Software process development for small companies is addressed in this short article, which should be of interest to the software process, software management, and software development communities.

A software process that is appropriate for a large group may not be appropriate for a group of three or four. Determination of an appropriate process should include consideration of the circumstances or context, the goals of the group, and the risks related to attaining those goals. Likewise, the benefits of process improvement for a large company may not be the same for a small one. Additionally, processes should be easy to understand and easy to follow, and it should be easy to determine whether goals have been attained.

Moreover, as circumstances change, processes need to change. Processes, by their nature, contribute to change in a company, and, thus, a good process must be readily changeable. This leads to the question of whether, since processes must be dynamic, it is possible for a process to support predictability and planning. The authors think it is possible--if the following fundamental principles are adhered to:

• The process is a tool to support a company and must be properly applied.

• The process must be simple.

• The process must be easy to follow, and difficult to get wrong.

• The process must be easy to change (robust) as circumstances change.

These fundamentals are typical lessons that process engineers learn from experience, but which we seem to occasionally forget. For those new to process development and improvement, the principles are good advice. For the experienced process community, they are a good reminder.