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and Services > Improvement
Planning >
Improvement
Planning
Improvement
Planning
PS&J
Software Six Sigma kicks off the improvement planning process with an informal assessment of the
organization’s current capability. We
map out “as is” development process, collecting any existing process
performance data and supplementing the existing data as necessary with anecdotal
data derived from an interview process. Our
assessment findings are used to identify organization strengths and weaknesses
and to derive a process capability model that captures the economics of software
development at the organization.
The
process capability model includes estimates of productivity, product quality,
and cost of quality and captures the relationships between these quantities in
quantitative form. The process
capability model provides the basis for projecting savings, deciding which
improvements should be funded, and estimating the potential return on the
improvements. Use of the model allows setting quantitative process improvement
targets that are directly related to business goals.
Once
the model is in place, PS&J Software Six Sigma works with the management team to set SMART
(Specific, Measurable, Aggressive & Achievable, Relevant to Business,
Time-Bound) improvement goals. The
goals typically cover a one-year period. These goals are the next input to
the improvement planning process.
After
the management goals are set, PS&J Software Six Sigma facilitates an improvement planning
workshop that builds a plan to meet management’s goals. The workshop provides
a foundation for the introduction and application of measurable process
improvement practices within their organization, while helping avoid the typical
pitfalls of model-based software process
improvement.
The
planning team typically includes process owners, all members of the staff
responsible for the process improvement activity as well as the project
managers, and some members of the senior technical staff selected for their
influence and technical leadership qualities.
This
workshop process allows the team to identify, prioritize, and establish a
consensus about the opportunities for improvement that have the best chance at
meeting management’s goals and provide the best overall return on investment.
The team creates an overall plan for the year and a detailed plan for the next
quarter. The plan includes:
The
team then produces a presentation summarizing the plan.
The workshop concludes with the team presenting the plan to management
for approval. The sponsors have an
opportunity to review the plan and to ask questions during the presentation.
Sponsoring management’s approval of the plan defines a commitment
between all parties.
The
plan is used to manage the process improvement effort like a project.
Progress is tracked at weekly status meetings and corrective actions are
taken whenever actual results deviate from planned values.
At the end of the quarter there is a post-mortem.
Following the post mortem, a detailed plan for the next quarter is
developed. Sponsoring management is briefed on progress to-date and
plans for the next quarter at a status meeting.
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