Improving Code Quality with Pair Programming
The quality of software is often still insufficient. Pair programming is a proven technique that prevents defects from entering the code.
Lies, damn lies, and statistics
R&D Organizations are more and more relying on measurements, but many struggle to implement them. There are the usual technical problems associated with collecting and storing data, and creating usable reports. However, the biggest challenges are often related to using the data to actually make decisions and steer the activities of the organization.
Root Cause Analysis: Practical Tools
I have described a process and a checklist to help organizations that want to start with it, and I´m providing a report with an example in a handy booklet on RCA: Tools for Root Cause Analysis.
Agile Journal: Agile process improvement published
Earlier I described how you improve the performance of IT organizations in an agile way. The Agile Journal published a compact version of agile process improvement.
Are your professionals empowered?
Some companies say that “people are our most important resource”. I’d rather use the term “professionals”, since they are trained, have build up experience and are continuously developing themselves to deliver value for your customers. Question is: Are they empowered to do this in a efficient and effective way? The People-CMM can be used to develop a powerful professional workforce, supporting self-organizing agile teams.
Root Cause Analysis in CMMI V1.3
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) has been used for many years to determine a fault’s first or “root” causes in order to identify process improvement opportunities. The CMMI V1.3 has increased the possible deployment of RCA.
Devil’s or Angel’s Advocate: Which role do you prefer?
We all know how to play the Devil’s Advocate. By playing this role, we stimulate a discussion in which we challenge ideas, in order to improve it. But how do you get your ideas to start with? This is where the Angel’s Advocate comes in.
Open for business: People-CMM feedback
If you want to reach your business goals, then the capability of your workforce is of huge importance. The knowledge and skills of your professionals, and their motivation and drive is a key factor in delivering results. The People-CMM is a maturity framework that describes the key elements of managing and developing the workforce of an organization. The SEI wants to know how they can further improve the People-CMM.
Using Scrum for Process Improvement
When I worked at Ericsson I used Scrum to manage Process Improvement projects, where it turned out to be a real enabler for Continuous Improvement.
CMMI V1.3: Summing up
In october 2010, version 1.3 of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) has been released by the Software Engineering Institute. I’ve published several articles on the benefits of CMMI V1.3. This is (for now) the last article, which sums it all up.
CMMI V1.3: Combining Acquisition, Development and Services
There are 3 CMMI V1.3 models released: CMMI for Acquisition (ACQ), CMMI for Services (SVC), and CMMI for Development (DEV). The CMMI V1.3 makes it easier to combine process areas from different models, thus supporting continuous improvement that delivers quicker business results.
Speaking the same language
When I started this blog last year, I decided to do it in English. My aim was to reach a broader (worldwide) audience, thus sharing my experience with more people than would be possible in Dutch (my mothers tongue).