Arcade Game Maker Pedagogical Product Line: Adoption Plan

Revision Control Table
Version Number	Date Revised	Revision Type A-Add, D-Delete, M-Modify	Description of Change	Person Responsible
1.0	1/05	A	Created document	JDMcGregor

Overview

Identification

The Arcade Game Maker (AGM) product line will produce a series of arcade games. Each game is a one-player game in which the player controls, to some degree, the moving objects. The objective is to score points by hitting stationary obstacles. The games range from low complexity to high and will be available on a variety of platforms.

Document Map

The AGM product line is described in a series of documents that are related to each other as shown in the following figure. This interactive map shows the order in which the documents should be read for the first time. Once readers are familiar with the documents, they can go directly to the information needed. This is the product line adoption plan. Its purpose is to define the steps that AGM will follow to adopt the product line software development strategy. It is in the Miscellaneous Documents category in the figure.

Document Map

Readership

This document is intended to provide some level of information to all the stakeholders in the AGM software product line. Managers will find information that supports scheduling and work assignments. Executives will find a tactical plan which maps to the organization's strategic plan. Engineers will find the list of tasks to which they will eventually be assigned.

Primary Goal

The primary goal of the AGM Product Line Adoption Plan is to provide a plan, including schedule and work assignments, for conducting the activities required to launch the AGM Product Line.

Rationale

There are a number of actions that must be carried out to launch the product line. The relationships among these actions are complex and variable. This plan describes the specific set of actions that will achieve AGM's goals and operationalizes these actions in sequences that will be most effective.

Guiding Principles

AGM will follow the 29 practices defined in the SEI Framework for Software Product Line Practice [Clements04].
AGM is taking an incremental approach to initiating product line practices. Each scheduled activity should be scheduled just in time to support follow on activities and should only be carried out to the extent necessary for successful operation. Each iteration of the product line activities will introduce further refinements and extensions to the core asset base and the processes that support the product line.
From its time as a manufacturer of game boxes, AGM has an overarching manufacturing process that guides the development of any product. Any product line development processes must fit within this process.
AGM is a CMM Level 2 organization and as such has a number of processes, including a process definition process, which must be followed. Any new processes must be coordinated via AGM's existing process roadmap.
AGM's risk mitigation strategy relies on following the Launching and Institutionalizing Product Line practice area described in [Clements02].

Prerequisites

The VPPD has already conducted sufficient analysis to determine that the product line strategy holds promise for AGM. This is sufficient cause to move forward with launching the product line.

Owner

The AGM VPPD is the owner of this adoption plan.

Objectives of the Adoption Effort

AGM will produce the first iteration of products, freeware implementations of three games, from the first release of a core asset base within six months of the initiation of this plan.
AGM will produce successive three-product iterations at intervals of 3 months after the initial iteration.

Strategies

AGM will follow an iterative, incremental approach to product line development.
AGM will exploit existing process, technical, and organizational strengths in moving to the product line approach.
AGM will follow the IDEAL model of technology change introduction.

Approach

Initiating

The VPPD will establish the initial product line governance structure and management controls.

Activity 1.	Establish product line oversight
	Owner	VPPD & VPPP
	Deliverables	Governance document; oversight committee assignments
	Major risks	The oversight committee members may not fully understand the goals for the product line. Needed actions may not be taken. The governance document may not be sufficiently comprehensive, requiring personnel to spend unnecessary time resolving issues.
	Communications	The VPPD must fully and clearly communicate the goals of the product line.
	Reviews	The VPPD & VPPP will each review and must approve the document.
	Resources	Executives/managers as assigned

Activity 2.	Create Product Line Organization
	Owner	VPPD
	Deliverables	Organizational structure: assignments and chart Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Product Line manager designation
	Major risks	1. The roles needed in the organization may not align with existing skills requiring extensive training. 2. The new organizational structure and CONOPS may present a cultural change that will make implementation difficult.
	Communications	The new organizational structure and new operational procedures must be clearly communicated to the staff.
	Reviews	AGM's CEO must review and approve the new structure and the CONOPS before each becomes effective.
	Resources	VPPD and staff

Diagnosing

The VPPD decided he needed an outside opinion about his organization before committing to the product line strategy. He hired the SEI to conduct an SEI Product Line Technical Probe (PLTP). The results of the PLTP are not included with this example. This activity is intended to diagnose the strengths of AGM with respect to the practices needed for a successful product line and to identify areas where it will be challenged.

Activity 3.	Conduct Product Line Technical Probe (PLTP)
	Owner	Product Line Manager
	Deliverables	PLTP Report
	Major risks	AGM members will not be candid with the PLTP team, which will skew the results. The PLTP results will fail to identify the significant challenges.
	Communications	The results of the PLTP must be communicated to executives and staff.
	Reviews	The VPPD and VPPP will review before communicating to the staff.
	Resources	SEI product line experts and executive staff

Activity 4.	Remediation Planning
	Owner	Product Line Manager
	Deliverables	Action Plan that describes remediating deficiencies found in the PLTP.
	Major risks	Remedial efforts will not be effective, leaving AGM without some of the skills necessary to be successful.
	Communications	The plan will be communicated to all managers who will be responsible for the improvements.
	Reviews	The VPPD must approve the plan prior to execution.
	Resources	The entire product line organization.

Establishing

The Product Line Manager will charter the projects necessary to carry out the initial product line activities. Each project will be staffed by personnel from the appropriate functional teams. He will charter:

A core asset development project that will produce sufficient core assets to populate the initial three products. This project includes
- an architecture team
- a process definition team
- a component development team
An organizational management project that will include
- a monitoring activity
- an advisory activity
Three project teams that will produce the three products that will constitute the pilot product line.

Activity 5.	Establish specific teams for product line operation
	Owner	Product Line Manager
	Deliverables	Detailed staff assignments to roles in the product line organization
	Major risks	The product line manager may not select the best-qualified candidate for each job and thereby jeopardize success.
	Communications	The product line manager communicates needs to functional managers. Functional managers designate their team members for tasks within each project.
	Reviews	The executive team reviews assignments.
	Resources	Product line manager and functional managers

Activity 6.	Establish the tool infrastructure
	Owner	Team consisting of representatives from the functional teams.
	Deliverables	A comprehensive tool plan
	Major risks	There may not be adequate tools for every task in the product line, resulting in too much error-prone handwork. 2. Managers may not be willing to make the investment in tools, which requires hard dollars instead of soft money within the company.
	Communications	Designated tool team communicates with vendors about requirements.
	Reviews	Functional teams review the tool plan for their areas of responsibility.
	Resources	Tool team members

Activity 7.	Establish the process roadmap and constituent processes
	Owner	Team consisting of representatives from the functional teams.
	Deliverables	A comprehensive process roadmap and an initial set of processes.
	Major risks	The definitions of the new processes may not adequately reflect the product line approach and may lead to the need for rework of many assets. The new product line processes may be sufficiently different from current processes that extensive training is required.
	Communications	Designated process development team interacts with the functional teams.
	Reviews	Functional teams review the process map for their areas of responsibility.
	Resources	Functional team members

Acting

The early scoping activity indicated that a software product line repays investment sufficiently fast so that the set of products AGM intends to produce can be divided into three increments of three products each. The VPPD has decided that the first "increment" in which the first three products are to be developed will be a pilot for the product line strategy. This activity will be under the guidance of the newly appointed product line manager.

Activity 8.	Core asset development
	Owner	Core asset team lead
	Deliverables	Requirements document with commonality/variability analysis Architecture definition Components and test cases Variable build script
	Major risks	The core asset development team may not be able to strike the proper balance between sufficient depth to explore problems and sufficient speed to complete the pilot in a timely manner.
	Communications	The lead must communicate with the product team leads and the product line manager. The functional team members assigned to core asset development must communicate with counterparts on the product development teams.
	Reviews	The product line manager will review all team actions during the pilot.
	Resources	Core asset development team

Activity 9.	Product development
	Owner	Product team lead(s)
	Deliverables	Unique components and test cases Product implementations
	Major risks	The product development team may not use the core assets according to the production plan, which will undermine the product line efficiencies.
	Communications	The lead must communicate with the core asset team leads and the product line manager. The functional team members assigned to product development must communicate with counterparts on the core asset development team.
	Reviews	The product line manager will review all team actions during the pilot.
	Resources	Product development team(s)

Activity 10.	Conduct training
	Owner	Director, HR
	Deliverables	Training courses covering the structures, processes, and techniques used in the product line organization.
	Major risks	The training may be delivered so early that staff will have forgotten by the time they have the opportunity to put the ideas into practice. The training may be delivered too late to effect necessary change in behavior and approach. The training may become out of date very rapidly as the organization adjusts to lessons learned in practice.
	Communications	Training developers must communicate with process definition teams and managers to ensure that training is scheduled correctly and that courses are updated on a timely manner.
	Reviews	Product line manager and team leads
	Resources	Training staff and managers

Learning

For the pilot product line this phase will have particular importance. The monitoring function of the organizational management team will

Activity 11.	Data collection and evaluation
	Owner	VPPD
	Deliverables	Goal-driven evaluation report developed by the oversight committee
	Major risks	Management may continue to collect the same measures as before the product line and miss key indications that the product line is not performing as expected. Management may collect new measures but continue to interpret them in the old context and miss key indications that the product line is not performing as expected.
	Communications	The results of the evaluation will be widely communicated from the CEO on down.
	Reviews	CEO will review
	Resources	Oversight committee members and assigned staff

Activity 12.	Apply lessons to artifacts
	Owner	VPPD
	Deliverables	Revised versions of all structures, processes, and techniques
	Major risks	Unwarranted changes may be made if lessons are not carefully analyzed. Staff may become confused if artifacts are incrementally (and continually) changed, reducing the efficiency of the product line organization.
	Communications	All changes must be clearly communicated through "town hall meetings" and training courses.
	Reviews	VPPD will review
	Resources	Product line organization

*Activities vs. Objectives¹ Validation Matrix*
	Objectives
Activities	Improve Market position	Reduce time to market	Increase productivity	Enable mass customization
1 Establish product line oversight		high	medium
2 Create Product Line Organization	high
3 Conduct Product Line Technical Probe (PLTP)		high		high
4 Remediation Planning	low	medium	medium	medium
5 Establish specific teams for product line operation		medium		medium
6 Establish the tool infrastructure		high		medium
7 Establish the process roadmap and constituent processes
8 Core asset development		high
9 Product development	high
10 Conduct training			high
11 Data collection & evaluation	medium		high
12 Apply lessons to artifacts	high

Key
Contributes greatly	high
Contributes somewhat	medium
Slightly affects	low

*Responsibility Matrix*
	Team members
Activities	VPPD	VPPP	PL Manager	Core Asset Team	Product Team	SEI	Director HR	Ad hoc Team
1 Establish product line oversight	o	o
2 Create Product Line Organization	o	p	p
3 Conduct Product Line Technical Probe (PLTP)	p	p	o	p	p	p	p
4 Remediation Planning	p	p	o				p
5 Establish specific teams for product line operation	p		o				p
6 Establish the tool infrastructure			p					o
7 Core asset development			p	o
8 Product development			p		o
9 Conduct training			p	p	p		o
10 Data collection & evaluation	o	p	p				p
11 Apply lessons to artifacts	o		p	p	p

Key
owner	o
participant	p

Activity Relationship Diagram

Major Risks and Mitigations

There is a high probability some personnel will fail to perform their roles in the new operational structure resulting in missing artifacts and actions. This risk will be mitigated by developing a detailed Concept of Operations that describes the product line development process including each of the roles in the process. Training on the process will be required for each executive, manager, and engineer.
There is a medium probability that, after the delivery of the first iteration of products, the product line strategy will be seen as taking too many resources for the benefits it provides. This risk will be mitigated by clearly modeling the costs and benefits in the business case.
There is a medium probability the second iteration of products will require as much effort as the first iteration, reducing the benefits to AGM. This risk will be mitigated by defining and evaluating a software architecture and production plan for the products.

References

For information about the references in this document, see another document in the Arcade Game Maker Product Line series: Arcade Game Maker Pedagogical Product Line: Bibliography.

¹ These are the product line objectives, not the objectives of the adoption effort.