Abstract

The software development industry is dominated by a myriad of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The main goal of this chapter is to provide a characterization of SMEs based on previous studies. It also includes an overview of a number of software process models and software process improvement (SPI) models, which are aimed at assisting SMEs in improving the way they develop software. Furthermore, this chapter discusses the extent of SPI approaches published in the literature as a way to understand the particular context and some of the major challenges faced. From there, we propose an approach to integrate software process practices. This proposal is based on the results of our study on this topic carried out in small software companies. It is focused on what small organizations could actually do, more than on what they are currently practicing.