CMMI stands for “Capability Maturity Model Integration” and is a model that provides appraisal and training for process improvement in organizations. CMMI defines the following maturity levels for processes: Initial, Managed, Defined, Quantitatively Managed, and Optimizing.
- Fulfilling customer needs and expectations.
- Value creation for investors/stockholders.
- Market growth is increased.
- Improved quality of products and services.
- Enhanced reputation in Industry.
CMMI Representation – Staged and Continuous:
A representation allows an organization to pursue a separate set of improvement objectives. There are two representations for CMMI:
- Staged Representation:
- uses a pre-defined set of process areas to define an improvement path.
- provides a sequence of improvements, where each part in the sequence serves as a foundation for the next.
- an improved path is defined by maturity level.
- maturity level describes the maturity of processes in the organization.
- Staged CMMI representation allows comparison between different organizations for multiple maturity levels.
- Continuous Representation:
- allows the selection of specific process areas.
- uses capability levels that measure the improvement of an individual process area.
- Continuous CMMI representation allows comparison between different organizations on a process-area-by-process-area basis.
- allows organizations to select processes that require more improvement.
- In this representation, the order of improvement of various processes can be selected which allows the organizations to meet their objectives and eliminate risks.
CMMI Model – Maturity Levels:
In CMMI with staged representation, there are five maturity levels described as follows:
- Maturity level 1: Initial
- processes are poorly managed or controlled.
- unpredictable outcomes of processes involved.
- an ad hoc and chaotic approach used.
- No KPAs (Key Process Areas) were defined.
- Lowest quality and highest risk.
- Maturity level 2: Managed
- requirements are managed.
- processes are planned and controlled.
- projects are managed and implemented according to their documented plans.
- This risk involved is lower than the Initial level but still exists.
- Quality is better than the Initial level.
- Maturity level 3: Defined
- processes are well characterized and described using standards, proper procedures, methods, tools, etc.
- Medium quality and medium risk are involved.
- The focus is process standardization.
- Maturity level 4: Quantitatively managed
- quantitative objectives for process performance and quality are set.
- quantitative objectives are based on customer requirements, organization needs, etc.
- process performance measures are analyzed quantitatively.
- higher quality of processes is achieved.
- lower risk
- Maturity level 5: Optimizing
- continuous improvement in processes and their performance.
- improvement has to be both incremental and innovative.
- the highest quality of processes.
- the lowest risk in processes and their performance.
CMMI Model – Capability Levels
A capability level includes relevant specific and generic practices for a specific process area that can improve the organization’s processes associated with that process area. For CMMI models with continuous representation, there are six capability levels as described below :
- Capability level 0: Incomplete
- incomplete process – partially or not performed.
- one or more specific goals of the process area are not met.
- No generic goals are specified for this level.
- This capability level is the same as maturity level 1.
- Capability level 1: Performed
- process performance may not be stable.
- objectives of quality, cost, and schedule may not be met.
- A capability level 1 process is expected to perform all specific and generic practices for this level.
- only a start-step for process improvement.
- Capability level 2: Managed
- process is planned, monitored, and controlled.
- managing the process by ensuring that objectives are achieved.
- objectives are both model and other including cost, quality, and schedule.
- actively managing processing with the help of metrics.
- Capability level 3: Defined
- a defined process that is managed and meets the organization’s set of guidelines and standards.
- focus is process standardization.
- Capability level 4: Quantitatively Managed
- process is controlled using statistical and quantitative techniques.
- process performance and quality are understood in statistical terms and metrics.
- quantitative objectives for process quality and performance are established.
- Capability level 5: Optimizing
- focuses on continually improving process performance.
- performance is improved in both ways – incremental and innovative.
- emphasizes studying the performance results across the organization to ensure that common causes or issues are identified and fixed.
