Customer Reviews

CMM in Practice: Processes for Executing Software Projects at Infosys

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many times specifications and standards leave you a little confused. Here is a book that tells you all about the CMM model, based on the practices in an organization that is assessed at Level-4 in the model (the organization, Infosys, is assessed at Level-5 just when this book is released). The author gives a lucid, simple and down to earth account of the practices at Infosys and how they fit into the CMM model. The organization of the book in 3 parts in terms of Project Initiation, Project Planning and Project Execution is extremely logical and reflects the flow of a project in an organization. He has documented some of the standards for various processes as seen at Infosys. He has also discussed some of the challenges to be overcome on the road to software engineering process improvements/ implementation. The chapters on Process Tailoring, Process Capability baselines, and Peer Reviews are special and note-worthy. Many organizations will find the templates very useful. The Appendices are also informative and useful. The book is excellently produced and we have not come across a similar book on this topic in the market.

There are many excellent resources that provide information on SW-CMM and how to implement it, but this book by Pankaj Jalote stands out distinctly as it offers a comprehensive account of software process practices at Infosys Technologies - arguably India's most admired software company, rated at SEI-CMM Level 5. Jalote has nicely packaged all the established software engineering practices used at Infosys and real examples that show its readers "How to actually do it and be successful?" This book provides helpful insights and experience-based guidance to those who want to successfully implement CMM.

Take a look at the Table of Contents and you will easily notice the richness of coverage. The book is organized in three parts: Part I captures all the practices related to Project Initiation, Part II focuses on practices for Project Planning, and the Part III is about approaches and processes for Project Execution and Termination. Among the topics covered in the book are requirements specification and management, process definition and tailoring, process asset database and process capability determination, metrics and statistical process control, estimations, risk management, project monitoring and tracking, and defect prevention.

Also, There are two useful Appendices in the book: one on transitioning from an ISO 9001-based practice to CMM-oriented practice and the other provides experience-based guidelines on managing a software process improvement project. A running real-life project case used throughout the book is a useful feature.

However, the book's title could be misleading! The title gives an impression that book covers the implementation of the CMM in its entirety, whereas the book's scope is actually restricted up to Level 4. Also, I would have expected to see an explicit coverage of 'software product engineering' and 'intergroup coordination' KPAs in the book. Some coverage of how the process automation was dealt with as well as the benefits derived from it could have made the book even more attractive. As Infosys Technologies is engaged in servicing a large number of diverse set of clients around the globe, some discussion on dealing with and avoiding conflicts relating to different customer quality systems would have made the book more valuable.

Overall, this is a good book and I would certainly recommend this book to any one who cares about better software engineering practices to improve performance - whether or not interested in implementing CMM per se. It must be kept in mind, though, that the practices and approaches described in the book are based on a particular company's business context and, therefore, how and to what extent they would directly apply to other organizations has to be judged by its readers.

This is THE book for all the professinals belonging to Software Industry.

The book gives Pragmatic understanding of SEI-CMM Model addressing all possible stages and activities of Software Project Life Cycle.Correct weightage has been given to Engineering as well as Managerial perspectives of software project execution details.

All Key Process Areas (KPA's)have been explained by mapping them with day to day activities in live project scenarios. This not only authenticates the explaination but also introduces the reader with state-of-the-art Software Practices.

The illustrations given by Prof. Jalote in this book give concrete proofs of seemingly abstract concepts introduced in KPA's of SW-CMM.

Important fact revealed in this book in the most convincing way is that CMM is more of a common sense and not a just another stringent standard.Having read this book one acquires clear understanding of SW-CMM, Software Project Activities and their inter-relation.

This book is very much free from any kind of theoritical bias.It is something like the book written by the hardcore software professinal for all software professinals.

The book is equally helpful for Software Engineers, Project Managers, Business Development Executives, CMM Implementors and for CEO's as well.

Excellent book! I work for an ISO 9001 certified software company since 1999, which is in the process of getting a CMM level 4. Although is a book about CMM, we would have saved one year in our journey to ISO if we would have had this book four years ago.

Its approach is clear, pragmatic and logical. It covers most of the important issues in CMM, from planning to closure of software projects, giving examples of a real-life project where they are needed.

If you are a beginner and want to embrace best practices and standards, I would recommend you to study this book first, and then The Capability Maturity Model. You will be surprised how clear it will appear to you. Same for ISO practitioners, especially ISO 9000/2000, which contains many more requirements on SPC compared to ISO 9000/94.

If you have been working with CMM for a while, reading this book could give you a better understanding of it.

This title seems to be on every CMM person's shelf, based on title alone. However, covering up to level 5 in one book means that it is not a practical reference for a journey to any particular level. It seems to gloss over just about every topic, and fails to provide the level of detail to really be a useful guide. I have stopped using it at all as a reference.

Typically I seldom buy a SW Eng. book, since it's a Have-Your-Habds-Dirty engineering, there is not much formulars, recipes and tricks for you to learn.

We started our SW outsourcing last year with an office set up
in China. Though we gained lots of experiences through painful
trial process, I think we would have saved much more time and
energy on both business and technical sides in dealing with our clients, should we owned the book earlier (we did not buy that from Amazon unfortunately)

Since the author was a one time insider of the well known, NASDAQ listed Indian SW outsourcing company, along with his rich academia experience, the book is full of a ciombnination of engineering praticalness and acdemia sophiscation, and is well orgnized and well written. It touches not only the state-of-the-art, like tracability, impact analysis, risk management, SW metrics and effort estimation, but also addreess pratical issues like contract/agrement drafting and negotiiation, which we found is very useful.

One thing confuses me is that asides from most of start-of-the art techniques adopted by InfoSys, why they use a revised Waterfall process model instead of popular evolutionary process.
Is that because they are in the SW outsoucing busienss?

Another suggestion is that, the book may looks like better
if it can adopt a evolutionay/iterative/incremental way on
telling people the story and the theory/practice behind them.
Some popular books on UML are using this Unfidied Process
way, evn on writing books. Is that interesting?

Very few books (rather none) are available for practitioners who wish to implement CMM-based process improvement with illustrative examples. This book is an excellent aid for directing the thinking of practitioners.

Pankaj Jalote's book reflects the pain and power of having a stable Quality System in a software company. The reader understands why Infosys has become a giant in such a short period of time. The book is well written. The author has introduced his personal involvement in the development of the software process without an iota of boast.

I found the book written by Pankaj Jalote quite useful. We are in the process of implenting process to meet up to the requirments of level 4.

In my openion the "Guidelines for improving the software process" written by Carnegie Mellon university (SEI) is a good book to be referenced as a CMM standard and the "CMM in practice" is a good reference book to know how the KPA's can be interpreted and implemented in an organisation from a practical standpoint.

Due to the almost inexistant (affordable) professional training available in the subject of CMM, books such as this goes a long way in filling that gap. However, i would say that this book throws light till level 4 only. If you are looking at guidance to implement level 5 KPA's this is not the book.

The examples given are quite clear and helps understand the requirements of CMM better.

Very good reading for anybody who is responsible for the software engineering and project deliverables. Clear delivery of the material is supported by practical tools - templates, worksheets, etc. Example of the WAR project is very helpfull. I would highly reccomend this book!