Contents

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
Software Processes in Very Small Companies
by Ita Richardson

CSQE Body of Knowledge areas: Software Quality Management, Software Engineering Processes

Many cases of software process improvement in large companies have been presented; however, there is little known about the processes that occur in very small companies. The author developed the Software Process Matrix (SPM) to aid software process improvement. She then carried out a study of the software process in four very small companies over a period of between nine months and two and a half years. She intervened in two companies by implementing the SPM, while the other two companies were studied as control companies. Changes that occurred in the companies are presented in this article, followed by discussion about existing processes and techniques. Processes and techniques not used by these small indigenous software development companies are also discussed.

Key words: actionable first steps, change management, customer management, implementation process, ISO 9001, pressure for change, project management, software processes

INTRODUCTION

When analyzing existing software process models, one criticism is whether they are suitable for use in small companies. The Software Engineering Institute’s Capability Maturity Model (CMM) was designed for the aerospace industry, which by nature has many large companies. BootStrap and SPICE were developed for use by both large and small companies; however, it is not quite that simple. Storey (1990) argues that small firms are not just scaled-down versions of large firms—they have different characteristics. Small companies are “responsive,” “flexible,” and “have a flat structure, with an organic and free-flowing management style that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation” (Daft 1992). A consequence of this flat structure noted by Daft is that unlike large companies, small companies do not have internal functional specialties, allowing them “to perform complex tasks.” A further difficulty for small companies is that “limited financial resources are a fact of life for many small businesses” (Task Force on Small Business 1994). Small companies cannot always afford to buy expertise for these functions, and often, it is training and research and development that are not supported.

Since the characteristics and financial requirements within small companies differ from those in large companies, it is reasonable to conclude that software process improvement models within small companies must be designed for this sector, rather than expecting small companies to adapt to suit the requirements of the existing models.

To help small indigenous software development companies devise software process improvement strategies (Richardson 1999), the author developed and verified a technique called the Software Process Matrix (SPM). The development of the SPM and its implementation in one company is discussed in Richardson and Ryan (2001).