Linking Return on Training Investment with Defects Causal Analysis

In this paper, we present a process for linking organizational training efforts with defects causal analysis in software development organizations. The process is being implemented in a CMMI maturity level 3 organization. Since causal analysis is not an expected process area at maturity level three, key success factors for the implementation of the process are identified and analyzed. The conclusions were tested in this software development organization. In order to do that, a pilot project was selected and training was implemented to support the process. The training results are analyzed in order to validate the overall approach. The resulting work provides a guideline for implementing causal analysis in lower maturity organizations and establishes that the implementation is viable in the target organization.

[1]  D.N. Card.  Defect-causal analysis drives down error rates , 1993, IEEE Software.

[2]  Mary Beth Chrissis,et al.  CMMI: Guidelines for Process Integration and Product Improvement , 2003 .

[3]  日本規格協会,et al.  Guide to quality control and company standardization , 1984 .

[4]  Inderpal S. Bhandari,et al.  Orthogonal Defect Classification - A Concept for In-Process Measurements , 1992, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[5]  J. Fleiss.  Measuring nominal scale agreement among many raters. , 1971 .

[6]  Christian Denger,et al.  An industrial case study of implementing and validating defect classification for process improvement and quality management , 2005, 11th IEEE International Software Metrics Symposium (METRICS'05).

[7]  J. R. Landis,et al.  The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. , 1977, Biometrics.

[8]  Craig Smith.  Achieving organizational training objectives with short course development , 2000, Thirteenth Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training.

[9]  Ioannis Stamelos,et al.  Software Defect Prediction Using Regression via Classification , 2006, IEEE International Conference on Computer Systems and Applications, 2006..

[10]  Jacob Cohen.  A Coefficient of Agreement for Nominal Scales , 1960 .

[11]  Claes Wohlin,et al.  Assuring fault classification agreement - an empirical evaluation , 2004, Proceedings. 2004 International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering, 2004. ISESE '04..

[12]  Michael Fredericks,et al.  Using Defect Tracking and Analysis to Improve Software Quality , 1999 .

[13]  D. N. Card,et al.  Managing software quality with defects , 2002, Proceedings 26th Annual International Computer Software and Applications.

[14]  Inderpal S. Bhandari,et al.  In-Process Improvement through Defect Data Interpretation , 1994, IBM Syst. J..

[15]  Dewayne E. Perry,et al.  A case study in root cause defect analysis , 2000, Proceedings of the 2000 International Conference on Software Engineering. ICSE 2000 the New Millennium.

[16]  Donovan A. McFarlane,et al.  Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels , 2006 .

[17]  David N. Card,et al.  Learning from Our Mistakes with Defect Causal Analysis , 1999, IEEE Softw..

[18]  Alain Abran,et al.  Introducing root-cause analysis and orthogonal defect classification at lower CMMI maturity levels , 2006 .

[19]  Rob J. Kusters,et al.  Effects of virtual development on product quality: exploring defect causes , 2003, Eleventh Annual International Workshop on Software Technology and Engineering Practice.

[20]  E. Salas,et al.  The science of training: a decade of progress. , 2001, Annual review of psychology.

[21]  Barbara Kitchenham,et al.  Procedures for Performing Systematic Reviews , 2004 .

[22]  Norman E. Fenton,et al.  A Critique of Software Defect Prediction Models , 1999, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..