Process Improvement and CMMI Maturity Level 3: In the Ultra-Small

1. Process Improvement and CMMI Maturity Level 3: In the Ultra-Small March 13, 2009 JFR Consulting jfryskowski@yahoo.com

2. Feeling Ancient? • Ancient Egyptians realized the need for middle-management when they buried 401 shabtis with their royalty; 365 to perform daily tasks, and 36 to manage those 365. How many shabtis should be buried if there were only 10 days in a year? • This is the story of a 12 person company that achieved maturity level 3. JFR Consulting

3. Table of Contents • The Organization (company) • The Defined Process (OSP) • The Appraisal JFR Consulting

4. the Organization (Company) 1 • Physically • 12 person company • Geographically disparate personnel • Incorporated 20 October 2000 • Based in Mesa, Arizona • Software Systems engineering company • Specializing in software architectures • Bleeding edge technologies • Target Domains • Government • Commercial JFR Consulting

5. the Organization (Company) 2 • Values • Have fun  • Control our own time / control our own destiny • Work with bleeding edge technologies • Build good products from which others can benefit • Have fun  • Say what you’ll do, do what you say • Make sure it makes sense • Paid for every hour worked • Insurance / Medical package • 401k JFR Consulting

6. the Organization (Company) 3 • Cultural Results • Communicative, intimate • Transparency- standing communication events and associated tools • Social amplification- no time or opportunity for hidden agendas manipulating the system or hiding out • As well, if you are not of an open and cooperative spirit, and not a top performer, you will never work for this company to begin with JFR Consulting

7. Making Lemonade • Personnel conditions detrimental to success • Geographically distributed • Working out of homes • Primarily responsible for their own time • Very limited face-to-face contact Lemons • Personnel conditions- keys to success • Geographically distributed • Working out of homes • Primarily responsible for their own time • Very limited face-to-face contact Lemonade JFR Consulting

8. Communication- Virtual Office • Use of Bridgit and Skype key tools • Asynchronous – sending files over Skype. Also standard external and secure internal email. • Semi-Asynchronous – Skype chat, notes pop up on your screen, like someone popping by your office. Even men can multi-task. Can see when people are on or off-line. • Synchronous • Skype VTC, used occasionally for 1 on 1 meetings • Skype telecom, a teleconference used extensively • With the addition of Bridgit (where participants can view the discussion leader’s desktop, and do whiteboarding), you are virtually in the conference room during the discussion. JFR Consulting

9. Extreme Tipping Point • In typical organizations there can be various levels of buy in, and still the entire organization is level 3. • In the ultra-small environment this is not possible. Either everyone is a liar, diluted, or actually doing it; there is no in between. “try not; do, or do not, there is no try” - Yoda JFR Consulting

10. “Because you have personality” • Little Rascals- Darla to Alfalfa • GM and CTO set the tone of open and frank • They are the process leads, trash pickup • Tasks well outside the job description • The task of giving employees reasons to love working for the company is taken seriously JFR Consulting

11. Good Process Genes • OR- “They cheated, they have good DNA”- Process background of company principals • Both are process wonks • Both had significant roles in defining and establishing software processes for a level 5 company • Both managed Quality Assurance/Design teams • Both are trained assessors (CMM / CMMI) • Both participated in multiple assessments (including Level 5) JFR Consulting

12. Table of Contents • The Organization (company) • The Defined Process (OSP) • The Appraisal JFR Consulting

13. OSP Approach • Basic precepts • Maximize the work that can be accomplished by focusing people on the artifacts that need to be generated • Minimize the number of things that must be touched to perform an activity • The process is embedded in the templates, forms, and checklists JFR Consulting

14. OSP Architecture JFR Consulting

15. OSP Breakdown • Policies • Provide the “authorization” • 4 Manuals • Describe “what to do” • Grouping of topics is based on the CMMI • Builds on the millions invested in the SEI models • Handbooks • Describe some of “what to do” • Capture “how to do it” • Templates / forms / additional materials • Provide the bulk of the “record” • Facilitate execution (more of “how to do it”) • Provide consistency and support deployment of improvements • Include instructions JFR Consulting

16. Reviews: Milestone • Milestone Reviews • Project Kick-off (PK) • Software Requirements Review (SRR) • System Design Review (SDR) • Integration Readiness Review (IRR) • System Test Readiness Review (STRR) • Release Readiness Review (RRR) • Post Mortem • Characteristics • May overlap customer reviews (in addition to OR pre-empt) • SRR, SDR, and IRR are not gating, but must be completed successfully to exit the phase • STRR or RRR must completed successfully prior to delivery JFR Consulting

17. Reviews: Internal • Most Engineering artifacts are reviewed • Requirements • Use Cases • DAR • Vignettes • Code • Test Plan • Test Cases • Test report • SVD • Activity record containing list of participants, review status, action items, decisions, and checklist JFR Consulting

18. Checklists • Highlight / ensure • Participation • Preparation • Compliance to key elements of applicable processes • Associated with… • Reviews (Internal / Milestone) • Checklists customized to the artifact or activity • Meetings • Senior Staff • Program Management Reviews • CCBs JFR Consulting

19. Templates and Forms • Majority of defined artifacts have supporting templates, activities have associated templates or forms • Provide the bulk of the “record” • Facilitate execution • Provide consistency, support deployment of improvements • Normally contain guidance on how to use them (limited training materials) JFR Consulting

20. Table of Contents • The Organization (company) • The Defined Process (OSP) • The Appraisal JFR Consulting

21. Institutionalization… • … a moot point or instantaneous; you be the judge • The GM only allows process changes that are common sense and truly help his company perform. • As such process updates are instantaneous, why wouldn’t the company want to adopt them? • Example: the GM agreed to a priority column for the risk list template; it was drafted, reviewed, updated, rolled out, and adopted by projects in one week. JFR Consulting

22. Quandary Becomes Reality • This small, intimate setting poses some challenges for some appraisal guidance topics. • One of which is that no superior-subordinate relationships can exists in the appraisal room within the team and during interviews. • This simply cannot be achieved; the appraisal team consisted of the lead, a process consultant, the GM and CTO (who are the process principals). • The QA lead/lead SE took care of the sponsor role, there are simply no other choices. JFR Consulting

23. Interesting Process Math • GP 2.3 = GP 3.1 • FlySpray (CM tool) Manual describes the CM tool which also contains some process definition. • OSP=PDP=GP 2.2 • The organization’s standard process is the project’s defined process, which also constitutes some of the planned activities that all projects must follow. • GP 2.8 = GP 2.10 • The weekly senior staff meeting includes detailed project status, it is a working meeting, not just a reporting meeting. JFR Consulting

24. Interesting Appraisal Algebra Transitive Property of Equality The following property: If a = b and b = c, then a = c. Applying this property to services appraisals: If CMMI = Manuals/Templates/Handbooks andManuals/Templates/Handbooks = Project Activities thenCMMI = Project Activities JFR Consulting

25. Interesting Appraisal Algebra JFR Consulting

26. Thank You JFR Consulting