Summary

Select processes or subprocesses in the organization’s set of standard processes to be included in the organization’s process performance analyses and maintain traceability to business objectives.

Description

Refer to the Organizational Process Definition (OPD) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about establishing organizational process assets.


The organization’s set of standard processes consists of a set of standard processes that, in turn, are composed of subprocesses.

Typically, it is not possible, useful, or economically justifiable to apply statistical management techniques to all processes or subprocesses of the organization’s set of standard processes. Selection of processes or subprocesses is based on the quality and process performance objectives of the organization, which are derived from business objectives as described in the previous specific practice.

Example Work Products



  1. List of processes or subprocesses identified for process performance analyses with rationale for their selection including traceability to business objectives


Subpractices



1. Establish the criteria to use when selecting subprocesses.

 

Examples of criteria that can be used for the selection of a process or subprocess for the organization’s process performance analysis include the following:
  • The process or subprocess is strongly related to key business objectives.
  • The process or subprocess has demonstrated stability in the past.
  • Valid historical data are currently available that is relevant to the process or subprocess.
  • The process or subprocess will generate data with sufficient frequency to allow for statistical management.
  • The process or subprocess is an important contributor to quality and process performance.
  • The process or subprocess is an important predictor of quality and process performance.
  • The process or subprocess is a factor important to understanding the risk associated with achieving the quality and process performance objectives.
  • The quality of the measures and measurements associated with the process or subprocess (e.g., measurement system error) is adequate.
  • Multiple measurable attributes that characterize process or subprocess behavior are available.



2. Select the subprocesses and document the rationale for their selection.

 

Example approaches to identifying and evaluating subprocess alternatives as part of a selection include the following:
  • Causal analysis
  • Sensitivity analysis


Refer to the Decision Analysis and Resolution (DAR) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about analyzing possible decisions using a formal evaluation process that evaluates identified alternatives against established criteria.



3. Establish and maintain traceability between the selected subprocesses, quality and process performance objectives, and business objectives.

 

Examples of ways in which traceability can be expressed include the following:
  • Mapping of subprocesses to quality and process performance objectives
  • Objective flow-down (e.g., Big Y to Vital X, Hoshin planning)
  • Balanced scorecard
  • Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
  • Goal Question Metric
  • Documentation for a process performance model



4. Revise the selection as necessary.

It may be necessary to revise the selection in the following situations:

  • The predictions made by process performance models result in too much variation to make them useful.
  • The objectives for quality and process performance change.
  • The organization’s set of standard processes change.
  • The underlying quality and process performance changes.