DAP: Diagnostic Assistance Process em melhoria de processo de software

Abstract

The software market is increasingly competitive, requiring organizations to address issues related to time, cost, product quality, and customer satisfaction. There are several methods and models that are used to support the MPS initiatives. A important phase for the process improvement, regardless of the approach or model adopted, is the Diagnosis. Diagnosis aims to carry out assessments focused on process performance according to business objectives. During the Diagnosis, it is possible to identify the current state of the organization’s processes and the desired future state. Hence, it is possible to guide improvement plans driven by business objectives. The assessments results are documented and reported to the improvement team, allowing the process evolution planning. According to a RSL, the Diagnosis phase still is carried out in an ad hoc manner, regardless of the organization model or size. The RSL results revealed that there is no a well-defined process for Diagnosis phase. Based on this, we propose in this work the DAP, a process for performing diagnosis in MPS. DAP seeks to increase diagnostic efficiency and effectiveness and support the consultant regardless of their experience. To support the development of DAP, we used a process modeling tool based on BPMN. Finally, the process was evaluated through an interview with an MPS specialist. After the evaluation was performed, the results were analyzed, weaknesses resolved and opportunities for improvement addressed as future work. The evaluation generated evidence that the DAP reached its objectives, optimizing and supporting the diagnosis of MPS, providing the necessary support for the consultants and respecting the work already used by professionals in the area.