CAE Electronics Ltd, a leading supplier of flight simulators, training devices and control systems, is facing challenges common to large software development organizations. These challenges include market driven software standards and a constantly changing technology base. Among CAE's actions to deal with these is the establishment of a corporate software process improvement program, with selected product lines targeted for ISO 9001 registration and various programs addressing SEI-CMM issues.
The initial software process improvement strategy included a metrics program. Many aspects of the software product are already measured; however, people were reluctant to "jump in" to a formal measurement program. What was needed was experimental proof of the concept.
Several such experiments have begun at CAE. Most notable is an adaptation of the SEI's Personal Software Process (PSP). Early measurement data from the PSP is providing new insights into the development process at CAE. This represents the first step towards a culture of systematic learning that forms the core of the improvement process.