Friday, July 30, 2010
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Introducing Methodologies?

Have your previous attempts to introduce methodologies been less than successful?

Let 6D ... show you how we can optimize your methodology delivery through our fully integrated software solutions.


Benefits of 6D Software Products

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Ease of Accessibility - with 6D products users can single-click to navigate to their methodology content - resulting in a dramatic increase in methodology use
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Relevance - with 6D products the Project Manager can easily customize the content to give clear project related guidance where necessary. Methods now reflect the realities of the project and organization and are not generic
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Easy to build knowledgebase of best practices from successful projects div>
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Meet organizational or other standards: CMMI, ISO, Six Sigma, PMI's - PMBOK® Guide 
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Easy to provide task specific guidance to all Project Staff
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Task specific guidance to all Project Staff

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CMMI Methodologies

Process Implementation Planning (PIP) for CMMI Level 2 and 3

These are full Project lifecycles that provides practical step-by-step processes to help you implement and start institutionalizing CMMI Level 2 and/or 3 policies and processes in your organization. They leverage the SEI’s CMMI guidelines and ensure that management and control processes are used in completing this project. Each methodology (PIP for Level 2 or 3) guides you through understanding and determining the “gaps” in your organization, policies and procedures.
 
Using management feedback, analysis of current situation and requirements of CMMI, it helps you in the creation of an internal communications plan, an organization skills development plan, and setting up of required roles, responsibilities, standards, policies and procedures.
 
The PIP includes tasks for customizing and building required CMMI policies and processes. The PIP further ensures that your Polices and Processes are “field tested” and improved through initial pilot projects before a full-scale rollout.
 
PIP consists of a hierarchical set of processes designed to be used “out of the box”. It is very intuitive and easy to use with many examples and templates of Work Products (Deliverables). These deliverables are linked directly to the tasks. For example, if you are looking at the details of the 'Create Work Authorization' task, an example of a Work Authorization Document is attached and accessible directly from the task.
 
The entire Project Work Break Down (WBS) is defined. Where appropriate, processes contain the following:
  • Descriptions - Overview, Description, Input, Deliverables, Exit Criteria etc.
  • Dependencies
  • Roles and Responsibilities
  • Examples and/or Templates of Deliverables

Understanding the CMMI Implementation Process

Introduction

CMMI has emerged as the de facto standard for software process improvement. The Software Engineering Institute has done tremendous work in bringing together a framework that allows organizations to achieve process maturity. For a number of very good reasons, the SEI has not published detailed action plans on how to actually implement the maturity model. This however, makes it hard for individuals to implement CMMI in their organizations.

Breaking it down

The CMMI guidelines prescribe a number of ways a company can achieve higher levels of process maturity. While each of these measures is easy enough to conceptualize in isolation the problem comes when you want to bring it all together. Defining organizational processes and policies is the easy part, rolling them out is more tricky.
To analyze the problem of implementing CMMI you have to break it down into its components.
 
What is it? - It is a framework for software process maturity proposed by the Software Engineering Institute.
What does it comprise of? - It comprises of defined processes and policies for performing work related to producing software.
 
How do you put it in practice? - This is the trickier part and comprises of a plan that performs gap analysis, defines support structures and organization and rolls out CMMI across the organization.
 
Implementing CMMI has strong parallels with standard project lifecycles. A standard software project can be thought of as comprising of three distinct components.
 
Establishing Ground Rules - You have an initial phase where the ground rules are established. In traditional projects this would be the phase where an agreement to proceed is obtained and requirements are gathered.
 
Planning the Project - Based on the requirements for the project, the project plan is developed and the project staffed.
 
Executing the Project - The project is executed and the software implemented at the end.
 
For CMMI these translate into 
 
 
 
Standard Lifecycle
 CMMI Implementation
Establishing Ground Rules
Defining the Processes and Policies
Planning the Project
Planning and staffing the effort, identifying the sponsor and SEPG
Executing the Project
Executing the implementation project - Performing Gap Analysis, Fine Tuning the Processes and Policies, Creating Support Groups, Identifying Pilot Projects, etc...
 
 

Conclusion

A CMMI implementation has strong similarities with software project management. Thus a complete CMMI implementation solution should be able to address three critical issues, namely
  • Establishing Ground Rules
  • Planning the Implementation
  • Executing the Implementation Plan

 
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