Team Software Process ( TSP )

Abstract

Abstract The Team Software Process (TSP) SM (Team Software Process and TSP are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University.) guides engineering teams in developing software‐intensive products. Early experience with the TSP shows that its use improves the quality and productivity of engineering teams while helping them to more precisely meet cost and schedule commitments. The TSP is designed for use with teams of 2–20 members, and the larger multi‐team TSPm SM (Multi‐team Team Software Process and TSPm are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University.) process is designed for teams of up to about 150 members. While TSP versions are planned for larger projects, they are not available at the time of this writing. This article describes the TSP and how it was developed. Starting with a brief background discussion of software quality, the article provides an overview of the basic elements of teamwork. It then describes the relationships among the TSP, PSP SM , (The Personal Software Process and PSP are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University.) and CMM® (Capability Maturity Model and CMM are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.) process improvement initiatives. The article also describes how the TSP was developed, the TSP process structure, launching a TSP team, the TSP teamworking process, and the issues and methods for introducing the TSP. The article concludes with a review of TSP experience, current status, and trends.