Settling for Less

Do these statements sound familiar? If they do, your
organization may be settling for less than it is capable of
and may be a good candidate for process improvement.

“I'd rather have it wrong than have it late. We can always
fix it later.”
- a senior software manager (industry)

“The bottom line is schedule. My promotions and raises
are based on meeting schedule first and foremost.”
- a program manager (government)

Symptoms of Process Failure

Commitments consistently missed
• Late delivery
• Last minute crunches
• Spiraling costs

No management visibility into progress
• You’re always being surprised

Quality problems
• Too much rework
• Functions do not work correctly
• Customer complaints after delivery

Poor morale
• People frustrated
• Is anyone in charge?

The quality of a system is highly influenced by the quality of the process used to acquire, develop, and maintain it. This premise implies a focus on processes as well as on products.