Product Focused Process Improvement: Experiences of Applying the PROFES Improvement Methodology at DRÄGER

In this paper the principles and contents of a new product characteristics driven improvement methodology for embedded systems and product development (PROFES) is introduced. The paper includes also experiences of application of the methodology in practice. The methodology was recently developed in an ESPRIT Project called PROFES (PROduct Focused improvement of Embedded Software processes). The methodology aims at helping organisations improve their product quality characteristics through improving just those characteristics of their software development processes that most effectively affect the product improvement. The methodology was developed through an experimental approach in three industrial organisations developing commercial products including embedded systems.