This was more appropriate than setting up objectives for the whole organization which would be longer to achieve and consequently less motivating for the project staff. The measurement program will allow to keep the SPI initiative alive together with continuous management follow-up. A more detailed action plan is now to be worked out and implemented alike any software project. It also highlights the role of linking SPI to business goals. The company is a defense market actor of one of the European countries.
Software is one component of the systems which encompass several other specialities.
The company started a process assessment according to the CMM Model in 1994 and was assisted in doing that by one of the most famous US authorized organization. All the participants reported about the professional features of the assessment instruments used and about the skills of the assessors. To follow up with the assessment results, a brainstorming seminar was then organized by the company in order to formalize action plans addressing the main weaknesses observed. Agreement from every level and all groups within the organization on what process improvements to undertake systematically is gained. These are the improvements that would benefit quality, productivity, and timeliness most directly as seen by the people who know the current process.