Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination

Essentially, ISO/IEC 15504 comprises a guide to performing an assessment for software development projects. It includes a description of this assessment process, a model for performing an assessment, a description of tools that may be used as part of the assessment process and a discussion of factors that contribute to the success of such an assessment.

ISO/IEC make reference to more specific standards but do not set them out. The SPICE standard seeks to describe the preferred order in which activities should occur in a software development project, with particular emphasis on an organization's management and process definition structures. The ultimate goal of ISO/IEC 15504 is to achieve process improvement within a technology organization, based on rigorous definition of objectives and programs to help attain them.

ISO/IEC 15504 is organized around a reference model that is divided into two dimensions: a process dimension and a capability dimension. Processes are divided into 5 categories: customer-supplier, engineering, supporting, management and organization. Processes are also defined as to capability levels numbered from 0 to 5, where 0 describes an incomplete process, 1 a performed process, and so on, with 5 equating to an optimizing process. Process capabilities can also acquire process attributes, numbered c.x, where c is the capability level (1 for performed process, 2 for managed process and so forth), and x is a number associated with a specific related attribute, so that 2.1 represents performance management, while 2.2 represents work product management.

See also SPICE circuitry simulation.

Read more about Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination: - Carnegie-Mellon's Software Engineering Institute provides a FAQ list for 15504 (SPICE). - Griffith University also offers a free, beta version of an Appraisal Assistant designed to help organizations interested in pursuing adoption of SPICE assessments and techniques. - SearchSoftwareQuality.com offers relevant news, research and tips in their project management resources.

Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know. Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT Project managers can't please everyone Project managers used to be able to heartlessly manipulate and cut corners in order to get the job done, says Bas de Baar. Now, PMs may have to soften... Implementing ITIL Configuration Management: Chapter 3, Determining Scope, Span and Granularity Software professionals are familiar with the ITIL but may not know how these best practices affect configuration management. This free chapter... The six hats of project management Software project managers face many different kinds of challenges and should have different perspectives for handling them. PM expert Bas de Baar...

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary collaboration diagram  (SearchSoftwareQuality.com) A collaboration diagram, also called a communication diagram or interaction diagram, is an illustration of the relationships and interactions among... Gantt chart  (SearchSoftwareQuality.com)