(For Pakistan) Re: [pakgrid] CMMI for project based SMEs

 

Though is was not explicit, but I understand when discussion is about Project Based SMEs, we are talking about Software and IT.

Now Modelled Process Improvement requires some assumptions:

1) There is repeatability in process in terms of size, duration, dynamics, people, technology, clients, industry etc.

2) The size of the project is large enough.

Both of these assumptions do not hold w.r.t. Project based SMEs in Pakistan. Almost every project is a new endeavour having different challenges. The number of variables (let alone their values) is too large.

Unless, we plan large projects, I am not sure CMMI could give any real benefit other than help in Marketing. (I have had a direct bad experience of having outsourced a work to an Indian branch of one of the largest international consulting company, which boasts CMMI level 5 maturity). I have been told by professionals that there are many organization (specially in our part of the world) that show a very mature process at the time of assessement (certification) and then revert back to business as usual.

Aside from practice, there are inherent issues in employing a modelled process in IT and in particular software industry. I use an analogy of a baby. In all engineering fields, software is a baby, perhaps civil engineering would be the most mature. As with any baby, software industry is growing and changing very fast. Not much process would do here.

And that's why the industry has been experimenting extensively about every thing, SDLC included. We are now experimenting with Agile and Kanban etc etc.

Additionally there are additional pressures of competitiveness.

Unless there are ways to quantify software quality, which allow to include definitive quality measures in software projects contracts, Quality may remain largely part of the marketing and sales considerations and not engineering for small and medium projects.

My two cents, which I would like to be corrected.

Faisal Abbas

--- In pakgrid@yahoogroups.com, Syeda Umema Hani <umema_hani@...> wrote:
>
> You
> are absolutely right Asif Mufti sahab.
> Even in USA if any of the USA software
> development company wants to do project for US government then they could only
> qualify if they are CMMI apprised. We have many ISO recognized companies in
> Pakistan who are also working quite good.
> But I would love to quote Sir Caper
> John's comments here that "Certification
> like ISO does not improve quality, but it keeps quality from declining. In
> other words it is like a vaccination. A vaccination won't make you healthier
> but it can keep you from getting sick."
> Please check this website it communicates
> SPI benefits http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/why/benefits/ and instead of passing Quality appraisals which most of us are doing now a
> days.. try to understand true benefits of performing genuine quality practices.
> With regards,
>
> Syeda Umema Hani,
> Assistant Professor, Computer Engineering Department, www.ssuet.edu.pk,
> PhD (Software Engineering) fellow, GSESIT, www.hamdard.edu.pk,
> www.ssuet.edu.pk/~suhani, suhani@..., ++92-21-111994994(STI department)
>  
>
> ________________________________
> From: Asif Mufti <anmufti@...>
> To: "pakgrid@yahoogroups.com" <pakgrid@yahoogroups.com>
> Cc: Hameed Rehman <hameed.rehman@...>
> Sent: Monday, 9 April 2012, 12:05
> Subject: Re: (For Pakistan) Re: [pakgrid] CMMI for project based SMEs
>
>
>
>  
>
> I spent over 2 decades overseas and I can tell you from my first hand experience. Large to midsize corporations are farming out their work purely based on CMMI qualifications as well as other software quality control. My last employment with one of the top avionics corporation; shifted 20% of their Commercial work to India based on the fact that they were approved/qualified from International bodies and had software QA certification from them.
>  
> Rather than attracting Call Centre work, with all the talent around us we should try to see what can be done to attract high revenue work to Pakistan even it means subcontracting with Corporations who can bid for this type of work.
> Regards
> Asif 
>
> http://www.rockwellcollins.com/Worldwide/Asia/India.aspx 
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Syeda Umema Hani <umema_hani@...>
> To: "pakgrid@yahoogroups.com" <pakgrid@yahoogroups.com>
> Cc: Hameed Rehman <hameed.rehman@...>
> Sent: Friday, April 6, 2012 12:08 PM
> Subject: (For Pakistan) Re: [pakgrid] CMMI for project based SMEs
>
>
>  
>
>
> Dear Hammad sahab i am
> happy to see few of our Pakistani Software Houses like Netsol, Systems limited
> and also Shukat Khanum memorial's IT department are doing good job in adaptation
> of SPI in order to enjoy its benefits. I think you should ask this question from some auditor he would better guide you.
> // Why project based
> SMEs are not adopting CMMI for their process improvement.
> -First of all our SMEs do
> not believe in benefit figures which are available publically and could be seen
> through SEI website.
> - Even we hesitate in adapting
> empirical models at different stages of swdev (like FP, COCOMO, other metrics) they think models should be developed
> for our environmental data as our cultural issues are entirely different
> related to our working practices. But no one is practically trying to learn how they could calibrate or build new models this is one major research area .
> -Software development
> organizations are not willing to invest single pesa on hiring additional
> resources. SPI adaptation needs not only certification costs but also we need
> to follow proper process as well as HR structure for that which means more
> investment.
> -I think companies need
> to literate themselves like from engineering point of view that which proper
> activity could impact in which direction and after how long their impact should
> become visible. Without this kind of realization how could SMEs going to
> realize true worth of SPI. Previously PSEB
> sponsored major share in this regard and setup very delicate criteria for
> organizations to quality for this sponsorship.
> //If they should adopt
> it then what kind of changes you suggest (what KPIs and goal they opt and what
> they should leave) they should make in order to afford its cost and improve
> their processes.
> - You are using strategic
> management term KPI with Process Improvement framework, proper way is to use
> term Process Area (PA) or specific practices for it. It is not necessary that
> every specific practice reflects some KPI but they may be unavoidable for the
> adaptation of some specific compulsory process area.
> - Although from strategic
> point of view yes we could Map measureable goals of CMMI into KPI. Already allot
> of case studies are available on SEI repository, DACS website. I would suggest
> you to Google internet you should find tabular listings for selected Process
> Areas.
> -One more thing that
> is very important which I would like to highlight here is that Pakistani
> Software Industry is not focusing over intelligent usage of CMMI which is
> possible under Multimodal scenarios.
> Here your concern is SME
> but i think first one should explore with what combination of Software
> Engineering practices like (Agile, SCRUM, Lean or XP etc) CMMI could outperform.  Means adaptation of different SE
> practices show different variations of PA 's specific practices selection.
> And SWENG practices selection
> depends upon our goals. Even for a Quality Software Development environment our
> preferences might vary. May be we are not interested in Quick delivery of
> product but we are really concerned with minimal pre-release defect etc.
>
>  
> With kind regards,
>
> Syeda Umema Hani,
> PhD (Software Engineering) fellow in Software Process Improvement,
> GSESIT, www.hamdard.edu.pk,
> Assistant Professor, Computer Engineering Department, www.ssuet.edu.pk,
> www.ssuet.edu.pk/~suhani, suhani@..., ++92-21-111994994(STI department)
>  
> From: Hameed Rehman <hameed.rehman@...>
> To: pakgrid@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, 5 April 2012, 14:54
> Subject: [pakgrid] CMMI for project based SMEs
>
>  
> Why project based SMEs are not adopting CMMI for their process improvement. If they should adopt it then what kind of changes you suggest (what KPIs and goal they opt and what they should leave) they should make in order to afford its cost and improve their processes.
>
> Regards,
>
> Hameed
>

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