Tool support for software process assessment and improvement

Many software process assessment models have been developed based on, or inspired by, the Software Engineering Institute’s Capability Maturity Model (CMM). The outputs arising from such models can be voluminous and complex, requiring tool support to comprehend and analyse them. The paper describes some tools developed in order to visualise the results of SPICE conformant assessments. The tools, which are equally useful to software producers and to software procurers, also have a valuable research role and have been used to summarise the results of the worldwide trials of the SPICE reference model. This work has itself led to the enhancement of the tools based partly on experience of their use and partly on revisions to the SPICE model.