Frequently Asked Questions

[Process]

[CMM-CMMI]

[SCAMPI]

[ISO15504]

ISO/IEC 15504 (SPICE)

Why are there names for this standard: SPICE and ISO/IEC 15504?

In order to develop the ISO/IEC 15504 standard it was necessary to engage international experts in the process. As a result the SPICE project was established with a mandate to develop the first draft of the standard (handing over to the ISO working group) and to conduct user trails of the emerging standard before publication. The SPICE project formally closed in 2003 and has been superseded by the SPICE Network (www.isospice.com) that is hosted by the SPICE User Group (http://www.spiceusergroup.org/). There has grown a specific habit of referring to the standard as ISO/IEC 15504 (SPICE) the standard being related to " Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination "

What is an ISO/IEC 15504 conformant model?

ISO/IEC 15504 defines requirements for performing an assessment. One such requirement is to use an assessment model compatible with the reference model (measurement framework). ISO/IEC 15504 provides an exemplar assessment model that meets such requirements but that is not part of the REQUIRED part of the standard. Indeed, there are other examples (or instances) of assessment models available for instance SPICE 4 Space (used by the European Space Agency), Bootstrap (until July 2003) and other commercial and internal company based assessment models. For the people interested in CMMI in particular, it is interesting to note that the SEI is committed to making the CMMI meet the requirements of ISO/IEC 15504. For now, conformance to ISO/IEC 15504 is based on self declaration by the parties proposing models. This might eventually change in the future with, potentially, formal recognition of conformance scheme to be managed by an objective body.

Can a model conformant with ISO/IEC 15504 be used (as a reference) even if one does not formally assess his organization (with methods like SCAMPI or any other method which will be eventually accepted as conformant with ISO/IEC 15504)?

Of course! Any ISO/IEC 15504 model can be used as a reference for anybody looking for good ideas to improve work methods or to reflect on replacement solutions for current practices which suffer from certain weaknesses. It provides examples, different improvement paths, ideas to confront intuitions, etc. Several more or less formal assessment methods, the SCAMPI, or others, can use an ISO/IEC 15504 conformant model as a reference.

Are there any constraints in using an ISO/IEC 15504 conformant model in environments using specific methods or tools for development or maintenance?

No: the practices are formulated in a generic way. It is independent of any method (or methodology) and of any technology environment (software or hardware).

Is an ISO/IEC 15504 conformant model absolutely required to start a software process improvement program?

Certainly not. It is not a panacea and all models are incomplete and leave room for improvement. Nevertheless, ISO/IEC 15504 as an international standard represents a standard whose robustness and usefulness have been verified by hundreds of companies around the world. Using a standard with these characteristics as a reference to guide your investments in software process improvement is certainly a good decision to minimize the risks and to maximize the benefits. 

Where can we obtain an ISO/IEC 15504 conformant model?

All ISO international standards, including ISO/IEC 15504, can be obtained from ISO itself or from ISO/IEC national bodies. ISO/IEC 15504 is a set of standards of which the assessment model is one part. One can also become a member of a SPICE users group, and as a volunteer reviewer one may gain access to the standards under development. Suppliers also provide other assessment models. People interested in this should ask questions to the parties who claim to offer services and products conformant with ISO/IEC 15504 since, as mentioned above, self declaration by the suppliers of models or methods is the only current available reference. For the people interested in CMMI and SCAMPI, SEI declares that their CMMI model and the SCAMPI method were prepared with the intent to be compliant to the specifications described in ISO15504.

Where can we obtain reliable and up to date information about ISO/IEC 15504

The best is to visit the site developed by the ISO convener and SPICE Network project manager: www.isospice.com and site for the SPICE users group: http://www.spiceusergroup.org/.