RUSSOFT Participates in the Project Aims to Assist the Russian Software Developers Through Certification Process
Jan 24, 2003
In December 2002, National Software Development Association "RUSSOFT" has initiated and actively assisted a new project directed on a wide introduction of quality control systems in Russian IT-companies.
The UNDP Project (United Nations Development Program), which the main goal is "to increase the competitiveness of small and average innovational enterprises in Russian Federation", is realized with the support of UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) and Fund for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises.
On December 2002, the project began concretely with seminars: "Different cases experienced by Software development companies when they started to implement ISO and CMM as quality control systems." These seminars were held simultaneously in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which the organizers are: Consortium Fort-Ross in St. Petersburg and NAMIP in Moscow.
The main purpose of these seminars was: to show concrete examples on the usefulness of quality control systems, to present the certification's first steps and to tell about the main problems faced by the developers when they started this process.
Seminars, both in Moscow and St. Petersburg, were opened by the organizers. Then, Gartner Group, Assert bureau and ADJ, consulting companies and professional agencies specialized on quality control systems implementation, were introduced. Totally, more than 100 representatives from different IT companies attended these seminars. Among them, there were representatives of Motorola GSG-Russia (certified CMM Level 5), LUXOFT and TELMA (certified ÿëë level 4), DIGITAL DESIGN (certified CMMi), APLANA, NAMIP, eVelopers, V6, REKSOFT (certified ISO 9001/2000) and other companies who are in process for a certification.
A research, which has been conducted by FORT-ROSS and RUSSOFT last summer, has shown that now, 29 Russian companies are engaged in a process of quality control systems introduction. For 2003, another 15 companies will be fully certified. Then, 30 more companies are expected to be certified.
To realize this project, UNDP and the ministries of Industry, Science and Technologies of the Russian Federation are financing the training, the consulting and the quality control systems in the Russian companies, for a total sum of 400.000 USD within one year and half. 150.000 USD of this sum is allocated by UNDP and the Ministry, through the Fund for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises, and the other part are allocated to the companies - members of Association RUSSOFT and t other organizations. If the project is still successful, sponsors will be ready to continue financing the project in 2004.
When the project will be totally done, then it will be possible to say that the Russian software development industry went through a revolutionary change. Also, the myth about quality weaknesses within Russian companies will be definitively destructed.
For information: In the world, there are some quality maintenance standards for software development. In Europe, the standard of the International organization is ISO (ISO 9001/2000), in USA - Software Engineering Institute (SEI), said that Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is preferably to use. Now, CMM standard has come with some changes and the latest version is CMMi.
The quality control system includes a set of procedures and appropriate documents regulating software development realization's steps and its quality control, as well as the distribution of responsibilities between all divisions in order to maintain the quality. Usually, a system introduction means that the company's daily work should be reorganized. It's a quite difficult and long process, where a range of management skills and disciplines from the developers are required. Introduction of the system may take more than 6 months, and at least, another 6 months to prepare the company certification and its realization. But the quality control system is a real advantage, where mistakes in programs are considerably reduced. The economy ratio of this kind of con
The UNDP Project (United Nations Development Program), which the main goal is "to increase the competitiveness of small and average innovational enterprises in Russian Federation", is realized with the support of UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) and Fund for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises.
On December 2002, the project began concretely with seminars: "Different cases experienced by Software development companies when they started to implement ISO and CMM as quality control systems." These seminars were held simultaneously in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which the organizers are: Consortium Fort-Ross in St. Petersburg and NAMIP in Moscow.
The main purpose of these seminars was: to show concrete examples on the usefulness of quality control systems, to present the certification's first steps and to tell about the main problems faced by the developers when they started this process.
Seminars, both in Moscow and St. Petersburg, were opened by the organizers. Then, Gartner Group, Assert bureau and ADJ, consulting companies and professional agencies specialized on quality control systems implementation, were introduced. Totally, more than 100 representatives from different IT companies attended these seminars. Among them, there were representatives of Motorola GSG-Russia (certified CMM Level 5), LUXOFT and TELMA (certified ÿëë level 4), DIGITAL DESIGN (certified CMMi), APLANA, NAMIP, eVelopers, V6, REKSOFT (certified ISO 9001/2000) and other companies who are in process for a certification.
A research, which has been conducted by FORT-ROSS and RUSSOFT last summer, has shown that now, 29 Russian companies are engaged in a process of quality control systems introduction. For 2003, another 15 companies will be fully certified. Then, 30 more companies are expected to be certified.
To realize this project, UNDP and the ministries of Industry, Science and Technologies of the Russian Federation are financing the training, the consulting and the quality control systems in the Russian companies, for a total sum of 400.000 USD within one year and half. 150.000 USD of this sum is allocated by UNDP and the Ministry, through the Fund for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises, and the other part are allocated to the companies - members of Association RUSSOFT and t other organizations. If the project is still successful, sponsors will be ready to continue financing the project in 2004.
When the project will be totally done, then it will be possible to say that the Russian software development industry went through a revolutionary change. Also, the myth about quality weaknesses within Russian companies will be definitively destructed.
For information: In the world, there are some quality maintenance standards for software development. In Europe, the standard of the International organization is ISO (ISO 9001/2000), in USA - Software Engineering Institute (SEI), said that Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is preferably to use. Now, CMM standard has come with some changes and the latest version is CMMi.
The quality control system includes a set of procedures and appropriate documents regulating software development realization's steps and its quality control, as well as the distribution of responsibilities between all divisions in order to maintain the quality. Usually, a system introduction means that the company's daily work should be reorganized. It's a quite difficult and long process, where a range of management skills and disciplines from the developers are required. Introduction of the system may take more than 6 months, and at least, another 6 months to prepare the company certification and its realization. But the quality control system is a real advantage, where mistakes in programs are considerably reduced. The economy ratio of this kind of con