How mature is your process and how can you make it better?

When developing a software system, every single person or organization must perform the basic steps/stages of software development life cycle. E.g. Requirement Analysis, Requirement specification, Design, Coding... Based on project type, these steps will be followed on any sweet able process model like Waterfall, Iterative, V Model, Spiral, RAD, DSDM, Agile method etc.

Though everyone performing the same high level steps, in root level of these stages, everyone perform in their own way (here the variation happen). For this reason, Performance of process, Quality of product and other software attribute did vary for different person/organization. Like, in Requirement Analysis / Requirement Specification stage, some company collect documents to analyze requirement, some take interview of users and external stakeholders, some do nothing without just talk etc.

Now the question is, the way you are performing these steps, is that good enough for better software? Or if good, how can you make it better (I think in fast growing world, we should not say best)? To improve your process performance, you must measure, where you is now and where you want to go?



To assess your SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) performance, there are some International standards, frameworks. All these are widely used in all over the world and accepted. Some company apply these standards to prove their quality of work, some company apply these models & frameworks to improve their process performances. Whoever applies for what reason, all they get Return On Investment.

List of some SDLC Standards, Frameworks:

Standards:
· ISO 9001:2000 (Quality Model)

· ISO/IEC 12207 (Standard for Software Life Cycle Process)

· IEEE/EIA 12207 (Standard for Information Technology-Software Life Cycle Processes)

Framework:
· CMMi (Capability Maturity Model Integration) by SEI

· ISO/IEC 15504 also known as SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination)

Process Model and Missing Functionality

Process Models
During development of Software, we choose any Process Mode or Software Development Life Cycle. More or less, we all know about all common Life cycle models.

For example:

· Waterfall life cycle,

· Incremental Process Model,

· V Model,

· Spiral Model,

· Rapid Application Development (RAD),

· Agile Method etc.


Though they are very differences between all these models, all has some common activities as well. These activities might be presented in different name in different models, but outputs of them are same. Examples of such activity are:
· Requirement Analysis,

· Requirement Specification,

· Design,

· Coding,

· Testing,

· Deployment,

· Maintenance etc.

These all are very important activity in software development. I think I dont need to explain these process models. Because in practical life, there are more process models and you can find a lot of study material to study about these process models.

No mater people do document these phases or not, they go through with these activities. Except these activities, no one can make any software.

Missing Functionality in Process Model
Making something and making something betteris different… Right? To perform on all those phases, there are selected skilled people. But where is the role of Project Manager of Project Management function in the life cycle? YES, he plays his role all over the project, but where is Quality Assurance function? Yes this function also work in everywhere of the function! Like this, Configuration Controller for Configuration Management function, Reviewer for Review Team work all over the project.

List of Missing functions in every Software Development Life Cycle:

· Project Management

· Quality Assurance

· Configuration Management

· Metrics and Measurement Analysis

· Review

Figure: Example of Waterfall with all these functions

All these functions are missing in every process models/ software development life cycle. When these functions will start work actively with traditional SDLC, it’s a guaranty to the better product then before.

This blog's main focus will be on these functions and how to improve the Process Model through several process improvement models e.g. CMMi, ISO 9001.

Software Process and Its Importance in brief

What is Process?
When you work to build a product or system, it’s important to go through a series of predictable steps – a road map that helps you create a timely, high-quality result. The road map that you follow is called a process.

Software Process
The road map or series of predefined steps we use to develop a software system is software process. The Implementation of software process is Software Development Life cycle. E.g. Waterfall, Iterative, V Model, Rapid Application Development (RAD), Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM) etc. This life cycle is called Process Model. [Ref: Chapter 3, SOFTWARE ENGINEERING -A Practitioner’s Approach Sixth Edition by Roger S. Pressman]

No Process followed in the game

Why process in Important
The Quality of a system is highly influenced by the quality of the process used to acquire, develop and maintain it. Software process provides stability, control and organization in development. Otherwise, the development will become chaotic, unmanageable.

Process centric work

Why Focus on Process?
It Complement your focus on Technology:
- Technology, by itself will more likely not be used efficiently
- Technology, in the context of an appropriate process roadmap, can provide the most benefit.

It complements your focus on People:
- The experience and your work force is not always enough
- Working hard is not the answer
- A well defined process can provide the mean to work smarter
- It shifts the “blame” for problem from the people to process.

When you will understand that your process is poor?
Commitment consistently missed
- Late delivery
- Last minute crunches
- Spiraling costs

No management visibility into progress
- You’re always being surprised

Quality Problem
- Too much rework
- Function do not work properly
- Customer complaints after delivery

Poor moral
- People frustrated
- Is anyone in charge?