Measuring Software Processes (CKA #2)

This tutorial covers CKA area #2 of the International Software Process Improvement Certification (ISPIC) requirements.

Concepts

As most Software Process Improvement ( SPI ) professionals know, there's more to developing quality software then writing and testing programs. They understand that the quality of a software product is largely governed by the quality of the Software Life Cycle Process (SLCP) used to develop and maintain it. This process can be defined, measured, and continuously improved.

This tutorial lays out the general concepts, issues, and framework for measuring the software process in order to support an organizations management information needs. This includes measuring the software process in order to find areas for improvement. Measurement is a key enabler for process improvement and enhanced product quality, as well as a mechanism for feedback and control.

This tutorial was designed to provide the Software Process Improvement professional with the measurement and analysis knowledge necessary to perform effectively.

Participants will learn:

• An introduction to the concepts, elements, and principles of software measurement
• An overview of 'best practices' metrics used successfully by industry and government with numerous examples and case studies. For each of the metrics, there will be a discussion of the appropriate collection, organization and analysis of the metric data
• How to develop tailored, specialized measurements to support your organizations needs. The Goal-Question-Metric (GQM), and Practical Software Measurement PSM) frameworks will be discussed with exercises for developing tailored measurements for such areas as 'customer satisfaction' and, 'is the software ready to go operational?
• How to use measurement data to evaluate your organizations software process, find areas for improvement, and to set new process goals. This example will use real-life data, from a leading international organization's published report.

Outline

• Motivation for software measurement.
• How measurement can aid in the software process.
• Basic elements in the software measurement process.
• Software measurement principles.
• Life cycle application.
• Measurement categories.
• Types of software measurements.
• Project, product, and process measurements.
• Science and measurement.
• Identifying an appropriate set of metrics.
• A detailed discussion of a set of 'best practices' metrics used successfully by industry and government. This will include metrics that can be used in all phases of the Software Life cycle Process.
• Collection, organization, and analysis of the 'best practice' metrics.
• Group participation in a number of case studies in order to gain experience in analyzing a mix of interrelated metrics.
• An introduction to the Goal-Question-Metric (GQM) framework
• An exercise in developing specialized tailored metrics, such as 'customer satisfaction'.
• A discussion on how to use measurement data to evaluate an organizations software process, find areas for improvement, and set new process goals.