We are experts in ISO/IEC 15504.

Our principal has worked with the ISO 15504 suite of standards for over 15 years, and was the ISO 15504 working group representative for Switzerland. He authored ISO 15504 part 9, the risk extension of the standard.

ISO/IEC 15504 process assessment standard is also known as SPICE. The standard was created with the aim to consistently assess processes against a reference measurement framework. The standard consists of 3 main elements:

• A measurement framework with 6 defined Process Capability Levels.
• A set of requirements for defining processes.
• A set of requirements for how to perform consistent assessments.

• The standard provides a means to harmonize process assessment methods, such as SPICE for SPACE, Automotive SPICE and OOSPICE; it aims to allows organizations to “compare apples against apples”. ISO/IEC 15504 differs from many preceding standards in two fundamental ways. First, it does not prescribe a way of working (i.e. the processes to be followed). It is important to note that while the standard refers to processes, they are meant to be typical examples for the purpose of assessment, not required processes to run an enterprise! Secondly, it does not focus on process compliance, but rather on how well processes are performed and managed (using the capability levels). We generally perform process assessments using ISO 15504. The assessment provides a client organisation with a report on their process strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. We also perform in-house training and coaching.  It is also possible to use CMMI assessments with our networked resources.

  It is a second generation process assessment standard. It uses two dimensions, processes and capability which are not coupled. The SEI CMMI Continuous representation also uses this approach, and is generally compatible with the standard. This provides much greater flexibility than the older SW CMM standard because any processes can be managed at any capability level. In addition, it allows use of several different process life cycles, including system and software life cycles.

  I am the originator and technical editor for the new part 9 of the ISO/IEC 15504 standard. This covers Target Process Profiles which are the requirements for setting target process capability levels. As a result, the Practical Process Profiles methodogy will be fully compatible with the emerging standard.

  To learn more about the standard, refer to the author's books.

  Use the published expert for your ISO 15504 needs!

ISO 12207 is a standard that address the process life cycle management of projects and operations for  software. Planning and management needs to achieve project goals and provide value.

ISO 12207 provide a model life cycle but not necessarily the actual business implementation. This in particularly true since its alignment with ISO 15288 2013 version, where the software and system life cycles were aligned with the same titles and standards sub-clauses. Not every business need to use all the processes, so careful interpretation and adjustment from the generic system processes to the real business processes is required. Added value is achieved when the processes also explicitly reduce business risk and Increase business value. Practical process profiles applied to a management system that meets ISO 12207 standard provides value to the enterprise and to their clients by reducing risk and increasing the value of processes and activities.

We are experts in ISO 12207 and using ISO 15504 to do process assessments for software centric businesses.

ISO 15288 is a standard that address the process life cycle management of projects and operations for systems, not just software.

Planning and management needs to achieve project goals and provide value. It also needs to reduce risk of not achieving the goals.

• ISO 15288 provides a generic system life cycle
• 26 processes covering the common, generic sets of activities that occur in systems projects with systematic process interactions
• ISO15504-6 assessment model

ISO 15288 provide a model life cycle but not necessarily the actual business implementation. This requires careful interpretation and adjustment from the generic system processes to the real business processes. Added value is achieved when the processes also explicitly reduce business risk. Practical process profiles applied to a management system that meets ISO 15288 standard provides value to the enterprise and to their clients by reducing risk and increasing the value of processes and activities.

We are experts in ISO 15288 and using ISO 15504 Part 6.1 to do process assessments for ISO 15288.

ISO 15288 was revised in 2013. There is a new process landscape with additional processes. To aid the concurrent use of ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 and ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207, corresponding processes of Clause 6 have the same subclause number. Users of both ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 and ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207 should be sure to consider the distinct explanations and notes in each specific process. This new revision of ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 is the product of a coordinated effort by IEEE and ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 7. The base documents for the revision included the ISO/IEC standard and informative material from the 2004 IEEE adoption. Development of this revision was carefully coordinated with the parallel revision of ISO/IEC 12207:2008 to align structure, terms, and corresponding organizational and project processes.

Currently no clients have been requested to use the new standard. Should you be requested to use the standard, contact us about tailoring its use.

In 2018 the standards working group brought out a new series of standards, identified as the ISO33000 series, to update all the ISO15504 standards. However most idustries using ISO 15504 standards have so far stayed with that standard set. The author's 3rd edition of the Reference book explains the new standards.