Consulting

Q-Success offers support in all phases of software process improvement programs. We not only identify the areas where change is needed, but also help by assisting or directing the work force in the necessary steps of implementation.

Process improvement is a cyclical procedure with the following phases:

• assessment
• analysis of findings
• identification of improvements
• planning of the required activities
• deployment
  • process definition
  • training
  • introduction in projects
  • verification
• re-assessment

An opinion from outside the organization, which is both independent and unbiased, is essential in assessments. But also in the finding and implementing of subsequent improvements, the experiences of an external expert can prove invaluable.

Assessments of your development processes

Assessments are the method used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes. Normally, a model is chosen on which the judgment can be based. Q-Success uses the Capability Maturity Model Integration^SM (CMMI^SM), the most widely used model for software development. CMMI is an improvement model, defined by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and implemented with noted success by numerous software developing organizations worldwide, working in all types of application areas.

Q-Success offers assessments by means of

• Guided Self Assessments

Using this method, a software-development organization assesses itself under the guidance of an external expert. The expert supplies the expertise on the model, assists in the application of it, leads and moderates meetings, and then summarizes the findings in a final report.

• Cooperative Assessments

In a cooperative assessment, one or more external experts evaluate the processes, with active support from the organization being assessed. The goal is always to identify weaknesses, in order to overcome them by working on and achieving the appropriate improvements. It is essential, therefore, not to conclude with a formal certificate. Avoiding this allows the assessment to be cooperative in nature, providing a much better basis to gain valuable insight.

Unlike other recognized standards, (e.g. ISO 9000) there is no formal CMMI certificate. Nevertheless, one often sees assessments producing an official document, which strongly resembles a certification. Q-Success does not offer this type of assessment. In the true spirit of CMMI, we concentrate on real improvement.

Software Project Management