7.1 Process Management Process Areas

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7.1 Process Management Process Areas The five process areas that make up the Process Management category contain the cross-project practices related to defining, planning, deploying, implementing, monitoring, controlling, verifying, measuring, and improving processes. They are[1] [1] In the continuous representation of the model the order in which these process areas are presented is OPF, OPD, OT, OPP, OID. The order here is different to facilitate our explanation of relationships among the process areas. Organizational Process Definition (OPD). Organizational Process Focus (OPF). Organizational Process Performance (OPP). Organizational Innovation and Deployment (OID). Organizational Training (OT). As shown in Figure 7-1, a close relationship exists between four of these process areas. OPP builds on the capabilities in OPF and OPD. OID builds on the capabilities of the other process areas. This relationship is defined in the staged representation with OPF and OPD at ML 3, OPP at ML 4, and OID at ML 5. When using the CMMI continuous representation for process improvement, you should understand these relationships and plan your improvement projects accordingly. For example, you should not seek a capability level in OPP that is greater than what you have achieved in both OPF and OPD. Figure 7-1. Process Management process area relationships 7.1.1 Organizational Process Definition The purpose of Organizational Process Definition is to establish and maintain a usable set of organizational process assets. OPD (see Figure 7-2)[2] has one specific goal: to create and maintain organizational process assets. OPD and OPF work together in that the former provides guidance for an organization on creating processes and their supporting assets, while the latter provides guidance on identifying and planning process improvements. [2] We will begin our description of each process area with a context diagram and the purpose statement from the model. The context diagrams are drawn from the CMMI training materials: Introduction to CMMI-SE/SW/IPPD/SS, Continuous V1.1 Modules. Figure 7-2. Organizational Process Definition context diagram © 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University. The OPD goal�creating and maintaining organizational process assets�is accomplished with five specific practices. The first establishes descriptions of life-cycle models that may be used by each project. These models are also used as the basis for establishing the organization's standard processes in the second practice. The third practice provides tailoring guidelines and criteria for the standard processes, which are in turn used by the projects during the planning phases of the project life cycle. The fourth specific practice provides a repository for organizational process measurements, while the fifth is for establishing process assets that are used by the projects. An organizational measurement repository supports process performance and quantitative process management as the organization's capability and maturity improve. The repository also supports the use of historical data in establishing estimates. The process asset library supports projects in planning their project-unique processes through tailoring and implementing the standard processes, with resultant cost savings. This library may contain document templates, example plans, work products, policies, and other process enablers. 7.1.2 Organizational Process Focus The purpose of Organizational Process Focus is to plan and implement organizational process improvement based on a thorough understanding of the current strengths and weaknesses of the organization's processes and process assets. OPF (see Figure 7-3) uses two specific goals to achieve this purpose: one for determining improvement opportunities and another for planning and implementing selected improvements. The specific practices mapped to each of these goals are shown in the context diagram. Figure 7-3. Organizational Process Focus context diagram © 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University. For the first goal�determining process-improvement opportunities�the organization establishes and maintains its process needs and objectives. These pieces of information are used when appraising the processes, with the appraisal generating findings and ratings that are used along with improvement initiatives to identify the organization's needed process improvements. The organization can then select which improvements to make. The second goal�planning and implementing those process-improvement activities�is carried out with four specific practices. The organization uses selected improvements to establish process action plans. Next, the plans are implemented, resulting in process assets that are subsequently deployed and incorporated into the process asset library. Note that the context diagram in Figure 7-3 (and others in this chapter) shows how typical work products of the practices may be used. In this book we will not attempt to discuss every specific practice or every arrow to or from a typical work product in the context diagram. For further information, refer to the model itself or take a formal CMMI training course. Our objective here is simply to introduce some of the important details within each process area. 7.1.3 Organizational Process Performance The purpose of Organizational Process Performance is to establish and maintain a quantitative understanding of the performance of the organization's set of standard processes in support of quality and process-performance objectives, and to provide the process-performance data, baselines, and models to quantitatively manage the organization's projects. OPP (see Figure 7-4) has one specific goal: to establish these performance baselines and models. This "advanced" process area builds on both OPD and OPF by establishing expectations and objectives for the quantitative management of process performance. Figure 7-4. Organizational Process Performance context diagram © 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University. Selected processes or subprocesses are analyzed, perhaps by examining both performance measures and product measures (for example, quality). Process-performance baselines and models are then established. The baselines measure the performance of the organization's standard processes at various levels of detail. Tailoring and other factors (such as product line, complexity, application domain, or team size and experience) can significantly affect the baselines. As a result, the organization may need several performance baselines. 7.1.4 Organizational Innovation and Deployment The purpose of Organizational Innovation and Deployment is to select and deploy incremental and innovative improvements that measurably improve the organization's processes and technologies. The improvements support the organization's quality and process-performance objectives as derived from the organization's business objectives. OID (see Figure 7-5) adds further capability to OPD, OPF, and OPP with its two goals: systematically selecting improvements and systematically deploying them. Figure 7-5. Organizational Innovation and Deployment context diagram © 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University. The CMMI models include technology in the OID process area. Technology is also addressed, at least at the subprocess level and dealing with product technology, in the Technical Solution (TS) process area. In OID, both product- and process-related technology are deployed to improve the total organization. The first OID goal�selecting improvements�involves collecting and analyzing process- and technology-improvement proposals. Innovations are identified and analyzed, evaluated through pilot projects, and then selected for deployment. The improvements may be incremental or innovative. The second goal�deploying improvements�includes planning the deployment and then measuring the effectiveness of the new process or technology as well as its effects on other management objectives. 7.1.5 Organizational Training The purpose of Organizational Training is to develop the skills and knowledge of people so they can perform their roles effectively and efficiently. OT (see Figure 7-6) has two specific goals: one for establishing an organizational training capability and another for providing necessary training. This process area does not build on the capability level of any other Process Management process area. Rather, OT focuses on the organization's strategic and cross-project training needs. Figure 7-6. Organizational Training context diagram © 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University. The first goal�establishing an organizational training capability�includes four specific practices. First, strategic training needs are established to guide the overall organizational training. Second, responsibility for each need is assigned, to either the organization or the project. Third, a tactical plan is established to ensure that training needs are met. This plan should explain how each of the organization's training needs will be addressed. The fourth practice addresses the actual establishment of the organization's training capability, such as developing or obtaining training materials. Under the second goal, providing necessary training, the specific practices focus on delivery of training to the target audiences, measurement of the training's effectiveness, and creation of training records for the employees.

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