Reducing Risk with Software Process Improvement recommends the critical practices that aid in the successful delivery of software products and services. The author describes the observations that he made over a period of ten years in IT projects and organizations. He focuses on the areas of software development and maintenance, highlighting the most frequently encountered problems that occur due to poor processes. The author derives recommendations from 40 comprehensive assessments of IT organizations. This book details the potential or real problems each organization experienced, and offers anecdotes on how these problems resulted from deficient practices, what their impacts were, and how improving specific practices benefitted the organizations. This volume provides valuable advice for project and application managers looking to minimize the number of crises they have to deal with, and for IT practitioners seeking the practical solutions that lead to career advancement. It benefits customers who need to know what to look for before purchasing IT products or services, and helps investors analyze the efficiency of IT companies before making investment decisions.