ROI of Software Process Improvement: Metrics for Project Managers and Software Engineers [Hardcover]

David F. Rico (Author), Roger S. Pressman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 193215924X | ISBN-13: 978-1932159240 | Publication Date: January 2004

An indispensable addition to any project manager, software engineering or computer science bookshelf, this book presents the only broad-ranging economic analysis of major international SPI methods and the first large-scale economic analysis of mandatory U.S. government standards.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David F. Rico is a software process improvement consultant specializing in cost, benefit, and return-on-investment analysis. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.S.A. in Software Engineering and has been in the field of computer programming since 1983. He has been an international keynote speaker and is a well published author. Some of his noteworthy accomplishments include designing software for NASA's $20 billion space station, spearheading SW-CMM® and ISO 9001 initiatives for Fujitsu in Tokyo, modernizing a family of U.S. Air Force static radar ranges, reengineering 36 military logistics depots in Cairo, designing a $30 billion constellation of U.S. Air Force satellites, conducting a $42 million U.S. Navy source selection, designing a $70 million cost model for U.S. Navy aircraft, and participating in over 15 SW-CMM® initiatives.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: J. Ross Publishing, Inc. (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193215924X
• ISBN-13: 978-1932159240
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,170,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a keeper!, March 22, 2004

By 

Jaime Guerra "j_guerra" (Austin, Tx United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ROI of Software Process Improvement: Metrics for Project Managers and Software Engineers (Hardcover)

In today's IT Shops one of the common failures is that managers and SW Engineers fail to properly select and implement the proper SPI method for the immediate job. I have seen 1st hand how many so called experts have tried to force the square peg into the round hole with little knowledge on why they recommend one method or another. Mr. Rico brings the complex tasks of selecting and manageing the SPI methods by clearly explaining the pro's and con's of each of the popular methods. PM's, SW Engineers and IT Managers can easily defend their decisions. The decisions on how to improve a IT project comes down to nothing more then dollars and cents. Reduce defects efficiently with proper SPI method and your project wins! There are many books on the subject, some focus on one method or another, but Mr. Rico's approach makes no illusion of a perfect model. He reviews the major methods and helps the reader walk through a decision based on metrics. Those metrics will deliver the Best Fit method for any project.

Bottom line: David Rico's book is a must have in helping the reader choose the Best Fit SPI Method for maximum ROI! Without admitting my age; this new book deserves to sit next to my "C Programming Book" by Kernighan and Ritchie. I give accolades to Mr. Rico who has shared his excellent work on the subject with the SW Engineering community, which complements his many other technical / business contributions to the field of SW Project Process Improvements.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provides tools/techniques to assess SPI value, March 26, 2004

By 

Mike Tarrani "www.tarrani.com" (Deltona, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ROI of Software Process Improvement: Metrics for Project Managers and Software Engineers (Hardcover)

It's a safe bet that most readers who are interested in determining the return on investment of a software process improvement initiative have stumbled upon the author's web site at one point. The material that comprises this excellent book is a distillation of Mr. Rico's extensive work in this area, and is one of the most useful and complete books on the subject.

He begins by providing a context for both software process improvement and its associated ROI. The introduction answers the who, what, how and why of ROI of software process improvement (SPI), and the methods, principles and pitfalls of measuring it. The next chapter drills down into SPI itself in which he answers the who, what, why and how questions. This segues into a chapter that surveys the major SPI approaches (Software inspection process, Personal and Team Software Processes, CMM and CMMI, and ISO 9001). These establish the foundation for the heart of the book - three chapters, each dealing with a specific method (ROI analysis, benefit analysis, and cost analysis.

After thoroughly covering each analysis method the subsequent chapters focus on how they are applied to the SPI models. Here he uses a set format that addresses the following methods:
- Cost Methodology
- Benefit Methodology
- B/CR Methodology
- ROI% Methodology
- NPV Methodology
- Breakeven Point Methodology

Next are chapters that cross-reference the above by individually discussing in separate chapters costs, benefits, cost/benefit ratios, ROI, NPV and breakeven analysis. Here the format for each of these chapters is:
- Software Inspection Process
- Personal Software Process
- Team Software Process
- Software Capability Maturity Model®
- ISO 9001
- Capability Maturity Model Integration®

Finally, the book provides yet another view by addressing analysis of return on investment, optimizing return on investment, and future of software process improvement, rounding out the dimensions.

This book is more about how to examine the return on investment of SPI, using proven tools and techniques, and drawing your own conclusions that reflect your organization, constraints and opportunities. In addition to the exhaustive examination of all facets of SPI ROI, you can also download invaluable tools and artifacts from the publisher's web site, including: ROI high-level and detailed models, and ISO 9001 and SW-CMM cost model (all in Microsoft Excel format). You can also download an additional ROI article in MS Word format that augments this book. This book, plus these value-added artifacts, are invaluable to any practitioner who is examining the true benefits of SPI.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful in Planning, February 24, 2004

By 

AEBrooks (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ROI of Software Process Improvement: Metrics for Project Managers and Software Engineers (Hardcover)

This book will help one to achieve his SPI goals cost effectively if he does what the author says. It is for open-minded people who want to learn more about SPI and ROI. The author is deeply committed to SPI and I have found him to be a leader in the field.