Features a useful collection of important and practical papers on applying software metrics and measurement. The book details the importance of planning a successful measurement program with a complete discussion of why, what, where, when, and how to measure and who should be involved. Each chapter addresses these significant questions and provides the essential answers in building an effective measurement program. The book differs from others on the market by focusing on the application of the metrics rather than the metrics themselves. The author's provide information based on actual experience with successful metrics programs. Each chapter includes a case study focusing on technology transfer and a set of recommended references. The book serves as a guide on the use and application of software metrics in industrial environments. It is specially designed for managers, product supervisors, and quality assurance personnel who want to know how to implement a metrics program.

C. Amting Directorate General Information Society, European Commission, Brussels Under the 4th Framework of European Research, the European Systems and Soft ware Initiative (ESSI) was part of the ESPRIT Programme. This initiative funded more than 470 projects in the area' of software and system process improvements. The majority of these projects were process improvement experiments carrying out and taking up new development processes, methods and technology within the software development process of a company. In addition, nodes (centres of exper tise), European networks (organisations managing local activities), training and dissemination actions complemented the process improvement experiments. ESSI aimed at improving the software development capabilities of European enterprises. It focused on best practice and helped European companies to develop world class skills and associated technologies to build the increasingly complex and varied systems needed to compete in the marketplace. The dissemination activities were designed to build a forum, at European level, to exchange information and knowledge gained within process improvement ex periments. Their major objective was to spread the message and the results of experiments to a wider audience, through a variety of different channels. The European Experience Exchange ~UR~X) project has been one of these dis semination activities within the European Systems and Software Initiative.~UR~X has collected the results of practitioner reports from numerous workshops in Europe and presents, in this series of books, the results of Best Practice achieve ments in European Companies over the last few years.

This application-oriented book shows how to apply proven software metrics and methods to efficiently manage software development and maintenance--to help boost productivity, efficiency, and quality of software projects at every stage of the process. Detailing practical methods throughout, the book covers tips to best measure and present progress, a useful model for understanding organization limitations, possible problems in process improvement illustrated by examples, evidence of what works and what doesn't work, and more. An ideal reference for project managers and professionals responsible for process improvement.n

"While it is usually helpful to launch improvement programs, many such programs soon get bogged down in detail. They either address the wrong problems, or they keep beating on the same solutions, wondering why things don't improve. This is when you need an objective way to look at the problems. This is the time to get some data." Watts S. Humphrey, from the Foreword This book, drawing on work done at the Software Engineering Institute and other organizations, shows how to use measurements to manage and improve software processes. The authors explain specifically how quality characteristics of software products and processes can be quantified, plotted, and analyzed so the performance of software development activities can be predicted, controlled, and guided to achieve both business and technical goals. The measurement methods presented, based on the principles of statistical quality control, are illuminated by application examples taken from industry. Although many of the methods discussed are applicable to individual projects, the book's primary focus is on the steps software development organizations can take toward broad-reaching, long-term success. The book particularly addresses the needs of software managers and practitioners who have already set up some kind of basic measurement process and are ready to take the next step by collecting and analyzing software data as a basis for making process decisions and predicting process performance. Highlights of the book include: Insight into developing a clear framework for measuring process behavior Discussions of process performance, stability, compliance, capability, and improvement Explanations of what you want to measure (and why) and instructions on how to collect your data Step-by-step guidance on how to get started using statistical process control If you have responsibilities for product quality or process performance and you are ready to use measurements to manage, control, and predict your software processes, this book will be an invaluable resource.

Practical approach to software measurement Contains hands-on industry experiences

No matter how perfect a project plan may be on paper, it is worthless if nobody actually uses it. This innovative guide shows you how to ensure that your team has the process capabilities needed to successfully carry out any project plan you put to paper. By using the SEI's Capability Maturity Model, The Project Management Maturity Model, and PMBOK Knowledge areas, you can baseline your team's process level to see how it measures up to those required by a project plan.

Provides common-sense, proven techniques and approaches that software managers and developers can use to deliver significant process improvements.This book organizes software process improvement into four proven stages: Plan, Do, Check, and Act. It then thoroughly reviews the steps that managers and developers can take in each stage. It shows how to assess current software processes more effectively, and plan and invest to make software development a core competency of your organization. It presents a thoughtful recommendations for making sure that management stays committed to process improvement for the long-haul. Finally, it describes specific techniques organizations can use to track, validate and place a value upon software process improvements.All software developers, project managers, process improvement managers, senior IT managers, and customers for custom software development.

On behalf of the PROFES organizing committee we would like to welcome you to the 4th International Conference on Product Focused Software Process Impro- ment (PROFES 2002) in Rovaniemi, Finland. The conference was held on the Arctic Circle in exotic Lapland under the Northern Lights just before Christmas time, when Kaamos (the polar night is known in Finnish as ”Kaamos”) shows its best characteristics. PROFES has established itself as one of the recognized international process improvement conferences. Despite the current economic downturn, PROFES has attracted a record number of submissions. A total of 70 full papers were subm- ted and the program committee had a di?cult task in selecting the best papers to be presented at the conference. The main theme of PROFES is professional software process improvement (SPI) motivated by product and service quality needs. SPI is facilitated by so- ware process assessment, software measurement, process modeling, and techn- ogy transfer. It has become a practical tool for quality software engineering and management. The conference addresses both the solutions found in practice and the relevant research results from academia.

Your Complete Guide to Project Management Metrics is Here! Metrics for Project Management: A Formalized Approach describes a comprehensive set of project management metrics in an easy-to-read format. Through a unique presentation of metrics through the categories of “things,” “people,” and “enterprise,” you'll learn how metrics can: • Guide you toward informed decisions • Help the enterprise recognize the sum of its collective capabilities • Ensure that plans for producing and delivering products and services are consistently realistic, achievable, and attainable • Link the efforts of individual team members with the overall success of the project • Indirectly promote teamwork and improve team morale

Project initiation; Project planning; Project execution and termination.