Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
PSP3
Cyclic development
PSP2
Code reviews
Design reviews
PSP2.1
Design
Templates
PSP1
Size estimating
Test report
PSP1.1
Task planning
Schedule planning
PSP0
Current process
Time recording
Defect recording
Defect type standard
PSP0.1
Coding standard
Size measurement
Process improvement
Proposal (PIP)
FIGURE 10.5
PSP3 to TSP evolution (Humphrey, 2005).
overlook some logical dependencies, timing interactions, or exception conditions.
This may cause missing obvious mistakes because the problem is compounded by
habituation, or self-hypnosis (Humphrey, 1997).
One of the most powerful software processes, however, is the Team Software
Process (TSP) where the support of peers is called and asked for. When several people
cooperate on a common project, they can finish it sooner, and a habituation problem
can be addressed by reviewing each other's work. This review is only partially
effective because teams too can suffer from excessive habituation. This can be
countered by periodically including an outsider in the design reviews. The outsider's
role is to ask “dumb” questions. A surprising percentage of these “dumb” questions
will identify fundamental issues (Humphrey, 1997).
A defined and structured process can improve working efficiency. Defined per-
sonal processes should conveniently fit the individual skills and preferences of each
software engineer. For professionals to be comfortable with a defined process, they
should be involved in its definition. As the professionals' skills and abilities evolve,
their processes should evolve too. Continuous process improvement is enhanced by
rapid and explicit feedback (Humphrey, 1997, 2005). An evolution from PSP3 to TSP
is shown in Figure 10.5.
10.3.1
Evolving the Process
The software industry is rapidly evolving. The functionality and characteristics of
software products are changing at the same rate. The software development task also
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