Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
• Did we believe people should be using certain process assets that weren't
being employed?
• Did we believe if they did use them, it would help the people get their job
done more effectively?
This approach helped to “prune” the processes, making them easier to use, and
served to further ensure those processes were aligned
7
with the real process
needs of the business in supporting customers' rapidly changing needs.
In the case where we thought certain process assets or steps would help peo-
ple get their job done more effectively but weren't understood, initiatives
were undertaken to communicate the purpose of the process asset that wasn't
being used along with improved training in how it could help. In many
cases it turned out that most of the items not completed, but documented in
a current process, were put there because someone believed the CMM or
CMMI required them when in fact this was not the case.
Leaning the Peer Review Process
As an example, this company had a very onerous Peer Review process. This
process required a great deal of data to be collected about each defect written
at a Peer Review. It also had processes requiring periodic analysis of this
data. When we did the real flows, we found that people were entering all the
data because the Peer Review tool required by the company mandated it. It
was also determined that no one was following the process to analyze this
data and use the results. So the question was asked:
Why are we making people enter all this data, if no one is using it?
We h a d t o e x p l a i n t h a t t h i s d a t a w a s n o t re q u i re d b y t h e C M M o r t h e C M M I .
The
Peer Review Practice under the Verification Process Area
of the CMMI does
expect you to analyze data about preparation, conduct, and results of peer
reviews, but it doesn't dictate what this data needs to be. This is an example
where many organizations have gone overboard in interpreting the model to
create non-value-added work for its people.
The flow analysis led to a streamlining or a “leaning” of the Peer Review
process, making the process more effective and consistent with the intent of
the Peer Review practice within the CMMI model. Through these process
improvement efforts at LACM, the following insight was uncovered.
7. The term “align” in this topic means in agreement with, or consistent with.
