# General Business Category > Technology Forum >  Software development process

## Genevie Vince

I am a business owner specialising in Process Definition.  I started the company to pursue my passion for process development. 

I am also the coordinator for the Gauteng Software Process Improvement Network (SPIN).  The attendance is free for anyone in the software community and it is held on a monthly basis. Volunteer speakers are also welcome.

I hope to hear from the members of this forum.

Regards,
Genevie

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## Dave A

Welcome to TFSA, Genevie  :Wave: 

Is this "process definition" business IT related, or is this something applied to *any* process?

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## Genevie Vince

Hi Dave,

I define IT project processes, e.g. Project Management, Risk Management, Configuration Management, Requirements Definition, Design, Product Integration, Quality, etc.  I use the CMMI principles mainly, however there is also ISO.

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## twinscythe12332

Hi and welcome to the forums ^^


I take it you streamline current processes and methodolgies and replace processes that are implemented incorrectly and are wrong for the company.

I understand ISO as being a fairly well known set of principles, but how does CMMI differ? what are the pros/cons?

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## Genevie Vince

Hi

Regarding your questions: That is correct; I also assist with developing formal process improvement methods, this contributes to the streaming.

ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) applies to all types of organisations supporting both product and service oriented organisations.

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) is a process improvement model; it was developed specifically for software development companies.

CMMI is devoted to process improvement; ISO provides a high level guidance for process improvement.

CMMI is something you âachieveâ; ISO is a âcertificationâ

Even with slight overlap CMMI, ISO and Six Sigma are compatible, as an example IBM in the states uses ISO 9000, CMMI, ITIL and Six Sigma.

CMMI does not address IT operations issues; ISO can cover software development and IT operations.

CMMI has detailed guidelines on process areas, goals and practices; with ISO thereâs a family of standards providing requirements and guidelines for certification.

CMMI has 25 process areas, each specifying a set of goals and practices; ISO have a range of standards and each standard have a set of processes.

There is an online book available through Google Books: web link http://books.google.co.za/books?id=E...esult&resnum=2

It illustrates the mapping between CMMI and ISO in more detail.

What are your interests around process development?

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## Marq

Welcome Genevie,
I'm still a bit behind here with the how you do what you do.
Are you selling a sort of CRM type package or a project management package or is it consultative time related deal where you advise on existing systems?

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## Genevie Vince

Hi Marg,

I consult with software development companies who are seeking improvement. Through a comprehensive evaluation can we advise on process improvements, various methodologies (e.g. CMMI, ISO, etc) and frameworks (e.g. ITIL, COBIT, PRINCE2, etc).  If an organisation adapts CMMI/ISO they are required to have processes in place, I document the required process helping them to achieve maturity.  

Does this help?

Regards,
Genevie

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## Marq

No not really  :Stick Out Tongue:  

But I looked it up and I believe all your words basically relate to software development life cycles and methodologies.  Something we used to call Systems analysis and design now confused with with the same thing using bigger words with more acronyms.

You have told us what you do, but for someone who does not know these things I am still trying to get through the top layer of words to understand the detail behind what you are talking about. 

For eg. "formal process improvement method" does not mean much to me.

I guess I am also still asking as to How you do what you do? Is this through software that analyses the existing software, is it through manual documentation and flowcharting which you analyse like an auditor would, is it a bunch of questions like an audit schedule does, is it the sale of a new package that would be better than the previously installed package. Do you come in at the beginning, middle or end of a software life cycle?

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## Genevie Vince

From my understanding a system analysis and design mainly deals with the system development activities, process engineering is similar.  Process engineers develop documented processes not a system.

As a process consultant I work against the organisations project life cycle model, below I have provided you with a breakdown listing practice areas and activities.  If an organisation doesn’t have a defined project life cycle model, I assist with designing one for various projects.

A typical project life cycle model has various practice areas, like: (the list below is only an example)
>Project Management
>Requirements
>Design/Technical Solutions
>Product Integration/ SSI
>Quality Assurance

Within each practice area there are activities, like: (the list below is only an example)
Project Management (Practice Area): 
>Project Planning, Risk Management, Project Monitor and Control, Configuration Management (Process Areas)

Requirements: 
>Requirements Planning, Requirements Definition

Design/Technical Solutions: 
>Design Definition, Unit Testing, User Interface/Experience Design

Product Integration/SSI:
>Integration Planning, Assembling, Delivering, 

Quality Assurance: 
>Test/Quality Planning, Test Case Design, Testing

For every one of the above activities I design a process document, a guideline document, relevant templates and if applicable a policy document. 

The process documents contain the sequence, process flow diagram, inputs and outputs, measurable items, instructions and procedures for each process.  The activities listed above are the processes, e.g. Project Planning, Risk Management, Project Monitor and Control, Configuration Management, etc.

I also define an Audit process which can be performed internally or externally.  The Audit process is an input to your project office, that is if you have one established.  The project office can too perform the audits and present the results to the executive board through dashboards.

Does this answer your questions, I’d be happy to answer more of your questions?

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Marq (13-Aug-09)

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## twinscythe12332

> What are your interests around process development?


I'm doing a course on IT project and quality management through CTI for my BSc, so anything to do with real-life examples of it intrigue me ^^

as for the ISO vs CMMI side, I thought it might be something like that. effectively the goal for someone going through ISO is to say "ISO xxxx(I believe there are seperate categories depending on what you are doing) compliant" whereas you would be looking more at saying "was developed using a CMMI approach"

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## Genevie Vince

> I'm doing a course on IT project and quality management through CTI for my BSc, so anything to do with real-life examples of it intrigue me ^^
> 
> as for the ISO vs CMMI side, I thought it might be something like that. effectively the goal for someone going through ISO is to say "ISO xxxx(I believe there are seperate categories depending on what you are doing) compliant" whereas you would be looking more at saying "was developed using a CMMI approach"


You are right with the ISO statement, however an organisation that has reach a maturity level will say we are CMMI level 1,2,3,4 or 5.

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## Dave A

This thread is so full of useful information I'd like to move it into a public area and rename it. Suggestions as to the appropriate forum and a new thread title invited (please).

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## Marq

'software development processes' under the it forum?

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## Genevie Vince

Hi Dave, I have to agree with Marg, 'Software Development Processes' under the IT forum is perfect.

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## twinscythe12332

> You are right with the ISO statement, however an organisation that has reach a maturity level will say we are CMMI level 1,2,3,4 or 5.


found a mapping for ISO vs CMMI as well.

Read here.

it's kind of interesting when someone does a comparison like that.

apologies if I'm asking questions that are available somewhere, I just didn't see them on the CMMI site, but how do the maturity levels differ? would those be levels of CMMI integration into business practices? and if that is the case, isn't that a slightly different way of saying "Compliant"?

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Dave A (19-Aug-09)

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## Genevie Vince

> found a mapping for ISO vs CMMI as well.
> 
> Read here.
> 
> it's kind of interesting when someone does a comparison like that.
> 
> apologies if I'm asking questions that are available somewhere, I just didn't see them on the CMMI site, but how do the maturity levels differ? would those be levels of CMMI integration into business practices? and if that is the case, isn't that a slightly different way of saying "Compliant"?



Thank you very much for the link you have sent.  It is very informative!

You really donât have to apologise, it is always nice to add extra information where possible. 

To understand the levels, you need to know that CMMI has two representations
1. Staged Representation
2. Continuous Representation
The decision to choose one or the other depends on the goals of the organisation.

Staged Representation uses maturity levels to measure process improvement, there are 5 maturity levels. It will provide a sequence of improvements, beginning with basic management practices and progressing through a predefined and path of successive levels, each serving a foundation for the next. 
Maturity levels are as follows:
ML1: Initial - This is typically ad hoc and chaotic.  ML1 has no process areas
ML2: Managed - An organisation has achieved all of the goals of the ML2 process areas.  ML2 has 7 Process areas
ML3: Defined - An organisation has achieved all of the goals of the ML2 and ML3 process areas.  ML3 has 11 process areas
ML4: Quantitatively Managed - Processes achieved are controlled using statistical and other quantitative techniques.  ML4 has 2 process areas
ML:5 Optimising â All the process areas are achieved.  ML5 focuses on continually improving process performance

Continuous Representation uses capability levels to measure process improvement, there are 6 capability levels. The organisation can select the order of improvement that best meets the organisationâs business objectives.
Capability levels are as follows:
0 Incomplete
1 Performed
2 Managed
3 Defined
4 Quantitatively Managed
5 Optimising

Both representations are designed to offer essentially equivalent results, most organisations choose the stage representation.

Not all the CMMI levels integrate into the business practices, CMMI will show the business what is working and what is not, it helps align business goals and IT goals.

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Dave A (19-Aug-09)

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## Genevie Vince

Here I have attached an image of the stage represenation maturity levels.

Maturity Levels:
Maturity levels consist of a predefined set of process areas. The maturity levels are measured by the achievement of the specific and generic goals that apply to each predefined set of process areas.

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## Dave A

Idle thought occured - 

Typically, is software development considered a *project* or an *organisation*?

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## Genevie Vince

> Idle thought occured - 
> 
> Typically, is software development considered a *project* or an *organisation*?


Software development can be considered to be a project and an organisation:

As an example, a banking institute will have multiple software development projects actively running, however they are not considered to be a Software Development organisation. 
The other example is an organisation that solely does software development with multiple software development projects actively running can be considered to be a Software Development organisation.

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## Marq

I dont know about organisation but I can tell you about the process and projects.....for eg..here is a typical Software Development Cycle.

Programmer produces code he believes is bug-free.Product is tested. 20 bugs are found.Programmer fixes 10 of the bugs and explains to the testing department that the other 10 aren't really bugs.Testing department finds that five of the fixes didn't work and discovers 15 new bugs.Repeat three times steps 3 and 4.Due to marketing pressure and an extremely premature product announcement based on overly-optimistic programming schedule, the product is released.Users find 137 new bugs.Original programmer, having cashed his royalty check, is nowhere to be found.Newly-assembled programming team fixes almost all of the 137 bugs, but introduce 456 new ones.Original programmer sends underpaid testing department a postcard from Fiji. Entire testing department quits.Company is bought in a hostile takeover by competitor using profits from their latest release, which had 783 bugs.New CEO is brought in by board of directors. He hires a programmer to redo program from scratch.Programmer produces code he believes is bug-freeâ¦

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Dave A (21-Aug-09), Genevie Vince (21-Aug-09), Yvonne (24-Aug-09)

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## charleshollins

This thread proved to be very useful for me and can be similarly useful to many others like me.

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## manubr

The Software Development process is part of SDLC. There are many phases or steps to develop a software development process. 


Planning 

Analysis 

Design 

Development

Testing

Implementation

Maintenance

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