Introduction to the Team Software Process - Hardcover

Humphrey, Watts S.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 020147719X ISBN 13: 9780201477191

Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional, 1999

Synopsis

Watts Humphrey is the visionary behind the Capability Maturity Model (CMM)(R) and the Personal Software Process (PSP) (sm). The CMM contains a framework for software process improvement at the organizational level. The PSP builds the self-discipline needed for individual programmers to work efficiently and effectively. The author's new Team Software Process (TSP) (sm) details methods to guide the formation of software development teams, to motivate their work, and to enhance their productivity.

 

This book describes an introductory version of TSP, ideal for smaller projects but also useful for learning basic techniques and procedures that apply to other development projects. Methods presented include:

• how to establish roles;
• how to conceive, design, and plan a project;
• how to track and report on progress.

The book walks readers through a complete development cycle, illustrating:

• how best to use the talents at hand;
• how to formulate well-defined goals;
• how to coordinate activities for maximum progress;
• how to promote effective communication;
• how to alleviate many of the conflicts that undermine teamwork.

Team members should not have to expend valuable time and energy reinventing ways to organize and run their team. By following a proven process, the team will more quickly be able to focus on the successful completion of the project itself. To help a team course apply these methods, the book provides two project exercises, with prescribed development goals and team roles.

About this title

Review

Aimed at the computer science student, Introduction to the Team Software Process provides a textbook-style introduction to the author's Team Software Process (TSP), a rigorous group-based design process that stresses planning, metrics, scripts, accountability, and ultimately, higher code quality. Although best suited for a semester- or two-semester-length course, this book provides a useful model for any team development effort.

This textbook focuses squarely on the team-based nature of successful software development. The author, who also invented the Personal Software Process (PSP), outlines the steps for "staffing" a classroom-based software project with different multiple member roles, such as team leaders and development managers. The Team Software Process (TSP) outlined here stresses accountability through numerous scripts and metrics. (An appendix features over 80 pages of scripts and forms that would be used over the course of the semester.) Not only does the author provide a thorough guide to choosing the right team role that fits your personality and skills, but several sections offer some "motivational speaking" on the advantage of "discipline," both as a person and software engineer.

This book does a particularly good job of defining a team's role for each stage in the development process, beginning from the initial planning stages to requirements definition, implementation, testing, and postmortem followup. There are hints for dealing with missed deadlines, staffing, and design problems.

The reality is that teams are used throughout the software industry, but many computer science students do not get much experience working in successful teams. As a first encounter with team development, Introduction to the Team Software Process provides a model for serious implementation of a smart, rigorous software method that can put readers on the right track with group development. --Richard Dragan

Topics Covered: Team Software Process (TSP) basics and scripts, building production software teams, team goals, team roles, planning, risk management, quality plan, requirements, design principles, product implementation, integration and system testing, test planning, defect tracking, documentation, conducting postmortems, team leaders, development managers, planning managers, quality/process managers, support managers.

About the Author

Known as “the father of software quality,” Watts S. Humphrey is the author of numerous influential books on the software-development process and software process improvement. Humphrey is a fellow of the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University, where he founded the Software Process Program and provided the vision and early leadership for the original Capability Maturity Model (CMM). He also is the creator of the Personal Software Process (PSP) and Team Software Process (TSP). Recently, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology—the highest honor given by the president of the United States to America's leading innovators.

Edition details

• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 020147719X
• ISBN 13: 9780201477191
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 463