Now that you have created a new team project based on the MSF for CMMI Process Improvement process, you should read and understand the next steps for getting your team working on the team project, and research any additional information needed for understanding how to best use the MSF for CMMI Process Improvement process.

Your First Tasks:

When the new team project was created, task work items were also created for you to assign and immediately begin work. To see these tasks, you can run the All Tasks query from Team Explorer.

Make the Team Project Current

Typically project work begins before the team project is created on a Team Foundation Server. If you already began working on product vision, have existing requirements, or have tasks assigned or being tracked, you should bring the team project up-to-date as soon as possible.

Work Products:

Review all of the MSF for CMMI Process Improvement work product templates found in the Documents folder in Team Explorer, or on the project portal. If you have existing work products or related information, you can bring the team project up-to-date by uploading external documents to the project portal, or updating the existing MSF documents already on the project portal with existing information.

Work Items:

MSF for CMMI Process Improvement uses bug, change request, issue, requirement, review, risk, and work items. If you already have existing work items that apply to this team project, import them as appropriate. For example, if you have already identified several risks, use Team Explorer to document them as risk work items.

Starting Point in the Workstreams:

To begin your team project, the business analyst will begin by writing the vision statement as part of the Capture Project Vision workstream. Also, the project manager begins planning the first iteration as part of the Plan an Iteration workstream. After these two workstreams are under way, other workstreams will naturally begin and other roles will become involved in the team project.

Important Information about MSF for CMMI Process Improvement

Work Item Types:

There are seven work item types in MSF for CMMI Process Improvement. Each work item type generates metrics that are used in various reports. To keep the reports accurate and track work properly, the team must use the work item types consistently. For more information on the work item types, click the Work Items tab on this page.

Queries:

The team queries in the Work Items folder in Team Explorer can be used to obtain useful information about the state of work for the team project. For more information about team queries, click the Index tab, and then click Queries.

Reports:

Significant metrics to generate useful reports do not initially exist, but as each day passes on the team project, more and more data concerning the health of the team project is gathered for analysis. The first report to become familiar with is Remaining Work. In your first and remaining iterations, this report helps you monitor the progress of your project. For more information on reports, click the Index tab, and then click Reports.

Setting a Start Page:

You can establish a start page in the process guidance based upon your role. When you return to the process guidance later, you return to a page that is filtered for the workstreams that apply to your role. See the 'How To: Get started with MSF' link in the See Also section on the left hand side of this page for more details.