Abstract

The work with software processes has become an entire field of its own. It should be considered a process, where the product is process improvement and maintenance service to the host organization. The process professionals should also strive towards good product engineering practices in their work, apply the same quality criteria to their processes, and maintain and improve their own work practices. The time has come for Software Process Engineering.

A number of models and articles related to Software Process Engineering exist, mostly developed to support process improvement activities. Each model approaches the subject from its particular angle and as such they all have their own limitations and strengths.

For those responsible for process engineering efforts in their respective organisations, the multitude of choices can be sometimes confusing. The models and methods are at times conflicting or competing, operate at different granularity levels, and answer to different needs. There is a clear need for a study that gathers what has been published, categorises them and thus provides a wider perspective to what the Software Process Engineering literature has to offer for process engineers - mainly for operative and strategic managers - at large.

This literature study summarises what the literature has to offer. The models and articles are presented here in a concise form, to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice of Software Process Engineering models today.