process (MAN.1)…………………………….....………. 160
11.3 Project Management Process (MAN.2)……………..……......……….. 163
11.4 Quality Management Process (MAN.3)…………….….….......………. 166
11.5 Risk Management Process (MAN.4)……………….……….............… 170

Chapter 12 Organisation Processes……………………………..….…… 173

12.1 Introduction to the Organisation Processes (ORG)………............…..…. 173
12.2 Organisational Alignment Process (ORG.1)………………........………. 174
12.3 Improvement Process (ORG.2)………………………….....….…...….. 176
12.4 Process Establishment Process (ORG.2.1)………………...….........….. 177
12.5 Process Assessment Process (ORG.2.2)….………………..........…….. 181
12.6 Process Improvement Process (ORG.2.3)……………..…............……. 185
12.7 Human Resource Management Process (ORG.3)………….......………. 187
12.8 Infrastructure Process (ORG.4)……………………………......….…… 191
12.9 Measurement Process (ORG.5)………………………………....…….. 194
12.10 Reuse Process (ORG.6)………………………………………......…. 197

Appendices
Appendix A Templates………………………………………………..……. A-1
A.1 Introduction……………………………………………....………....…… A-1
A.2 Assessment report…………………………………....………………...... A-1
A.3 SPI project plan……………………………………….....…………….... A-3
Appendix B Self-assessment tools………………………………………… B-1
B.1 Introduction: Why use an assessment tool?…………………..............…… B-1
B.2 Characteristics of an assessment tool…………………….…..............…… B-1
Appendix C Glossary………………………………………………………. C-1
Appendix D References………………………………………………..….. D-1
Appendix E Case studies………………………………………….……….. E-1