On February 26, 2009, the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) announced the release of its much anticipated CMMI for Services (CMMI-SVC). Just as the CMMI model extended the coverage of the original Software CMM to also include development of hardware and systems products, this new CMMI model covers the establishment, management, and delivery of services. Services may include Information Technology support services, field installation and maintenance services, training services, transportation services, and even areas far removed from typical CMMI engineering domains, such as health care, landscaping, and delivery services. More details, and access to the full text of the model, can be found at: http://www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/09.reports/09tr001.html

The SEI has recognized PEP, Inc. as an early adopter of the CMMI-SVC model, as a result of our work in support of training and use case development. Both PEP partners are now authorized by the SEI to provide the following services:

• Teach the one-day CMMI for Services supplement, designed to provide background on the new model to people who have already completed the three-day Introduction to the CMMI-DEV course, Version 1.2. (This training qualifies a person to be a Team Member on a CMMI-SVC SCAMPI team.)
• Lead SCAMPI appraisals (classes A, B, and C) using the CMMI-SVC model. (Note that, since the model is newly released, the SEI will not be accepting SCAMPI-A appraisal results against the CMMI-SVC model until September, 2009.)

(Please also note that a new three-day Introduction to the CMMI-SVC course, one that will not address the Development model, is now under development at the SEI. PEP is supporting the development of this course, and plans to make it available to clients once it is released by the SEI.)

This new model will be especially valuable for organizations that perform both engineering development and services delivery. These organizations will now be able to expand the coverage of their CMMI-based process improvement activities to include their service delivery activities. It will also allow new organizations, ones that provide services but perform little or no engineering development, to gain the benefits of CMMI-based process improvement. The increases in delivered quality, in work efficiency, and in effort predictability that have been realized by development groups for many years will now be available to service delivery groups as well.

For more information on the CMMI-SVC model, and how it can help improve the performance of your organization, please contact PEP.

Scheduling

PEP’s consulting schedule is normally quite busy.

• Large scale events such as Appraisals may require three (3) or more months advance notice and planning;
• Smaller events such as Informal Appraisals (SCAMPI-B or C) may require several weeks to months advance notice; and
• Priority scheduling preference is given to PEP’s existing clients.

New clients are always welcome and serviced in as timely and expeditious a manner as possible. PEP makes every effort to support your Process Improvement consulting needs.

In the event that PEP is unable to promptly address your needs, we will, when possible, recommend alternate consulting solutions.

If you have any questions with regards to PEP’s availability contact our business office. We will respond promptly.

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.

Six Sigma

As organizations engage in CMMI programs, the development of either new and/ or significantly modified business practices is a certainty. The evolution and/or creation of business practices, in an on-going business (set of engineering efforts) generally occur as “punctuated process episodes”; as many as 10-20 major punctuated process episodes may be required per CMMI maturity level advanced.

As anyone who has been involved in a CMMI based improvement effort certainly knows, CMMI provides an excellent set of guidelines for “what” needs to be done, but it only provides brief, and non-directive, insight in “how-to” achieve process improvement objectives. Six Sigma is almost exactly the opposite in this regard. Its emphasis is on “how-to” plan, guide and measure improvements.

Mark Rabideau has recently achieved his Black Belt. To help his clients visualize and move successfully into this arena, Mark provides the ProcessTeam website. The ProcessTeam site currently provides over 500MB of process improvement related documents, templates, and examples, all set in an environment designed to simulate an operational engineering process system.

Contact Mark Rabideau directly if you are interested in discussing how Six Sigma and CMMI can work effectively together.

Description:

SCAMPI assessments have two primary goals: 1. to provide an accurate picture of the current state of the organization’s process relative to a selected CMMI model, and 2. to foster organizational commitment to continuing process improvement.

• • collecting data to develop an understanding of the currently implemented processes,
  • identifying process strengths and weaknesses,
  • accurately characterizing the organization’s process maturity level (for Staged representation) or process capability profile (for Continuous representation)
  • developing and supporting organizational ownership of assessment results, and
  • assisting in sustaining sponsorship and commitment for process improvement.
  • Assessment Planning Support
  • Assessment Team Training
  • Assessment Participants’ Briefing Support
  • Questionnaire Administration and Response Analysis Support
  • Initial Document Review (either pre-assessment or at the start of the on-site assessment period)
  • Full participation in the entire On-Site Period, including the Final Findings Presentation and a Confidence Report
  • Optionally, support for the Assessment Final Report and/or the Recommendations Briefing.
  • guiding the initial assessment planning (including selection of an appropriate reference model),
  • training the assessment team (typically, both CMMI model training and SCAMPI method training), and
  • mentoring the team throughout all phases of the assessment activity.
  • SCAMPI provides official SEI Capability and/or Maturity Level Ratings
  • SCAMPI results may be used to demonstrate formal SEI appraisal results to clients for contractual or other obligations.
    

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In support of these objectives, the SCAMPI method involves:SEI licensed and authorized SCAMPI Process Assessments include:

As an SEI-licensed transition partner, PEP supports our client organizations’ undertaking of SCAMPI assessments by:

Following a formal SCAMPI assessment, an organization is prepared to develop an action improvement plan to implement the assessment recommendations. Those organizations that follow through with implementing process improvement across multiple disciplines realize tangible, long-term benefits from their assessment investments.

Benefits:

There are numerous benefits associated with the conduct of SCAMPI Assessments, however, the most crucial are:

^SM CMMI, SCAMPI, and CBA-IPI are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University.

CMM® is registered by Carnegie Mellon University with the USPTO.