Results from process assessments in software companies

The capability maturity model was originally developed for large military and aerospace contractors. It represents an excellent framework of software process concepts and embodies some general principles which apply to companies of any size and product orientation. We found, however, that it was less suited for small and medium sized enterprises. This paper describes three years of experience with a modified assessment technique. The paper also looks beyond process related issues and analyzes other fundamental problems which are rooted in the management of software.