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3.2 Process Dimension

For the process dimension, the Automotive SPICE Process Reference Model (PRM) provides the set of processes.

The processes are classified into Process Categories and Process Groups. There are 3 Process Categories: Primary Life Cycle Processes, Organizational Life Cycle Processes and Supporting Life Cycle Processes. Each process is described in terms of a purpose statement. These statements contain the unique functional objectives of the process when performed in a particular environment. A list of specific outcomes is associated with each of the process purpose statements, as a list of expected positive results of the process performance. Satisfying the purpose statements of a process represents the first step in building a level 1 process capability where the expected outcomes are observable.

The Process Categories and Process Groups are described below.

 

3.2.1 Primary Life Cycle Processes Category

The Primary life cycle processes category consists of processes that may be used by the customer when acquiring products from a supplier, and by supplier when responding and delivering products to the customer including the engineering processes needed for specification, design, development, integration and testing.

The primary life cycle processes category consists of the following groups:

The Acquisition process group (ACQ) consists of processes that are performed by the customer, or by the supplier when acting as a customer for its own suppliers, in order to acquire a product and/or service. This group includes the processes listed in Table 1.

Any contract performed will be managed by processes in the Management process group (MAN) and executed by the processes in the Engineering process group (ENG).

The Supply process group (SPL) consists of processes performed by the supplier in order to supply a product and/or a service.

The Engineering process group (ENG) consists of processes that directly elicit and manage the customer's requirements, specify, implement, or maintain the software product, its relation to the system.

 

3.2.2 Supporting Life Cycle Processes Category

The Supporting life cycle processes category consists of processes that may be employed by any of the other processes at various points in the life cycle.

 

3.2.3 Organizational Life Cycle Processes Category

The Organizational life cycle processes category consists of processes that establish the business goals of the organization and develop process, product, and resource assets which, when used by projects in the organization, will help the organization achieve its business goals. The organizational life cycle processes category consists of the following groups:

The Management process group (MAN) consists of processes that contain practices that may be used by anyone who manages any type of project or process within the life cycle.

The Process Improvement process group (PIM) consists of processes performed in order to define, deploy and improve the processes performed in the organizational unit.

The Reuse process group (REU) consists of processes performed in order to systematically exploit reuse opportunities in organizations reuse programs.