Overview

Optimizing return on investment (ROI) involves creating a vision, strategy, and process for maximizing the amount of money that is gained from software process improvement (SPI). In other words, it is best to maximize the amount of money that is returned or earned above the resources that are spent on SPI. Optimizing ROI essentially means choosing, designing, or using a SPI method with the largest number of benefits. Optimizing ROI means something for large, nonprofit organizations as well. It involves maximizing the value of their investments and expenditures.

There are two fundamental scenarios to consider when optimizing ROI. The first is the commercial operation or firm that wishes to make a profit. In this scenario, the commercial firm wishes to invest in a SPI method. However, the firm actually wants to recoup its investment in the SPI method. That is what SPI methods are all about. Commercial firms do not invest in SPI methods for the sake of SPI. Commercial firms invest in SPI methods to make more money than they are currently making. SPI is not a philosophical exercise or an exercise in philanthropy for commercial software firms. For the commercial firm, SPI is a means to fix a problem, optimize the production line, and produce more units at a lower price. SPI is used by commercial firms to increase the yield of the production line. You may be in the wrong business if you are part of a commercial firm and you are not trying to increase...