SG 1 Determine Process-Improvement Opportunities
Strengths, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities for the organization's processes are identified periodically and as needed.
Strengths, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities may be determined relative to a process standard or model such as a CMMI model or International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard.
The process improvements should be selected specifically to address the organization's needs.
SP 1.1 Establish Organizational Process Needs
Establish and maintain the description of the process needs and objectives for the organization.
For Integrated Product and Process Development
Integrated processes that emphasize parallel rather than serial development are a cornerstone of IPPD implementation.Product development processes and product-related life-cycle processes, such as the manufacturing process development and the support process development processes, are conducted concurrently. Such integrated processes need to accommodate the information provided by stakeholders
representing all phases of the product life cycle from both business and technical functions. Processes for effective teamwork will also be needed.
Examples of processes for effective teamwork include the following:
· Communications
· Collaborative decision making
· Issue resolution
· Team building
The organization's processes operate in a business context that must be understood. The organization's business objectives, needs, and constraints determine the needs and objectives for the organization’s processes. Typically, the issues related to financial, technological,quality, human resource, and marketing are important process considerations.
The organization's process needs and objectives cover aspects that include the following:
· Characteristics of the processes
· Process performance objectives, such as time to market and product quality
· Process effectiveness
Typical Work Products
1. Organization’s process needs and objectives
Subpractices
1. Identify the policies, standards, and business objectives that are applicable to the organization's processes.
2. Examine relevant process standards and models for best practices.
3. Determine the organization’s process performance objectives.
Process performance objectives may be expressed in quantitative or qualitative terms.
Examples of process performance objectives include the following:
· Cycle time
· Defect removal rates
· Productivity
4. Define the essential characteristics of the organization’s processes.
The essential characteristics of the organization’s processes are determined based on the following:
· Processes currently being used in the organization
· Process and product standards imposed by the organization
· Process and product standards commonly imposed by customers of the organization
Examples of process characteristics include the following:
· Level of detail used to describe the processes
· Process notation used
· Granularity of the processes
5. Document the organization’s process needs and objectives.
6. Revise the organization’s process needs and objectives as needed.
SP 1.2 Appraise the Organization’s Processes
Appraise the processes of the organization periodically and as needed to maintain an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.
Process appraisals may be performed for the following reasons:
· To identify processes that should be improved
· To confirm progress and make the benefits of process improvement visible
· To satisfy the needs of a customer-supplier relationship
· To motivate and facilitate buy-in
The buy-in gained during a process appraisal can be eroded significantly if it is not followed by an appraisal-based action plan.
Typical Work Products
1. Plans for the organization's process appraisals
2. Appraisal findings that address strengths and weaknesses of the organization's processes
3. Improvement recommendations for the organization's processes
Subpractices
1. Obtain sponsorship of the process appraisal from senior management.
Senior-management sponsorship includes the commitment to have the organization's managers and staff participate in the process appraisal and to provide the resources and funding to analyze and communicate the findings of the appraisal.
2. Define the scope of the process appraisal.
Process appraisals may be performed on the entire organization or may be performed on a smaller part of an organization such as a single project or business area.
The scope of the process appraisal addresses the following:
· Definition of the organization (e.g., sites or business areas) that will be covered by the appraisal
· Identification of the project and support functions that will represent the organization in the appraisal
· Processes that will be appraised
3. Determine the method and criteria for process appraisal.
Process appraisals can occur in many forms. Process appraisals should address the needs and objectives of the organization, which may change over time. For example, the appraisal may be based on a process model, such as a CMMI model, or on a national or international standard, such as ISO 9001. The appraisals may also be based on a benchmark comparison with other organizations. The appraisal method may assume a variety of characteristics in terms of time and effort expended, makeup of the appraisal team, and the method and depth of investigation.
4. Plan, schedule, and prepare for the process appraisal.
5. Conduct the process appraisal.
6. Document and deliver the appraisal’s activities and findings.
SP 1.3 Identify the Organization's Process Improvements
Identify improvements to the organization's processes and process assets.
Typical Work Products
1. Analysis of candidate process improvements
2. Identification of improvements for the organization's processes
Subpractices
1. Determine candidate process improvements.
Candidate process improvements are typically determined by doing the following:
· Measure the processes and analyze the measurement results
· Review the processes for effectiveness and suitability
· Review the lessons learned from tailoring the organization’s set of standard processes
· Review the lessons learned from implementing the processes
· Review process-improvement proposals submitted by the organization's managers and staff, and other relevant stakeholders
· Solicit inputs on process improvements from the senior management and leaders in the organization
· Examine the results of process appraisals and other process-related reviews
· Review results of other organization improvement initiatives
2. Prioritize the candidate process improvements.
Criteria for prioritization are as follows:
· Consider the estimated cost and effort to implement the process improvements
· Appraise the expected improvement against the organization's improvement objectives and priorities
· Determine the potential barriers to the process improvements and develop strategies for overcoming these barriers
Examples of techniques to help determine and prioritize the possible improvements to be implemented include the following:
· A gap analysis that compares current conditions in the organization with optimal conditions
· Force-field analysis of potential improvements to identify potential barriers and strategies for overcoming those barriers
· Cause-and-effect analyses to provide information on the potential effects of different improvements that can then be compared
3. Identify and document the process improvements that will be implemented.
4. Revise the list of planned process improvements to keep it current.
