A Practical Application of the IDEAL Model Valentine Casey Ita Richardson Department of Computer Science and Information Systems University of Limerick Limerick Ireland Val.Casey@ul.ie Ita.Richardson@ul.ie Abstract. The focus of this paper is to outline the experience of a European based software organization utilizing the IDEAL model, while implementing a tailored Capability Maturity Model (CMM) software process improvement program. The goal was to achieve process improvement rather than a specific CMM maturity level. In doing this, the IDEAL model was extensively researched and employed. The benefits and limitations of the IDEAL model are presented as experienced. Further details on this research are available in [1]. Research was carried out on a number of software process improvement paradigms prior to the selection of the CMM. A key element of this approach was to see the requirements of the organization as paramount and immediate. It was deemed important to achieve process improvement in specific Key Process Areas regardless of their position in the CMM. This provided the flexibility for future investment in SPI to capitalize on the current work. 1. Introduction Software process improvement (SPI) is a complex and expensive exercise, which should not be entered into lightly and without due preparation. Therefore the correct implementation of any improvement initiative is an important undertaking. To implement an improvement plan, companies must consider how they should go about it. This is particularly important for the small to medium sized enterprises (SME), where the company needs to have fast return on investment [2]. No company, regardless of whether they are large or small, is willing to undertake any project without being assured that the resources expended will in fact give maximum value for money. The research project presented here demonstrates an implementation of the IDEAL model in an SME, ensuring that the organization’s business requirements are top priority.