This presentation gives an overview of the proposed activities, recommendations and success factors for a software organization that wishes to implement a process improvement initiative

1. Process Improvement Roadmap
Eng Hany Omar, PMP, ITIL, 6 Sigma
Senior Quality Expert

2. Introduction
 This presentation gives an overview of the proposed activities, recommendations and
success factors for a software organization that wishes to implement a process
improvement initiative
 Information included here is based on 21+ years of experience in the software industry,
including 15 years in management positions and 8+ years of practical process
improvement

3. Project Scope
 The scope of the work is to define processes and templates in software development
departments, implement them in projects, and undergo formal appraisals
 Many businesses today recognize the need for quality processes and a standardized
method of work
 Stakeholders include senior management, all development-related personnel, quality
personnel and HR
 Out of scope: developing processes for non-development functions such as customer
support, finance, business development, etc

4. Critical success factors
 Senior management commitment
 Practitioner participation
 The project is NOT a one-man show
 Willingness to accept the cost of quality (time and funds)
 Assigning sufficient privileges to the EPG head
 Trusting the quality team to get the work done

5. Project Phases
Initiation
• Includes
assembling EPG
Gap Analysis
• Where are we
now?
Action Planning
• Where do we
want to be?
Execution Pre-appraisal
• Are we ready for
the appraisal?
Formal
appraisal
Maintenance
and continual
improvement

6. Execution phase
 Initial introduction to the process improvement framework
 Define processes and templates
 Define process KPIs
 Evaluate tools
 Train practitioners in the processes
 Implement processes in projects
 Regularly conduct reviews, collect feedback and improve

7. Project duration
 Average time from initiation to final appraisal for one branch: 1.5 to 2 years

8. Quality Org Chart & Roles
Top-level
management
VP of Quality/
Quality Director /
EPG Head
EPG team
QA team

9. Quality Org Chart & Roles
 Process owners:
 Employees will be assigned process ownership based on their expertise
 For example, the project management process will be owned by one of the project managers

10. Recommendations
 Automate, automate, automate!
 Signing up with an external consultant to assist with some of the major activities
 Focus on what is useful to the organization

11. Risks
 Change resistance
 Urgent project delivery dates
 Employees too busy with their everyday tasks
 Development team in Cairo not fully assembled?

12. More analysis needed for…
 Working towards process improvement/appraisal on all branches simultaneously?
 Centralized PMO, or per branch?

13. Thank you!
 Hany Omar
 hanykader@yahoo.com