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 FAQ |
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Q: What is Software Process?
It is a set of Activities within the development project, such as analysis, design, coding, testing and validation.
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Q: What is Software Product?
It is an artifact, deliverable or documents arising out of a software process. e.g. analysis specifications report, design specifications report, Source code, test plan, user manual,…etc. |
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Q: What is Software Resources?
It is any item forming or providing input to a process, such as human resources (individuals or teams), software tools (operating systems, database engines, compilers, …etc.), hardware…etc. |
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Q: What are internal Attributes of Process, Product or Resources?
These are attributes, which can be measured purely in terms of a process, a product or resources themselves. For example elapsed time is an internal attribute of any software process and size is an internal attribute of user guide. |
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Q: What are External Attributes of Process, Product or Resources?
These are attributes, which can only be measured with respect to how the process, product or resource relates to other entities in the environment.Example to the external attribute is the reliability of software product because it is dependent not just on the program code itself but also on the database engine, HW, …etc. Another example is the productivity of a resource (individuals or teams). |
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Q: What is meant by Software Process Improvement?
Software Process Improvement is an umbrella term for a growing, organized effort or mechanism supported by the idea that all issues of software quality revolve around improving the software development process. |
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Q: What is SEI-CMM?
It is the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) developed by Software Engineering Institute (SEI). This model describes the principles and practices underlying software process maturity and is intended to help software organizations to improve the maturity of their software processes in terms of an evolutionary path from ad hoc, chaotic processes to mature, disciplined software processes.
It is the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) developed by Software Engineering Institute (SEI). This model describes the principles and practices underlying software process maturity and is intended to help software organizations to improve the maturity of their software processes in terms of an evolutionary path from ad hoc, chaotic processes to mature, disciplined software processes.
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Q: What is meant by “This Organization is SEI-CMM Level 1”?
It means that this organization is at its initial level of maturity or its software processes are as ad hoc, and even chaotic. Few processes are defined and success depends on individual effort and heroics.
Characteristics of the organization are as following:
- Performance is driven by the competence of the people doing the work.
- Promotes high quality and exceptional performance, which are possible, as long as the best people can be hired.
- Unpredictable, for good or ill.
- Characterized by major problems that are managerial, not technical.
- Requirements and other inputs flow in.
- The product flows out and it is hoped work.
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Q: What is meant by “This Organization is SEI-CMM Level 2”?
It means that this organization is at a repeatable level of maturity, i.e. the basic project management processes are established to track cost, schedule and functionality. The necessary process discipline is in place to repeat earlier successes on projects with similar applications.
Characteristics of the organization are as following:
- The organization has established effective software project management.
- The software project management has been documented and established according to organizational policies.
- The company is repeating successful practices developed during previous projects.
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Q: What is meant by “This Organization is SEI-CMM Level 3”?
It means that the organization is at the defined level of maturity, i.e. the software processes for both management and engineering activities are documented, standardized and integrated into standard software processes for the organization. All projects use approved tailored version of the organization’s standard software processes for developing and maintaining software products.
Characteristics of the organization are as following:
- The organization builds on the software project management foundation (of level 2).
- The organization controls a process by defining, documenting, understanding and measuring.
- The organization builds processes that empower the individuals doing the work.
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Q: What is meant by “This Organization is SEI-CMM Level 4”?
It means that the organization is at the managed level of maturity, i.e. detailed measures of the software processes and products’ quality are collected. Both the software processes and products are quantitatively understood and controlled.
Characteristics of the organization are as following:
- The organization applies the principles of statistical process control to address special causes of process variation.
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Q: What is meant by “This Organization is SEI-CMM Level 5”?
It means that the organization is at the optimizing level of maturity, i.e. continuous process improvement is enabled by quantitative feedback from the processes and from piloting innovative ideas and technologies.
Characteristics of the organization are as following:
- The organization identifies and eliminates common causes of poor performance.
- The organization is continually improving the software processes via process and technology change management.
- The organization is focusing on process and technology improvement.
- The proactive and controlled change is institutionalized.
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Q: What are ISO 9000 Series?
ISO 9001 is the “quality systems-model for quality assurance in design / development production, installation and servicing”. It is for use when conformance to specified requirements is to be assured by the supplier during several stages, which may include design, development, production, installation and servicing. ISO 9002 is the one from ISO 9000 series, which is having precise relevance to software development and maintenance.
ISO 9002 is the “quality systems-model for quality assurance in production and installation”. It is used when conformance to specified requirements is to be assured by the supplier during production and installation.
ISO 9003 is the “quality systems-model for quality assurance in final inspection and test”.
ISO 9004 is the “quality management and quality system elements-guidelines”. It describes a basic set of elements by which quality management systems can be developed and implemented.
ISO 8402 is the “quality-vocabulary which defines the basic and fundamental terms relating to quality concepts as they apply to products and services”.
TickIT support consistency and reliability by imposing strong training and auditor qualification requirements.
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Q: Should My Software quality management and process improvement efforts be based on ISO 9001 or SEI-CMM?
Although there are specific issues that are not adequately addressed in the CMM, in general the concerns of ISO 9001 are included within CMM. The converse is less true.
ISO 9001 describes the minimum criteria for an adequate quality management system rather than process improvement, although future revisions of ISO 9001 may address these concerns.
A market may require ISO 9001 certification and level 1 organizations would certainly profit from addressing the concerns of ISO 9001. It is also true that addressing the concerns of the CMM would help organizations prepare for an ISO 9001 audit.
Either models could be used to structure a process improvement program, the more detailed guidance and greater breadth provide to software organizations by CMM suggest that it is the better choice.
In any case, building competitive advantage should be focused on improvement, not on achieving a score, whether the score is a maturity level or an ISO certificate.
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