Process Improvement in Practice: A Handbook for IT Companies

Dybå T., Dingsøyr T., Brede Moe N.0-7923-7736-2

Faster, better and cheaper are challenges that IT-companies face every day. The customer’s expectations shall be met in a world where constant change in environment, organization and technology are the rule rather that the exception. A solution for meeting these challenges is to share knowledge and experience – use the company’s own experience, and the experience of other companies. Process Improvement in Practice – A Handbook for IT Companies tackles the problems involved in launching these solutions.Process Improvement in Practice – A Handbook for IT Companies is designed for small IT companies who wish to start with systematic improvement. The methods and techniques in this handbook are tried in practice, and have proven to be easy to use and scalable for local needs. Managers and developers will discover useful tips to initiate improvement work efficiently. This practical handbook is based on the authors’ improvement work in a range of companies since the mid-nineties.Process Improvement in Practice – A Handbook for IT Companies is designed for a professional audience, composed of researchers and practitioners in industry. This book is also suitable for graduate-level students in software process improvement and software engineering.

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Table of contents :
Team DDU……Page 1
Contents……Page 6
Preface……Page 8
1.1 What is the purpose of this handbook?……Page 10
1.2 What is a process……Page 11
1.4 How can process improvement help software organizations……Page 12
1.6 What is special about software development……Page 13
1.8 Overview of this handbook……Page 14
2.2 What does learning mean?……Page 16
2.3 Physical arrangements……Page 19
2.4 Organizational and cultural arrangements……Page 20
2.5 Arrangements for technical infrastructure……Page 23
2.6 Arrangements in the projects……Page 24
2.7 How do we stimulate creativity……Page 28
3.1 Organizing process improvement……Page 30
3.2 A model for project-based experiential learning……Page 31
3.3 Initiating – learning before doing……Page 32
3.4 Executing – learning whilst doing……Page 36
3.5 Closing – learning after doing……Page 40
4. Measurement and Feedback……Page 46
4.1 Process for measurement and feedback……Page 47
4.2 Planning to use data……Page 49
4.3 Data collection……Page 52
4.4 Data analysis……Page 56
4.5 Feedback……Page 60
4.6 Follow-up……Page 63
5.1 Why perform an assessment?……Page 64
5.2 Basic principles……Page 65
5.3 Gap analysis……Page 66
5.4 A participative approach to process assessment……Page 69
6.1 What is a process guide?……Page 74
6.2 Why is a process guide useful?……Page 76
6.4 How to develop a process guide……Page 77
6.5 How to adapt a process guide……Page 81
6.6 How to maintain a process guide……Page 83
7.1 Technique 1: Feedback meeting……Page 86
7.2 Technique 2: GQM abstraction sheet……Page 90
7.3 Technique 3: Mind map……Page 94
7.4 Technique 4: Brainstorming……Page 96
7.5 Technique 5: KJ/ Affinity diagram……Page 100
7.6 Technique 6: Prioritizing……Page 104
7.7 Technique 7: Time-line……Page 106
7.8 Technique 8: Action list……Page 110
7.9 Technique 9: Root cause analysis……Page 112
Bibliography……Page 116
About the Authors……Page 118
Index……Page 120