The Software community has always struggled with questions concerning the value of investments in software process improvement.

Our software engineering processes are designed and “enhanced” on the basis of personal beliefs and industry trends rather than an engineering discipline rooted on well understood measures and laws. This has led to the development of several process improvement frameworks embraced as de facto standards. Process practices are integrated as adherence to the reference model of choice and rarely based on empirical studies to demonstrate the real values of process improvement endeavours.

These frameworks provide discipline, clear answers to the concept of “process maturity” and evolutionary paths towards organisational maturity. Nevertheless, the concept of “process capability” has long been overlooked and treated ambiguously, claiming a theoretical “correlation” between maturity and capability.

Six Sigma eliminates the ambiguity around the definition and calculation of process capability by aligning the practices with business and customer values. Six Sigma forces organisations to integrate the bottom-line view into process improvement initiatives and thus bridges the gap between Maturity and Capability.

Six Sigma drives process improvement effort through dedicated projects and demonstrates empirically the value of the investment. Juran stated that “Improvement happen project by project and in no other way”. This interactive workshop will explain how Six Sigma can add value both in the maturity-based world and the agile world. It will particularly illustrate, through case studies, how Six Sigma can demonstrate the link between maturity and capability.