The Capability Maturity Model (CMM®) Integrated (CMMI^SM) is for projects or organizations that want to use common, integrated, and improving processes for Systems and Software. It is a process improvement method that provides a set of best practices that address productivity, performance, costs, and stakeholder satisfaction. The CMMI is NOT a set of "bolt-on processes" that last only as long as the wheel is squeaking. CMMI provides a consistent, enduring framework that accommodates new initiatives. CMMI facilitates enterprise-wide process improvement, unlike single-discipline models that can result in duplication of work, confusion and higher costs. Process improvement using the CMMI improves predictability of the critical measures of cost, schedule, performance, and customer satisfaction. CMMI is designed so that it can be tailored to business goals set by your organization, unlike many previous process improvement models. The built-in flexibility of the CMMI provides you the opportunity to choose areas providing biggest "bang for the buck."

The CMMI project was Sponsored by The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and the National Defense Industrial Association.  The product development team was a collaborative effort between government and industry. The STSC had four experts involved in different areas throughout the entire development of the CMMI.
• Bruce Allgood (Training Team)
• Dan Bennett (Assessment Method Team)
• Rushby Craig (Test and Evaluation Team)
• Kevin Richins (Editor Team)

The CMMI began with the following source models:
• SEI's Capability Maturity Model for Software (SW-CMM®)
• Electronic Industries Alliance Systems Engineering Capability Model, Interim Standard (EIA/IS 731)--the result of the merger of the SE-CMM, created by the Enterprise Process Improvement Collaboration (EPIC), and the SECAM, created by INCOSE
• A draft model covering Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD), the IPD-CMM, previously released in draft form by EPIC

Beginning Courses
• Introduction to CMMI. (SEI version, 3 days)
• CMMI Overview (4 Hours)
• Executive CMMI (2 Hours)
• CMMI Implementation Approach (1-5 days)

Appraisals Methods
• Class A, SCAMPI (10-15 days) (Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement)
• Class B (5-10 days)
• Class C (3-7 days)

Process Management Process Areas
• Contain the overarching practices related to implementing a successful and mature process improvement program
• Provide capability to document and share best practices, process assets, and learning
• Provide advanced capability to achieve quantitative objectives for quality and process performance

Process Area	Description
Organizational Process Focus (OPF)	Helps organization establish and maintain understanding of its processes and identify, plan, coordinate, and implement improvement
Organizational Process Definition (OPD)	Establishes and maintains organization's set of standard processes and supporting assets
Organizational Training (OT)	Identifies strategic training needs of organization, as well as tactical training needs common across projects and support groups
Organizational Process Performance (OPP)	Derives common, quantitative objectives for quality and process performance from organization's business objectives
Organizational Innovation and Deployment (OID)	Selects and deploys proposed incremental and innovative improvements to improve organization's ability to meet quality and process performance objectives

Project Management Process Areas
• Cover the project management activities related to planning, monitoring, and controlling a project
• Provide mechanisms to establish, maintain, and monitor commitments to customers and from suppliers
• Provide mechanisms to establish and maintain collaborative teaming environment
• Provide common method to proactively and quantitatively manage project

Process Area	Description
Project Planning (PP)	Develops and maintains project plan, involves stakeholders appropriately, obtains commitment to the plan
Project Monitoring and Control (PMC)	Monitors activities and takes corrective action, including re-planning
Integrated Project Management (IPM)	Adapts organization's processes to project, and establishes project's shared vision
Integrated Teaming (IT)	Identifies and organizes stakeholders into collaborative teams and develops shared vision aligned with project and organization shared vision
Risk Management (RSKM)	Develops and implements proactive strategy to continuously identify, assess, prioritize, and handle program risks
Quantitative Project Management (QPM)	Collects project process and product metrics, and analyzes results to identify process improvement opportunities

Engineering Process Areas
• Support product development life cycle activities, from initial requirements development to transition to operational use

Process Area	Description
Requirements Development (RD)	Collects and harmonizes stakeholder needs to plan, develop, integrate, field, and sustain products, and translates needs into product requirements
Requirements Management (RM)	Ensures that agreed-to requirements are understood and managed
Technical Solution (TS)	Converts requirements into product architecture, design, and development
Product Integration (SI)	Combines product components and ensures interfaces
Verification (VER)	Ensures product meets specifications ("the thing is built right"), and that deficiencies are tracked, re-worked, and re-tested
Validation (VAL)	Ensures product fills intended use when placed in intended environment ("we built the right thing")

Support Process Areas
• Provide essential processes to support product development and maintenance
• Support establishment and maintenance of a work environment that facilitates and stimulates integration and manages people to enable and reward integrative behaviors
• Provide support functions used by all process areas during product development

Process Area	Description
Measurement and Analysis (MA)	Establishes metrics program to provide objective results that can be used in making informed decisions, and in taking appropriate corrective actions
Configuration Management (CM)	Establishes and maintains integrity of work products
Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA)	Provides practices for objectively evaluating processes, products, and services
Decision Analysis and Resolution (DAR)	Provides structured decision-making process that ensures alternatives are compared against established criteria, and best alternative is selected
Causal Analysis and Resolution (CAR)	Identifies causes of defects and other problems, and takes action to prevent them from occurring in the future
Organizational Environment for Integration (OEI)	Establishes approach and environment for the implementation of integrated teams

Custom Process Areas

Depending upon business requirements, a customized process area may be required, such as information assurance, enterprise integration, or safety.

CMMI models are organized in two representations, continuous and staged. They provide alternative approaches to process improvement for familiarity with either approach. Guidance for selecting a representation is provided in CMMI training.

The Continuous Representation

The continuous representation is based on process capability--the range of expected results that can be achieved by following a process. Process improvement is measured in capability levels that relate to the achievement of specific and generic goals in each process area.

The continuous representation provides flexibility for organizations to choose which processes to emphasize for improvement, as well as how much to improve each process. It enables selection of the order of process improvement that best meets the organization's business objectives and that most mitigates risk.

The Staged Representation

The staged representation is based on organizational maturity--the combined capabilities of a set of related processes. Organizational improvement is measured in maturity levels. This representation has a recommended order for approaching process improvement, beginning with basic management practices and progressing along a proven path.

Equivalent Staging

Sometimes it may be desirable to convert an organization's capability level achievements into a maturity level. This conversion is made possible by "equivalent staging." The CMMI model includes rules for determining which capability levels must be satisfied in each process area to achieve each maturity level.

If you would like more CMMI information or CMMI documents, go to the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) CMMI web site.

CMMI^SM is a service mark of Carnegie Mellon University.