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Is it the Tools? or the People?
One of the things I get the most as a process consultant is "Do we need better processes, or better tools?" Usually it shows up in cases where tools were bought to fix process issues (after all, buying a tool is simply writing a check. Fixing a process means getting consensus among dozens, if not hundreds of people -- which do you think is easier?) But there are cases where infrastructure is needed. How do you find out where this is the situation?
When I was creating the first MAT, I used the concept from CMMI of "Ability To Perform". Put simply, can we do this? Do we have the time, people, tools, and training to do this? It's a critical question. Take a look at some results below:
Here are the results of a MAT on a PMO last year:
|
Discipline
|
Perceived Problems
|
Ability To Perform
|
Commitment To Perform
|
Directing Implementation
|
Verifying Implementation
|
Knowledge
|
Clear User Responsibility
|
|
Business Modeling
|
-1.222
|
-0.667
|
0.778
|
-0.778
|
-0.667
|
0.222
|
1.778
|
|
Requirements
|
-1.333
|
-1.222
|
0.778
|
-0.778
|
-1
|
-0.444
|
1.222
|
|
Analysis & Design
|
-1.556
|
-0.778
|
1
|
-1
|
-0.556
|
-0.333
|
0.778
|
|
Implementation
|
-1
|
0.667
|
1.222
|
0.556
|
-0.444
|
0.778
|
1
|
|
Test
|
-1.444
|
0.111
|
1.778
|
0.333
|
1.333
|
1.333
|
1.889
|
|
Deployment
|
-1.444
|
0.222
|
2.333
|
0.778
|
0.444
|
1
|
1.111
|
|
Environment
|
-2.444
|
-0.444
|
-0.444
|
-0.778
|
-1
|
-0.556
|
0.333
|
|
Project Management
|
-1.222
|
0.333
|
2
|
0.778
|
0
|
0.222
|
1
|
|
Configuration & Change Management
|
-1.556
|
-0.444
|
1.444
|
-0.667
|
-1.111
|
-0.222
|
0.889
|
As you can see, the biggest need they had for Ability To Perform was in the area of requirements. Subsequent to this assessment, we brought in a requirements specialist to work and teach the tool.
Currently in the MATv2 assessments, I've expanded Ability To Perform into it's separate components: training, time, people, money, tools. Hopefully we'll get some better diagnostics in the days ahead. If so, they'll make for interesting analysis.
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