Learning from Choices

A frequently heard question in our business is “How long is it going to take us to achieve the next maturity level?” The answer to this question is always: “It depends.”

Through over 15 years of process improvement consulting, we have learned many things. One of the most important learnings is that every organization is unique. Each organization’s process improvement journey looks and feels different. Improving organization means that the humans inside the organization are changing their behaviors and business practices. Because process improvement is a behavioral change, there is no single predetermined set of resources (human, time, tools, etc.) to guarantee success.

PEP’s process improvement coaching and mentoring always offers choices, options and flexibility. We discuss the pros and cons of those choices with our clients and provide guidance in choice implementation. Moreover, as each organization matures its processes, the challenges, lessons learned, and potential solutions provide new options and necessitate new choices.

PEP is one of the world’s most experienced process improvement consulting firms. It is this wealth of knowledge and experience that we bring to our clients improvement efforts.

The Three C’s of Process Improvement

There are many factors that affect the success of a process improvement program. But the most important success factors can be categorized as the 3 C’s:

Commitment

Every process improvement guide cites demonstrated management commitment to process improvement as a key factor to success. Demonstration means as much active participation as possible. It is not enough to “pay the bill” and provide the necessary funding. Here are some useful questions: “How often does our sponsor ask questions about the details of progress?” “How has our sponsor changed his/her behaviors to lead the improvement effort?” “Can we comfortably provide feedback to our sponsor on their behaviors?”

Communication

Communication is often undervalued during a process improvement effort. Issues beyond the announcement of new processes should focus on the need for improvement and the progress accomplished. Communication should be varied, relying on the internal web-site, paper flyers and posters, and social events (e.g. a pizza lunch funded by the process improvement program), and other opportunities to share information. A publicly-administered award system aids in communication. Remember that communication must be bi-directional – listening to feedback on what is working and what is not (and why) is equally valuable to communicating what is and will be happening with regard to process improvement.

Collaboration

When the few provide guidance to the many, resistance to change increases. Every employee may not be an active participant in the process improvement effort. However, the feeling that they are adequately represented in decision-making counts toward participation. Some believe that collaboration slows things down. But like a good project, spending that extra time up front enables an easier and quicker adoption later. And by using communication effectively (see above), incorporating effective feedback facilitates collaboration without consuming as much time. Increasing collaborative efforts enables the seeding of process owners and experts throughout the organization, providing those local champions that bolster sponsorship commitment.

PEP’s coaching and mentoring in these (and other) areas help our clients make successful process improvement part of their organizational culture.

PEP’s Approach to Process Improvement

Process Enhancement Partners, Inc. (PEP) is a professional services organization devoted exclusively to helping software development and maintenance organizations improve:

• business performance (in terms of project predictability, product quality, productivity, and decreased project cycle time, etc.) and
• quality of life for the software developers (in terms of reduced pressure, reduced overtime, more reasonable demands and schedules, enhanced teamwork, etc.).

We do this through the use of numerous process improvement models, e.g., the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Model® for Integration- CMMI® ; and our understanding of the human dynamics of process improvement (PI). As a full-service organization supporting software process improvement, PEP performs a variety of discrete services in such areas as:

• appraisals (determination of an organization’s strengths and weaknesses relative to the CMMI®, either informally or through means of formal maturity level rating),
• training (in such areas as the CMMI, change management, process improvement action planning, etc.), and
• consulting (in support of process group members or executive change sponsors).

PEP Value Added

Most of our clients find that we add the greatest value when we enter into a long-term relationship, providing an integrated collection of services over time.We refer to this long-term relationship and integrated set of services as a PEP Continuous Improvement Method program (P-CIM). Special challenges arise with clients where there are a number of geographically or functionally diverse software organizations.In such cases, it is critical to identify and respond to the unique needs and special circumstances of each individual business unit, while at the same time maintaining corporate-level consistency in such areas as process improvement policies, resource allocation, reporting requirements, and goal setting. PEP’s approach under these circumstances is to work with both the corporate-level process body and directly with the individual software units.Our objective is to help the corporate body become a vehicle for exchanging experiences and best practices among the software units, while allowing each unit to adopt improvements in a manner, in a sequence, and at a pace that fits for that unit. In other words, PEP makes every effort to insure our clients achieve Process Improvement (PI) autonomy , self-sufficiency and financial benefits.

Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

In is important to distinguish between PEP’s support role and the role in the internal client change agents and sponsors, both at the corporate level and at the operating unit level. PEP’s role is to:

• bring our experience and expertise regarding the CMMI® and the human dynamics of organizational change;
• grow and develop the skills and knowledge of the change agents and sponsors with whom we work;
• act as a sounding board and external experts to validate, mentor, and comment on ‘local’ SPI efforts and ideas
• work with our clients to leverage the effective use and implementation of ‘improvement techniques and models’ for both financial and human advantage.

The organization’s own personnel must ultimately be responsible for

• making the key strategic decisions involved in planning the changes,
• preparing the standards and procedures to be adopted by the organization, and
• enacting improved processes and providing feedback regarding their effectiveness.

Process Improvement Management Overview

Overview

The Process Improvement Executive Overview is a one (1) day course that has been well received by audiences in both the U.S. and Europe. The contents of the Overview served as the basis for critical course materials excerpted from PEP’s other CMM®/CMMI® training classes.

Description:

Process Improvement Executive Overview introduces:

• the Software Engineering Institute’s (SEI) Capability Maturity Model® (CMM®) or CMMI®, as appropriate,
• Software Process Assessments (CBA-IPIs/ SCAMPs, P-CAM®, etc.),
• Software Process Issues, and
• selected elements of Change Management.

Benefits:

Participants of this tutorial will leave with a better understanding of the content and implications of software process improvement. Key decision makers will be better equipped to utilize software process improvement in achieving their organization’s software objectives.