Reducing risk with software process improvement. (2005)

• Record Type: Book
• Further Information: Note: Louis A. Poulin.
• Other Names: Poulin, Louis A
• Contents: THE INFORMATION AGE; The old software ghosts that haunt us; ; MANAGING REQUIREMENTS; Ensure system requirements have been reviewed by software; professionals before forging ahead; Establish and enforce a directive stating what must be done; when dealing with system requirements; Train those who have the responsibility of managing; requirements; Document project requirements and make them available to; project team members; Take basic measurements of requirements management; activities and by-products; Involve quality assurance personnel when managing; requirements; Conduct reviews of requirements management activities and; by-products; ; PLANNING; Involve software professionals when the project is in its early; conceptual stage; Insist that a plan be prepared and specify what it should; contain; Ensure the WBS is used properly; Start by estimating size; Ensure that auxiliary resources have been factored into the; plans; Identify, evaluate and document risks; Ensure management reviews commitments made to; suppliers and customers; Establish and enforce a directive stating what must be; performed in the course of planning a project; Train those who must plan the project; Ensure that individuals and groups are informed of project; commitments that affect them; Involve quality assurance personnel during project planning; Ensure that management reviews project planning activities; and by-products; ; TRACKING PROGRESS; Ensure management reviews changes to commitments made; to suppliers and customers; Ensure that individuals and groups are informed of changes; to project commitments that affect them; Ensure that internal project reviews are held to track progress; Track risks; Institutionalize formal reviews; Take measurements; Establish clear roles and responsibilities; Establish quality assurance to help monitor project tracking; and supervision; State what is expected at the organizational level in terms of; project monitoring; ; ASSURING QUALITY; Establish a quality policy; Assign the responsibility of assuring quality; Train personnel assigned to assuring quality; Prepare and implement a quality assurance plan; Document non-compliant items; Communicate quality assurance activities and results; Have quality representatives interface with customers; Institute senior management reviews of quality assurance; activities; ; RELEASING PRODUCTS, DEPLOYING SERVICES AND; CONTROLLING CHANGES; Establish a repository for baselines; Identify what items will be placed under formal change control; Assign release and change control to someone; Have a plan for controlling deliverables and essential work; products; Document change requests and problem reports; Control changes affecting baselines; Document what the release and change control repository; contains; Conduct baseline audits; Specify what is minimally acceptable in terms of release and; change control; ; CONTRACTING OUT; Establish and enforce a directive describing at a high level the; steps to take for contracting work out; Insist on having the supplier submit a plan; Agree with the supplier on how progress will be tracked and; how contractual changes will be made; Hold progress and coordination reviews with suppliers; Conduct periodic formal reviews with suppliers; Involve quality assurance personnel and personnel ; responsible for release and change control; Ensure that acceptance tests of suppliers' deliverables are; performed, complete, and documented; Train those responsible for the selection and management of; suppliers; ; DEVELOPING PRODUCTS; Define the format that work products must follow; Ensure that appropriate methods and tools are available; State what is expected in terms of adherence to development; processes; Take the time to train members of the technical staff on how; to perform their tasks; Ensure that comprehensive software requirements have been; developed before moving on; Develop operational and user documentation early on; Plan testing activities and test thoroughly; Collect and analyze defects; Measure, measure and measure, but with circumspection; Involve quality assurance personnel throughout; Periodically review development activities and results; ; COORDINATING; Document stakeholders' involvement and their commitments; Define how issues will be handled; Ensure that the tools used by the various stakeholders are; compatible; Train managers in teamwork; Ensure that software professionals are represented when; defining system requirements with the customer; Implement regular reviews with representatives of the various; groups involved in the initiative; Identify and manage critical dependencies between; stakeholders; Communicate again and again; Manage expectations form the start; ; REVIEWING AND INSPECTING; Mandate reviews and inspections; Train peer review participants; Assign peer review leaders, especially when there are many; reviewers; Ensure peer reviews are in the plan; Follow the plan; Collect data; Make sure that quality assurance is part of the process; ; PROVIDING SERVICES TO CUSTOMERS; Seek, compile and review feedback from customers; Analyze, document and communicate customers' needs; Ensure that information provided by customers remains; private; ; FOCUSING ON PROCESSES; Make it clear for everyone that improving is a priority; Periodically assess your IT development and maintenance; process; Prepare a plan of action; Implement the plan to define and improve organizational; processes; Establish a library of process-related documentation; Establish a historical measurements repository; Provide training and support as processes are deployed; ; TRAINING PERSONNEL; Convey the importance of training and how it will be provided; Assign the responsibility for coordinating training and make a; plan; Deliver and track planned training; Maintain and regularly review personnel training records; Periodically assess the training relevance and quality; ; MANAGING IT INITIATIVES; Mandate that every IT initiative use a management approach; based on the organizational standard; Provide tailoring support and training; Distribute the tailored process to everyone in the team; Harmonize performance and needs; Measure the effectiveness of the organizational management; approach; ; BUILDING A CULTURE; Document and communicate the type of behavior valued by; the organization; Hold frequent meetings between management and; personnel; Share goals and results achieved by the organization with; personnel; Define and deploy logical and flexible operating procedures; ; THE REALITY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY; INITIATIVES; Results Overview; Government vs. Private Industry-Services vs. Product; Development-Small vs. Large; Detailed Results; Software Quality Index; Potential Instances of Problems; Potential Failure Modes; ; ON PROBABILISTIC RISK IDENTIFICATION, MAPPING; AND EVALUATION; The complexity of preventing losses and making the most of; opportunities; PRIME; Application to information technology; The CMM; The Taxonomy-Based Risk Identification; Conclusion; ; ANNEX A: A CRASH COURSE IN STATISTICAL; PROCESS CONTROL; Quantitatively managing processes; Quantitatively managing quality; ; ANNEX B: RISK ASSESSMENT AND ESTIMATION OF LOSSES
• Publisher Details: Boca Raton : Auerbach Publications
• Publication Date: 2005
• Extent: 1 online resource (xxi, 262 pages), illustrations
• Subjects: 005.1; Computer software -- Development; COMPUTERS -- Programming -- Open Source; COMPUTERS -- Software Development & Engineering -- Tools; COMPUTERS -- Software Development & Engineering -- General; Computer software -- Development; Electronic books
• Languages: English
• ISBNs: 1420031120; 9781420031126
• Related ISBNs: 084933828X
• Notes: Note: Includes bibliographical references and index.; Note: Print version record.
• Access Rights: Legal Deposit; Only available on premises controlled by the deposit library and to one user at any one time; The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK).
• Access Usage: Restricted: Printing from this resource is governed by The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK) and UK copyright law currently in force.