A Modified Capability Framework for Improving Software Production Processes in Jamaican Organisations

Abstract

AbstractRecurrent information systems (IS) problems, including low quality, long development lead times, user dissatisfaction, and high implementation costs have been a persistent theme in the IS literature and have led to the perception of a “software crisis”. Consequently, the IS development community has adopted several software process improvement (SPI) programs supported by formal process assessment approaches such as the capability maturity model (CMM). Research, conducted mostly in developed countries to evaluate the effects of such programs, has confirmed that an SPI focus can contribute to the production of high‐quality systems; however, this phenomenon has rarely been studied in smaller enterprises such as those in Jamaica and other developing countries. The insights gleaned from such research in larger organisations may not be entirely applicable to the smaller firms in Jamaica. The authors undertook a survey of Jamaican organisations which revealed the absence of any formal approaches for gauging the discipline and maturity of their IS production processes. One possible reason is the complexity of CMM‐supported SPI programs. In this paper, we undertake an evaluation of the software production environment in Jamaica and the operational tenets of the CMM, in order to recommend a modified software process assessment regime that is more suited to this environment so as to increase the likelihood of adoption in this context.