A Value-driven Approach for Software Process Improvement -- A Solution Proposal

TL;DR

This paper proposes a value-driven framework for Software Process Improvement (SPI) that aligns process changes with organizational goals, utilizing benefits-dependency networks to enhance value realization and process maturity assessment.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach for developing value-driven SPI models based on analysis of existing maturity models and benefits-dependency networks.

Findings

The approach helps streamline value delivery and avoid unnecessary interventions.

It acts as a knowledge repository for lessons learned and value realization.

It provides a tool for tracking process maturity and progress towards organizational values.

Abstract

Software process improvement (SPI) is a means to an end, not an end in itself (e.g., a goal is to achieve shorter time to market and not just compliance to a process standard). Therefore, SPI initiatives ought to be streamlined to meet the desired values for an organization. Through a literature review, seven secondary studies aggregating maturity models and assessment frameworks were identified. Furthermore, we identified six proposals for building a new maturity model. We analyzed the existing maturity models for (a) their purpose, structure, guidelines, and (b) the degree to which they explicitly consider values and benefits. Based on this analysis and utilizing the guidelines from the proposals to build maturity models, we have introduced an approach for developing a value-driven approach for SPI. The proposal leveraged the benefits-dependency networks. We argue that our approach enables the following key benefits: (a) as a value-driven approach, it streamlines value-delivery and helps to avoid unnecessary process interventions, (b) as a knowledge-repository, it helps to codify lessons learned i.e. whether adopted practices lead to value realization, and (c) as an internal process maturity assessment tool, it tracks the progress of process realization, which is necessary to monitor progress towards the intended values.