SPI Versus SCI

by Jim Highsmith

I was recently asked to give a talk to a group of Irish software companies about software process improvement (SPI). As I thought about the topic, I realized that to most people, SPI conveys expectations such as deterministic, comprehensive early planning; a detailed process focus; waterfall (serial) lifecycle (planning, requirements, design, etc.); extensive documentation deliverables to show progress; and internal metrics. My comment on this traditional view of SPI was that it would leave your company well prepared to compete in 1985.