Key Process Areas Research Articles

IT Project Development using Capability Maturity Model

In many research studies on IT project development process, the authors have noticed that different frameworks are used for this purpose. In fact, many companies choose specific frameworks to run their IT projects based on project type and face dissimilar problems during the execution. In this research the authors are presenting a framework for IT project development using Capability Maturity Model. The framework has been developed to improve the IT project development in a large company because of the lower rate of successfully IT projects in that company. To develop the framework, they have used design science research and evaluated this framework with the project managers from that large company. The result of this research is a framework for IT projects development that is based on generic Capability Maturity Model and is adapted to the specific needs of an IT project development environment. Moreover, the framework identifies for each key process area of IT project development, the goals and activities to be performed.

GMM-BI: A methodological guide to improve organizacional maturity in Business Intelligence

Maturity models in Business Intelligence (BI) put forth a baseline for measuring the value of initiatives in this area, helping organizations to understand where they are and what improvements are needed. In this context, the main problem for organizations that are aware of their current level of BI maturity and want to implement improvements is to know how to make them. Currently, there are no studies guiding organizations to make BI maturity improvements. This paper presents a framework called GMM-BI to measure, analyze, plan, and implement BI maturity improvements in an organization for a given key process area (KPA). In general, the framework is instanced in KPA knowledge for which three procedures are defined so that organizations can perform the activities defined for a given KPA. In addition, the proposed guide considers a methodological path to implement improvements in the current maturity state of the KPA involved. This methodological path describes the different phases, activities, and tasks to be performed by an organization to implement these improvements. The result of applying this methodological guide is a qualitative description of the current BI maturity level of the organization and a quantitative characterization of the maturity improvement of the processes making up the KPA involved. In addition, this methodological guide is applied in three case studies.

Internal audit public sector capability: a case study

Internal auditing is an essential part of governance and can be a valuable asset to public sector institutions. However, for public sector internal auditing to effectively support management, the internal audit function (IAF) should be capable. The question arises as to how the capability of public sector IAFs can be measured. The Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation published the Internal Audit Capability Model (IA‐CM) in 2009 to provide a capability self‐assessment tool for public sector IAFs. The main objective of the study is to determine whether the IA‐CM can be used successfully to measure internal audit capability levels, and a secondary objective is to determine whether the tool can be successfully adapted for a specific public sector organisation and/or country. To achieve these objectives, the model was applied in a South African public sector organisation by means of a case study, where the IAF of the case was ranked against the key process areas (KPAs) of the model. The ranking was conducted based on a documentary review and interviews with applicable officials within the case. The model was successfully tested in measuring the internal audit capability level of a South African public sector organisation; however, a total of eight potential feasibility hindrances or considerations have been identified that could negatively affect the implementation of seven of the KPAs of the IA‐CM. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Comparison of Thai Qualification Framework for Higher Education and Capability Maturity Model Integration for Service

This paper present a comparative analysis of Thai Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (TQF: HEd) and Capability Maturity Model Integration for Service (CMMI-SVC) in order to compare the high level similarities between these two frameworks when they are both applied to improve the quality instruction and standardization of higher education instruction delivery, pedagogy, and learning outcomes. TQF is used to standardize the quality of education in Thailand with the expected learning outcomes of students in five domains, namely: ethical and moral development, cognitive skills, interpersonal skills and responsibility, analytical and communication skills, and numerical analysis, communication and information technology. Since CMMI-SVC targets towards the agencies that provides services, it contains 24 process areas each of which has specific goals and generic goals. This paper suggests the eight high level topics to be analysed including objectives, model characteristics, products, applications, dissemination, enhancement and enforcement, content, essence, and evaluation. The result shows that TQF would benefits from integrating the CMMI-SVC maturity level and key process areas with generic and specific goals and practices.

Lean Six Sigma Frameworks “An Improvement in Teaching-Learning Process”

Teaching-Learning Process improvement is an important key process area in the education sector for project implementation. Lean Six Sigma approaches have been constantly used for shortening the lead time and the waste from products or services to achieve quality. Lean and Six Sigma techniques are popularize in almost every industries. This paper focuses on how the Lean Six Sigma approach can be valuable for educational institutes to improve the teaching learning process. In this paper the author uses methodology and tools to achieve quality without having any wastes in the student‟s project implementation processes under the proper guidance of the higher faculties in software engineering.

A comparative study on asset management capability maturity models

Asset service organisations often recognise asset management as a core competence to deliver benefits to their business; however, it is less clear about how organisations know whether their asset management processes are adequate. This paper contends that asset management maturity models, which combine best practices with identified competencies, may provide a useful approach to test the capacity of organisations to manage assets. Existing capability maturity models are subject to wide variations in their implementation and sophistication. Drawing on five dimensions of effective asset management - spatial, temporal, organisational, statistical and evaluation - as identified by Amadi-Echendu et al. (2010), this paper undertakes a comprehensive comparative analysis of six existing maturity models to identify the gaps in key process areas. Results suggest incorporating these dimensions into an integrated approach to assess the maturity of asset-intensive organisations would provide a comprehensive approach towards assessing capabilities of asset service organisations.

>23% High-Efficiency Tunnel Oxide Junction Bifacial Solar Cell With Electroplated Cu Gridlines

Based on the metal-insulator-semiconductor concept, Triex cell is a proprietary device structure that combines a tunnel oxide junction with doped a-Si thin-film emitter layers on n-type Czochralski silicon wafers. A simple patterning process is used along with cost-effective copper electrochemical plating to form the electrodes. This paper reports a >23% high-efficiency Triex solar cell, postoptimizing key process areas to improve passivation, junction quality, and shading effects. High open-circuit voltage (V oc ) of 739 mV and good fill factor of 80.5% have been demonstrated on a 6-in solar cell. A champion 380-W Triex bifacial module is also validated under standard test conditions.

Software process simulation—at a crossroads?

ABSTRACTSoftware process simulation (SPS) has been evolving over the past two decades after being introduced to the software engineering community in the 1980s. At that time the SPS technology attracted a great deal of interest from both academics and practitioners in the software process community—even to the extent of being one of the recommended techniques for achieving multiple Key Process Areas of Level 4 of the Capability Maturity Model Integration. However, in recent years, the growth of SPS seems to have slowed along with the number of reported applications in industry. This article summarizes the special panel that was held during ICSSP 2012 whose goals were to assess whether this technology remains applicable to today's software engineering projects and challenges and to point out the most beneficial opportunities for future research and industry application. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

'Act on oncology' as a new comprehensive approach to assess prostate cancer centres--method description and results of a pilot study.

BackgroundMultidisciplinary care of prostate cancer is increasingly offered in specialised cancer centres. It requires the optimisation of medical and operational processes and the integration of the different medical and non-medical stakeholders.ObjectiveTo develop a standardised operational process assessment tool basing on the capability maturity model integration (CMMI) able to implement multidisciplinary care and improve process quality and efficiency.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsInformation for model development was derived from medical experts, clinical guidelines, best practice elements of renowned cancer centres, and scientific literature. Data were organised in a hierarchically structured model, consisting of 5 categories, 30 key process areas, 172 requirements, and more than 1500 criteria. Compliance with requirements was assessed through structured on-site surveys covering all relevant clinical and management processes. Comparison with best practice standards allowed to recommend improvements. ‘Act On Oncology’(AoO) was applied in a pilot study on a prostate cancer unit in Europe.Results and LimitationsSeveral best practice elements such as multidisciplinary clinics or advanced organisational measures for patient scheduling were observed. Substantial opportunities were found in other areas such as centre management and infrastructure. As first improvements the evaluated centre administration described and formalised the organisation of the prostate cancer unit with defined personnel assignments and clinical activities and a formal agreement is being worked on to have structured access to First-Aid Posts.ConclusionsIn the pilot study, the AoO approach was feasible to identify opportunities for process improvements. Measures were derived that might increase the operational process quality and efficiency.

Implementation of Five Key Process Areas to Improve the Requirement Engineering Process

Implementation of Five Key Process Areas to Improve the Requirement Engineering Process

Governing Software Process Improvementsin Globally Distributed Product Development

Continuous software process improvement (SPI) practices have been extensively prescribed to improve performance of software projects. However, SPI implementation mechanisms have received little scholarly attention, especially in the context of distributed software product development. We took an action research approach to study the SPI journey of a large multinational enterprise that adopted a distributed product development strategy. We describe the interventions and action research cycles enacted over a period of five years in collaboration with the firm, which resulted in a custom SPI framework that catered to both the social and technical needs of the firm's distributed teams. Institutionalizing the process maturity framework got stalled initially because the SPI initiatives were perceived by product line managers as a mechanism for exercising wider controls by the firm's top management. The implementation mechanism was subsequently altered to co-opt product line managers, which contributed to a wider adoption of the SPI framework. Insights that emerge from our analysis of the firm's SPI journey pertain to the integration of the technical and social views of software development, preserving process diversity through the use of a multi-tiered, non-blueprint approach to SPI, the linkage between key process areas and project control modes, and the role of SPI in aiding organizational learning.

IIM-CBSE: an integrated maturity model for CBSE

This study presents a newer approach for maturity analysis of component-based software processes. Conventional maturity models aim at learning from experiences of different activities so as to attain maturity. In case of component-based software, we have additional requirements of tracking maturity of software components and the composition process apart from the traditional requirements. Unfortunately, the conventional maturity models do not consider software components and its interdependence with component-based software in their considerations of levels and key process areas. It is therefore necessary to consider a maturity model that is based on peculiarities and importance of component-based software and hence a new model under the name integrated maturity model - component-based software engineering IMM-CBSE for this purpose is being proposed herein. The proposed model may use as a standard for assessment of component-based software and software components. This work starts a discussion and calls for more extensive research-oriented studies by professionals and academicians for perfection of the model.

Capturing maturity of ICT applications in construction processes

PurposeTwo main types of models are used worldwide in consideration of the impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) processes in construction: capability maturity models (CMM) and e‐readiness models. The purpose of this paper is to review the structure behind the different models, their applicability to construction and indicate how organisations move between the levels in a CMM.Design/methodology/approachThis study investigates the literature behind eight e‐readiness models and 53 CMMs.FindingsThe findings indicate 88 per cent of maturity‐based CMM models linked to five maturity levels, with the remainder using four. CMMs have common features: the process/application is described by maturity levels; Key Process Areas (KPA) provide the features to allow movement; and the levels are arranged and attained systematically, lowest to highest. Publication dates and trends indicate the rate of CMM publication is increasing (most in 2009), conversely, e‐readiness models are not (most published in 2004).Practical implicationsIt is expected that the number of CMMs will increase; conversely, e‐readiness models may not. E‐readiness models have not been adopted by other industries and applications. However, CMMs, although initiated in software engineering, have progressed to incorporate construction models which cover processes as diverse as financial management and documentation. This suggests that a CMM is more applicable for applications such as e‐business in construction.Originality/valueThe paper significantly expands that of Man in 2007 who listed 22 CMM models. This paper categorises a further 31 models and indicates construction applicability, combined with a review of e‐readiness models for the first time.

An agile process model for product derivation in software product line engineering

SUMMARYSoftware product lines (SPL) and Agile practices have emerged as new paradigms for developing software. Both approaches share common goals; such as improving productivity, reducing time to market, decreasing development costs and increasing customer satisfaction. These common goals provide the motivation for this research. We believe that integrating Agile practices into SPL can bring a balance between agility and formalism. However, there has been a little research on such integration. We have been researching the potential of integrating Agile approaches in one of the key SPL process areas, product derivation (PD). In this paper, we present an outline of our Agile process model for PD that was developed through industry‐based case study research. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A classification framework for facilities and real estate management

PurposeThis paper aims to present an industry‐neutral classification model for the management functions of the organizational built environment: the Built Environment Management Model (BEM2). The model is intended to highlight the strategic value of the built environment management functions and to assess how efficiently these functions interact and generate strategic value.Design/methodology/approachThe research team reviewed a wide range of existing management models for facilities management and real estate (FM/RE) and related management disciplines. In a multi‐year research project, the team refined the descriptive model in an iterative validation process between researchers and practitioners.FindingsThe BEM2 framework is an inventory of FM/RE functions. The model highlights the relationships between the four major key process areas and shows the strategic value stream of each particular FM/RE function. BEM2 has proven effective in helping organizations understand the scope and value of the FM/RE functions. The tool can be used to identify organizational gaps and overlaps between divisions, and it can help to facilitate discussions between organizational entities of how responsibilities should be most effectively aligned. It can also serve as an effective model to support the implementation of an integrated building information model (BIM).Research limitations/implicationsThe model is currently limited to a description of processes and is as such explaining the sequence of FM/RE business processes. It does not yet address the skill sets required to effectively perform these functions.Practical implicationsThe BEM2 framework was successfully used as the business model for the major restructuring process of a large real estate organization. It has also proven to be valuable as a way to introduce students to the subject of FM/RE. The adoption of BEM2 can help to further clarify the standards of the FM/RE profession and to increase the maturity of its business functions.Originality/valueThe BEM2 model transfers principles from related management fields and assembles them into a comprehensive process model for the FM/RE model. It contributes to the discussion on standardization and taxonomy development in the FM/RE discipline.

A Model of Data Warehousing Process Maturity

Even though data warehousing (DW) requires huge investments, the data warehouse market is experiencing incredible growth. However, a large number of DW initiatives end up as failures. In this paper, we argue that the maturity of a data warehousing process (DWP) could significantly mitigate such large-scale failures and ensure the delivery of consistent, high quality, “single-version of truth” data in a timely manner. However, unlike software development, the assessment of DWP maturity has not yet been tackled in a systematic way. In light of the critical importance of data as a corporate resource, we believe that the need for a maturity model for DWP could not be greater. In this paper, we describe the design and development of a five-level DWP maturity model (DWP-M) over a period of three years. A unique aspect of this model is that it covers processes in both data warehouse development and operations. Over 20 key DW executives from 13 different corporations were involved in the model development process. The final model was evaluated by a panel of experts; the results strongly validate the functionality, productivity, and usability of the model. We present the initial and final DWP-M model versions, along with illustrations of several key process areas at different levels of maturity.

Towards Capability Maturity Model of e-Learning Process

ePCMM (e-Learning Process Capability Maturity Model) is used for evaluating the capability and maturity of an institution engaged in e-Learning based on e-Learning key process areas. It is a stepwise process improvement which can be implemented by both staged model and continues model.

Key process area mapping in the production of an e‐capability maturity model for UK construction organisations

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the production of the key process areas (KPAs) for an e‐capability maturity model for construction organisations, based on drivers and barriers to e‐procurement.Design/methodology/approachPrevious researchers have recognised the positive consequences of possessing a model to sustain the embedment of any business process within an organisation. The capability maturity model progressed into one of the most internationally recognised since the release of the Software Capability Maturity Model (CMM) in 1991. Since then, many CMMs have been developed. This paper reports on how a CMM based on drivers and barriers to e‐procurement identified in Eadie et al. can be developed to form the KPAs in the formation of a model to gauge the maturity of an organisation in relation to e‐procurement.FindingsIt was found that factor analysis could be used as a data reduction technique to reduce the 20 drivers and 32 barriers identified as being applicable to e‐procurement in construction, to 12 KPAs: Quality management system; Cost management system; Intergroup coordination; Time management system; Operational analysis; Organisational change management system; Integrated teaming; Governance management system; Requirements development; Knowledge management system; Integration management system; and Organisational environment.Originality/valueThis paper provides particulars of a research project which uses factor analysis to produce a set of KPAs from the drivers and barriers identified in Eadie et al. These KPAs are then subjected to a mapping process linking them to maturity levels to develop a CMM to analyse the e‐procurement capability of construction organisations. This mapping will be reported in a later paper. This e‐readiness of organisations will indicate the current state of a construction organisation in terms of its readiness to carry out e‐procurement. The paper describes in detail the identification of the KPAs.

A capability maturity model for scientific data management: Evidence from the literature

In this paper, we propose a capability maturity model (CMM) for scientific data management (SDM) practices, with the goal of supporting assessment and improvement of these practices. The model describes key process areas and practices necessary for effective SDM. Appropriate SDM practices were identified by content analysis of papers about SDM and include both those specific SDM practices and generic process management practices. The CMM further characterizes organizations by the level of maturity of these processes, meaning the organizational capability to reliably perform SDM processes. The model may be useful to organizations in evaluating and planning improvements to their SDM practices.

Utilizing Usability Evaluating Model in Applying CMM to Improve the Quality of Software Maintenance Process

Maintenance plays an important role in the life cycle of a software product. It is estimated that there are more than 100 billion lines of code in production in the world. As much as 80% of it is unstructured, patched and not well documented. Maintenance can alleviate these problems. The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) to improve the quality of software maintenance process (SMP). The architecture of the CMM model has been retained almost as is while its content, which was specific to the development process, has been either modified or extended to take into account the characteristics specified to the maintenance function, these characteristics were then organized into key process areas (KPAs) of CMM model. This paper applied the definition of (ISO 9241-11, 1998) that examines effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. The emphasis will be given to the SMP activities