Affordable ways to improve application development

Abstract

If an important client suddenly required that you conform to a process standard, could you afford to do so? Could you afford not to? The 3P Process Improvement Strategy is the answer. Two cases illustrate its benefits. In one case, a CMM Level 1 organization underwent a CMM based assessment for Internal Process Improvement less than one year after working with elements of 3P. The certifying agency found it compliant in all but one key process area, and the certification cost the company less than $100000 (US). In a second case, a small firm won a major procurement and has been vocal in crediting the win to efforts associated with the 3P strategy. The strategy derives its name from its core components: policies, processes, and products. The 3P approach is primarily pragmatic: it supports the notion that compliance with an established standard should serve as a sanity check, not an end in itself. Using 3P, you start with business and technical self-assessments, which lead directly to the improvement of a single process (or, if you have the resources, many processes). Your plans need not be elaborate, but must be complete. 3P provides a six-step program to help you monitor your progress. Monitoring is key: if you get commitment from your boss, yourself, and your team to honest assessment, the improvement program will yield long term benefits.