- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Addison Wesley; 1 edition (25 Mar 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0201775778
- ISBN-13: 978-0201775778
- Product Dimensions: 23.7 x 16 x 1.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,656,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
Making Process Improvement Work
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Product Description
Product Description
Every development organization can benefit by paying attention to process improvement, yet all too many "process improvement initiatives" fail to deliver on their promises. In this concise book, two of the field's leading consultants present easy-to-apply techniques for achieving rapid and quantifiable benefits -- and then maintaining your momentum to deliver even greater value over time. Drawing on their experience with more than 3,000 developers and 100 organizations, Neil S. Potter and Mary E. Sakry show you exactly what works -- and what doesn't work. Next, they present a step-by-step guide to identifying your best opportunities for process improvement, deploying changes effectively, and tracking your progress. The book also includes a detailed example plan document designed to help you jumpstart your process improvement initiative. Making Process Improvement Work includes a foreword by noted software process expert Karl Wiegers. For all developers, project and IT managers, and clients seeking to maximize the effectiveness of the software development process and the value of the software it delivers.
From the Back Cover
“This book hits the mark for three important issues:
I will definitely recommend it to my clients who are just beginning or are having trouble with their improvement program.”
—Norman Hammock, SEI Authorized Lead Assessor
“At last a common sense and business-oriented approach to process improvement. This book gives very practical instruction that is easy to apply. Your people will thank you for it.”
—Nancy K. M. Rees, Vice President and Chief Engineer, Xerox Corporation
“...gets right to the heart of process improvement with specific, concrete steps and excellent examples. It’s a book you can use today.”
—Dennis J. Frailey, Principal Fellow, Raytheon Company
“Too many organizations develop a checklist mentality targeted at achieving the next process maturity level or passing an audit...Neil and Mary remind us to focus on pragmatic mechanisms for achieving superior business results...”
—Karl Wiegers, Principal Consultant, Process Impact
Software process improvement too often reflects a significant disconnect between theory and practice. This book bridges the gap—offering a straightforward, systematic approach to planning, implementing, and monitoring a process improvement program. Project managers will appreciate the book’s concise presentation style and will be able to apply its practical ideas immediately to real-life challenges.
With examples based on the authors’ own extensive experience, this book shows how to define goals that directly address the needs of your organization, use improvement models appropriately, and devise a pragmatic action plan. In addition, it reveals valuable strategies for deploying organizational change, and delineates essential metrics for tracking your progress. Appendices provide examples of an action plan, a risk management plan, and a mini-assessment process.
You will learn how to:
For those managers who are tired of chronic project difficulties, constant new improvement schemes, and a lack of real progress, this easily digestible volume provides the real-world wisdom you need to realize positive change in your organization.
0201775778B02262002
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book deals with an abstract topic - how to carry out a process improvement program. Process improvements themselves are abstract, a program even more so.
The author reduces this to a practical level. Develop the plan, implement, assess. He's focussed on identifying problems before solutions and cautions against adoption of wholesale quality frameworks like ISO 9000 or CMM.
A lot of what's said seems like common sense - but for me my intuitions and hunches were given credence with his explanations as to why these things were appropriate. For instance, some groups are more receptive than others to change. Potter notes this as a reality and breaks groups down into innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards - explaining how to deal with each group. This is the sort of practical support that makes this book useful.
There are sections on metrics ( how to measure improvements ) and mini-assessments. Seems like common sense, but not everyone will think of these things.
Overall a good read if you're looking to change the way things are done in a technology environment. You will probably learn things, and find you have an ally in a published author.
Format:Paperback
The many endorsements are an accurate reflection of its quality. It is a very clear and concise guide (only three chapters) on how to improve software development practice. It should be read by anyone involved with process improvement - especially if they are using CMMI or similar process models. Potter and Sakry offer guidance on how to focus on real improvement, rather than getting seduced by model compliance. There are plenty of useful techniques and tools for directing and managing SPI work, measuring progress in terms of business benefits, and lots of very good advice too.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
11 reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
UN-common sense strategies
5 April 2002
Format:Paperback
This is one of those books that you'd think would be common sense knowledge, but isnt. I've been working in process improvement for 22 years and this is the first book I've found that collects all of the strategies I've found successful in one place!
The book starts by showing how easy it is to get "lost in the trees" (and kill a bunch of them in the process) if you try to "do CMM" like most people do the first time around. The authors do a great job of showing how to keep the main thing (delivering better quality software) the main thing and avoid creating mountains of useless documentation.
I would recommend that anyone looking at achieving higher levels of maturity in CMM, SPICE, or ISO 9000 read this and take a reality check on their plans.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Tells you how to "just do it"
15 Nov 2002
Format:Paperback
The development of quality software has proven to be one of the most difficult tasks ever to arise in the brains of humans. With so many ways to fail and so few paths to success, there is not a single software shop without a great deal of room for improvement. However, determining that a shop needs to improve is about as difficult as hitting the ground if you slip on ice. The hard part is identifying where the changes should be made and making sure that real change is done rather than some simple shuffling of resources or pointless changing of names.
That point is where this book becomes valuable. It is a concise document, describing in broad, but not excruciatingly fine detail how to improve processes for managing the construction of software. The names of the chapters summarize the basics of any well-constructed process: developing a plan, implementing the plan and checking progress. It also gives you sound advice as to how to track the changes in the process, so important to convince those doing the changing that what you are doing is in their interest.
I recommend that all managers of software development projects examine this book. It will also show you how to stay on track, as it is all too easy to find excuses to significantly deviate from any plan.
That point is where this book becomes valuable. It is a concise document, describing in broad, but not excruciatingly fine detail how to improve processes for managing the construction of software. The names of the chapters summarize the basics of any well-constructed process: developing a plan, implementing the plan and checking progress. It also gives you sound advice as to how to track the changes in the process, so important to convince those doing the changing that what you are doing is in their interest.
I recommend that all managers of software development projects examine this book. It will also show you how to stay on track, as it is all too easy to find excuses to significantly deviate from any plan.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Pragmatic Process Improvement!
3 April 2002
Format:Paperback
The numerous examples, cases, graphs, and templates give the reader the tools to start the improvements in his or her own organization. Furthermore, the book is fun and easy to read. To me and my colleagues, it'll be very useful!
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