# Presentation: 287380

## Do’s and Don’ts ofProcess ImprovementPat O’Toole, PACTNovember 2005

**Notes:**
The presentation you are about to see was developed by, and contains the very strong opinions of, Pat O’Toole.  This material may not be suitable for all conference attendees and is intended for immature audiences only.  Bible-thumping CMM zealots may be offended by some of the following material; viewer discretion is advised!

## Acknowledgments

- Terms like these are often used in the following material:
- CMM®  Framework
- IDEALSM Model
- Capability Maturity Model SM  and IDEALSM are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University
- ®CMM is registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office

**Notes:**
Pay homage to the SEI

## “Primary” Lessons Learned

**Secure Senior Management Sponsorship**
**Treat SPI as a Project **
**Engage Internal Staff**

## OK, what now?

**Yeah, but what do we DO?**
**And is there anything we should AVOID doing?**

## Do’s and Don’ts

**Senior Management**
**CMMI**
**Measurement**
**Process**

## Do’s and Don’ts: Senior Management	

**“****Sponsorship” is nice,*****Proactive Leadership***** is better!**
**Don’t**** Treat the Level as the Goal**
**Do**** Establish “Alignment Principle”**
**Do**** Take Time Getting Faster**
**Do**** Align the Reward System**
**Do****/****Don’t**** Lead by Example**

**Notes:**
Any Senior Managers in here?

How many see the lack of senior management commitment as part of the problem?

## Don’t Treat the Level as the Goal

**What are you **_**really**_** trying to achieve?**
**What is the business imperative?**
**How do your customers evaluate your products?**
**Why do potential customers keep buying your competitor’s products?**
**Which would be better:**
**Achieve Level 2, but NOT the business objectives?**
**Achieve the business objectives, but NOT Level 2?**
**So what’s the REAL goal?**

**Notes:**
Show of hands on “which would be better?”

## Don’t Treat the Level as the Goal

**Maximize the VALUE, not the LEVEL!**
**Problem:**** Focusing on the level establishes conflict between the SPI project and the software projects**
**Solution:**** Focusing on the **_**business imperative**_** produces harmony**
**Well, at least it reduces the conflict!**
**Lends credibility to the SPI program**
**Changes discussion from “if” to “how”**

**Notes:**
IF the level HAS TO BE the goal, make middle managers responsible for achieving it – not the SEPG!

How many of you can give a clear, concise, single-sentence response to the question, “Why are you doing process improvement?”
Could senior management?
Could the project teams?

## Faster, Better, Cheaper - pick ONE!
If you could improve in only 1 area, which would it be?
Which “number one priority” is really on top?
Remember Deming’s “constancy of purpose”?

**If you could improve in only 1 area, which would it be?**
**Which “number one priority” is really on top?**
**Remember Deming’s “constancy of purpose”?**

**Do**** Establish “Alignment Principle”**

**Notes:**
Medtronics – software in pacemakers

How many think the goal is
Faster?
Better?
Cheaper?
All three or none of the above?

## Do Establish “Alignment Principle”

**Example:**
**“****Achieve an annual, sustainable 10% reduction in field reported defects without degrading current levels of cost, schedule, and functional variance.”**
**Align business, project, and SPI goals**
**SPI becomes “Software **_**Project**_** ****Improvement”**
**Communicate this broadly**
**Focus with a passion!**

**Notes:**
Senior management MUST set this – it is a STRATEGIC decision.
Get it from the horse’s mouth

One org – get developers to work less than 60 hrs/week.

If the SEPG is not helping the projects achieve measurably greater success, then the SEPG is failing!

## Why would your customer believe 6 months when they don’t believe 8?
Do YOU believe it?
Have you seen the plan?  
Is it credible?
Remember: A wish is NOT a plan!
How will the troops respond to this goal?

**Do YOU believe it?**
**Have you seen the plan?  **
**Is it credible?**
**Remember: A wish is NOT a plan!**
**How will the troops respond to this goal?**

**Do**** Take Time Getting Faster**

**Notes:**
Ritualistic dance – like budgeting

## Do Take Time Getting Faster

**Despite what they SAY, most customers WANT predictability - they want to **_**believe!**_
**Applies equally well to:**
**Internal customers (Product Mgt / Marketing)**
**External customers**
**Prerequisite: enhance the credibility of your estimates**
**The troops want to be **_**believed**_**!**
**It’s a matter of professional integrity.**

**Notes:**
Need to change the tune of the ritualistic dance

May require senior management interaction with the customer

## Improving Capability

**Improving Capability**

**target**

**target**

**target**

**target**

**target**

**target**

**Improve**
**predictability**

**Improve**
**control**

**Improve**
**performance**

**probability**

**probability**

**probability**

**probability**

**probability**

**probability**

**Notes:**
Predictability

Control

Performance

## Do Align the Reward System

**What behavior do you reward today?**
**Who received the last few achievement awards?**
**Why did they receive them?**
**Why do people *****perceive***** they received them?**
**Perception **_**is**_** reality to the perceiver**
**Are the reward system and the Alignment Principle aligned?**

**Notes:**
Perception IS reality to the perceiver

## Do Align the Reward System

**The behavior you reward is the behavior you get**
**Stop rewarding process arson and fire fighting**
**Start rewarding disciplined planning & execution**
**Not all rewards are monetary**
**Atta-boys**
**Success stories published**
**Executive recognition**
**Promotions**
**But money’s nice too!**

**Notes:**
Grab slicker and charge into the fray.

Find out how old Mrs. Brown is.

Like language, words and actions need to be aligned to send a consistent message

## Do/Don’t Lead By Example

**What are **_**YOU**_** doing to become more process disciplined?**
**Are any of **_**your**_** processes documented?**
**Does anyone verify that **_**you**_** are following them?**
**Are **_**you**_** trying to improve them over time?**
**Are **_**you**_** sending the message, ****“Do as I say, not as I do”?**

**Notes:**
Heteronyms – wind, bow, resume

## Do/Don’t Lead By Example

**Consider documenting the Organizational Commitment Process first**
**“****How does our organization commit to doing work on behalf of a customer?”**
**Involve peers in Marketing/Product Management**
**Pilot the process**
**Have SQA verify adherence**
**Demonstrate **_**your personal commitment**_** to process discipline and process improvement.**
**Sponsorship is nice; proactive leadership is better!**

**Notes:**
Ham and eggs breakfast
Chicken is involved
Pig is committed

Leadership is rare
- Level 1 on 12/23

## Do’s and Don’ts: CMMI

**“****All models are wrong;****some models are useful”**
**Don’t**** Treat the CMM(I) as the Bible**
**Don’t**** Train the Masses on CMMI**

**Notes:**
Pseudoknowledge

How man of you are using the CMM or CMMI as the basis for improvement?

How many of you see the CMM as part of the problem?

## Don’t Treat the CMMI as the Bible

**Does Watts really look that much ****like Moses?**
**The CMMI is a good book but it’s ****not THE good book!**
**1000+ suggested changes submitted**
**It’s just a model!**
**Goals - sound engineering/management principles**
**Practices - one way to accomplish the goals**
**Subpractices - insight into the practices.**

**Notes:**
My personal copy of the CMM.

## Don’t Treat the CMMI as the Bible

**Don’t have one policy per PA!**
**Apply CMMI with your brain in “ON” position**
**Consider policies for:**
**Project Management Stuff**
**Engineering Stuff**
**Process Stuff**
**Write the policy LAST**
**Look elsewhere for additional guidance**
**IEEE standards, ITIL, ISO, Baldridge**
**Books, periodicals, employees, Dilbert, etc.**

**Notes:**
Policy – 2-fold (fecal protection device)

“Policy typically includes...”
What do YOU stand for???

Telcordia had 1 policy – follow the process or we’ll assist with outplacement services!

## Don’t Train the Masses on CMMI

**Have you heard the expressions:**
**Here we go again?**
**The next silver bullet?**
**Yet another flavor of the month?**
**This too shall pass?**
**Have you ever read the CMMI like a novice?**
**“****Vertical/horizontal bidirectional traceability”?**
**“****Technical data package”?**
**“****Organizational Process Focus”?**
**“****Instantiation”???**

**Notes:**
Change flavor-of-the-month to   taste-of-the-year

## Don’t Train the Masses on CMMI

**What should you do?**
**Train the (S)EPG on the CMMI**
**Train Process Action Teams on relevant portions**
**Train the unwashed masses on THEIR process**
**Consider providing CMMI orientation after:**
**Initial value has been proven**
**Momentum has been established**
**Translate CMMese into local jargon**
**In order to influence behavior, folks have to understand it!**

**Notes:**
Telcordia at European SEPG Conf. – 6 quality stds, process adheres, teach process

Assessment teams should learn to speak local jargon – not CMMese

## Do’s and Don’ts: Measurement

**“****In God we trust, ****all others bring data”**
**Do**** Employ Basic Measures NOW!**
**Do**** Enhance Data Integrity**

- Picture by Bill Riddle (Used with permission)

**Notes:**
BREAK??? – D&D Articles

3 kinds of people

How many of you capture measures that add value?

How many capture a bunch of numbers that are NOT perceived as value-added?

How many capture a bunch of “stuff”?

## Do Employ Basic Measures NOW!

**You don't have a current baseline?**
**If you don't start now, you'll be saying the same thing two years from now.**
**Remember saying it two years ago?!**
**What to measure?**
**Look to**
**The Alignment Principle**
**The goals of the process improvement program**
**Defects, effort, schedule**

## Do Employ Basic Measures NOW!

**There is no physics in software**
**You can’t say, “It can’t be done”**
**You **_**should**_** be able to say, “We can’t do it”**
**Management’s gut is typically bigger than yours.**

**Notes:**
H/W vs. S/W engineers (electron)

Without data, you’re just two people with an opinion.

Measurement is the foundation of every engineering discipline – except S/W.

## Do Enhance Data Integrity

**Data =>Information =>Action/Decisions =>Results**
**Many organizations have “numbers,” not data**
**Many others have “stuff,” not even numbers**
**Define data for consistency**
**Operational definition or some other technique**
**Unambiguous definitions**
**Automate data collection whenever possible.**

**Notes:**
Don’t confuse precision with integrity.

Dow Jones Industrials

## Do Enhance Data Integrity

**Track actuals at the same level you estimate**
**Don’t throw darts in the dark.**
**Track actuals to *****motivate***** corrective action.**
**Providers of data must be consumers of the data**
**WIIFM?**
**Predictability/control/professional integrity/$100**
**Adopt Grady’s Rules of Data Etiquette**
**Private vs. public data**
**Don’t misuse the data.**

**Notes:**
Measure with micrometer,Mark with chalkCut with ax

Requirements 	10%
Design		20%
Code		30%
Test		40%

## Do’s and Don’ts: Process

**It’s NOT the process documentation, Stupid!**
**Don’t**** Over-Engineer Processes**
**Do**** Establish a Process Architecture**

**Notes:**
How many of you have a defined process?

How many of you see the defined process as part of the problem?

## Don't Over-Engineer Processes

**Engineers thrive on detail & elegance**
**The "accordion effect" may be unavoidable**
**Typically start with very little in place**
**Develop thick process**
**Generate consensus**
**Train personnel**
**Developed abridged versions**
**Thin to win!**
**Experienced practitioner’s cheat sheet**
**SQA/PPQA’s review checklist**
**“****Decomplexification”**

**Notes:**
Abridged version of process serves as project TripTik

## Don't Over-Engineer Processes

**Differentiate between:**
**Process documentation**
**Training material**
**Don't give Process Action Teams too much time**
**Parkinson’s Law is sure to creep in**
**Have "good case examples" for guidance.**

**Notes:**
Pre-flight checklist

## Do Establish a Process Architecture

**Organizes process elements**
**Policies**
**Processes**
**Process support elements**
**Assists with navigation**
**Leads to common process-related jargon.**

**Notes:**
Establish periodic (quarterly?) process releases
Avoid “what’s today’s process?”
Grandfather mid-stream projects
  o Planned to use then-current process     materials

## Process Architecture

**Policies**

** ****Processes****(Lifecyles?)**

**Methods**
**Templates**
**Guidelines**
**Procedures**

**Process Support Elements**

**Standards**
**Training**
**Tools**
**Measures**

**Local Adaptation / Project Specific Requirements**

- Tier 1

- Tier 2

- Tier 3

- Tier 4

** ****Process Support Elements**

**WHATs**

** ****HOWs**
**(Common)**

**HOWs**
**  ****(Local)**

## Questions?

**Pat O’Toole**
**Process Assessment, Consulting & Training**
**952-432-0693**
**PACT.otoole@att.net**

**Notes:**
D&D Articles