Dr. Ralf Kneuper
Dr. Ralf Kneuper Consulting
Software Quality Management
and Process Improvement
Release Notes: PIID and SCAMPI Tool (PST) Version 1.4.1
Release date: June 11, 2006
This release 1.4.1 contains minor bug fixes but no major changes or new functionality apart from some minor extension of the tracking workbook.
Migration of data
- Excel 2000 VBA and older do not know "FileDialog", as was used in the TransferPIID macro. The macro now uses GetOpenFilename instead. (R100)
Changes in file names and structure
- None
General and Instructions sheets
- None
Findings sheet
- The missing conditional formatting of cell AK53 for SAM was added.
- In Findings sheet, updated the comments for Z2 and AA2 to apply to SCAMPI B and C as well as SCAMPI A. (R86 / R103)
Practice sheets
- For some practices in PP, some turquois cells were marked as hidden that are to be filled in as part of an appraisal. As a result, if editing one of these cells, then selecting a different cell, then going back to the original cell, the content that was entered was no longer visible. Similarly, some cells were marked as protected that are to be edited. This problem is now resolved. (R87)
- Corrected the formatting of VER, SP 2.2, Instance P1. (R89)
- For RD, sheet General, cell B1, entered the proper PA name RD instead of <PA>.
- For TS, SP 2.3 contained texts (example direct and indirect artifacts, appraisal considerations) that really belonged to SP 2.2. This has now been corrected.
- It is now possible to enter hyperlinks into the DA and IA cells of the practice sheets. (R101)
- Most goal statements for PP contained a superfluous colon at the end which has now been deleted. (R106)
Tracking workbook
- The tracking workbook now shows the SCAMPI method selected so that it is easy to check that all workbooks contain the correct selection. Additionally, if the workbook contains an inconsistency or if it is not open this is now shown in the tracking workbook. (R90)
- Corrected reference to CL2 instead of CL3.
- Added distinction between the SCAMPI A characterization values (FI/LI/PI/NI) and the SCAMPI B, C values (G/Y/R) in formula in sheets L2 and L3.
- In the goal and practice rating sheet of the tracking workbook, the text "OU" in the heading row cells was deleted leaving "SPn.m" or "GPn.m" to reduce the heigth of this row.
Macros
- Created macro that collects all information needed, strengths, weaknesses and recommendations for all process areas on one "Results" sheet in the tracking workbook. (Note: This macro is currently not generally available.)
Open issues, requirements and known problems
| ID | Priority | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | low | The LA should be able to see what has been changed as compared to the previous version, perhaps using a log file |
| R2 | low | User (LA, assessment team, PIID author) and maintenance documentation. |
| R19 | medium | If a practice is not applicable, e.g. a PP practice for ORG, and you only add this information in column E in the practice sheet, not column B (which would duplicate the information), then in both the findings and the general sheet, the DA / IA counts as not written. So you may end up with 100% of DA OK, but only 80% written |
| R31 | medium | OU characterization of practices should not be allowed as long as not all instances have been characterized (possibly "NA"). |
| R31a | medium | Goal rating should not turn red when empty. If the OU practice characterizations for one goal (column AK) are all filled with values other than "FI", then goal rating can contain an arbitrary value (other than "S") without turning red. (Perhaps handle using validation?) |
| R41 | low | Distinguish "NA", "not rated" and "not yet". Document difference in instructions. |
| R54 | low | Those parts of the "Findings" sheet that are decided by the whole team (OU rating etc.) should be locked so they can only be changed with the LA password. |
| R57 | medium | Rename remaining files, command bar as "PST ..." |
| R62 | medium | No characterization as long as information is needed |
| R75 | low | Use white font on red backgrounds, in particular with conditional formatting, to make it easier to read. |
| R76 | medium | Correct references to "<PA>" in GP statements. |
| R77 | medium | Consistent handling of "NA" in the percentages in row 1 of the findings sheet. For IA the percentage should exclude NA entries. |
| R78 | medium | Always show column AZ of findings sheet, but use white font to make it invisible. Using conditional formatting, mark the cell red if the value is 1, i.e. there is an inconsistency. |
| R88 | medium | Make the difference between the OU and the instance ORG very clear. In particular, the direct artefact should be more than a template. |
| R91 | low | The formatting of Findings, column AA, is not correct for SCAMPI B and C. For SCAMPI C, the column should be empty and always formatted green. |
| R92 | high | For SCAMPI B, in columns Z and AA the following requirement is missing: each practice and instance has at least one of F2F and DA, plus one F2F and one DA for each practice. Special case: only one instance. This requirement needs an extra column. |
| R93 | high | Column AK sometimes turns red even though it is still empty. |
| R94 | medium | Conditional formatting for column C of the findings sheet should support SCAMPI B and C as well. |
| R95 | medium | Make it easier to find inconsistencies in the workbook. In the "General" sheet, it is easy to see that an inconsistency exists but not where it is. This information is contained in the Findings sheet, column AZ, but that is currently hidden. |
| R96 | medium | For SCAMPI B: if a practice has only one instance which is characterized as red, then column Y of the findings sheet offers to mark it as "NI" which is not a legal value for SCAMPI B. |
| R97 | medium | Use colour code/ conditional formatting in the tracking workbook, sheets "Goal and Practice Rating" and "Goal Rating". |
| R98 | medium | Support use of the tracking workbook without opening all relevant PA workbooks. |
| R99 | medium | Although the individual worksheets are protected, the workbook as a whole is no longer protected and it is possible to move or delete worksheets within the workbook. |
| R102 | medium | Merging of several sheets for different instances and the same PA should be supported. |
| R105 | medium | Column B of Findings sheet has conditional formatting only for SCAMPI A, not B and C. |
| R107 | low | Add a sheet containing a change history for the workbook that allows users to document the PIID preparation status and the assessment status. |
| R108 | medium | In the findings sheet, the value "NR" should be supported for characterizing practices on the OU level. |
The following items refer to the macros which are not yet part of the published version.
| ID | Priority | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| M1 | medium | Expand macro "Release" for maintenance with the following functionality: Set protection; hide columns |
| M2 | medium | The macro CL2 should also work for the SCAMPI-Tracking.xls sheet. |
| M3 | medium | Separate lock / unlock user entries and team entries. Turn protection and unprotection into separate subroutines? |
| M4 | medium | Generate reports such as "all missing information for project X", etc. (probably using a macro) |
| M5 | medium | Only make macros visible where that is needed. Other macros should be private. |
| M6 | medium | The macro SetVersion does not handle cancelling from the input box correctly. Similarly, MarkNA and password check do no handle cancelling correctly. |
| M7 | high | Convert the macros into VB6 and then publish them as part of the package. |
| M8 | medium | Create a draft presentation from the results in the worksheets |
| M9 | medium | Use constants everytime instead of literals |
| M10 | medium | Set up systematic error handling. |
| M11 | high | In OPD, mark as NA (e.g. "P1, P2, P3, P4") ⇒ ORG is marked NA. |
| M12 | high | Check all macros to confirm that they still work after the major changes performed to the sheets (in particular the inclusion of SCAMPI B and C). |
