WIT Transactions on Information and Communication Technologies, 1970
This paper gives an overview of the typical Japanese approaches to software quality management, c... more This paper gives an overview of the typical Japanese approaches to software quality management, concentrating on the use of measurement. It begins by briefly reviewing Japan's history and cultural make-up, since most analysts are agreed that differences in culture are the main reason for differences in industrial practices between Japan and 'the West'. The paper then gives an overview of the Japanese software industry in general terms, leading to a discussion of the use of measurement within it. The Japanese computer manufacturer NEC is included as a case study. The paper ends with a brief description of some relevant work reported at a recent international conference. BACKGROUND In industrial terms Japan is an acknowledged world leader. In particular, their ability to mass produce high quality, low cost, high technology goods such as automobiles and consumer electronics is second to none. Numerous studies in recent years have attempted to analyse the way Japanese industry operates and to draw lessons from its success. While the underlying reasons for it are many and varied, the conclusions of such studies have invariably highlighted cultural differences between Japan and 'the West' as being of vital importance. (The West' here means western Europe and north America, and other nations such as Canada and Australia which have a similar cultural heritage.) In order to understand the Japanese way of working it is essential to appreciate the basis of their culture, which gives rise, generally speaking, to rather different attitudes towards work than are usual in the West. Whilst it is always important to regard generalisations with a degree of scepticism, they are reasonably dependable when applied to Japan because the 120 million or so Japanese are a fairly uniform people. Although Tokyo ranks alongside New York and London as one of the biggest and most developed cities in the world, it does not have anything like the multi-cultural atmosphere of its counterparts.
Attention is given to the development history of the Central Weather Processor (CWP) program of t... more Attention is given to the development history of the Central Weather Processor (CWP) program of the Federal Aviation Administration. The CWP will interface with high speed digital communications links, accept data and information products from new sources, generate data processing products, and provide meteorologists with the capability to automate data retrieval and dissemination. The CWP's users are operational (air traffic controllers, meteorologists and pilots), institutional (logistics, maintenance, testing and evaluation personnel), and administrative.
The purpose of this paper is to report on the background and status of the specification developm... more The purpose of this paper is to report on the background and status of the specification development. The report is organized in five major sections. First, the background of rail mechanics and fatigue-life estimation is reviewed to make the point that, while fatigue-life prediction might ultimately provide some design guidelines, it is not a reliable source of information for track quality management. Second, some preliminary results are presented from the in-depth study of rail defect occurrence field data. Because of the complexity of this topic, it is covered in the following subtopics: accident distribution; dependence of defect rate on accumulated tonnage; defect rate versus derailment rate; distribution of defects in track; significant defect types; and defect detection. Third, the key observations of the in-depth study are summarized together with the Committee's current synthesis of results as a preliminary framework for the specification. Fourth, the subject of rail me...
The findings are reported of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/Software Product Assurance (SPA)... more The findings are reported of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/Software Product Assurance (SPA) Metrics Study, conducted as part of a larger JPL effort to improve software quality and productivity. Until recently, no comprehensive data had been assembled on how JPL manages and develops software-intensive systems. The first objective was to collect data on software development from as many projects and for as many years as possible. Results from five projects are discussed. These results reflect 15 years of JPL software development, representing over 100 data points (systems and subsystems), over a third of a billion dollars, over four million lines of code and 28,000 person months. Analysis of this data provides a benchmark for gauging the effectiveness of past, present and future software development work. In addition, the study is meant to encourage projects to record existing metrics data and to gather future data. The SPA long term goal is to integrate the collection of histor...
Tsounos, and David White and the editorial assistance from Suzanne Couturiaux and Bill Pollak. Sp... more Tsounos, and David White and the editorial assistance from Suzanne Couturiaux and Bill Pollak. Special thanks go to the members of the CMM Correspondence Group, who contributed their time and effort to reviewing drafts of the CMM and providing insightful commenn and recommendations, and to the members of the CMM Advisory Board, who helped guide us. The current members of the Advisory Board are
The success of many of the most useful procedures recommended by the higher maturity levels of th... more The success of many of the most useful procedures recommended by the higher maturity levels of the Capability Maturity Model ® (CMM ® ) and the CMM Integration SM (CMMI ® ) depends on understanding the silent links connecting them to practices associated with Level 2. Certain activities that can seem peripheral to Level 2 goals during an assessment, in fact, prepare organizational foundations for what will become fundamental improvements. In trying to get through Level 2 as quickly as possible and neglecting the global logic of the CMM and the CMMI, companies sidestep the momentum-builders that can catapult them to world-class status. Perhaps the most significant illustration of this phenomenon concerns the function of peer reviews and the procedures associated with detecting defects early. The success of using peer reviews can vary widely. Many companies start to use peer reviews and then abandon them. These companies introduced formal training, but it did not help – within a year ...
Contents Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgments. About the Authors. 1. Why Do Assessments? What Asses... more Contents Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgments. About the Authors. 1. Why Do Assessments? What Assessments Do The Four Principal Functions of Assessments The Analytical Function of Assessments Assessments Function as Fulcrums of Positive Change Assessments Transform Organizations by the Way They Work Assessments Educate as They Analyze, Motivate, and Transform Why Gaming the Results of an Assessment Doesn't Help (Though Many Try) Can Assessments Really Change an Organization? A Preview of an Extended Case History to Be Found in Part 12 Bottom-Line Profit and Cost Numbers: Assessments Pay 2. A Brief History of Process Improvement Methodologies and Assessment Methods. The Beginnings of Modern Software Assessment Methodology The SEI Capability Maturity Model The Three Principal Advantages of a Modern Software Assessment over Traditional Manufacturing-Based Audit Procedures A Second Path Toward Software Process Improvement Assessments: The History of SO-9000-3, Bootstrap, SPICE, and th...
At the Transportation Systems Center, an ongoing project is the development of a computer-based A... more At the Transportation Systems Center, an ongoing project is the development of a computer-based Automated Rail Flaw Detection System. The core of this system is ultrasonics. An ultrasonic signal is both transmitted and received by one or more transducers that are mounted in fluid-filled wheels that scan the rails. The wheels and associated electronics are mounted on a Track Inspection Vehicle. At present, one of the technological problems that is holding back the development of the Automatic Flaw Detection System is the lack of standardization in the production of the wheel probes. Minor variations in the wheel probe significantly affect the rail area to be measured. Similarly, small differences in signal strength, water path length and internal fluid temperature also significantly affect results.
Use Assessments to Drive Process Improvements in Software, Systems, Human Resources, and BeyondPi... more Use Assessments to Drive Process Improvements in Software, Systems, Human Resources, and BeyondPioneered by the world's leading innovators in software engineering, assessments have evolved into a remarkably powerful tool for process ...
Abstract The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible to NASA for conducting scientific investiga... more Abstract The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible to NASA for conducting scientific investigations of the solar system using automated spacecraft. In recognition of the growing dependence of JPL missions on computer software, a new software product assurance (SPA) organization has been created. The paper describes the SPA organization and the novel approach to assuring safety, reliability, and efficiency of software that is being pursued by the SPA group. Activities, results to date, and lessons learned are presented.
... CMM and Capability Maturity Model are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University. Page 4. Ta... more ... CMM and Capability Maturity Model are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University. Page 4. Table of Contents ... O-6 s CMM Practices CMU/SEI-93-TR-25 Page 18. 2 Overview of the Capability Maturity Model 2.1 Introducing the Capability Maturity Model ...
The ideas and findings in this report should not be construed as an official DoD position. It is ... more The ideas and findings in this report should not be construed as an official DoD position. It is published in the interest of scientific and technical information exchange.
WIT Transactions on Information and Communication Technologies, 1970
This paper gives an overview of the typical Japanese approaches to software quality management, c... more This paper gives an overview of the typical Japanese approaches to software quality management, concentrating on the use of measurement. It begins by briefly reviewing Japan's history and cultural make-up, since most analysts are agreed that differences in culture are the main reason for differences in industrial practices between Japan and 'the West'. The paper then gives an overview of the Japanese software industry in general terms, leading to a discussion of the use of measurement within it. The Japanese computer manufacturer NEC is included as a case study. The paper ends with a brief description of some relevant work reported at a recent international conference. BACKGROUND In industrial terms Japan is an acknowledged world leader. In particular, their ability to mass produce high quality, low cost, high technology goods such as automobiles and consumer electronics is second to none. Numerous studies in recent years have attempted to analyse the way Japanese industry operates and to draw lessons from its success. While the underlying reasons for it are many and varied, the conclusions of such studies have invariably highlighted cultural differences between Japan and 'the West' as being of vital importance. (The West' here means western Europe and north America, and other nations such as Canada and Australia which have a similar cultural heritage.) In order to understand the Japanese way of working it is essential to appreciate the basis of their culture, which gives rise, generally speaking, to rather different attitudes towards work than are usual in the West. Whilst it is always important to regard generalisations with a degree of scepticism, they are reasonably dependable when applied to Japan because the 120 million or so Japanese are a fairly uniform people. Although Tokyo ranks alongside New York and London as one of the biggest and most developed cities in the world, it does not have anything like the multi-cultural atmosphere of its counterparts.
Attention is given to the development history of the Central Weather Processor (CWP) program of t... more Attention is given to the development history of the Central Weather Processor (CWP) program of the Federal Aviation Administration. The CWP will interface with high speed digital communications links, accept data and information products from new sources, generate data processing products, and provide meteorologists with the capability to automate data retrieval and dissemination. The CWP's users are operational (air traffic controllers, meteorologists and pilots), institutional (logistics, maintenance, testing and evaluation personnel), and administrative.
The purpose of this paper is to report on the background and status of the specification developm... more The purpose of this paper is to report on the background and status of the specification development. The report is organized in five major sections. First, the background of rail mechanics and fatigue-life estimation is reviewed to make the point that, while fatigue-life prediction might ultimately provide some design guidelines, it is not a reliable source of information for track quality management. Second, some preliminary results are presented from the in-depth study of rail defect occurrence field data. Because of the complexity of this topic, it is covered in the following subtopics: accident distribution; dependence of defect rate on accumulated tonnage; defect rate versus derailment rate; distribution of defects in track; significant defect types; and defect detection. Third, the key observations of the in-depth study are summarized together with the Committee's current synthesis of results as a preliminary framework for the specification. Fourth, the subject of rail me...
The findings are reported of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/Software Product Assurance (SPA)... more The findings are reported of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/Software Product Assurance (SPA) Metrics Study, conducted as part of a larger JPL effort to improve software quality and productivity. Until recently, no comprehensive data had been assembled on how JPL manages and develops software-intensive systems. The first objective was to collect data on software development from as many projects and for as many years as possible. Results from five projects are discussed. These results reflect 15 years of JPL software development, representing over 100 data points (systems and subsystems), over a third of a billion dollars, over four million lines of code and 28,000 person months. Analysis of this data provides a benchmark for gauging the effectiveness of past, present and future software development work. In addition, the study is meant to encourage projects to record existing metrics data and to gather future data. The SPA long term goal is to integrate the collection of histor...
Tsounos, and David White and the editorial assistance from Suzanne Couturiaux and Bill Pollak. Sp... more Tsounos, and David White and the editorial assistance from Suzanne Couturiaux and Bill Pollak. Special thanks go to the members of the CMM Correspondence Group, who contributed their time and effort to reviewing drafts of the CMM and providing insightful commenn and recommendations, and to the members of the CMM Advisory Board, who helped guide us. The current members of the Advisory Board are
The success of many of the most useful procedures recommended by the higher maturity levels of th... more The success of many of the most useful procedures recommended by the higher maturity levels of the Capability Maturity Model ® (CMM ® ) and the CMM Integration SM (CMMI ® ) depends on understanding the silent links connecting them to practices associated with Level 2. Certain activities that can seem peripheral to Level 2 goals during an assessment, in fact, prepare organizational foundations for what will become fundamental improvements. In trying to get through Level 2 as quickly as possible and neglecting the global logic of the CMM and the CMMI, companies sidestep the momentum-builders that can catapult them to world-class status. Perhaps the most significant illustration of this phenomenon concerns the function of peer reviews and the procedures associated with detecting defects early. The success of using peer reviews can vary widely. Many companies start to use peer reviews and then abandon them. These companies introduced formal training, but it did not help – within a year ...
Contents Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgments. About the Authors. 1. Why Do Assessments? What Asses... more Contents Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgments. About the Authors. 1. Why Do Assessments? What Assessments Do The Four Principal Functions of Assessments The Analytical Function of Assessments Assessments Function as Fulcrums of Positive Change Assessments Transform Organizations by the Way They Work Assessments Educate as They Analyze, Motivate, and Transform Why Gaming the Results of an Assessment Doesn't Help (Though Many Try) Can Assessments Really Change an Organization? A Preview of an Extended Case History to Be Found in Part 12 Bottom-Line Profit and Cost Numbers: Assessments Pay 2. A Brief History of Process Improvement Methodologies and Assessment Methods. The Beginnings of Modern Software Assessment Methodology The SEI Capability Maturity Model The Three Principal Advantages of a Modern Software Assessment over Traditional Manufacturing-Based Audit Procedures A Second Path Toward Software Process Improvement Assessments: The History of SO-9000-3, Bootstrap, SPICE, and th...
At the Transportation Systems Center, an ongoing project is the development of a computer-based A... more At the Transportation Systems Center, an ongoing project is the development of a computer-based Automated Rail Flaw Detection System. The core of this system is ultrasonics. An ultrasonic signal is both transmitted and received by one or more transducers that are mounted in fluid-filled wheels that scan the rails. The wheels and associated electronics are mounted on a Track Inspection Vehicle. At present, one of the technological problems that is holding back the development of the Automatic Flaw Detection System is the lack of standardization in the production of the wheel probes. Minor variations in the wheel probe significantly affect the rail area to be measured. Similarly, small differences in signal strength, water path length and internal fluid temperature also significantly affect results.
Use Assessments to Drive Process Improvements in Software, Systems, Human Resources, and BeyondPi... more Use Assessments to Drive Process Improvements in Software, Systems, Human Resources, and BeyondPioneered by the world's leading innovators in software engineering, assessments have evolved into a remarkably powerful tool for process ...
Abstract The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible to NASA for conducting scientific investiga... more Abstract The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible to NASA for conducting scientific investigations of the solar system using automated spacecraft. In recognition of the growing dependence of JPL missions on computer software, a new software product assurance (SPA) organization has been created. The paper describes the SPA organization and the novel approach to assuring safety, reliability, and efficiency of software that is being pursued by the SPA group. Activities, results to date, and lessons learned are presented.
... CMM and Capability Maturity Model are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University. Page 4. Ta... more ... CMM and Capability Maturity Model are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University. Page 4. Table of Contents ... O-6 s CMM Practices CMU/SEI-93-TR-25 Page 18. 2 Overview of the Capability Maturity Model 2.1 Introducing the Capability Maturity Model ...
The ideas and findings in this report should not be construed as an official DoD position. It is ... more The ideas and findings in this report should not be construed as an official DoD position. It is published in the interest of scientific and technical information exchange.
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