Software process assessment concepts

Software and the software processes (design, implementation, maintenance) are defined and described. Assessment, i.e. the measurement of software processes is introduced as seen by the concepts of Certification (ISO 9000) and of Maturity Levels (SEI CMM). Then various important assessment methods are compared: CMM, BOOTSTRAP, SynQuest, and SPICE, The comparison stresses practical experience and the cost-benefit ratio. All methods have in common that the set of items measured (the ''questionnaires'') are ad hoc (but based on practical experience), and that statistical quality control is lacking. Finally, an enhanced assessment approach is proposed using statistical analysis of assessment data, and including an evaluation method based on a process model and expert system technology.