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Issue: 001 | October 2006 |
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Dr. Tony Rollo reports on the Chinese Software Process Improvement Conference 2006. As a developer of the International Software Benchmarking Standard Group’s standard benchmarking process, Tony was invited to speak at the conference held in Beijing on 25th – 27th September. He brings back interesting news on the current state of the Chinese software industry. Outsourcing: Ensuring good governance Insights into achieving successful customer/supplier outsourcing partnerships were presented to the 9th Software Measurement and Improvement Forum Estimating Large, Complex programmes A case study on leading-edge techniques for managing the risk associated with large and complex software intensive systems.
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| Software development is playing catch-up. In contrast to hardware which delivers ever-increased capability from ever smaller devices, software development productivity has remained flat over the past ten years. |
CAI will be facilitating a follow-up workshop session on how to achieve best practice on 31st October. To register your interest, contact SMS Events events@measuresw.com |
The software industry cannot afford to continue to ignore the lessons learned by manufacturing in developing leaner systems that focus on delivering value to the customer.
This was the core message delivered to the CIO Symposium on Software Best Practices by Tony Salvaggio, Chief Executive of CAI, and founder of the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute. Organised by CAI under the title “Leveraging Metrics for Superior IT Management”, the conference presented a range of informative papers on the practical challenges of improving software processes to deliver up to 500% increase in productivity.
John Riley, Managing Editor of Computer Weekly reported on a recent survey of CIOs for Computer Weekly on the Business and IT pre-conditions necessary for creating business value from IT. The results showed that in general, those surveyed felt matters had improved but there were still considerable areas of concern.
Reliable and appropriate metrics were essential tools for improving the alignment of software development with business goals, but the data collected had to be focused on the right things. What got measured got done – poorly aligned measures detract from the delivery of value.
Grant Rule, Managing Director of Software Measurement Services Ltd. expanded on this in his paper on “How to increase value by reducing waste and variability”, giving a sound insight into effective, results-focused approaches to improvement. Data from reports on the current state of the industry and on the benefits derived from improvement programmes made the business case for investing in such programmes. This was followed by Tony Salvaggio’s lucid description of the approaches taken and results achieved by CAI in transforming their own development process.
Dr. Norman Fenton, Professor of Computing at Queen Mary (London University) and CEO of Agena addressed some of the traditional issues associated with software metrics – historically a trade-off between what you want to measure and what you can measure. Modern metrics methods are recognising the need to deliver measures that are commercially relevant. The tool developed by Agena maps all the relevant factors an interactive way to produce reliable quality predictions and identify likely causes of defects.
The presentations concluded with Nigel Arkwright, IT Director of Parcelforce Worldwide, describing a successful initiative by Parcelforce to improve the service delivered by their supplier of software services.
Their investment in a mutually beneficial partnership have delivered impressive results for both the customer and supplier organisations.
Tony Salvaggio made the point that with all innovative thinking, reaction falls into three groups – pioneers, early adopters, and late adopters. The evidence presented to this conference is that there is a huge and increasing discrepancy between the productivity and quality delivered by pioneers and early adopters of software process improvement and those who have yet to realise the benefits which adopting best practice in this area can deliver.
Interviews with the CIO Symposium speakers can be downloaded from http://www.itmpi.org/default.aspx?pageid=241
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How fit are your software processes?
Understand how measurement-driven process improvement can benefit your organisation.
Contact SMS for an assessment against industry best practice and expert advice on rapid and effective improvement.
t. +44(0)1732 863760
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Making Software Measurement Valuable
The 17th UK Software Metrics Association Conference on 18th/ 19th October presented papers and tutorials on delivering value from software metrics, not only terms of the software life cycle but also at the enterprise level.
Software development is often perceived as a necessary overhead rather than something which contributes value to the organisation. This leads to pressure to cut costs, and makes it difficult to secure support and investment for improving software process and performance. Relating software measurement to delivered value in business terms is an essential factor in changing the business perception of software development and it applies across the board - in the public or private sector, for-profit or not-for-profit organisations, in-house or outsourced IT services.
The UK Software Metrics Association is a non-profit organisation run by its members for the benefit of members and the software community.
Membership is open to individuals or organisations that use software. UKSMA goals and membership http://www.uksma.co.uk/?action=0&what=400
UKSMA Conference 2006:
Topics and contributors
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Making Software Measurement Valuable
17th UK Software Metrics Assocation Conference on 18th/ 19th October presented papers and tutorials on delivering value
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BCS Award for COSMIC
The BCS have recognised the achievement of the (“COSMIC”) in designing a functional size method for the 21st century and beyond. COSMIC has been awarded a medal in the 2006 BCS professional awards and is shortlisted in the top four in the ‘services’ category.
The successful finalist will be announced on 7th December
2006.
------------------------------ The COSMIC FFP method, uses and benefits explained.
Michael Milutis’ Interview with Charles Symons, joint project leader of the COSMIC team
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Join the ISBSG/COSMIC Benchmark study
Help establish the foundation COSMIC-FFP Benchmarks by contributing data to this joint initiative by COSMIC and the International Standards Benchmarking Group
Common Software
Measurement International Consortium
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CMMI® V1.2 is here.
By Roger Gamage, SEI authorised CMMI Instructor |
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On 25th August 2006, the eagerly anticipated CMMI V1.2 was released. The first major update to CMMI since January 2002, V1.2 reduces the complexity and size of the model, but at the same time expands the model coverage and paves the way for future expansion into other areas of enterprise processes.
The reduction in complexity and size is achieved by the removal of some historically based complications in the model, the condensing of some of the informative material, and the rationalisation of the Supplier Sourcing (SS) and Integrated Product & Process Development (IPPD) disciplines. SS material has been consolidated into one process area. The bulk of IPPD material has been consolidated into two Specific Goals, and IPPD becomes an “addition” rather than a separate discipline.
To prepare for the future CMMI is now organised into three “constellations”, CMMI for Development, which accommodates all previous CMMI coverage, CMMI for Services and CMMI for Acquisition, which are planned for initial release in 2007. All three constellations share a set of core elements, and some shared material will be relevant to more than one constellation, but each will also contain material specific to the target audience. In the case of the Service and Acquisition constellations this will be predominantly new material.
There will be a 3-year time limit on CMMI ratings from V1.2 appraisals, and V1.1 appraisals will expire 3 years from the date of the appraisal or on 31st August 2007 whichever is the later. The SEI will not accept V1.1 appraisal results after this date. There are also some changes to the conduct and documentation requirements for appraisals as well as a new qualification for Lead Appraisers of high-maturity (levels 4 & 5) appraisals.
Over the next year all organisations using CMMI in a formal way will need to migrate to V1.2.
The SEI offer an online course for trained individuals to upgrade from V1.1 to V1.2, but from the end of 2006 the SEI will only register new candidates who attend the V1.2 “Introduction to CMMI” course. Prospective members of V1.2 appraisal teams must be trained in or upgraded to V1.2.
CMMI® is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University
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Bookings: events@measuresw.com
The Chinese Software IndustryBy Dr Anthony L Rollo, Director of Product Development, Software Measurement Services Ltd
I recently made a trip to Beijing, where I had been invited to speak at the Chinese Software Process Improvement conference 2006.
During the three days of this conference I learnt a great deal about the current state of software development in China.
First, some basic statistics:
The Chinese software industry has ambitions to grow. By the end of 2005 there were around 12,000 software companies and some 900,000 software practitioners. Interest in Process improvement is high – the Bejing SPIN has around 60,000 members (how large is BCS SPIN?).
Tony Rollo with Dai Hanlin Secretary of CSBSG, and Peter Hill CEO of ISBSG
The Chinese software industry however is keen to see all of its companies become involved in process improvement, and to this end is moving into a new phase where the emphasis is on achieving international standards, creating an industry benchmark and structuring a quantified management system to implement the business driven process improvement. The aim is to achieve a synergy between assessment/appraisal and quantitative data through benchmarking.
The Chinese industry aim to demonstrate that not only can it meet international standards but it can also achieve high levels of productivity and quality which is demonstrable and quantifiable. To this end it has set up the Chinese Software Benchmarking Standards group (CSBSG), which has already trained 3000 part time benchmark coordinators. The International Software Benchmarking Standards Group (ISBSG) is assisting in this endeavour.
This is a brief overview of the Chinese software industry and I will write more in future issues, exploring the mechanisms by which they wish to achieve their ambitions. This is a massive industry determined to become better and more productive in the future.
Measuring and Improving the Software Process
is published by Software Measurement Services Ltd.
124 High Street Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 5AY UK
Contact: Sue Rule, Editor
fax. +44(0)1732 864996
For details of all SMS services, together with reference materials, links and news of forthcoming events visit www.measuresw.com
