Rating: 
Summary: Software is either a BUSINESS enabler ...
Review: ... or CONTAINS the enterprise intelligence/capital investment.
Regardless, we want to be able to measure what we're improving, and explain (quantitatively) why we're doing it.
Software is technology-intensive, but the investors always ask WIIFM. The corporate managers, VC guys, accounting departments, and ... the dreaded BPR/"Lean" crowd ask similar questions.
If I have the numbers, I can justify my IT PI efforts in the upcoming budget crunch, and perhaps better resist financial cuts.
Author Rico has been on the cutting edge of the SPI ROI crowd for at least 4 years. I've been following his efforts locally (D.C., USA), and found his work to be uniquely practical (much of the SPI ROI stuff isn't).
This book is GREAT if you need to justify what the unenlightened call 'infrastructure'. It will help you disabuse them of their short-sightedness. I heartily recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Software is either a BUSINESS enabler ...
Review: ... or CONTAINS the enterprise intelligence/capital investment.
Regardless, we want to be able to measure what we're improving, and explain (quantitatively) why we're doing it.
Software is technology-intensive, but the investors always ask WIIFM. The corporate managers, VC guys, accounting departments, and ... the dreaded BPR/"Lean" crowd ask similar questions.
If I have the numbers, I can justify my IT PI efforts in the upcoming budget crunch, and perhaps better resist financial cuts.
Author Rico has been on the cutting edge of the SPI ROI crowd for at least 4 years. I've been following his efforts locally (D.C., USA), and found his work to be uniquely practical (much of the SPI ROI stuff isn't).
This book is GREAT if you need to justify what the unenlightened call 'infrastructure'. It will help you disabuse them of their short-sightedness. I heartily recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Indispensible book for SEPG
Review: Being a SEPG professional during our journey to SW-CMM Level 5, ROI on process improvements was a big task. David's book will now become my bible for ROI.
Great job David.Aditya Godbole
Systems Manager(Quality Management Group)
KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd.
Rating:
Summary: David's a leader in process improvement ROI
Review: David continues as an industry leader in the area of software process improvement ROI. His work in the process improvement domain, including a willingness to share his research and insight with others in the form of free white papers, is invaluable to the software community.
Rating:
Summary: David's a leader in process improvement ROI
Review: David continues as an industry leader in the area of software process improvement ROI. His work in the process improvement domain, including a willingness to share his research and insight with others in the form of free white papers, is invaluable to the software community.
Rating:
Summary: GR8 STUFF ON METRICS &SPI SYNERGY
Review: DAVID RICO HAS EXCEEDED HIS OWN USUALLY HIGH STANDARDS IN EVOLVING THIS WONDERFUL BOOK WHICH ENCOMPASSES DIVERSE AREAS OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN AN EASY TO UNDERSTAND FASHION
Rating:
Summary: A Terrific New Work and an Invaluable Reference
Review: David Rico's latest work is a condensation of his many years of SPI work. He has pioneered a vast number of new concepts in the SPI field, and now we all have access to his knowlege. You and your company will save huge amounts of money on your current and future SPI projects. Why doesn't everyone do things the Rico way?
Rating:
Summary: A Terrific New Work and an Invaluable Reference
Review: David Rico's latest work is a condensation of his many years of SPI work. He has pioneered a vast number of new concepts in the SPI field, and now we all have access to his knowlege. You and your company will save huge amounts of money on your current and future SPI projects. Why doesn't everyone do things the Rico way?
Rating:
Summary: Highly valuable book on neglected SPI subject.
Review: I found ROI of Software Process Improvement to be a useful, thoughtful and in depth review of a neglected SPI area - how to
estimate the costs and benefits of major SPI methods such as CMMI, SW-CMM, ISO 9001, Inspections, PSP, and TSP.
It is practical, complete, and is a good guide for anyone who wants to rapidly master and apply professional return on investment techniques.
The author does provide ample and valuable personal data, examples, and case studies, which are derived from his own varied experiences with implementing SPI methods in the Far East, Europe, U.S., and for organizations such as NASA, Fujitsu, U.S. Navy, and many more.
While the book does expect readers to input their own personal data, it provides simple, but powerful formulas for costs, benefits, net present value, benefit/cost ratio, return on investment, and breakeven point; in addition, the author also expects individuals, projects, firms, and organizations to use their own data to design their own business cases. In any event, the author provides so many formulas, data points, and examples, he practically gives away the answer for free. There are free spreadsheets for estimating the costs and benefits of software process improvement available at the publisher's website, which are worth thousands in consulting fees. This book is pretty much like having a $250 an hour consultant in a box for 50 bucks. Who could argue with that?
SO far as I can tell, there have only been a few major in-depth studies, which have attempted to identify, analyze, and compare the costs and benefits of major SPI methods such as CMMI, SW-CMM, ISO 9001, Inspections, PSP, and TSP (one of which was popularized by the same author). These studies were unique, controversial, and yet sorely needed. They were controversial because they challenge the myth of one best SPI method, they shatter the illusion that SPI is cheap and easy, and yet they teach people how to identify, quantify, and express the elusive benefits of SPI. Very few people can convincingly and authoritatively tap into the secret benefits of software process improvement. ROI of Software Process Improvement is no exception. It is one of a kind, it will surely push you to the edge of your comfort zone, it will cause you to reconsider the ROI approaches, and will teach you all you need to know about the ROI of SPI. Software process improvement is a highly competitive field and this book will certainly challenge your current paradigms and cause a lot of people to think very hard. However, make no mistake about it, this book is highly educational, it is a perfect example of just in time training and information, and, for the open minded reader, it is a notable tool for taking individuals and organizations to the next level of performance. Further, the author's web site is worth a visit for additional articles and links that relate to what's in the book. ... In sum, the book is a highly useful, portable tutorial on an area of SPI that has been neglected by most other SPI authors, and yet ROI is an area that most organizations place a strong focus on.
Rating:
Summary: This is a keeper!
Review: 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.
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