Introduction to Software Process Improvement

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is the de facto standard for implementing best practice in software engineering. Many experts believe that there is a close relationship between the quality and maturity of the underlying software processes on the one hand, and the quality of the delivered software product. Implementation of the CMMI enables an organization to design and develop software following sound software engineering principles.

Introduction to Software Process Improvement is a systematic textbook and guide to the various steps in setting up a CMMI improvement initiative. Students and independent readers will learn the project management practices necessary to deliver high-quality software solutions to the customer on time and on budget. The text also highlights how software process improvement can achieve specific business goals to provide a tangible return on investment.

Topics and features:

Supplies review questions, summaries and key topics for each chapter, as well as a glossary of acronyms used in the book
Describes the CMMI model thoroughly, detailing the five maturity levels and their constituent process areas
Provides a broad overview of software engineering, including a discussion of requirements elicitation, software design, implementation, testing and maintenance
Reviews the activities and teams required to set up a CMMI improvement initiative, describing the process as a continuous improvement cycle
Examines in detail the implementation of CMMI in a typical organization at each of the maturity levels
Investigates the various tools that support organizations in improving their software engineering maturity
Discusses the SCAMPI appraisal methodology


This clearly organized and easy-to-read textbook is a must-have for all students of computer science interested in learning about software process improvement and its capacity to assist software companies in achieving high-quality and reliable software on time and on budget. The text will also be of interest to software engineers, quality professionals and software managers involved in software process improvement programs, in addition to the motivated general reader.

Dr. Gerard O’Regan is a lecturer at Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland, and a visiting lecturer at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, China. He is author of the successful Springer titles A Brief History of Computing, Mathematical Approaches to Software Quality and A Practical Approach to Software Quality.