Successful Software Process Improvement

Offering a method of improving the way organizations develop software, this guide shows how to plan and develop a core competency in software development. Presenting an investment model for software process improvement, it describes methods for sustaining management commitment and generating a environment that will ensure success. The book organizes software process improvement into four stages: Plan, Do, Check and Act. It then thoroughly reviews the steps to be taken in each stage, showing how to assess current software processes more effectively, and plan and invest to make software development a core competency. It also makes recommendations to ensure that management stays committed to process improvement for the future. Finally, the book describes specific techniques organizations can use to track, validate and evaluate software process improvements.