Capabilities

Process Definition:

Do you need processes but need guidance on creating a process architecture that makes sense for your business? Do you have piles and piles of existing processes but they are not used or spurned by process practitioners? Do you want to improve your CMMI maturity? Do you want ISO 9001 certification? Do you want a process solution that improves product quality, improves process repeatability, reduces life cycle costs, improves customer satisfaction to better compete in a global economy? Are you a regulated business that needs to improve your compliance? Are you a governmental entity that wants to produce better regulatory requirements?

Al has developed a layered process framework architecture, that ties the repeatability “what you need to do” process elements directly to your project schedules while providing extensibility and flexibility at the procedural how-to level to meet real world considerations. This process model is ideal for multi-scaled projects, multi-site portability, and subcontractor process flow-down considerations. It is also ideal for tool how-to support and work flow management tools by work product. This process model has configuration management and software quality built in for product integrity and product quality respectively. See “Defining and Deploying Software Processes” – Auerbach Publishers.

Al can create or integrate existing processes into a cohesive process architectural “jig-saw” puzzle in which all the process pieces/parts have a designated place in the overall “puzzle”.

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Process Implementation:

When it comes to process implementation, the key is “keep it simple”. Al’s process architecture ensures a place for all the pieces/parts that are all connected in a cohesive fashion.

Al has implemented processes in an intranet environment that does take advantage of your web-based version-controlled tool (ideal) as the basis for you process repository. Companies that have this web-based versioning capability in place can get instant web updates via standard “check in” and “check out” capabilities. If you don’t have a web-based versioning tool, Al can provide a more conventional configuration management library (CML) for your process elements. On top of this process foundation, Al is a great believer in using standard MSOffice products to create your HTML web pages without the need for IT/Web application expertise. If you have these in place, that’s even better for process support.

A process activity would look like this. This is the type of web page that provides all the process connections to any activity instance (or task) on any software development schedule.The reference is merely a template that you fill in for your business needs.

A crucial procedure for success is an inspection procedure. Al can assist you in providing a web-based procedure that addresses both defect prevention and defect correction. Al can show you how this particular procedure’s database can directly provide process-based metrics to improve your processes naturally.

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Process Metrics:

You can’t improve what you can’t measure. Al’s software process framework architecture has metrics in mind to capture where you are spending money by activity, by project phase/segment, by system part, by project, by life cycle phase, and the actual cost of rework. Al’s process approach also quantifies the cost of quality throughout your life cycle and quantifies document production costs. Central to metrics is the role of the inspection procedure to quantify the benefits of defect prevention and defect detection. Early defects are cheaper to fix that later ones. The software process model has built-in metrics collection for metrics presentation.

With or without this process framework approach, Al can assist you in getting your hands around measuring your processes. Metrics are critical to any process improvement effort.

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Process Deployment:

You have processes and now you want to roll them out to your organization. This can be fraught with frustration to get these to “stick” with your culture. People have a built-in resistance to change – whether good or bad change. How do you overcome that resistance? How do you approach the rollout to maximize the possibility of success?

This is probably one of the most challenging aspects of any process development. This is the people part of the equation. Al has extensive background in helping you to deploy your processes. The essential aspect of this part of the process world is to carefully select pilot projects while providing direct process support to those project members. Another key aspect of this is to develop early process champions to create the “domino effect” for any deployment action.

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Process Training:

This is a crucial part of any process development and implementation. You cannot expect intelligent people to just “get it” without training. Process training occurs for “big picture” understandability down to specific training on life cycle activities and procedural elements. Process success and process training are inter-connected.

With Al’s role-based process framework model, you can now directly tie roles within process elements to role-based training for process success. As you hire new employees, you can ensure they have the necessary role-based training for success – before being thrown into your projects.

Al has a teaching background and has taught undergraduate and graduate classes in two San Diego based universities on computer topics. He has been a conference speaker both in the USA and internationally. He is a dynamic speaker who holds audience attention.

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Process Compliance

If you are trying to get prepared for an external SW-CMM, CMMI appraisal, ISO 9001 audit, or being compliant with Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), a process guy can really assist you in that effort.

Al’s software process framework model is a total process solution in which all pieces/parts have a home and are connected to each other in a disciplined fashion. The model is geared to compliance with various maturity models, international standards, or regulations. Al is a great believer in supplying a full and complete compliance matrix for any appraiser, auditor, or regulator to assist your compliance.

To get an idea of the magnitude of compliance, take a look at these web references:

• SEI's CMMI
• FDA Regulations

Al is very familiar with the SW-CMM and has done several internal assessments to get ready for an external formal assessment. Al has also worked with both the staged and incremental representations of the CMMI. He has also helped companies to achieve ISO 9001 certification. The Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) bill also requires processes in place and compliance with those processes. Al can help with this too.

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Process Group Help

Do you need help with setting up and organizing a process group for your company? This is a crucial aspect of process development, implementation, and support. The makeup and focus of this important group can make or break any of your process efforts.

Al has organized and led several process groups. He knows what works and what doesn’t. Al has personally seen dysfunctional groups and incredibly effective groups. Al’s expertise in this area will really help you in getting this off the ground and operating, as it should. The types of people in this group are important. The size of the group is important. The scope of this group is important. The attitude of this group is important. All these collective aspects of a process group become critical for process success. Al is also aware of some political considerations that come into play with this group.

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Process Pain Help

If you want process acceptance with the rank and file and management of your company, you need to address the pain issues to get those important early successes. Preaching about getting CMMI ratings or ISO certification will quite often be viewed as the next “flavor of the month”. Bottom line is that this particular impetus will not fly. If you can identify pain issues and go after them, you will gain converts about this process thing real fast. These are the kinds of things that frustrate people, cause them to work long hours or add costs to the bottom line. Most employees have a ghost employee – being their spouse or significant other. If employees can get home at a reasonable time, play with the kids, are healthier, and are generally less stressed-out, you will rapidly get some real process believers on your side. There is nothing like a growing legend of people that get with the program over process.

It is quite often true, that pain issues solved early on, can reduce costs, improve the employee environment, reduce life cycle costs, improve quality, improve customer satisfaction – as well as improving repeatability and process compliance.

Al uses an effective method to dig out pain issues rapidly, categorize and prioritize those pain findings, involve senior management for action planning, and finally feeding everything back to the “process pain” participants. The method is an adaptation of two of the 7M Quality tool set used together:

• Infinity brainstorming
• Interrelational Digraphs

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