Initial effects of software process improvement on an experienced software development team

Discusses the initial stages of a long-term case study designed to examine the efforts of an experienced software development team in moving to a more process-driven software development environment. This team has previously produced software that has met functional, scheduling and cost criteria as specified by their customers. The software development manager, as directed by an organizational mandate, has initiated efforts to move this team into a more structured, formalism-based development and testing environment. The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is being used as the model for this effort. The group dynamic and team development aspects of this effort are being carefully monitored to determine possible sources of resistance to change and to develop intervention "just-in-time" training sessions that can address identified problem areas, particularly those that may directly affect productivity, quality and scheduling. This paper discusses initial findings in this area and addresses them within the CMM framework.