User administration

							Appraisal Assistant [BETA 3] Q & A          Page 1                                    31/08/2012



User administration
   1. What is the password? I tried using the email address I registered on the web site,
      but Appraisal Assistant wouldn’t let me in.
                                                                             st
      A: Appraisal Assistant creates the default user database during the 1 run. The login
      name for the default account is: Admin password: Admin (both are case sensitive)


   2. What is the point of adding new user accounts? The default account seems to do
      everything I needed.
      A: Appraisal Assistant uses the user name to track who is the last person modified PII. If
      everyone in the team uses the same Admin login name, you will not be able to
      differentiate who modified what.



Appraisals
   1. I have just created a CMMI appraisal uses continuous representation, but I can’t
      seem to find any process area in the tab on the left, nor in evidence registry?
      A: You also need to define the appraisal process scope by adding process areas into the
      project. Use the Add button on the Appraisal Planning tab.


   2. How do I select multiple process areas on the “Add Process To Scope” dialog box?
      A: Hold down the Ctrl key or the Shift key while selecting items from the list control.


   3. I have noticed some of the CMMI constellations are not available when creating a
      staged representation appraisal, what gives?
      A: If none of the process areas in that CMMI constellation has valid maturity level, you
      will not be able to use that constellation in a staged representation appraisal.


   4. How do I change the alternative practice I just added to the appraisal scope?
      A: The current version does not allow you to modify an alternative practice once it is
      added to the scope. Try removing it and then add a new one if you really need to modify.


   5. Can I add an alternative practice to one of the generic goals, so it can be applied to
      all process areas in the scope?
      A: No, you will need to add them one by one. If your alternative practices are required in
      more than one appraisal, you could add them to the standard appraisal model before
      creating the appraisal project


   6. It seems that the people from the organization do not have a clue on where to
      collect evidence, nor do they know what documents are needed, what shall I do?
      A: Give them an ‘Introduction to CMMI course’. Appraisal Assistant can generate a list of
      example work products from the current appraisal scope, which may help guiding the
      evidence collection.
Appraisal Assistant [BETA 3] Q & A         Page 2                                      31/08/2012

   7. What are the differences between various XML evidence spreadsheets? They are
      all looked so similar.
      A: The DocumentList.xls spreadsheet comes with the downloaded package can be
      used to collect a list of documents (potential evidences), but not mapped to any of the
      model elements.
      The initial evidence spreadsheets generated from Appraisal Assistant can be used to
      collect initial PIIs (evidences are mapped to model elements).


   8. What is that little dot thingy next to every evidence record on the evidence registry?
      A: When evidence is reviewed, and you updated the review status, the dot will turn blue.


   9. When collecting evidence using the evidence registry, constant switching between
      the “Evidence Info” tab and “Evidence to practice mapping” tab is making me
      dizzy, is there any other way?
      A: Try right clicking on the evidence list to bring up the context menu, you can change
      some of the evidence attributes without activating the Evidence Detail Info tab.


   10. Is there any differences between collecting evidence using the cross-instantiation
       evidence panel AND the standard evidence registry?
      A: No, they are just different ways of doing the same thing


   11. Is there an easy way to find out all PIIs that are related to any specific evidence?
      A: 1. Select the evidence, press F7 key. Or
        2. Close evidence registry, and generate an Evidence to Model Element Mapping
      Report (under Appraisal menu)


   12. What are the differences between Direct Artifact, Indirect Artifact and Affirmation?
      A: See SCAMPI A MDD for more details


   13. We are doing a SCAMPI C appraisal. Can we map evidences directly to the goals
       instead of practices?
      A: No, the current data structure of Appraisal Assistant does not allow mapping evidence
      directly onto goals


   14. I have noticed some of the evidences on the evidence registry have different
       background colors. Do those colors mean anything, or are they just there to make
       things look pretty?
      A: These colors differentiate the import source of the evidences.
         Orange: evidence is imported through DocumentList.xls
         Yellow: evidence is imported through initial evidence spreadsheet
         Purple: evidence is imported through external evidence database (.pii file)
Appraisal Assistant [BETA 3] Q & A         Page 3                                   31/08/2012



   15. It appears to me that the PIIs on generic dimension are very much the same across
       multiple process area. Is it possible to set up a generic PII profile for one process
       area, and then apply it to ALL process areas in the scope?
      A: Yes, you can copy the generic PII hierarchy from one of the process area, and then
      paste them to all other process areas.


   16. In our organization, we need more than the standard NC/NY/NI/PI/LI/FI practice
       characterizations. Can Appraisal Assistant support our needs?
      A: Use the rating scheme editor to create a new scheme for your organization.


   17. We are in the middle of characterizing practices, is there any way to open the
       evidence document without going back to the evidence registry?
      A: Double click on the evidence name on the practice characterization tab if the evidence
      has valid document path.


   18. What is that ‘Export Evidence Database’ button for? It generated a .pii file, but I
       can’t open that file with Excel or Word?
      A: It is for exporting the select set of evidences, so that they can be imported to other
      appraisal project. You can export evidences from a staged representation appraisal, and
      then import them into a continued representation appraisal or vise vesa.
      If you want to have a PIID report, it can be generated with Report PIID under the
      Appraisal menu.


   19. We want to export a PIID that does not contain any practice characterization and
       finding, can we??
      A: Create a new appraisal with exactly the same scope, import evidences using the
      Import/Export Evidence database method from the finish appraisal database. Generate
      PIID report from the new appraisal


   20. What is that ‘average score’ chart thingy on the appraisal result tab?
      A: The chart tries to show the different levels of practice implementation grouped by the
      process categories. The height of each bar is calculated as:
       Average( Score _ of _ CHARACTERI ZED _ practice _ of _ that _ category)
                                                                                100 %
          Highest _ POSSIBLE _ score _ of _ all _ practice _ characterization

      The scores of rating scale are defined through Rating Scheme Editor. This chart should
      NOT be interpreted literally. It is there to give you an idea how practice implementations
      of different process categories stack up against each other.


   21. I am not aware of Class A, Class B assessment methods in ISO15504. What are
       these SPICE A, SPICE B and SPICE A/B methods when creating a new assessment?
Appraisal Assistant [BETA 3] Q & A         Page 4                                  31/08/2012

      A: Those are NOT different classes of assessment. We use them to differentiate the
      rating options.
      SPICE A: Generic SPICE assessment method with process outcome rating
      SPICE B: Generic SPICE assessment method with practice indicator characterization
      SPICE A/B: Generic SPICE assessment method with both process outcome rating and
      practice indicator characterization



Standard model editing
   1. What model/constellations are you planning to add in the future releases of
      Appraisal Assistant
      A: CMMI-ACQ, CMMI-Services, ISO15504-6


   2. The standard models I created were disappeared after I upgrade to the new version
      of Appraisal Assistant, what the..??
      A: When installing Appraisal Assistant, the installer will attempt to remove any currently
      installed version. This will also delete the current Repository.mdb, which contains your
      standard model. With BETA 3, you can not re-use the Repository.mdb from the previous
      versions. Your best bet will be re-entering your customized model elements as a new
      constellation. If you need help migrating the existing standard model to the new
      Repository.mdb in BETA 3, email us at: f.liang@griffith.edu.au and/or
      t.rout@griffith.edu.au BEFORE you install BETA 3.


   3. What are the steps to create a new CMMI constellation?
      A: 1. Add a new CMMI constellation
         2. Add process areas, generally involves copy and paste from your standard doc
         3. Add goals, generally involves copy and paste from your standard doc
         4. Add practice, generally involves copy and paste from your standard doc
         5. Add example work products
         6. Customize the generic dimension, more copy and paste from your standard doc


   4. What are the steps to create a new ISO15504 conformance model?
      A: 1. Add a new ISO15504 standard model
         2. Add all work products to the new model using WP editor
         3. Add processes, generally involves copy and paste from your standard doc
         4. Add process outcomes, generally involves copy and paste from standard doc
         5. Add assessment indicators
         6. Map assessment indicator to process outcomes
         7. Customize generic dimension
         8. Add generic assessment indicators
         9. Map generic indicators to attribute achievements
Appraisal Assistant [BETA 3] Q & A          Page 5                                   31/08/2012



   5. Can I establish mappings between two ISO15504 models?
      A: No, mapping can be established between CMMI and ISO15504 model pairs, or
      ISO9001 and CMMI constellation pairs.


   6. Can I establish mappings between two CMMI constellations?
      A: No, see above

Application deployment
   1. Our team consists of 5 members. How can we use Appraisal Assistant in a shared
      environment?
      A: The preferred team environment for Appraisal Assistant is to use the build-in mini-
      team database I/O feature. We have also heard from our beta testers successfully
      installed Appraisal Assistant on a Remote desktop sharing server (such as Citrix Desktop
      Server) and used in a small team environment.


   2. Does it matter if our team members are using different versions of Appraisal
      Assistant?
      A: Yes it does. Mixing different versions of AA in a team environment is almost certain
      leading to data lost with mini-team I/O. The lead appraiser needs to make sure all team
      members are using exactly the same version of AA before the onsite activities started.


   3. I don’t know what, or how, but there seems to be problems of running Appraisal
      Assistant on my Windows 2000 computer?
      A: It is probably cause by some of the out-of-date system components in your computer.
      We have tested Appraisal Assistant on Windows 2000 SP4 machines. It ran without any
      problem. If you do have problems with it, try updating Windows with the latest service
      pack.


   4. What documentations come with Appraisal Assistant?
      A: A user manual, an online help (accessible by pressing F1), a release note, and four
      workshop PPT slides in the Extra folder for mini-team and evidence collection trainings.
      This Q&A document is also available on Appraisal Assistant’s beta web site.


   5. There was DOS command prompt quickly flashed at the end of installing Appraisal
      Assistant, what was it?
      A: That was one of the automatic post installation procedures, which grants FULL access
      rights to all standard users of your computer to the Appraisal Assistant installation folder.
      Doing so will ensure Appraisal Assistant function normally under a standard user account.

   6. Can I run AA in the standard Windows user account? Our system admin isn’t that
      keen on letting us use the Administrator/Owner account on company’s computers.
      A: Yes, AA can be run under standard/limited Windows user account. It must be installed
      by a system administrator though.