Introducing an Improvement Program LO17487

d.l.dwiggins@computer.org
Sat, 21 Mar 1998 20:20:00 -0800

Now it's my turn to ask for advice on this list. I'm in a software
consulting company, and I'm in charge of an initiative to address the Big
Q in our client engagements. As an initial step, I'm planning a pilot
program to improve code quality (starting small with a relatively clearly
measured objective: reducing defects in built software). The pilot is to
be instituted in a "testbed" project that is in a suitable stage.

My concern here is how to introduce it so as to deal most effectively with
the possible resistance of the project workers and other people who come
in contact with the initiative. I believe that I have the leeway with my
sponsor (the Regional Manager) to "do it right", so there's no pressure to
ramrod a "prebuilt" process through. On the other hand, there's some
pressure to have it work out well (being the first step in the
initiative), and I want to cover all the important bases.

I've been reading the resources I have, such as an early edition of the
Software Engineering Institute's guide for SE Process Groups (which has a
good section on managing change, using a model of unfreezing-transition-
refreezing). I've also gotten some inspiration from the Fifth Discipline
Fieldbook chapters on Shared Vision, which I think applies to the
initiative.

I'd appreciate any feedback y'all can offer: pitfalls to watch out for,
good tools or tricks for sticky situations, "been-there-done-that"
experience reports, or whatever.

Thanks in advance (and yet another vote of thanks to all participants and
particularly to our gracious and conscientious host for the consistently
high quality of the list).

Regards,

-- 

Don Dwiggins It's important to have a plan -- SEI Information Technology it gives you something to deviate from d.l.dwiggins@computer.org -- Hermann Puterschein

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