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Process Assessment and Improvement: A Practical Guide, 2nd ed. provides a powerful and practical approach to improving organizations through process assessment, combined with people factors such as organizational culture and team-based improvement. Originally published in 2004 as the first practical guide to the emerging ISO/IEC 15504 standard, this second edition presents an updated version of process assessments and includes new risk methods.
The book covers three major business reasons for process assessment: setting Target Profiles, Process Capability Determination, and Process Improvement. Also provided are figures on the costs of poor quality and the benefits of improvement for organizations involved in software and IT. The comprehensive improvement programs and agile improvement methodologies presented in the book are grounded in successful practices employed in world class organizations. Useful examples, templates and tools are included.
List of contents
Organizational Success and People.- Process.- Product.- User View.- the purpose of process assessment.- User View.- Defining Target Capability Profiles.- User View.- Process Capability Determination User View.- Process Improvement.- Standards View.- Performing Assessments Application View.- Rating Processes up to Capability.- Level 5.- Application View.- Assessment results.- Industry Experience with ISO/IEC 15504.- Annex 1: Templates and Examples.- Annex 2: Assessment Tools.- Annex 3: Supplementary Improvement Information.
Summary
Process Assessment and Improvement: A Practical Guide, 2nd ed. provides a powerful and practical approach to improving organizations through process assessment, combined with people factors such as organizational culture and team-based improvement. Originally published in 2004 as the first practical guide to the emerging ISO/IEC 15504 standard, this second edition presents an updated version of process assessments and includes new risk methods.
The book covers three major business reasons for process assessment: setting Target Profiles, Process Capability Determination, and Process Improvement. Also provided are figures on the costs of poor quality and the benefits of improvement for organizations involved in software and IT. The comprehensive improvement programs and agile improvement methodologies presented in the book are grounded in successful practices employed in world class organizations. Useful examples, templates and tools are included.
Additional text
From the reviews of the second edition:
"The text is well organized. … The book’s most important contribution is the way it describes the required procedural steps … . The charts and the tables included assist in explaining the covered materials. The examples and templates shown can help professionals to put a fast pace performing assessments and improving process effectiveness. The human factors that affect assessments and the impact of the organization’s dominating culture are given sufficient importance. The methods are presented in a well-organized manner ... ." (John Sarivougioukas, Computing Reviews, January, 2008)
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From the reviews of the second edition:
"The text is well organized. ... The book's most important contribution is the way it describes the required procedural steps ... . The charts and the tables included assist in explaining the covered materials. The examples and templates shown can help professionals to put a fast pace performing assessments and improving process effectiveness. The human factors that affect assessments and the impact of the organization's dominating culture are given sufficient importance. The methods are presented in a well-organized manner ... ." (John Sarivougioukas, Computing Reviews, January, 2008)
