Dear friends,
I want some information on CMM levels as follows:
a. What does it mean?
b. What each level signify?
c. How many levels are there
d. How to implement it
e.What is its importance in todays competitive world
f. Difference between CMM and PCMM
If I have missed any significant point, do add on your part.
Please respond to these queries.
Regards,
Shweta
From India, Ahmadabad
1I want some information on CMM levels as follows:
a. What does it mean?
b. What each level signify?
c. How many levels are there
d. How to implement it
e.What is its importance in todays competitive world
f. Difference between CMM and PCMM
If I have missed any significant point, do add on your part.
Please respond to these queries.
Regards,
Shweta
From India, Ahmadabad
Hi Swetha,
The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a method for evaluating the maturity of organizations on a scale of 1 to 5. The CMM was developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University. It has been used extensively for avionics software and for government projects since it was created in the mid-1980s. The Software Engineering Institute has subsequently released a revised version known as the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI).
There are 5 levels of the CMM. According to the SEI, "Predictability, effectiveness, and control of an organization's software processes are believed to improve as the organization moves up these five levels.
Level 1 - Initial
•At maturity level 1, processes are usually ad hoc and chaotic. The organization usually does not provide a stable environment. Success in these organizations depends on the competence and heroics of the people in the organization and not on the use of proven processes. In spite of this ad hoc, chaotic environment, maturity level 1 organizations often produce products and services that work; however, they frequently exceed the budget and schedule of their projects.
•Maturity level 1 organizations are characterized by a tendency to over commit, abandon processes in the time of crisis, and not be able to repeat their past successes.
Level 2 - Repeatable
•At maturity level 2, Software development successes are repeatable. The organization may use some basic project management to track cost and schedule.
•Process discipline helps ensure that existing practices are retained during times of stress. When these practices are in place, projects are performed and managed according to their documented plans.
•Project status and the delivery of services are visible to management at defined points (for example, at major milestones and at the completion of major tasks).
Level 3 - Defined
•At maturity level 3, processes are well characterized and understood, and are described in standards, procedures, tools, and methods.
•The organization’s set of standard processes, which is the basis for level 3, is established and improved over time. These standard processes are used to establish consistency across the organization. Projects establish their defined processes by tailoring the organization’s set of standard processes according to tailoring guidelines.
•The organization’s management establishes process objectives based on the organization’s set of standard processes and ensures that these objectives are appropriately addressed.
•A critical distinction between level 2 and level 3 is the scope of standards, process descriptions, and procedures. At level 2, the standards, process descriptions, and procedures may be quite different in each specific instance of the process (for example, on a particular project). At level 3, the standards, process descriptions, and procedures for a project are tailored from the organization’s set of standard processes to suit a particular project or organizational unit.
Level 4 - Managed
•Using precise measurements, management can effectively control the software development effort. In particular, management can identify ways to adjust and adapt the process to particular projects without measurable losses of quality or deviations from specifications.
•Subprocesses are selected that significantly contribute to overall process performance. These selected subprocesses are controlled using statistical and other quantitative techniques.
•A critical distinction between maturity level 3 and maturity level 4 is the predictability of process performance. At maturity level 4, the performance of processes is controlled using statistical and other quantitative techniques, and is quantitatively predictable. At maturity level 3, processes are only qualitatively predictable.
Level 5 - Optimizing
•Maturity level 5 focuses on continually improving process performance through both incremental and innovative technological improvements. Quantitative process-improvement objectives for the organization are established, continually revised to reflect changing business objectives, and used as criteria in managing process improvement. The effects of deployed process improvements are measured and evaluated against the quantitative process-improvement objectives. Both the defined processes and the organization’s set of standard processes are targets of measurable improvement activities.
•Process improvements to address common causes of process variation and measurably improve the organization’s processes are identified, evaluated, and deployed.
•Optimizing processes that are agile and innovative depends on the participation of an empowered workforce aligned with the business values and objectives of the organization. The organization’s ability to rapidly respond to changes and opportunities is enhanced by finding ways to accelerate and share learning.
•A critical distinction between maturity level 4 and maturity level 5 is the type of process variation addressed. At maturity level 4, processes are concerned with addressing special causes of process variation and providing statistical predictability of the results. Though processes may produce predictable results, the results may be insufficient to achieve the established objectives. At maturity level 5, processes are concerned with addressing common causes of process variation and changing the process (that is, shifting the mean of the process performance) to improve process performance (while maintaining statistical predictability) to achieve the established quantitative process-improvement objectives.
Wipro is the first software services company in the world to be assessed at SEI CMM level 5 - the highest maturity level for any software process. They achieved CMM level 5 certification in June, 1999.
PCMM refers to people involvement in quality initiatives. Wipro is the world's first organization to be assessed at PCMM Level 5, the highest level in People Capability Maturity Model. This achievement is a representative of the total focus on quality and had helped them integrate people, processes and technologies to promote a culture of excellence and innovation. It helps in matching business needs with competencies while giving the employees a proactive career management tool.
Hope you find this information useful.
Thanks,
Anu
From India, Bangalore
The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a method for evaluating the maturity of organizations on a scale of 1 to 5. The CMM was developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University. It has been used extensively for avionics software and for government projects since it was created in the mid-1980s. The Software Engineering Institute has subsequently released a revised version known as the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI).
There are 5 levels of the CMM. According to the SEI, "Predictability, effectiveness, and control of an organization's software processes are believed to improve as the organization moves up these five levels.
Level 1 - Initial
•At maturity level 1, processes are usually ad hoc and chaotic. The organization usually does not provide a stable environment. Success in these organizations depends on the competence and heroics of the people in the organization and not on the use of proven processes. In spite of this ad hoc, chaotic environment, maturity level 1 organizations often produce products and services that work; however, they frequently exceed the budget and schedule of their projects.
•Maturity level 1 organizations are characterized by a tendency to over commit, abandon processes in the time of crisis, and not be able to repeat their past successes.
Level 2 - Repeatable
•At maturity level 2, Software development successes are repeatable. The organization may use some basic project management to track cost and schedule.
•Process discipline helps ensure that existing practices are retained during times of stress. When these practices are in place, projects are performed and managed according to their documented plans.
•Project status and the delivery of services are visible to management at defined points (for example, at major milestones and at the completion of major tasks).
Level 3 - Defined
•At maturity level 3, processes are well characterized and understood, and are described in standards, procedures, tools, and methods.
•The organization’s set of standard processes, which is the basis for level 3, is established and improved over time. These standard processes are used to establish consistency across the organization. Projects establish their defined processes by tailoring the organization’s set of standard processes according to tailoring guidelines.
•The organization’s management establishes process objectives based on the organization’s set of standard processes and ensures that these objectives are appropriately addressed.
•A critical distinction between level 2 and level 3 is the scope of standards, process descriptions, and procedures. At level 2, the standards, process descriptions, and procedures may be quite different in each specific instance of the process (for example, on a particular project). At level 3, the standards, process descriptions, and procedures for a project are tailored from the organization’s set of standard processes to suit a particular project or organizational unit.
Level 4 - Managed
•Using precise measurements, management can effectively control the software development effort. In particular, management can identify ways to adjust and adapt the process to particular projects without measurable losses of quality or deviations from specifications.
•Subprocesses are selected that significantly contribute to overall process performance. These selected subprocesses are controlled using statistical and other quantitative techniques.
•A critical distinction between maturity level 3 and maturity level 4 is the predictability of process performance. At maturity level 4, the performance of processes is controlled using statistical and other quantitative techniques, and is quantitatively predictable. At maturity level 3, processes are only qualitatively predictable.
Level 5 - Optimizing
•Maturity level 5 focuses on continually improving process performance through both incremental and innovative technological improvements. Quantitative process-improvement objectives for the organization are established, continually revised to reflect changing business objectives, and used as criteria in managing process improvement. The effects of deployed process improvements are measured and evaluated against the quantitative process-improvement objectives. Both the defined processes and the organization’s set of standard processes are targets of measurable improvement activities.
•Process improvements to address common causes of process variation and measurably improve the organization’s processes are identified, evaluated, and deployed.
•Optimizing processes that are agile and innovative depends on the participation of an empowered workforce aligned with the business values and objectives of the organization. The organization’s ability to rapidly respond to changes and opportunities is enhanced by finding ways to accelerate and share learning.
•A critical distinction between maturity level 4 and maturity level 5 is the type of process variation addressed. At maturity level 4, processes are concerned with addressing special causes of process variation and providing statistical predictability of the results. Though processes may produce predictable results, the results may be insufficient to achieve the established objectives. At maturity level 5, processes are concerned with addressing common causes of process variation and changing the process (that is, shifting the mean of the process performance) to improve process performance (while maintaining statistical predictability) to achieve the established quantitative process-improvement objectives.
Wipro is the first software services company in the world to be assessed at SEI CMM level 5 - the highest maturity level for any software process. They achieved CMM level 5 certification in June, 1999.
PCMM refers to people involvement in quality initiatives. Wipro is the world's first organization to be assessed at PCMM Level 5, the highest level in People Capability Maturity Model. This achievement is a representative of the total focus on quality and had helped them integrate people, processes and technologies to promote a culture of excellence and innovation. It helps in matching business needs with competencies while giving the employees a proactive career management tool.
Hope you find this information useful.
Thanks,
Anu
From India, Bangalore
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