Using ESSENCE ALPHAs in a CMMI level 5 software development organization

Managing a software development project is a challenging task; time and effort is required to monitor the project's health and progress. In this context, organizations look for proposals that would assist them in this task. Recently a new and light alternative was introduced: ALPHAs, which are central elements of ESSENCE - Kernel and Language for Software Engineering Methods OMG standard. This paper presents the experience of a Mexican organization that uses ALPHAs to enhance its processes. The paper summarizes the actual use of ALPHAs in the organization, their advantages and disadvantages, and outlines some advice for organizations wishing to adopt ALPHAs. We conclude that ALPHAs are useful for monitoring and controlling software endeavors. Moreover, their harmonization with the organization's current process was a beneficial factor in renewing the CMMI-DEV and CMMI-SVC level 5 appraisals.