How to Initiate Software Process Improvement in a Small Company

Nowadays, when software has become part of most everyday appliances, the significance of the software industry and especially small software companies is growing. The vast majority of companies world-wide are Small or Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). In Finland, over half of the software companies have only two to ten employees. Improving the operations of a company is necessary in order to maintain its competitive edge. Software Process Improvement (SPI) activities have been reported to result in remarkable improvements in the quality of software, reduced time to market and increased productivity. However, despite the evidence suggesting that the size of the organization does not limit its potential for SPI success, small companies (SCs) have been somewhat neglected by the SPI research community. The techniques and standards developed to support SPI are generally aimed at the larger organizations. As a result, small software companies struggle to initiate their improvement projects. The aim of this thesis is to provide a validated, practical, and easy to apply approach for small software companies to cost-effectively initiate SPI. The research is driven by close collaboration with SMEs undergoing SPI. Several case studies were conducted to develop and validate such an approach. The main contribution of the thesis is LAPPI, a light-weight technique to practical process modeling and improvement target identification. The LAPPI technique enables small software companies to initiate SPI cost-effectively. LAPPI is complemented by research into motivation monitoring, a recommended practice that supports the initiation and success of SPI initiatives in SCs. The contribution of the thesis is beneficial for stakeholders of SPI projects in small companies. The results are especially applicable in cases where companies are having trouble initiating SPI or have concerns about the cost of implementing SPI. Universal Decimal Classification: 004.41, 004.413, 005.62, 334.713 INSPEC Thesaurus: software engineering; software process improvement; software quality; small-to-medium enterprises; human factors Yleinen suomalainen asiasanasto: ohjelmistoala; ohjelmistokehitys; ohjelmistotuotanto; tietotekniikkayritykset; pienyritykset; prosessit; kehittäminen; mallintaminen; motivaatio