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| Case Study |
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Process Assessment for Software Process
Improvement based on CMMIŽ framework |
Experian partnered with Patni to improve its
systems engineering and software development processes in alignment with the CMMIŽ
framework
The Client
Experian is a leading provider
of value-added information,
analytics, decision-making
solutions and processing
services to business and
individual customers. It
has a global presence
with operations in over 60
countries, and has been
associated with Patni through
its UK and US locations.
The Challenge
Being in the business of providing value added information, Experian had
to heavily rely on varied systems comprising of some of the world's most
comprehensive databases of information on consumers, businesses,
motor cycles and property. This set of systems included Oracle Applications ERP,
Mainframe Billing and other administrative systems.
Based in the US headquarters with a team size of about 25, Experian's
Corporate Systems Group was primarily responsible for implementation,
enhancement and production support of these systems. In an industry
where information availability was critical for competitive edge, the company realized that it needed to further streamline its software
development processes. Though there was an in-house set of processes
partially practiced and documented at the project-level, the group
greatly recognized the need for formalized software development
processes both at the project and organization-level.
This set out the group to embark on a Software Process Improvement
journey by leveraging the CMMIŽ framework for streamlining all the
relevant Process Areas. The objective was to achieve improved process
maturity that could translate into efficiency improvements and a lower
cost of system maintenance.
The Solution
Experian partnered with Patni to conduct the initial assessment for all process areas
with reference to Level-3 of the SE/SW Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Ver.
1.1 Staged representation.
Before embarking on the assessment exercise, Patni conducted a comprehensive CMMI
Overview training for the Corporate Systems Group. Apart from determining Experian's
readiness for the CMMI initiative, the session aimed to impart an understanding of the
CMMI framework and its components, various process improvement concepts, CMMI
versions and representations, diverse process areas along with corresponding objectives
and requirements, and the assessment methodology. The assessment methodology
employed was SCAMPI Class C Assessment.
The key objectives of the exercise were:
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Understand Experian's current business processes and software
development process |
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Identify strengths and improvement areas |
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Prioritize improvements and establish roadmap |
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Facilitate continuity in process improvement actions |
Working in close partnership with the Experian team, Patni's
consultants quickly identified the level of complexity of the
client's software development processes. Depending on these
process complexities, the final recommendations were
categorized as 'Must-Do', 'Can-Wait' and 'Nice-to-Have'. As the
planned time-frame for the engagement was aggressive, the
prioritization exercise offered the client a quick-fix platform
during the implementation phase to institute the best practices
across all process areas.
The Benefits
Patni's solution gave a process foundation that could ensure the
following key benefits to the client:
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Alignment of assessment focus with Experian's goal of reducing
system maintenance costs |
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Optimal and faster gains through prioritized process
improvements |
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Improved cycle-time, predictability and quality across projects |
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Enhanced visibility and acceptance of processes and practices
within the client organization. |
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