Implementing process improvement in software development

Process improvements in a software development environment require clear goals and an understanding of the current culture. The goals for process improvement may be set based on the observed problems with the development process, the product itself or according to market requirements (eg. ISO certification requirement, CMM maturity level desired). Typical problems with software development projects usually lie in the areas of cost overruns, missed schedules and less-than-desired quality. To be successful, the goals of the program must directly support the organization's business goals and fit with the culture of the development community. The successful approach is to focus on those areas which, when improved, will result in the greatest impact within the shortest time frame. These areas are determined based on an in-depth knowledge of the customer, the customer's needs determined through user needs analysis and the organization's goals.