Models and Standards for Software Process Improvement

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The last time we talked we discussed about software quality, how to define requierements, what quality is and which are some of the methods to follow in order to obtain a high level of quality in our projects, this time we are going to talk about models and standars, which are procedures to follow up in order to keep control of the results of our systems, and we are going to see some of the most used models and standars out in the field, so get ready.

Models: This procedures can differ between the objetive of its creator, some of the models helps to mantain and define a way to ensure better performance in our software, maintenance and operation of systems.

Standars: These are documents that provides specification of procedures that need to be followed in order to achive a certain goals, some of the goals are get a better organization of our systems, ensure the software adquires a high level of quality, a way to keep the maintenance of our systems, all of these with a step by step diagram which encourages developers to think about all of the posibilities when project building is on.

CMMI

CMMI is a process that focuses on the improvement of process and software development, it is usually used by companies who claim to be more productive, have a higher level of quality, a longer life cycle of software and more reachable investment and profit. This because the CMMI helps the organizations to optimize the improvement of proccess, making a more productive enviroment who reduces risks in software/product/servicios development, three of the main aspects of CMMI are.

This is an image of the CMMI diagram -Medium
  • An integrated process of improvement of process
  • Incrustation of better methods in bussiness states
  • Phase focus on administration and business optimization

CMMI is a model that has so much profit that can be divided into three main disciplines

  • Development
    • Focuses on practices who helps to develope products or services with standar quality who satifies customers needs
  • Services
    • Focuses on helping service providers companies
  • Adquisition
    • Focuses on offering the best practices on initialization, adquisition of products/services/tools/teams, which all of those bring some value to the company

It depends on what the builders are looking for their company, so they can decide which of the disciplines satifies the more their product or service, this method is mainly known on the field because of the amount of profit ir brings to a company.

If you would like to know more about CMMI check out this link

Videogame recomendation

Among us: A coperative online game, in which some tripulants of a ship need to finish some taskst in order to win, this because some of the tripulants are impostors whose objective is to kill you all, the game is divided into two teams, crew and impostors, is up to you who to kick out of the ship at the end of each round.

This is a gif of one of the impostors killing a crewmate – Tenor

TSP/PSP

TSP is a model who focuses on process, and products and teamwork, it follows the principles of PSP to implement its procedures, this process is strong because of:

  • Teams are not randomly builded
  • Streghts and weaknesses of team members are validated in order to bring the best team to work

This means that behind every team integration there is an strategy defined, this to ensure that working together and coordinated will be the best option when assigning responsabilities and check pointing, all of this by setting shor, medium and long term goals.

This is not some guide, this is one strategic way to put everyone into their respective role, in order to obtain the best of the people who are working on the project, this focuses more on giving everyone the best task for them instead of focusing on the process

This is an image of the TSP/PSP diagrams – Kernel

PSP is a model who focuses on proccess and guides developers to be autonomous, the main roles about psp are defined:

  • Define their process
  • Plan and give feedback about their work
  • Administrate the quality of their own products and results

Psp is a personal process who is based on the personal improvement principles, who helps people to stablish personal goals, identify which methods to use, when to use them, feedback their work and analyze to adjust to future improvements, a strong method that teaches people how to value by themselves.

The difference between these two methods is very clear, one of them focuses on personal improvement and the other one on giving everyone their best option to make the most optimal of results, definetely depending on what are you looking for in your proyect this can be really usefull.

If youd like to check more info about these models check this link

Videogame recomendation:

Spellbreak: This is a battle royale free-2-play game which is totally different from the battle royales we know, in this game instead of weapons you use magic, there are six main elements to use, lightning, rock, fire, wind, ice and poison, every element has their own unique power ups and elements can be combined, posibilites are unlimited.

This is a gif of a mage receiving a lightning attack – Tenor

ISO-15504

ISO is a standar who focuses on products and software aplications developement, created with the objective to evaluate the capabilities and strenghts of process in software development, in which the main characteristic of the method rely on:

  • Obtain an efficient tool for software process development improvement, so do services and products
  • International recognition about the capabilities and strenghs of software development products
This is an image of a tunner phase of ISO model – Normas ISO

Strenghts of ISO:

  • Adapts to the working enviroment of every organization, because it is not a serie of rules
  • Focuses on how well done process are made instead of their results
  • It can be double time evaluation, on process and quality of proceddure

If an organization decides to enroll their development using a model like ISO, a certification that validates internationally the quality of the product, proccedures and proccess in the proyect, certification who also does, but I did not mention is that lowers the risk rate by a considable amount, a really good standar to follow, who can be divided into six diferent phases to control in which phase of our validation are we:

  • Level 0: Incomplete, when we start
  • Level 1: Finished, when we «finish» for the first time
  • Level 2: Managed, when the process life cycle is defined
  • Level 3: Established, when the expected result of the software is established
  • Level 4: Predictable: when the behaviour of the system can be predicted because of how well the proyect is known
  • Level 5:Optimized, when the proyect was finished and validated but little details were covered

If you’d like to know a little more check out this link

Videogame recomendation

Fall guys: This is a battle royale, but with no weapons, or magic or anything that could do damage, this battle royale focuses on puzzles and minigames called rounds, in which only a small amount of playes will be able to get to the next stage, it is fun because the characters look a little dumb and makes the game really fun.

This is a gif of a player pushing another so it fals and loose – Tenor

MOPROSOFT

MOPROSOFT is a model based on process who is oriented to small and medium business or internal areas of development and software maintenance, who allows to access to worlide softwarer practicess, by using this model the organizations ensure to offer services with international quality level.

This is a diagram of the MOPROSOFT levels – Conogasi

This process divides into three levels:

  • High direction, this is the level in which business are worked
  • Gerency administration, proyect administration, process administration, resources administration and HR, Infraestructure and knowledge about the organization
  • Operation, in this level the administration and management of specific proyects are worked on, which includes development and maintenance of software products

This is a good method to implement because small to medium business can easily implement them, it is does not require a big amount of investment, whose benefits of the model can be adquired in a small amount of time, which high level of results.

So imagine that you run a small business, and you are really confident about the product or service you are offering , but you want people to trust your product and you do know know how to do that, implementing this method will help your company to elevate the capabilities to get people to know that your products are international level of quality and competitive

Videogame recomendation

Valorant: If you are not into battle royale games and like a little more tactical, then valorant is the game, it is a shooter just like the classic Counter Strike, where bullet recoil is hard to control, the only difference is that combines the most fun element in Overwatch, abilities, so imagine playing Counter Strike and Overwatch in the same game, that is valorant, and also is free to play.

This is a gif of three of the valorant characters – Pinterest

IDEAL

This method is totally different from the previous ones, because instead on focussing on the process or procedures or people or teamwork, focuses on problem solving, just as the name says IDEAL stands for

  • I
    • Identify the problem, this step focuses on identify what the problem is, share their feelings and express what they feel can be a good way to help others to identify the problems and understand it
  • D
    • Define your goals, now with the problem identified and the source of it known, you must define what do you expect from the problem, is not the solution but what you want to happend when the problem is solved
  • E
    • Explore solutions, defined what the expected result you are looking for then you need to explore different solutions, by answering questions like:
      • What are some solutions?
      • Which is the best solution?
      • Is it safe?
      • How migh people feel bout it?
      • Is it fair?
      • Will it work?
      • Is that what we really want?
  • A
    • Action, now when the best solution is selected what is left is to aply that solution and pray to that the expected result comes
  • L
    • Learn from your actions. This is the most important part of the model because in this part a reflection needs to be made, a reflection to understand the actions that brought the problem to the table, to understand what can or not be done by the people, at the end of the day this method aplies not only to people but to any kind of problem that is presented while working on a process
This is an image of a spotlight and the IDEAL phases – International Coach Academy

This is definetely my favourite of the standars and methods that were discussed in this topic, because it feels more human than the others, feels like a process that not only helps the process but the soul too.

If you’d like to know more about this method check out this link

Videogame recomendation

League of Legends: This is one of my favourites of all time, LoL is a moba in which the field is divided so that two teams, each of 5 members, fight agains each other, destroying turrets, monsters and using abilities, there are more than 130+ characters to play with, each one with 5 unique abilities and unlimited posibilities, definetely a game work trying. WARNING it can be a little adictive.

This is a gif of Ezreal and Kaisa, playable characters of the game fighting agains void spiders – Tenor

Thanks for reaching this far, I hope to see you on my next post, til nex time.

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