Software Process Simulation to Support ISO/IEC 15504 Based Software Process ImprovementFriedrich Stallinger fs@sea.uni-linz.ac.at The emerging international standard ISO/IEC 15504 on `Information Technology - Software Process Assessment' (ISO15504) aims to harmonize the various assessment approaches used in Software Process Improvement (SPI). While approaches based on the organization-focused `staged model' (SW-CMM, etc.) provide a `roadmap' generally true for most organizations, the process-focused `continuous model' of ISO15504 does not prescribe any particular improvement path, and SPI projects using the ISO15504 approach are considered to have to deal with increased complexity in improvement planning. Targeting at this problem, a generalized system dynamics model of `a set of improving software processes' has been developed to support SPI action planning at a tactical level. The paper presents the main structure and basic relationships of this approach. The basic intention is to determine the impact of a set of scheduled improvement actions on the strategic target variables of SPI (time-to-market, cost, quality, etc.). The approach integrates the two main `mental models' behind IS015504: the process model described textually as a network of processes and work products, and the model of maturing single processes describing the evolution of process capability through a series of process attributes. The development of the model is oriented at organizations with lower capability and medium sized development projects. The results of preceding software process assessments are used as a major source for model initialization. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated by providing results from prototype applications to improvement projects, and insights and lessons learned on how to build such a model are described.
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