Software process improvement plan example

The CAX Cable Project consists of two processes which comprise the overall manufacturing process: cable stranding and cable jacketing. Cable stranding consists of the stranding of the internal metallic cable element with protective Kevlar fibers in order to improve cable tensile strength.

Cable jacketing consists of jacketing the stranded core with an extruded polyethylene cover in order to protect the internal cable structure from environmental effects and ensure the transmission of data signals. As part of the process improvement plan the stranding and jacketing process boundaries have been established below:. By presenting the process configurations in this manner, the project team has the ability to visualize the processes which can be helpful in facilitating analysis, identifying area where the processes are weak, and determining ways the processes may be improved throughout the project.

It is important to note that like all other project documentation, as changes are made to the processes, the configurations must be updated.

BTS Tech has modeled its initial CAX Cable manufacturing processes on existing processes currently is use for other cable products and families. The process improvement plan for this project provides BTS Tech with an opportunity to analyze and improve the cable manufacturing process for CAX Cable which, ultimately, may result in process improvements for all BTS Tech cable products.

The project team will utilize the stranding and jacketing process configurations, in conjunction with process metrics, to conduct process analyses, determine potential areas for improvement, and implement improvement measures. To do this, the team will follow the processes as planned during initial cable runs in order to verify process boundaries and gather metrics.

As the team identifies potential process areas of improvement, adjustments will be made and the modified process will be run to validate the process and to gather additional metrics for comparison. Metrics are an extremely important part of process improvement and project quality. A metric is a measure or measures which allow the project team to assess various performance parameters of a given process.

The team must ensure that metrics are based on the project or customer requirements to ensure project quality. The metrics must also be based on what comprises an acceptable measurement as well as control limits within which acceptable measurements may fall. Process metrics and control limits will be used, in conjunction with process configuration, to guide the process improvement efforts for the CAX Cable project.

Since the stranding and jacketing processes for CAX Cable are based on the processes for other cable families, the metrics, acceptable values, and control limits are known. However, as part of the CAX Cable process improvement plan, the project team will iteratively analyze the process configurations, metrics, and measured values in order to implement a cycle of continuous improvement.

The existing metrics, values, and control limits are based on industry-wide customer requirements for cost and performance. Measurements for each metric will be taken for every iteration of a stranding and jacketing for a trial CAX Cable. These measurements will be plotted on a control chart in order to ensure that process parameters fall within the acceptable range.

As the process is validated for this new product and the values normalize, the project team will use the metrics and process configurations to determine areas within the processes where improvements can be made. As adjustments to the processes are made, the team will continue to track the metrics in order to validate any improvements to the process and for updates or changes to project documentation. Find out what is causing the poor performance. It could be that the employee feels overwhelmed by expectations at work or perhaps he is dealing with personal problems you are unaware of.

Alternatively, the problem may be that the employee has no interest in staying with your company in the long term. This could include training, coaching, or using additional resources. The whole point of a PIP is to help the employee improve to keep him on your team. Rather than expecting him to achieve the objectives alone, consider what he may be lacking from you that could better his performance. Specify how often you will meet with the employee to provide feedback.

Create a calendar of check-ins. Regular check-ins will allow the employee to voice any doubts or difficulties. Plus, they will allow you to confirm that he is on the right track or if further action is necessary. By this point, you should know why you want to use a PIP, how to create a performance plan for your unique situation, and what exactly to include. There is still one thing left: your employee needs to know how to respond and pass the PIP.

Share the following advice with your employee to ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible. Remember to talk about where he is excelling and make it clear that you want to see him improve. Set a goal the employee feels confident he can achieve and that will be beneficial to everyone. As an employee, you need to know how to get past a performance improvement plan and gain something positive from the experience.

The next step is to survive your performance improvement plan and come out as a better-qualified, more valuable worker. This involves:. Avoid staying out late on work nights, accept all the optional invitations to work events, and spend your time at work on job-related activities only.

A PIP is often an indication that your company believes you are worth having as an employee. Talk to your manager or HR if you are unclear about anything. A PIP is a great strategy to retain an employee whose performance has been lacking recently but who does have the potential and motivation to remain a strong team player.

Whether you are the employer or the worker, you should never see a performance improvement plan as a superficial step before termination. Rather, it should be a useful tool to transform a struggling employee into a valuable asset for the company. Hello, we need your permission to use cookies on our website.

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These cookies used for marketing purposes. They are used to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and remarketing. Performance Improvement Plan. Knowledge Hub. Download Guide. Updated December 21, After an employee receives a poor performance review, management can give him a final chance to step up his game through a performance improvement plan PIP or sometimes also called a performance action plan. Discover: What is a Performance improvement plan? The purpose and benefits of a performance improvement plan Performance improvement plan examples How to write a performance improvement plan How to respond to a performance improvement plan How to survive a performance improvement plan What is a Performance improvement plan?

The purpose and benefits of a performance improvement plan Why do employers use performance improvements plans to resolve issues leading to poor performance when they could simply fire the employee? Better company culture Using PIPs promotes a sense of accountability. Save time and money Every employer wants to minimize staff turnover, as this saves time and money. More effective than reviews Reviews rarely have consequences.

Performance improvement plan examples After your initial conversation with the employee, his manager should draw up a draft performance improvement plan and send it to HR for review. Here are a few performance plan examples you can use for your own PIPs. Goal : The overall goal of such a PIP may be to improve interactions with clients.

Goal : Improve the quality of work. Objectives : Meet deadlines or produce work that is free from errors. Metrics : Number of late deadlines and quality of work the latter may be subjective. Goal : Grow program by X amount of subscribers. Metrics : Subscriptions and unsubscribes. Goal : Cease behavior entirely.

Objectives : Arrive on time, treat others with respect, or attend all required meetings. Performance improvement plan template You can create your own performance improvement plan by using our 5 step guide, also we recommend to check an existing and relevant template online to save you time.

Determine acceptable performance State what would be acceptable performance and compare this to what you are currently seeing from your employee.

Tip: Collaborate Instead of presenting an employee with a PIP unexpectedly, have a meeting beforehand where you discuss performance issues. Draw up a schedule for check-Ins Specify how often you will meet with the employee to provide feedback. State the consequences of a lack of improvement Make it clear what the consequences are if the employee fails to meet the improvement goal. How to respond to and survive a PIP As an employee, you need to know how to get past a performance improvement plan and gain something positive from the experience.

How to respond to a performance improvement plan Your manager should have set performance objectives that are reasonable and attainable.

If you are uninterested in staying at the company for much longer, you can save everyone time and stress by starting a search for a new job instead. If you do decide that your job is worth keeping which should be the case the majority of the time , try to see the PIP positively.