The Basics of Tailoring

March 10, 1999

M. P. “Mark” Ginsberg

Managed Process Gains

 Managed
Process

Presentation Agenda Gai ns

• Tailoring Definition
• Tailorable Attributes
• Practical Examples
• The Tailoring Process
• Recording and Reporting
• Usage and Adjustment
• Summary
• Questions and Answers
Mark Ginsberg - 2
 Managed
Process

Tommy’s New Suit Gai ns

• The Scene
• The Invitation
• The Suit
• The Tailoring
• The Big Day

Mark Ginsberg - 3
 Managed

Tailoring Defined Process

Gai ns

• What is tailoring?
The dictionary: “To make or adapt to suit a
special need or purpose.”
But, we need more: ... while preserving the
original goal (process requirement) of the
practice or procedure.
• Process Tailoring
To adapt a process to suit a specific
environment while preserving the original goal
(process requirement) of the process.

Mark Ginsberg - 4
 Managed
Process

Tailoring: The Theory - 1 Gai ns

Difference in kind
• Objects have different sets of attributes.
• Differences can be attributed to presence
of different attributes

Difference in degree
• Objects have the same sets of attributes.
• Differences can be attributed to variances
in the “amounts” of the same attributes.

Tailoring is the introduction of a difference in degree.

Mark Ginsberg - 5
 Managed

Tailoring: The Theory - 2 Process

Gai ns

• Goal:
Adjust the attribute(s) of a practice without
impacting the ability to achieve the purpose of
the practice.
• Some Common Adjustable Attributes:
Role
Formality
Trigger mechanism
Granularity
• Implementation:
Substitute an equivalent but different attribute
“value” in an existing practice.
Mark Ginsberg - 6
 Managed

A Practice’s Purpose Process

Gai ns

• May not be obvious from the practice

statement.
• Practice statement may contain hidden
implementation and/or assumptions.
– assumed environment
– assumed organizational structure
– assumed roles
– assumed customer/end user relationship
• A practice’s purpose must be stated
explicitly.
• To tailor effectively the final step must be to
measure the tailored practice against the
original purpose.
Mark Ginsberg - 7
 Managed

Activity Vocabulary Process

Gai ns

Agent: performs the Controls: limit the manner

activity to transform the in which the activity may
input(s) to the output(s) be performed.
Reviewer: provides
in process feedback.

Supplier:
Customer: accepts
Provides
inputs Activity the output product(s)

Verifier: assures entry and

exit criteria are met.

Resources: are
required to perform
the activity

Mark Ginsberg - 8
Tailorable Practice Elements Managed
Process
Gai ns

• Roles
What - function within the practice
Examples - agents, supplier, customers, verifiers, reviewers
Tailorable - details of role but not its existence or function
• Activity
What - actions to be performed
Examples - design, manage, monitor, review etc.
Tailorable - formality, frequency, scope, ...
• Work Products
What - products required/generated by an activity
Examples - plans, meeting minutes, software modules, etc.
Tailorable - name, format, media, scope, precision, control, ...
• Resources
What - items required to execute an activity
Examples - budget, schedule, trained staff, tools, facilities
Tailorable - provider, allocation methods, applicability ...
• Controls
What - items that determine how activities are executed
Examples - policies, procedures, practices, standards
Tailorable - name, formality, scope, applicability, ...
Mark Ginsberg - 9
 Managed
Process
Adjusting Formality Gai ns

• Formality: the degree to which a practice is

executed in accordance with specific rules that
make use of well defined standards, forms, and
formats.
• Examples:
– Relax the level of detail in a standard format.
– Remove “non-value added” introductory section
in documents.
– Substitute flowcharts for formal documents that
define process
• Caution: some formality contains hidden, but
useful process requirements.
Mark Ginsberg - 10
 Managed

Example Tailoring - 1 Process

Gai ns

• Standard Directive: Analyze each CSC’s

resource utilization against a documented system
load (operational scenario). Generate a report of
current estimates versus planned resource
utilization in the project’s monthly status report.
• Formality Adjustment: Analyze each CSC’s
resource utilization against a documented system
load (operational scenario). Record monthly, the
current estimated versus planned resource
utilization in the Software Engineering Notebook.

Mark Ginsberg - 11
 Managed
Process
Adjusting Trigger Mechanism Gai ns

• Trigger Mechanism : The event that causes

execution of a practice to be initiated.
• Examples:
–Increase the period. e.g. change from weekly or
bimonthly or monthly reporting.
–Switch from a periodic to an event driven event.
e.g. Change from monthly audits to audits prior
to key milestone events.
• Caution: Repetitive activities often have a
risk monitoring function at their root.
Changing frequency may have significant
impact on the practice’s purpose.
Mark Ginsberg - 12
 Managed

Example Tailoring - 2 Process

Gai ns

• Standard Directive: Analyze each CSC’s resource

utilization against a documented system load
(operational scenario). Generate a report of
current estimates versus planned resource
utilization over time in the project’s monthly
status report.
• Trigger Adjustment: Analyze each CSC’s
resource utilization against a documented system
load (operational scenario). Generate a report of
current estimates versus planned resource
utilization at the end of each development phase.
Mark Ginsberg - 13
 Managed

Major Tailoring Tasks Process

Gai ns

• Identify practices/procedures which are

potential tailoring candidates.
• Tailor the practices/procedures.
• Record and report results.
• Obtain approval of the tailoring.
• Use the tailored process document.
• Re-tailor as necessary.

Mark Ginsberg - 14
 Managed
Process

Record and Report Gai ns

• Use the “Revisions” feature of your document

generation tool to record the details of the
tailoring.
– Output is a “redlined” practice.
• Report the tailoring using a standard practice
matrix containing:
– Practice name
– A tailoring code
– A comment field
• Tailoring reports should be approved by
functional and program management.
• Metrics should be kept on practice tailoring
Mark Ginsberg - 15
 Managed

Compliance Metric Process

Gai ns

100%
90%
80%
Non-Compliant
70%
Partially Compliant
60%
50% Alternate Implementation
40% Full Compliance
30%
20%
10%
0%
A B C D
Project

Compliance By Projects
Mark Ginsberg - 16
 Managed

Practice “Goodness” Metric Process

Gai ns

100%
80% N/A
60% Tailor
40% Expand
Accept
20%
0%
1 2 3 4 5 6
Practice

Acceptance By Projects
Mark Ginsberg - 17
 Managed
Process

Use and Adjustment Gai ns

• Tailoring is an ongoing process.

• “Redlined” Practices are used by the project.
• SQA performs process audits to the “redline”:
Process deficiencies are categorized as:
• process execution faults, or
• process description faults.
Process Description faults require the practice
“redline” to be updated.
The tailoring report may require updating.
• SEPG reviews and management approves any
change that impacts tailoring codes.
Mark Ginsberg - 18
 Managed
Process

Summary Gai ns

• Tailoring is used to adapt practices and

procedures to specific environments.
• The key to tailoring is adjustment in a manner
that preserves the original purpose of the
practice or procedure.
• There are some natural practice attributes that
may be adjusted without impacting purpose.
• Tailored practices must be approved and
audited.
• When it is necessary to re-tailor a practice
review and approval are required.
Mark Ginsberg - 19
Contact Data

M. P. “Mark” Ginsberg
Managed Process Gains
4412 W. Westhaven Circle
Tucson, AZ 85745
(520) 743-3979
MPGinsberg@aol.com
 Questions
and

Answers
Managed Process Gains
Mark Ginsberg - 29
 That's all folks

Mark Ginsberg - 30