Establishing a software engineering process group in a medical device company

Abstract

Establishing a software engineering process group, SEPG, in a medical device company requires careful planning and organizing to succeed. The author discusses how to proceed after executive management says 'we must be at the best process performance level possible, tell us what to do'. He also includes major problems in establishing a SEPG and how to prevent or correct them. A SEPG's mission is to, 'provide leadership in advancing the state of the practice of software engineering to improve the quality of systems that depend on software'. The main method the SEPG uses is technology transition, 'the process of organizing, executing, and supporting activities that lead to the adoption and institutionalization of new technologies, methods, or approaches such that they become a routine part of doing business'.<>