Customizing MSF Process Guidance, Part 3: Roles, RoleGroups, HowTos, HowToProcedures, and WorkProducts

Article
02/03/2012

Allison Bokone
Microsoft Corporation

June 2006

Applies to:
MSF for Agile Software Development v4.0 Process Guidance
MSF for CMMI Process Improvement v4.0 Process Guidance

Summary: The third of six companion articles. In this article, we explain how to add and customize Roles, RoleGroups, HowTos, HowToProcedures, and WorkProducts in your process guidance.

Contents

Introduction
Adding New Roles, RoleGroups, HowTos, HowToProcedures, or WorkProducts to the MSF Process Guidance
Adding Roles to RoleGroups in the MSF Process Guidance
Adding HowToProcedures to HowTos or Adding Steps to HowToProcedures in the MSF Process Guidance
Associating an Image with a WorkProduct
Viewing Changes to Roles and Role Groups
Viewing Changes to HowTos, HowToProcedures, and WorkProducts
Deleting Content Items from the MSF Process Guidance
Conclusion

Introduction

Process guidance is the content that documents the Roles, RoleGroups, HowTos, HowToProcedures, and WorkProducts for a specific software development process. The process guidance complements the process template.

Visual Studio® Team System 2005 includes two process templates: MSF for Agile Software Development and MSF for CMMI Process Improvement. Each of these processes may be customized and used to develop software in projects. As process template Roles, RoleGroups, HowTos, HowToProcedures, and WorkProducts are customized, the corresponding process guidance should be updated to address any changes that were made.

Roles

A Role is responsible for performing a specific set of activities on a software development project. Team members assume one or more Roles. You can document additional Roles to define specific details of your software development process.

Role Groups

Role groups are currently only used in MSF for CMMI Process Improvement. In MSF for CMMI Process Improvement, a team of peers advocates for the seven constituencies in the MSF Team Model. These constituencies include Product Management, Program Management, Architecture, Development, Test, Release Operations, and User Experience, and each is represented by a RoleGroup. You can document additional RoleGroups to define specific details of your software development process.

HowTos

HowTo content items explain step-by-step how to perform some activity using certain tools. For example, an activity may require a business analyst to create a scenario list. However, the business analyst may not know how to create such a list. A HowTo content item would provide steps for creating the list in Microsoft Excel. Generally, HowTo content items map activities to tools. You can customize process guidance to include additional HowTo content items for any unique tools or activities that you work with on your team.

How to Procedures

HowTo content items are composed of one or more HowToProcedures. The procedures provide the actual steps to perform. For example, a HowTo content item for creating tasks may have two procedures; one procedure for creating tasks in Microsoft Excel, and another procedure for creating tasks in Microsoft Project.

Work Products

WorkProducts are files, documents, specifications, binaries, parts, and other tangible items used when completing activities and building the product. Many times creating one WorkProduct depends on the completion of another WorkProduct.

Adding New Roles, RoleGroups, HowTos, HowToProcedures, or WorkProducts to the MSF Process Guidance

If you add new Roles, RoleGroups, HowTos, HowToProcedures, or WorkProducts to your process template, you should also add them to your process guidance together with descriptions of how they should be used in your software development process. Follow these steps to add a new Role, RoleGroup, HowTo, HowToProcedure, or WorkProduct to your process guidance.

To add a new Role, RoleGroup, HowTo, HowToProcedure, or WorkProduct

If you are adding a new Role to the MSF for Agile Software Development process guidance, use Microsoft InfoPath to open the file Roles.xml.

If you are adding a new Role to the MSF for CMMI Process Improvement process guidance, use Microsoft InfoPath to open the file RolesandWorkItems.xml.

If you are adding a new RoleGroup to the MSF for CMMI Process Improvement process guidance, use Microsoft InfoPath to open the file General.xml.

If you are adding a new HowTo or HowToProcedure, use Microsoft InfoPath to open the file HowTo.xml.

If you are adding a WorkProduct, use Microsoft InfoPath to open the file WorkProducts.xml.

**Note **Process guidance xml files are located in the \Windows SharePoint Services\Process Guidance\Source\XML folder.
On the Insert menu, click Section, ContentItem. The new content item appears at the bottom of the content item list.
In the content item form, set the Content Type field to Role, RoleGroup, HowTo, HowToProcedure, or WorkProduct.
In the Content Name field, type a name that uniquely identifies the content item. Generally, HowTo content items are titled in the format, "How to: <action>." The name must be unique across all content items to make sure that links between content items work correctly.
In the Content Description field, type a description for this Role, RoleGroup, HowTo, HowToProcedure, or WorkProduct that explains the purpose of the content item and what it accomplishes.
Save your changes.

Note After you document a Role you should review RACI information for existing Workstreams and Activities to see whether the new Role is associated with them. For more information, see Customizing MSF Process Guidance, Part 2: Activities, Workstreams, and WorkItemTypes.

Adding Roles to RoleGroups in the MSF Process Guidance

In MSF for CMMI Process Improvement, as soon as you have created a RoleGroup, you must add the appropriate Roles to it that will enable the RoleGroup to function as a unit and accomplish its tasks.

To add a Role to a RoleGroup

In Microsoft InfoPath, open General.xml and select the RoleGroup that contains your Role.

**Note **Process guidance XML files are located in the \Windows SharePoint Services\Process Guidance\Source\XML folder.
Create a Part section if one does not already exist. You can create a Part section by clicking the Insert item link under the Entry Criteria section.
Set the Part Type field to Role.
In the Part Name field, type the name of the Role exactly as it appears in the Content Name field of the Role's content item.
In the Sequence field, type an ordinal number corresponding to the order in which this Role performs. For example, if this Role performs first, the sequence should be 1.

Note Roles must be added to a RoleGroup in sequential order.
Select the Is Required field if the Role must perform, otherwise clear the Is Required field.
Save your changes.

Adding HowToProcedures to HowTos or Adding Steps to HowToProcedures in the MSF Process Guidance

HowTo content items are composed of one or more HowToProcedures. The procedures provide the actual steps to perform.

To create a complete HowTo content item, you must follow three steps:

Create the HowTo content item.
Create the HowToProcedure content items.
Associate the HowToProcedures with the parent HowTo content item.

To complete steps 1 and 2, see the section Adding New Roles, RoleGroups, HowTos, HowToProcedures, or WorkProducts to the MSF Process Guidance.

When you create a new HowToProcedure, it must be associated with a HowTo. This allows for anyone viewing a HowTo to see which HowToProcedures are performed in that HowTo.

After you have created a HowTo content item and its associated HowToProcedures, you must add the numbered steps of the procedure to the HowToProcedures to make sure that the procedure is completed in the appropriate order. Each step is represented by a Part section.

Follow these steps to associate a new HowToProcedure with an existing HowTo or to add steps to an existing HowToProcedure.

To add a HowToProcedure to a HowTo or to add a step to a HowToProcedure

In Microsoft InfoPath, open HowTo.xml and select the HowTo or HowToProcedure you want to modify.

**Note **Process guidance XML files are located in the \Windows SharePoint Services\Process Guidance\Source\XML folder.
Create a Part section if one does not already exist. You can create a Part section by clicking the Insert item link under the Entry Criteria section.
Set the Part Type field to Step.
In the Sequence field, type an ordinal number corresponding to the order in which this step is performed. For example, if this HowToProcedure or step is performed first, the value should be 1.
Select the Is Required field if the HowToProcedure or step must be performed, otherwise clear the Is Required field.
In the Part Description field, type a description of the HowToProcedure or step. Each HowToProcedure or step should be clear, concise, and explain a simple action.
Continue adding HowToProcedures or steps in this manner until all HowToProcedures or steps for the HowTo or HowToProcedure are completed.

Associating an Image with a WorkProduct

WorkProducts can have an image associated with them that will display in the process guidance.

To associate an image with a WorkProduct

In Microsoft InfoPath, open WorkProducts.xml and select the WorkProduct with which to associate the image.

**Note **Process guidance XML files are located in the \Windows SharePoint Services\Process Guidance\Source\XML folder.
Create a Part section if one does not already exist. You can create a Part Type section by clicking the Insert item link found in the Entry Criteria section.
Set the Part Type to ImageMenuReference.
Set the Part Name to WorkProductImageMenu. This value is case sensitive and must be typed exactly as shown or the images will not display.
Set the Part Description field to the name of the image exactly as you typed it in the Menu Name field.
Save your changes.

Viewing Changes to Roles and Role Groups

As you change a Role or RoleGroup, review the changes in the HTML pages to make sure they appear correctly. You must make sure that no source XML files are open in Microsoft InfoPath in order to view the process guidance content. Each Role or RoleGroup has an associated HTML page that can be accessed through the Roles tab.

To view changes to a Role or RoleGroup

Close Microsoft InfoPath.
Build the HTML content pages using MSFWinBuild. For more information, see Customizing MSF Process Guidance, Part 6: Building HTML Content Pages with MSFWinBuild.

**Note **The amount of time necessary to compile the process guidance increases with the number of process guidance pages.
Open the Windows SharePoint Services\Process Guidance\Source\ProcessGuidance.htm file in a browser.
Click the Roles tab. In the navigation bar on the left, you see the new RoleGroup.
Click the RoleGroup that contains the new Role, and the navigation bar expands to show the new Role.
Click the new Role. You see the description you typed for this Role.

Viewing Changes to HowTos, HowToProcedures, and WorkProducts

As you change a HowTo, HowToProcedure, or WorkProduct, review the changes in the HTML pages to make sure they appear correctly. You must make sure that no source XML files are open in Microsoft InfoPath in order to view the process guidance content. Each HowTo, HowToProcedure, or WorkProduct has an associated HTML page that can be accessed through the Index tab.

To view changes to a How to, HowToProcedure, or WorkProduct

Close Microsoft InfoPath.
Build the HTML content pages using MSFWinBuild. For more information, see Customizing MSF Process Guidance, Part 6: Building HTML Content Pages with MSFWinBuild.
Open the Windows SharePoint Services\Process Guidance\Source\ProcessGuidance.htm file in a browser.
Click the Index tab.
To view HowTos and HowToProcedures, in the navigation bar on the left, click How To's. You see the new HowTo in the list.

Click the HowTo that contains the new HowToProcedure. You see the description of the HowTo, and the new HowToProcedure appears in the list.

Click the HowToProcedure to see the steps that you added.
To view WorkProducts, in the navigation bar on the left, click Work Products. You see the new WorkProduct in the list.

Click the new WorkProduct. You see the description you typed for this new WorkProduct.

Deleting Content Items from the MSF Process Guidance

You can delete any content item, but realize that other content items may have links to the deleted content item and must be updated. For example, if you delete an Activity, you must also delete its associated Part section in any Workstreams that reference it. Otherwise the Workstreams will list the Activity, but not link to it.

To delete a content item

Select the content item.
On the Edit menu click Cut.

Conclusion

In this third part of a six-part series, we have discussed how to add Roles, RoleGroups, HowTos, HowToProcedures, and WorkProducts to your process guidance. See the following articles for more information about how to customize other areas of your MSF Process Guidance: