Process Assessment Model Research Articles

Formalizing ISO/IEC 15504-5 and SEI CMMI v1.3 – Enabling automatic inference of maturity and capability levels

This paper presents formalizations that capture definitions of a number of concepts of the ISO/IEC 15504-5 process assessment model and the CMMI v1.3 constellations process models and relations among the concepts. The formalizations are expressed in a formal language, OWL. The main objectives for these formalizations are to be consistent with the ISO/IEC 15504-5 process assessment model and the CMMI-DEV/SVC/ACQ v1.3 models and to be effective, i.e., to allow for an automatic determination of an organizations maturity level and of a process capability level based upon data collected during an assessment. The formalizations are presented in a number of levels, from more general concepts to more specific. To assess the validity of the ISO/IEC 15504-5 formalization, a number of test cases for the scenario of automatic determination of the capability levels were developed. To assess the validity of the CMMI v1.3 formalizations, a number of real cases were selected from the CMMI institute published appraisal results with the purpose of validating the automatic determination of both organizational maturity and process areas capability levels. A set of OWL reasoners were then used to derive the capability levels for a specific process group (regarding the ISO/IEC 15504-5) and to derive the organizational maturity and process areas capability levels for the CMMI-DEV v1.3 constellation. While the test results were all positive, the real value of these formalizations comes from the fact that they faithfully captured the main aspects of ISO/IEC 15504-5 and CMMI v1.3, both well established and accepted models for the assessment of organizational processes, and that an inference engine was able to support the assessment of processes capability levels and of organizations maturity levels.

PROPOSED ANALYTICAL PROCEDURE FOR THE CUSTOMIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COBIT 5, AN AUDITING TOOL: AN ACTION DESIGN RESEARCH APPROACH

Customization is part of an audit planning exercise that addresses the issue of implementation of a broad audit framework for the achievement of the most desired audit outcomes for the audit client. Leading frameworks such as Control OBjectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) that have successfully been used as an audit framework have changed focus from audit to complex governance and management framework, leaving audit professionals with the challenge to figure out how to configure it into an auditing tool. The framers of COBIT 5 recommend to Information Technology (IT) auditors to apply professional judgment, experience, and IT skills for the customization of the framework for their desired audit goals. This, however, has been controversial in theory and cumbersome in practice and no solution has yet been found for the problem. In this research, we use an Action Design Research approach to design a model for performing objective customization of COBIT 5 for better outcomes as the solution. We found that the Viable Systems Model’s Indices from the cybernetics science paradigm and the Process Assessment Model were relevant to achieve this goal. The resulting solution designed provides a more efficient, teachable, and simpler technique in the selection of substantive procedures for desired audit outcomes. The model can be very cost effective, save audit time, and reduce audit failure exposure.

Performance assessment process model for international manufacturing networks

PurposeMultinational companies have manufacturing operations in various countries; however, there is scarce evidence on how they assess performance of the network-based operations of their factories, called international manufacturing networks (IMN). The purpose of this paper is to propose a process model for the performance assessment of IMNs.Design/methodology/approachThe IMN performance assessment process model was developed from the extant literature and was empirically verified in its congruency and usefulness via a multiple case research. For that, in each case the general process model was derived into a specific application that fit the type of IMN on focus. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the case companies’ reports, profiling forms and interviews, followed by within-case and cross-case analyses.FindingsEvidence suggest that the process model, along with its derivations, is a valuable tool to describe and explain how IMN performance assessment unfolds in real organizational environments. Additionally, three propositions emerged: IMN performance assessment has distinct characteristics depending on the type of IMN adopted, which in turn depends on the company’s internationalization strategy; IMN performance assessment has more strategic value and importance for companies that are globally coordinated and adopt “rooted” manufacturing strategies; and companies design their IMN performance assessment on a trial-and-error basis.Research limitations/implicationsAs all case-based research, this paper has generalizability limitations. Thus, next steps may include a large-scale survey and an action research that will develop and implement a full-fledged IMN performance assessment.Practical implicationsThe process model and descriptive insights provide a diagnostic tool and subsidies that may encourage managers to review and improve their current IMN performance assessment.Originality/valueThe process model contributes to addressing a 20-year gap concerning how to approach IMN performance assessment in a holistic and systematic manner.

Comparative process-based life-cycle assessment of bioconcrete and conventional concrete

PurposeBioconcrete is widely believed to be environmentally beneficial over conventional concrete. However, the process of bioconcrete production involves several steps, such as waste recovery and treatment, that potentially present significant environmental impacts. Existing life-cycle assessments of bioconcrete are limited in the inventory and impact analysis; therefore, they do not consider all the steps involved in concrete production and the corresponding impacts. The purpose of this study is to extensively study the cradle-to-gate environmental impacts of all the production stages of two most common bioconcrete types (i.e. sludge-based bioconcrete and cement kiln dust-rice husk ash (CKD-RHA) bioconcrete) as opposed to conventional concrete.Design/methodology/approachA cradle-to-gate life-cycle assessment process model is implemented to systematically analyze and quantify the resources consumed and the environmental impacts caused by the production of bioconcrete as opposed to the production of conventional concrete. The impacts analyzed in this assessment include global warming potential, ozone depletion potential, eutrophication, acidification, ecotoxicity, smog, fossil fuel use, human toxicity, particulate air and water consumption.FindingsThe results indicated that sludge-based bioconcrete had higher levels of global warming potential, eutrophication, acidification, ecotoxicity, fossil fuel use, human toxicity and particulate air than both conventional concrete and CKD-RHA bioconcrete.Originality/valueThe contribution of this study to the state of knowledge is that it sheds light on the hidden impacts of bioconcrete. The contribution to the state of practice is that the results of this study inform the bioconcrete production designers about the production processes with the highest impact.

Towards a Regional Innovation Strategies Modelling

This paper presents the methodical approach of an INTERREG project aiming to improve the implementation and evaluation of European Research & Innovation strategies. The P2L2 project applies interregional policy learning and exchange of experiences on aspects influencing the regional innovation ecosystems in the field of advanced materials. The key enabling technology “advanced materials” complements the regional economic and research tissue of six participating regions with a stable opportunity for future growth and jobs. P2L2 goes beyond traditional ‘good practice sharing’ and results are expected not only to improve policy instruments. All activities related to the definition, implementation and evaluation of the RIS3 and smart specialization strategies are described in terms of an ISO/IEC 330xx conformant Process Reference and Assessment Model (PRM/PAM).The improved process capability aligns regional policies and strategies between sectors in order to facilitate the establishment of real innovation ecosystems beyond administrative regional boundaries and identifies overlaps, gaps and complimentarily for European collaboration.

Development and Validation of Learning Process Assessment Model

The importance of learning improvement is more and more recognized. Process capability maturity modeling elaborated by the Software Engineering community became applicable for any process-oriented activity assessment and improvement. This paper contributes to the solution of learning improvement problem based on the process quality attributes modeling approach. The consciousness as a learning process quality characteristic is introduced. Two-dimensional Learning process model based on R. Marzano taxonomy of learning objectives and on the staged Learning process maturity model has been developed and validated.

MGPDI: modelo de gestión de la I+D+i en las organizaciones

A strategy to promote innovation in organizations consists of the adoption of Research, Development and Innovation (RD 2) Process Assessment Model MA-MGPDI based on the family of standards ISO/IEC 33000 for process assessment. Until December 2016 there are three goals: 1) to develop, test and publish two MGPDI guides (General Guide and Assessment Guide); 2) train the first implementation consultants, assessors and instructors; 3) perform three pilot of MGPDI implementation and assessment in organizations in southern Brazil, including tests with two online software support tools (SGPDI and MGPDI AA). MGPDI is a process model with great potential of replication in Latin America and Caribbean countries.

Mobile application to evaluate existing university buildings using building information

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide information on building's energy consumption and efficiency for general building users through a mobile application. Method: This paper presents a mobile application process and building energy assessment models for general users to understand easily. There are two assessment models, one is based on the energy consumption. The other is based on the architectural planning factors of a building. The assessment models are proposed to understand buildings' energy efficiency and to compare the energy consumption level for general users. The applicability of proposed application has been evaluated by conducting a case study. The case study is targeting university buildings. Result: Energy efficiency potentials were proposed using weighting factor which was calculated by the impact on energy consumption of a building according to parameters. The mobile application used the simple energy assessment model by energy efficiency potentials and was developed for a smartphone By using the mobile application, numerous general users of smartphones can easily and conveniently access information pertaining to buildings, energy consumption, and reductions in energy consumption. The proposed application enables user to find more energy efficient buildings by comparing energy status and energy efficiency potential by given information.

Adaptive e-Assessment System: A General Approach

On any type of course (on site or online), a learner is evaluated whether he has acquired the knowledge and competences provided in the course. The evaluation should be performed by evaluating his progression by means of the interaction in the classroom or assessment activities. Mostly, assessment activities are used to check the level of expertise of the learner. Typically, the assessment model and assessment activities of subjects in official programmes are the same for all the learners, since they should be evaluated having the same opportunities and conditions. However, when the learner is evaluated based on a continuous assessment model, he is demonstrating on each activity his knowledge and proficiency level and, at the same time, his reputation could be also built based on the actions he is performing within the course. Therefore, the assessment model can be particularly adapted for each learned based on this information. In this paper, we present a general system to adapt any component of the assessment process (model, activity, question…) based on different evidences gathered from the learning process of the learner.

Development and benefits of MDevSPICE®, the medical device software process assessment framework

AbstractSoftware development companies moving into the medical device domain often find themselves overwhelmed by the number of regulatory requirements they need to satisfy before they can market their device. Several international standards and guidance documents have been developed to help companies on their road to regulatory compliance, but working their way through the various standards is a challenge in itself. In order to help software companies in the medical device domain, we have developed an integrated framework of medical device software development best practices called MDevSPICE®. This framework integrates generic software development best practices with medical device standards' requirements enabling consistent assessment of medical device processes. MDevSPICE® can be used by software companies evaluating their readiness for regulatory audits as well as by large medical device manufacturers for selecting suitable software suppliers.In this paper, we describe the development of the MDevSPICE® framework—its process reference model, process assessment model, assessment method and assessor training and certification scheme. We also illustrate the benefits and significance of the framework for the medical device‐manufacturing community as learned from the various MDevSPICE® assessments that we conducted to date. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of MDevSPICE® – the medical device software process assessment framework

AbstractSoftware that is incorporated into a medical device, or which is a standalone medical device in its own right, is of a safety critical nature and subject to regulation from various jurisdictions. In order to satisfy jurisdictional regulations, developers of medical device software adopt standards and guidance provided by international standards bodies and regulators. However, the various standards and guidance documents are often not developed as a single cohesive set resulting in a complex and costly challenge for medical device software developers when complying with regulation.The aim of this paper is to describe the integration of medical device guidance documents and software engineering standards into a unified framework for medical device software process assessment called MDevSPICE®. The paper illustrates the development of both the process reference model and the process assessment model (PAM) of MDevSPICE®. The MDevSPICE® PAM can help software developers to prepare for the regulatory audits, which they must satisfy as a prerequisite to placing their products on the market. The MDevSPICE® PAM can also assist medical device manufacturers to select competent software suppliers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tool Proposal for Software Process Assessment Using ISO/IEC 15504

In these days, there exist some maturity & capability models, standard methodologies and guidelines to help organizations to improve their processes and the way they work. In software area, there are Software Process Assessment Models like ISO/IEC 15504. This model provides guidance for assessing the organization’s capacity about software development and his maturity on implemented processes. Software Process Assessment models don’t provide systematic metrics for assessing the Software Process. Therefore, this process has to be performed by experienced assessors who use their own subjective estimations for quantitative measures or by using established metrics. This article presents a tool proposal designed for supporting the software process assessment and helps to determine the organization’s capability on his software development process from ISO/ IEC 15504 (SPICE) model perspective.

Naval ship's susceptibility assessment by the probabilistic density function

Abstract The survivability of the naval ship is the capability of a warship to avoid or withstand a hostile environment. The survivability of the naval ship assessed by three categories (susceptibility, vulnerability and recoverability). The magnitude of susceptibility of a warship encountering with threat is dependent upon the attributes of detection equipment and weapon system. In this paper, as a part of a naval ship's survivability analysis, an assessment process model for the ship's susceptibility analysis technique is developed. Naval ship's survivability emphasizing the susceptibility is assessed by the probability of detection, and the probability of hit. Considering the radar cross section (RCS), the assessment procedure for the susceptibility is described. It's emphasizing the simplified calculation model based on the probability density function for probability of hit. Assuming the probability of hit given a both single-hit and multiple-hit, the susceptibility is accessed for a RCS and the hit probability for a rectangular target is applied for a given threat.

A method for aggregating ordinal process assessment measures

Process capability and maturity models invariably use an ordinal scale of capability or maturity. Process assessment methods must include ways to aggregate the base assessment measures through to the capability level. As process reference models and assessment models have become more detailed, process assessments have started to assess the processes at lower levels of process attributes. Also, process assessments can assess different divisions of an organization then try to combine the results to form some conclusion about the overall organizational capability. Both circumstances have exposed the problems of aggregating ordinal measures. We propose that these problems can be overcome by converting ordinal base measures to probability distributions. Doing so allows mathematical aggregation to be used at all levels of the measurement model. Although this overcomes a problem, we caution that it also provides an illusion of precision and accuracy where none is justifiable, leading to a tendency to overlook the original purpose of process assessment, which is to identify potential process improvements. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Corporate social responsibility assessment: a multi-dimensional and dynamic perspective

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a path to sustainability is well recognised. Here, an aggregate methodology of observation, comparison and estimation is used to explore the multiple dimensions and dynamics of CSR and to construct a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model for CSR assessment. A state-owned corporation is taken as a case study. It is concluded that social responsibility has a dual nature, with both objective and subjective aspects. The issues of CSR in China are evolving from a latent to an emerging stage but far from consolidation and institutionalisation, while CSR responses and performance levels of corporations are evolving from defensive and compliance stages to a managerial stage but far from strategic and civil stages. National and corporate approaches are proposed for CSR risk mitigation and capacity building. Corporations are encouraged to be adaptive in taking social responsibilities commensurate to the capacities and contexts under which they operate.

An ideal model of an assistive technology assessment and delivery process

The purpose of the present work is to present some aspects of the Assistive Technology Assessment (ATA) process model compatible with the Position Paper 2012 by AAATE/EASTIN. Three aspects of the ATA process will be discussed in light of three topics of the Position Paper 2012: (i) The dimensions and the measures of the User eXperience (UX) evaluation modelled in the ATA process as a way to verify the efficient and the evidence-based practices of an AT service delivery centre; (ii) The relevance of the presence of the psychologist in the multidisciplinary team of an AT service delivery centre as necessary for a complete person-centred assistive solution empowering users to make their own choices; (iii) The new profession of the psychotechnologist, who explores user's needs by seeking a proper assistive solution, leading the multidisciplinary team to observe critical issues and problems. Through the foundation of the Position Paper 2012, the 1995 HEART study, the Matching Person and Technology model, the ICF framework, and the pillarsof the ATAprocess, thispaper sets fortha concept and approach that emphasise the personal factors of the individual consumer and UX as key to positively impacting a successful outcome and AT solution. 1. Background and purpose The model of the Assistive Technology Assess- ment (ATA) process was developed by Federici and Scherer (1) with the contribution of 55 scholars from five continents. It models the functioning process of centres for assistive technology (AT) evaluation and provision independentlyfrom the model of local or na- tional service delivery systems. The aim is to suggest practical guidelines for a quality control of effective processes of matching individual users with the most appropriate technology. The ATA process borrows a user-driven working methodology from the Matching Person and Technology (MPT) model of Scherer (3,4).

Mapping of improvement models as a risk reduction strategy: a theoretical comparison for the aerospace industry

Organizations involved on process improvement programs need to deal with different process improvement and assessment models. As not all the process improvement and assessment models have an equivalent scope, the selection of a particular model to guide the improvement strategy may result in a partial, constrained view of the areas where the organization may obtain competitive advantages. As a mitigation strategy, organizations should have a detailed understanding of the differences in the scope of the available models. Whatever the model they adopt, companies should be aware of relevant areas that may be missed or treated with more or less detail in the models under consideration. In addition, the need of dealing with different assessment models is usually found in second- and third-party assessments, when prospects or potential contractors decide to conduct an assessment of the subcontractor's capabilities using a model that may not be the same as the reference model selected by the target subcontractor. In these situations, companies are at risks of overlooking relevant processes and practices. This paper describes a case study developed for the aerospace industry, based on the mapping of two assessment models widely deployed in this activity sector: CMMI-DEV and SPICE for Space, a variant of ISO/IEC 15504. A detailed gap analysis is provided identifying those aspects that should be considered both as potential improvement areas and as sources of risks. An extended assessment activity methodology is proposed that considers the results of model traceability analysis as a key factor for conducting the assessments.

A proposed integrated model of lean assessment and analytical hierarchy process for a dynamic road map of lean implementation

Lean is a well-approved strategy to enhance quality, improve productivity, and reduce cost via eliminating all non-value-added activities. The absence of a standard model for implementing lean and the strong need for a “road map” or “systematic approach” that set the priorities of enterprise’s perspectives for improvement are essential for enterprise success. A lean radar score (LRS) alone is not enough to define the perspective priorities for improvement to achieve the leanness condition. Other elements have to be considered in order to have the optimum route of implementing lean, including cost, benefits, time of completion, technological capabilities, administrative constraints, and the degree of involved risk. Based on that, an integrated model of lean assessment and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is proposed to define the route of lean implementation based on the perspective priorities for improvement. The proposed path is dynamic and can vary according to the situation of the enterprise. Consistency test is used to ensure that the experts’ judgment in assigning weights within the AHP model does not contain contradiction, and sensitivity analysis is used to verify the robustness of decision regarding the optimum route for lean implementation.

A Requirements Engineering Process Assessment Model for Small Software Development Organization

Requirements Engineering Process Assessment (REPA) was conducted prior to Requirements Engineering Process Improvement (REPI) activities to identify the Requirements Engineering Process area to be improved. The Requirements Engineering Process Assessment methods such as REPM, R-CMM, REMMF, Uni-REPM were available to all enterprises, but they were difficult for most of the small organization because of complexity and consequent large investment in terms of time and resources. In order to conduct Requirements Engineering Process Assessment (REPA) activities with few efforts in small organizations effectively. We have presented a quantitative Requirements Engineering process assessment model based on Quantitative Assessment Model for Software Process Improvement in Small Organization. It was an efficient approach to evaluate the quality of the Requirements Engineering process execution for improvement of the organization Requirements Engineering process maturity. We present Requirements Engineering process assessment results for four software companies, describe milestone compliance score distribution and compliance score distribution for Requirements Engineering assessment items. All these companies reported satisfaction with their participation. Our conclusion is that quantitative Requirements Engineering Process Assessment model is useful in assessment of Requirements Engineering process in small organization and in identifying the strength and weakness of the Requirements Engineering processes.

Carbon Sequestration and Economic Potential of the Selected Medicinal Tree Species: Evidence From Sikkim, India

Medicinal plants are widely used in India for various livelihood and health benefits. However, there is a lack of awareness and research on their carbon sequestration and economical potential, which constrains their use in various ongoing carbon forestry schemes precluding farmers from potential carbon revenue opportunities. The present study seeks to fill this knowledge gap by assessing the carbon sequestration and economic potential of three extensively used medicinal tree species of Emblica officinalis (Amla), Terminalia belerica (Bahera), and Terminalia chebula (Harar) in the state of Sikkim with the help of the project-based comprehensive mitigation assessment process (PROCOMAP) model. The findings of this research suggest that the selected species of Amla, Bahera, and Harar have significant carbon sequestration rates of 1, 2.64, and 1.42 tC ha−1 yr−1, which could generate Indian National Rupees (INR) 844, 1,198, and 2,228 ha−1 yr−1, respectively from carbon revenues in a $5/tCO2 scenario through various ongoing carbon forestry schemes.