Using the Internet to communicate software metrics in a large organization

Many companies face serious problems in implementing their software process improvement (SPI) programs. Often, the problems are related to human factors such as lack of knowledge, communication, or motivation. Not providing suitable tools can also hinder implementation as SPI activities often include some overhead to the normal job. Good tools can help lower the adoption barrier by minimizing the cost of, for example, metrics data collection and by providing immediate feedback to the practitioners. This paper discusses how Ericsson in Finland used a WWW-based tool to improve its software inspection process and how, based on those experiences, it is further developing software process support based on Internet technology