This recommended practice views the CASE adoption process as more than the selection of CASE tools. The CASE adoption process consists of the activities by which an organization identifies appropriate CASE tools and related technologies and introduces them into general use. The steps of a successful CASE adoption process include the following: a) Defining CASE needs b) Evaluating and selecting CASE tools c) Conducting a pilot d) Fostering routine use of the tool A successful CASE adoption process is not limited solely to tool use. Rathere, it embraces the planning and implementation of an entire set of technical, organizational, cultural, and management processes necessary to achieve the required organizational improvements. It is founded upon a strong understanding of what CASE tools can and cannot do for the organization. Steps a) through d) above are appropriate for a wide range of computing organizations, including those that develop management information systems and those that develop scientific and technical systems. This recommended practice can also be of benefit to government and commercial software organizations. Specific situations may influence the manner in which CASE adoption is performed. For example, when a specific tool is mandated by customer preference or contract requirements, adoption steps will require tailoring to reflect the predetermined nature of tool selection. In other cases, the relative simplicity or complexity of the tool, the degree to which the tool supports or conflicts with existing processes, the required degree of integration with other tools, and the characteristics and experience of the targeted users, may lead to the tailoring of the adoption process.