2. AGILE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
INITIATIVE
Implementation of Agile Methodologies in a CMMI Level 5 Organization

3. Agenda
• Organization
• Context
• Problems / Issues
• Solutions (improvements made)
• Conclusions / Lessons learned

4. Organization
• CRITICAL Software
– Founded in 1998
– Spin-off of the University of Coimbra
• Global Software Engineering company
– 400+ employees in Portugal, UK, Germany,
USA, Brazil, Mozambique and Angola
• Investment in Quality Certifications
– ISO 9001:2008 & TickIT
– CMMI-DEV Level 5
– NATO AQAP 2210 and AQAP 2110
– AS 9100 Revision C
– NP 4457:2007

5. Context
• Mission/Safety Critical Solutions
– Conservative markets
– High maturity
– Complex regulatory requirements
– Very formal approach to quality
and project management
– Safety-Critical and Mission-Critical
software which simply cannot fail

6. Context
• Enterprise Critical Solutions
– Dynamic markets
– High flexibility
– Scope volatility and frequent
requirement changes
– Less formal approach to quality
and project management
– Time to market more important
than zero defects

7. Problems / Issues
• Problems:
– Waterfall lifecycle not perfect fit for high volatility environments
– Uncontrolled implementations of Agile lifecycles were not delivering the expected
results
• Goals:
– Ensure Agile processes alignment with CMMI high maturity process areas
– Respond positively to customer and business requests on Agile projects
– Arrange for consensus by all internal stakeholders on Agile methodologies employed
– Train staff on Agile methodologies
• Process Improvement Initiative (CMMI OPF/OPM):
Phase 1 - Define and
Improve
Phase 2 - Pilot
Improvements
Phase 3 - Deploy
Improvements
Phase 4 - Monitor
Deployment
Phase 5 - Evaluate
Effects

8. Solutions (improvements made)
• Phase 1 – Define and Improve
– New Agile Software Development Guidebook
(based on Scrum)
– New templates (Project Schedule, Sprint
Planning, Sprint Retrospective...)
– Customizations for Jira: New issue types,
custom fields and tailored workflows
– Customizations for Greenhopper: New
project scheme template
– External training for Agile Coaches and other
key stakeholders

9. Solutions (improvements made)
• Phase 2 – Pilot Improvements
– Internal training for Pilot Project Teams
– Three project teams
– Seven months
– Agile Coaches support
• Phase 3 – Deploy Improvements
– Artefacts and tools deployment
– Internal training for Agile Project Teams

10. Solutions (improvements made)
• Phase 4 – Monitor Deployment
– Agile Coaches support
– Internal audit plan
– Internal mailing list
• Phase 5 – Evaluate Effects
– Performance evaluation
– Hypothesis testing

11. Conclusions / Lessons learned
• Better Estimation
86
634
545
926
1438
1183
878
195
271
644
954
673
767
1081
934 913
1265
1187
1305
1188
89%
75%
69%
73%
78%
89%
77% 77%
115%
101%
94%
105%
81%
93% 94%
85%
95%
87%
92% 91%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Estimationerror(%)
Sprint ID
Hoursestimated
PROJECT C - Estimation Performance Baseline
Original Estimate
UCL
LCL
Actual deviation
Average
PRE POST
Average 86% 91%
LCL 54% 75%
UCL 119% 107%

12. Conclusions / Lessons learned
• Better Effort Recording
– Project A: 10% improvement in defect effort recording
– Project C: 12% improvement in defect effort recording
• Positive Feedback from Teams
– 100% of the team members reported the new Agile Software
Development Lifecycle as adding value

13. Conclusions / Lessons learned
• Process Improvement Initiative
– Confidence in organizational improvement effects
– Performance improvement quantitatively demonstrated
• Agile methodologies compatible with CMMI Level 5
– Under final validation in SCAMPI-C
– Sprint indicators a good fit for Quantitative Project Management