CMMI Implementation at
Korestone Technologies, LLC
2121—Applied CMMI in Small or
Extremely Small Organizations:
A Case Study of Successful
Techniques and Lessons Learned
SEPG North America 2011
Dr. Richard Bechtold, Abridge Technology
Mr. Joseph E. Chow, Korestone Technologies
Outline
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About Korestone Technologies
CMMI Implementation
SCAMPI Preparation
Lessons Learned
FAQ/Your Questions
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CMMI Implementation at Korestone • 2
Korestone Technologies, LLC
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Founded in 2007
Three founders worked together since 1994
Many other employees worked together
before
12 employees at SCAMPI (October 2010)
Several projects for the USPS
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Most employees matrix across all projects
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CMMI Implementation at Korestone • 3
Employee profile
Name
Job
Process
Project
Joe
CEO
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

John
PM

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Chiming
PM

Suri
Bus. Dev.

Ting
SW Dev.
Lan-Fan
CMMI Role
3 SCAMPIs
 PM, Sponsor
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3 SCAMPIs
  PM, Eng
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
3 SCAMPIs
  PM, Eng, CM
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
2 SCAMPIs
  SCAMPI team, QA
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3 SCAMPIs
Eng
SW Dev.
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3 SCAMPIs
 Eng
Jenny
SW Dev.
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3 SCAMPIs
Eng
Steve
SW Dev.
Thara
SW Dev.

Eugene
SW Dev.
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Jeremy
Analyst
Bina
Test

Support
 SESG
 SEPG
Other
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Eng
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
Eng
1 SCAMPI
Eng
 SCAMPI team, Eng, OT
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
3 SCAMPIs
 Req., Docs, MA
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
1 SCAMPI
 Test, CM, QA
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Implementation timeline
June 2009
1 m.
Assess current processes
Develop policies, processes, tools, templates
6 months
Use, refine processes
12 months
PI core committee
Complete process duration:
17 months
SEPG and SESG
Project plans
Establish
repository structure
Project functional groups
Training
Train SCAMPI team
SCAMPI preparation
PIID
October 2010
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Implementation
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Review current processes
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Four-member “PI core committee”
Some processes from previous projects, contracts
Research additional resources, review CMMI
materials
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Implementation
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Develop policies (GP 2.1)
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PI core committee
Boilerplate, one policy per process area
Develop processes
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Form SEPG (seven members) and SESG (four)
Draft, review, rewrite and edit
Hint: Develop
documentation
Combine like process areas
style early
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PMC+PP+IPM
REQM+RD
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TS+PI
VAL+VER
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Implementation order
1.
2.
3.
OPF has to be in place for management
commitment and structure of system
CM/change management structure is crucial
Processes that generate measurements
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PP, PMC, REQM, RD, VER, VAL, PPQA, RSKM, DAR
Largest ROI
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Peer review (VER) applied to design, RD, code
Change management (CM, REQM) as applied to
defects, CRs, requirements
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Implementation
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Develop tools and templates for each process
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If tool already in use, write process around tool
Tool
Source
Description
Tortoise SVN
Open source
Version control tool, document and code repository
Trac
Open source
Defect and CR reporting and tracking
Project
Office
Project scheduling
PowerPoint
Office
Training materials, presentations, reports
Visio
Office
Diagrams
Word
Office
Templates: Project plans, minutes, SDLC documents, reports
Excel
Office
Templates: MA spreadsheet, measurements, peer review form, DAR
Eclipse
Open source
Development
Line Counter
Purchase
CM reporting
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Apply processes to projects
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Use templates to create plans
Use tools and templates to create work
products
Follow processes and revise through SEPG
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Implement PIR procedures immediately after
processes are introduced
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Implementation on projects
Organization
Business Process
System (BPS)
Processes
Project
Tools, Guides, and
Templates
Tailoring
Project Practices and
Procedures
Plans
PMP [IPM, PMP, PP, RSKM, DAR]
Forms, Tools
SDP [RD, REQM, TS, VAL, VER]
MAP [MA]
Work Products
CMP [CM, PI]
QAP [PPQA]
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Artifacts with the most bang
1.
Project plans
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2.
Meeting minutes
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3.
GP 2.7, 2.8, 2.10, 3.2
MA spreadsheet and memo
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4.
GP 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.7, 3.1
GP 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 3.2
P1 document (project organizing document)
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GP 2.3, 2.4, 2.7
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Costs
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SCAMPI costs (A, B, and C)
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Overhead/staff costs
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~ 2,000 hours
Tool costs
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~ $40,000
~ 200 hours
Training lunch costs (very important)
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~ $ 1,500
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Keys to success
...not including actual software development skills
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Top leadership commitment and staff buy-in
Pair strengths of staff with relevant CMMI tasks
SCAMPI experience/PI directing
Useful tool development—Excel, open source,
templates—to improve the process
Good writing skills
Implement processes early and start slowly
Consistent training
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SCAMPI preparation
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Must develop processes with an eye toward
artifacts
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Develop processes with SPs and GPs in mind.
Write a process that makes sense for your
company.
Doing the process should automatically result in
quality products and useable artifacts.
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If you write a plan according to the process, you should
be planning the work and creating a record.
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Begin artifact collection
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Start early to find the holes
Korestone used a Practice Implementation
Indicator Description (PIID) derived from an
SEI spreadsheet
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Available for free download at
www.Korestone.com See next slides...
Spreadsheet:
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Defines practices and acceptable evidence per SEI
Insert links to documents in repository
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The Korestone PIID
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Use the PIID to:
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Collect evidence
Monitor compliance
Make a SCAMPI run
smoothly
Room for three projects
+ organization evidence
Designed for Level 3
efforts
Excel spreadsheet, no
VBA or macros
www.Korestone.com
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CMMI Implementation at Korestone • 17
PIID sample
Implementation
rating
Link to SEI’s process
information and list of
acceptable evidence
Link to description of
your implementation
Link to open the
artifact
www.Korestone.com
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PIID features
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Select a project and compare GP evidence across
process areas.
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PIID reports
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www.Korestone.com
Ratings report shows compliance
by practice and by project
Evidence report
uses color to
indicate number of
artifacts collected
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Training and interview practice
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Culture of doing the processes is the best
training.
Review process training in shorter sessions
Practice interviews against PIID, practices
Advantages for small organizations:
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Fewer people to train
People doing the same job on multiple projects
means no disagreement across organization
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Lessons learned
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Commitment to CMMI has to start at the top
Don’t stop between projects or assessments
Measurement bias—Don’t do things just so
you have something to measure.
Customer involvement can be great;
customer indifference is OK too
Consolidate artifacts
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FAQ
1.
2.
3.
4.
Where do I find the funds to support
implementation of the CMMI?
Where do I find the personnel?
What is the minimum required for
successful—and compliant—performance?
How do I implement and ensure objective
quality assurance activities?
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FAQ
5.
6.
7.
Who does the actual work of improving
processes?
Which areas are most likely to yield the
earliest and best return on investment?
What typically delays the implementation of
compliance, and how can I prevent excessive
delays?
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Contact information
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Richard Bechtold
President,
Abridge Technology
SEI CLA#0600749-02
703.729.6085
rbechtold@abridge-tech.com
rbechtold@rbechtold.com
www.abridge-tech.com
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Joseph E. Chow
President and CEO,
Korestone Technologies
240.429.0533
joe.chow@korestone.com
www.korestone.com
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