Key success factors for implementing software process improvement : a maturity-based analysis

Abstract

We report on a questionnaire survey of key success factors that impact software process improvement (SPI). We analysed responses to identify factors that have a major impact, or no impact, on implementing SPI. We found four factors (reviews, standards and procedures, training and mentoring, and experienced staff) that practitioners generally considered had a major impact on successfully implementing SPI, and a further four factors (internal leadership, inspections, executive support and internal process ownership) that the more mature companies considered had a major impact on successfully implementing SPI. We also identified two factors (estimating tools and reward schemes) that may not have an impact on SPI. We briefly discuss how these factors may be broadly understood in terms of process, people, skills and leadership. We discuss some of the implications of our findings for research and practice.