Signs You Have Too Much Process

[VLSmooth]

http://www.whattofix.com/blog/archives/ ... u_have.php

You've reached CMMI level 7, in which you document reasons for the project failing before the kickoff

[quantus]

It's kinda funny that the SEI came up with so much process while CMU West is espousing eXtreme Programming and the need for just enough process to get the job done. Coincidentally, MS is going through this bit of trouble as well. They've apparently built up a monolithic process and are getting hammered for it by their board and even employees are railing hard against it.

[George]

Professors anywhere except SEI (including CMU's CS department) are generally against process. Process is most helpful in two cases:

1) You use it to compensate for your own bad tendencies. You must be humble enough to recognize you have bad tendencies. Most professors are not.

2) You use it to limit the damage done by inept coworkers. Professors aren't responsible for the failures of their coworkers (generally students), so they don't see a need for it.

In the real world, most of us have enough bad habits to need 1 and enough bad coworkers to need 2. Only places like Google where inept employees are rare can get away with less strict processes like XP and RAD.

I like the author's points made before the list. Most engineers first encounter bad process and are conditioned against accepting the benefits of good process.