What is Organizational Process Definition (OPD) and how it helps in Process Improvement?

CMMI FAQ 0

2nd September, 2013

Organizational Process Definition (OPD) is CMMI Maturity Level 3 Process Area under the Process Management category.

It helps in establishment and maintenance of the process assets, work environment guidelines/standards, and rules and guidelines for teams at organizational level.

Organizational Process Definition (OPD) Implementation Steps

Standard Processes: Processes and associated artefacts required for organization shall be identified and developed and maintain at organizational level. These shall be accessible to the process implementers. It should also be ensured that these processes shall comply with the applicable standards, policies and models. There should be integration between all the processes defined. These should be reviewed and revised periodically.

Lifecycle Models: Organization shall establish and maintain lifecycle models used in the organization by different project teams. These lifecycle models should be reviewed and revised periodically.

Tailoring Guidelines: Organization should also define the criteria and guidelines for tailoring on how standard processes and assets can be used to create a project defined process, requirements to be satisfied by the project defined process, documentation to be prepared. These tailoring guidelines should be reviewed and revised periodically.

Maintain Organizational Measurement Repository: Measurement Repository shall be maintained at organizational level. Measurement Repository shall be developed and maintained based on the need of the organization and shall be available for use in the organization. This should also include set of processes and product measures for organizational set of standard processes. Measurement Repository helps in the decision making. It should be reviewed and revised periodically.

Maintain a Process Asset Library (PAL): PAL contains process assets required for use in the organization and prepared assts in the organizations. Assets for use include processes, templates, checklists, guidelines and forms. Assets prepared by teams include proposals, estimations, project plans, measurement data, quality check reports, risk database, lessons learnt, review reports, defects log and reports etc. PAL shall be referred regularly by project teams to keep is alive. PAL shall be reviewed and revised periodically.

Maintain Work Environment Standards and Guidelines for Teams: Organization shall also establish Standards for Work Environment in the organization. These shall be developed based on the industry standards appropriate for the organization. Ules and Guidelines for Teams shall also be established for structuring, forming and operating teams. Guidelines shall also include the expectations, rules that guide how teams work collectively. Revise these standards as necessary.

How OPD helps in the process improvement?

OPD helps in the process improvement by continuous improvement of the Processes and other Process Assets by providing the raw material to implementations (in the form of templates, checklists and guidelines) and then storing the output from these team in the form of proposals, estimations, project plans, measurement data, quality check reports, risk database, lessons learnt, review reports, defects log and reports etc across the organization.

Want to setup Process Assets Library in your organization

DQS India, a CMMI Authorised Partner, provides guidance in the establishment of the Organizational Process Assets Library in your organization. We provide expert guidance on establishing the QMS containing all processes, templates, checklists and guidelines. We also helps in establishing repository for estimation, plans, measurement, reports, databases – risk, defects, issues, lessons learnt etc.

Training is delivered through highly qualified and experienced CMMI Authorised Trainer and CMMI Consultants.