Beyond the SEI maturity model: transforming systems development through the use of IT

Surveys of CASE users show that software development quality and productivity have improved as a result of CASE (Wijers and van Dort, 1990, Stobart et al., 1991 and Aaen et al., 1992). However, these results are based on the perception of IS managers and have yet to be supported by figures. What is required is a change in organisation supported by a change in technology. The SEI Software Process Maturity Model (Humphrey, 1989) quite rightly recommends that the process should not be automated until it has been understood. However, even with well-planned automation there is a danger that the efficiency of the process will be improved without improving process effectiveness, in other words we continue to do the same work, but quicker. In this paper the transformation of software/IS development is examined