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62991219.doc
Table of Contents
1 Welcome...................................................................................................................................................2 2 Components of the OnDemand Process Asset Library.............................................................................3 2.1 Policies 4 2.2 Procedures 5 2.2.1 OPAL Procedure structure and map...........................................................................................5 2.2.2 References within procedures.....................................................................................................5 2.2.2.1 Instructional references............................................................................................................5 2.2.2.2 Informational references..........................................................................................................6 2.3 Guidance type of Concepts (Standards)............................................................................................6 2.4 Guidance type of Guidelines.............................................................................................................6 2.5 Work Products 6 2.6 Extensions, OPAL Annex and Organizational Reference Documents (ORDs)................................7 3 Implementing and Applying the OnDemand Process Asset Library........................................................7 3.1 Implementing OPAL.........................................................................................................................7 3.2 Project Tailoring................................................................................................................................8 3.3 Projects and Project Management Structures....................................................................................8 3.4 Policy exceptions...............................................................................................................................9 3.5 Verification of use.............................................................................................................................9 4 OPAL and other worldwide IBM methods...............................................................................................9 4.1 Worldwide Project Management Method (WWPMM).....................................................................9 4.2 IBM Unified Method Framework....................................................................................................10 4.3 Customer Relationship Management (CRM)..................................................................................10 4.4 Worldwide Quality Assurance (WW QA).......................................................................................11 4.5 GBS Project Launch Policy.............................................................................................................11 5 The OnDemand Process Asset Library and CMMI................................................................................11 Document Control Page.............................................................................................................................13
1 Welcome
The OnDemand Process Asset Library (OPAL) governs the way staff plans and executes projects and programs, and performs related organizational functions. The primary objective of OPAL is to provide a single reference point for all organizations regarding project management and related engineering. The following diagram shows the relationships between OPAL and other methods and processes.
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OPAL brings together IBM worldwide policies, processes and methods, which are represented by: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) processesspecifically Solution Design and Solution Delivery. For additional information, refer to the GBS Global CRM Business Process. Worldwide Project Management Method (WWPMM), which defines IBMs common project management method for IBM projects worldwide. For additional information, refer to WWPMM. IBM Unified Method Framework, which provides technical methods (such as delivery processes) for performing solution engineering and other Information Technology (IT) services. For additional information, refer to MethodWeb. Policies, such as Service Line and Geography policies on the IBM Global Solution Delivery Framework (IGSDF) and the GBS Project Launch Policy. For additional policy considerations, refer to the Process Asset Library Usage Guideline.
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o Checklists that identify a series of items those need to be completed or verified. Checklists are often used in reviews such as work product inspections. o Templates that support work products by providing a pre-defined structure for creating the work product. o Tool Mentors that provide information on performing a task or creating a work product with a specific tool. Work products represent the verifiable outcomes of the OPAL procedures. The OPAL Annex is a repository for storing Organizational Reference Documents (ORD) and other organizational documents. Each organization is expected to store an ORD in the OPAL Annex. At locations throughout OPAL, users are directed to reference their ORD for specific information. The ORD contains policies, standards and other organizational information. In addition: o The Roles section provides a list of job and functional roles, with links to the role description. o OPAL Navigation provides alternatives to viewing the assets by their asset type index, including: Procedure Map, which is a conceptual representation of how the OPAL procedures relate to each other. Work Classification Navigator, which provides a view of the OPAL and related assets, constructed by work products at points in the lifecycle for some typical project classifications (such as small projects). Supported Industry Models includes links to information about such topics as CMMI, ISO 9001, SAS 70, ITIL and Life Sciences OPAL References provides additional helpful information, including: o Policies, with links to organizational policies. Note that additional policies and standards may be included in an organizations ORD, as described above. o Glossaries, to define terms and acronyms. o Training, with links to many training courses designed to assist the OPAL user. o External links to additional sources of information.
2.1 Policies
Policies and standards for project management may be established at many levels throughout an organization and organizations must be aware of and in compliance with all policies and standards that apply to them. These may include corporate practices, Service Line, Geography, Regional, Organizational, and Client-based directives, standards or policies. The OPAL Policy page links to organizational policies, such as Service Line and Geography policies on the IBM Global Solution Delivery Framework (IGSDF). Many organizations are also subject to their own organizational policies, which may be linked to from their organizations Organizational Reference Document (ORD) in the
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OPAL Annex. Refer to OPAL Policies or to IBM Global Solution Delivery Framework (IGSDF) Policies for additional information on policies. Refer to the OPAL Annex page for more information on the OPAL Annex and ORDs.
2.2 Procedures
Procedures are a key component of OPAL and provide the user with a comprehensive picture of how to perform work. The OPAL procedures consist of: Procedures for program management, project management and related engineering activities Related organizational procedures, such as the Organizational Training Program Procedure (IMSP480) Each procedure is represented by a Capability Pattern (CP). The CP includes a Work Breakdown Structure tab which lists tasks for that procedure. Selecting a task provides a series of steps that comprise the task. From the Description tab of the procedure, the More Information section includes a link to a print preview version of the procedure, which is a view of all of the tasks and steps together.
62991219.doc
This instructional reference indicates that the reader must perform all or part of the Project Planning Procedure (IMSP491) and create the appropriate work product (the project management system summary). Significant instructional references correlate to the relationships shown on the OPAL Procedure map.
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Outcomes are intangible items of significance used to show the completion of some set of activities or a result that does not represent a harvestable asset (i.e. trained students, configured system, installed software, etc) Deliverables describe the primary outputs that represent value to the client, customer or other stakeholders and are typically the resulting of packaging other work products for sign-off and delivery The Artifacts and Deliverables often include links to templates that can be used to create these work products. These templates can also be linked to directly from the Templates index under Guidance. The templates provided are to be used unless a local equivalent template has been developed or a tool is being used. Any locally developed equivalent or tool must capture and maintain the work product data identified within the procedure, as appropriate. In some cases, multiple templates may be available. If an organization has an extension template, it will be included in the list of available templates and will be named with a suffix specific to that organization. A template may also be labeled with a suffix of 'CMMI', which indicates that it is an OPAL-specific template and there may be another base core template associated with this work product, such as a WWPMM-specific version. Note that the procedure provides a full set of activities and supporting work products required to successfully execute the procedure. Often, a project's work breakdown structure (WBS) will combine activities, and may eliminate or change work products. The procedure is a reference to understand what tasks are entailed for this procedure, and your WBS will guide the work for your project or effort. Refer to the Project Tailoring Procedure and Project Tailoring Guideline for important information about tailoring work products for projects. Refer to the Project Control Book Guideline for information on storing work products in a project control book.
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Refer to the IGSDF - Beginners Guide to OPAL section for information on getting started with an OPAL implementation. Refer to the Process Asset Library Usage Guideline, which provides rules and guidance for organizations in using the OPAL assets, including information about what must be in place at an organization so that it can implement OPAL successfully and support CMMI. Refer to the OPAL Organizational Guideline for information on setting up the organization infrastructure required to adopt OPAL and support CMMI. Refer to OPAL Governance for information on the organizational process to submit, approve, author, publish and maintain OPAL assets.
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When project teams apply OPAL, they should recognize the context (that is, if the teams are applying OPAL to a project which is part of a PM Structure, they should leverage the PM Structure assets that are available).
Domains Work products OPAL represents an implementation of WWPMM. The OPAL leverages WWPMM by: Aligning procedures with WWPMM work patterns Providing references to WWPMM domains and work patterns from procedures Using WWPMM work products
62991219.doc
62991219.doc
There are portions of the OnDemand Process Asset Library that are designed to support organizations pursuing CMMI levels 4 and 5. These sections are indicated by gray shading, and are optional for organizations not using CMMI as a basis for process improvement or organizations targeting a lower maturity level. However, such organizations may find it helpful to implement these aspects of OPAL. Refer to the CMMI Support, OPAL References and the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) for further information about CMMI. Refer to the OPAL Organizational Guideline for information on setting up the organization infrastructure required to adopt OPAL and support CMMI. Refer to Process Asset Library Usage Guideline, which provides rules and guidance for organizations in using the OPAL assets, including information about what must be in place at an organization so that it can implement OPAL successfully and support CMMI.
62991219.doc
62991219.doc