ABSTRACT
Why do you need a software process? An effective software process will enable your organization to increase its productivity when developing software. First, by understanding the fundamentals of how software is developed, you can make intelligent decisions, such as knowing to stay away from SnakeOil v2.0-the wonder tool that claims to automate fundamental portions of the software process. Yes, tools are important, but they must support and accommodate the chosen process, and they should not introduce too much overhead. Second, it enables you to standardize your efforts, promoting reuse, repeatability, and consistency between project teams. Third, it provides an opportunity for you to introduce industry best practices such as code inspections, configuration management, change control, and architectural modeling to your software organization. Fourth, a defined software process establishes a baseline approach for greater consistency and future enhancements.
