Process Quality Levels of ISO/IEC 15504, CMMI and K-model

In the current marketplace, there are maturity models, standards, and guidelines that can help an organization improve the way it does business. Software process assessment models, ISO/IEC 15504 and CMMI provide good strategy to assess organization’s software development capability. However these models are too heavy to apply small and medium enterprise organization. A ISO/IEC 15504(Software Process Improvement and Capability determination) and CMMI(Capability Maturity Model Integration) can be considered as representative software process assessment models since assessors assign ratings to indicators and metrics to measure the capability of software processes. In this paper we show the K-model that can easily apply small and medium sized business to process improvement and certification in Korea. This study also compares the practices of Kmodel with practices of CMMI and ISO/IEC 15504. We expect the small and light model, K-model will make software process improvement of Korea enterprises. International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications Vol. 3, No. 1, January, 2009 34 Performed rigorously planned and tracked. There are identifiable work products for the process, and these testify to the achievement of the purpose. Level 2 Managed The process delivers work products according to specified procedures and is planned and tracked. Work products conform to specified standards and requirements. Level 3 Established The process is performed and managed using a defined process based upon good software engineering principles. Individual implementations of the process use approved, tailored versions of standard, documented processes to achieve the process outcomes. Level 4 Predictable The defined process is performed consistently in practice within defined control limits, to achieve its defined process goals. Level 5 Optimizing Performance of the process is optimized to meet current and future business needs, and the process achieves repeatability in meeting its defined business goals. The process attributes are defined in ISO/IEC 15504-2 and elaborated in ISO/IEC 15504-5 by process indicators, called generic practices in earlier drafts of the evolving standard. 1.3 Overview of CMMI CMMI describes the principles and practices underlying software process maturity and is intended to help software organizations improve the maturity of their software processes in terms of an evolutionary path from ad hoc, chaotic processes to mature, disciplined software processes. The CMMI is organized into five maturity levels, described in Table 2. Table 2. CMMI Maturity Levels. CMMI Maturity Level Description of Maturity Levels CL 1:Initial The software process is characterized as ad hoc, and occasionally even chaotic. Few processes are defined, and success depends on individual effort and heroics. CL 2:Managed Basic project management processes are established to track cost, schedule, and functionality. The necessary process discipline is in place to repeat earlier successes on projects with similar applications. CL 3:Defined The software process for both management and engineering activities is documented, standardized, and integrated into a standard software process for the organization. All projects use an approved, tailored version of the organization’s standard software process for developing and maintaining software. CL 4: Quantitatively Managed Detailed measures of the software process and product quality are collected. Both the software the software process and products are quantitatively understood and controlled. CL 5:Optimizing Continuous process improvement is enabled by quantitative feedback from the process and from piloting innovative ideas and technologies.