CMMI Distilled A Practical Introduction to Integrated Process Improvement

by Ahern, Dennis M.; Clouse, Aaron; Turner, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780321461087
• ISBN10: 0321461088
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-05-01
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional

Summary

CMMIreg; (Capability Maturity Modelreg; Integration) is an integrated, extensible framework for improving process capability and quality across an organization. It has become a cornerstone in the implementation of continuous improvement for both industry and governments around the world. Rich in both detail and guidance for a wide set of organizational domains, the CMMI Product Suite continues to evolve and expand. Updated for CMMI Version 1.2, this third edition ofCMMIreg; Distilledagain provides a concise and readable introduction to the model, as well as straightforward, no-nonsense information on integrated, continuous process improvement. The book now also includes practical advice on how to use CMMI in tandem with other approaches, including Six Sigma and Lean, as well as new and expanded guidance on preparing for, managing, and using appraisals. Written so that readers unfamiliar with model-based process improvement will understand how to get started with CMMI, the book offers insights for those more experienced as well. It can help battle-scarred process improvement veterans, and experienced suppliers and acquirers of both systems and services, perform more effectively.CMMIreg; Distilledis especially appropriate for executives and managers who need to understand why continuous improvement is valuable, why CMMI is a tool of choice, and how to maximize the return on their efforts and investments. Engineers of all kinds (systems, hardware, software, and quality, as well as acquisition personnel and service providers) will find ideas on how to perform better. The three authors, all involved with CMMI since its inception, bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to this book. They highlight the pitfalls and shortcuts that are all too often learned by costly experience, and they provide a context for understanding why the use of CMMI continues to grow around the world.

Author Biography

Aaron Clouse is a senior member of the technical staff at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI).

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Integrated Process Improvement	p. 3
Why Integrated Process Improvement?	p. 5
Business Objectives and Process Improvement	p. 8
The Engineering Environment of the Twenty-First Century	p. 12
Evolving Engineering Approaches	p. 14
A Proliferation of Models and Standards	p. 16
The Benefits of Integrated Process Improvement	p. 17
Cost Benefits	p. 17
Clarity of Focus	p. 17
Process Integration and Lean Organizations	p. 18
Agility	p. 19
Conclusions	p. 19
Implementing Continuous Improvement	p. 21
Driving Business Performance	p. 22
Elements of Continuous Improvement	p. 25
Understanding the Tools for Improvement	p. 25
Nurturing a Continuous Improvement Culture	p. 26
Providing Strong Leadership	p. 27
Linking Improvement to Business Strategies and Results	p. 28
Focusing on the Customer	p. 29
Making Quality as Important as Cost and Schedule	p. 30
Establishing Criteria for Larger Improvement Events	p. 31
Five Keys for Continuous Improvement	p. 32
Process Excellence	p. 33
CMMI	p. 36
Lean Engineering	p. 36
Six Sigma	p. 39
Knowledge Management	p. 42
Using the Five Keys to Continuous Improvement	p. 43
Management of Continuous Improvement Activities	p. 43
Everyone Understands and Participates	p. 45
Pearls of Wisdom	p. 47
The CMMI Models	p. 51
The CMMI Concept	p. 53
An Overview of CMMI	p. 54
Process Content	p. 54
Process Improvement	p. 55
CMMI and Business Objectives	p. 56
CMMI Objectives	p. 57
The Three Source Models	p. 60
The CMM for Software	p. 60
The Systems Engineering Capability Model	p. 62
The Integrated Product Development CMM	p. 64
CMMI Project Organization	p. 65
CMMI Content	p. 69
Constellations	p. 70
Process Areas	p. 70
Content Classification	p. 71
Required Materials	p. 72
Expected Materials	p. 74
Informative Materials	p. 76
Additions	p. 80
CMMI Model Foundation	p. 80
Document Map	p. 81
CMMI Representations	p. 83
Staged Models	p. 84
Continuous Models	p. 85
CMMI Model Representations	p. 87
Selection of Process Areas	p. 87
Organization of Process Areas	p. 89
Equivalent Staging	p. 92
Conclusion	p. 96
CMMI Dimensions for Measuring Improvement	p. 97
Capability Dimension	p. 98
Maturity Dimension	p. 103
Generic Practices in the Capability Dimension	p. 104
Capability Level 0 Generic Practices	p. 105
Capability Level 1 Generic Practices	p. 105
Capability Level 2 Generic Practices	p. 105
Capability Level 3 Generic Practices	p. 109
Capability Level 4 Generic Practices	p. 110
Capability Level 5 Generic Practices	p. 111
Generic Practices in the Maturity Dimension	p. 112
Organizational Capability Evolution	p. 112
CMMI Process Areas	p. 115
Foundation Process Areas	p. 119
Foundation Process Management Process Areas	p. 119
Foundation Project Management Process Areas	p. 127
Foundation Engineering Process Areas	p. 135
Foundation Support Process Areas	p. 136
Development Constellation	p. 143
Development Engineering Process Areas	p. 143
Development Project Management Process Areas	p. 151
Acquisition Constellation Process Areas	p. 153
Acquisition Process Areas	p. 153
Services Constellation Process Areas	p. 160
Services Process Management Process Areas	p. 161
Services Project Management Process Areas	p. 162
Services Engineering Process Areas	p. 163
Services Support Process Areas	p. 164
Service Establishment and Delivery Process Areas	p. 164
Relationships within CMMI Components	p. 167
Relationships among Process Areas	p. 167
Relationships between Generic Practices and Process Areas	p. 170
Relationships, Complexity, and Common Sense	p. 170
Using CMMI	p. 173
Picking a Representation	p. 175
Reasons for Liking Staged Models	p. 176
Reasons for Liking Continuous Models	p. 178
Reasons for Choosing a CMMI Representation	p. 180
Appraisals with CMMI	p. 183
Appraisal Requirements for CMMI	p. 184
Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement: Class A	p. 188
The Role of Appraisals in Continuous Improvement	p. 193
The Future of CMMI	p. 197
Evolving CMMI	p. 199
Simplifying the Model	p. 200
A Domain-Independent CMMI Model	p. 201
Collection of Issues for Beyond Version 2.1	p. 203
Misunderstanding of Current Model Concepts	p. 203
Project and Program Process Improvement	p. 203
Process Performance	p. 205
Improvement Scope	p. 205
Steering Group and Sponsorship	p. 206
A Final Note on CMMI Evolution	p. 207
Afterword	p. 209
Three Selections from "A Process Improvement Songbook"	p. 211
Summary of CMMI Models	p. 213
References	p. 243
SEI Figure Credit List	p. 249
Index	p. 251
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

CMMI Distilledwas originally conceived as a way to introduce the CMMI Product Suite and model-based continuous process improvement to a wide audience. Our goal was to offer a succinct, no-nonsense, minimal-jargon, wittily written, practical guide that was less than half the weight of the "official" CMMI book. We wanted to describe the origins of the model and give the readers some insight into how the 200plus CMMI authors worked (and fought) to produce it. The first edition had a good deal of "why" information, aimed at folks who had used one of the three source models and who wanted to understand how CMMI differed from earlier models. Of course, it also had the "what" and "how" information about CMMI Version 1.0. The second edition coincided (roughly) with the release of CMMI Version 1.1, so it included significant changes to the original "what" and "how" sections. At that point CMMI was no longer new and people were beginning to move away from the source models, so we removed some of the "why" material. To reflect the broader reach of CMMI and the need to support practitioners in acquiring sponsors for their improvement initiatives, the second edition added material aimed at managers rather than practitioners. CMMI content and usage continue to evolve, so now we have created a third edition, building on the legacy of the first two. CMMI began as a tool for managing improvements in engineering development organizations, with a focus on systems and software. In CMMI Version 1.2, this attention to engineering has been strengthened by including explicit hardware-related information. More intriguing, however, are two new members of the CMMI Product Suite: one for the acquirer of systems instead of the developer, and the other for service providers instead of product builders. With these two additions, the potential scope of application for CMMI within an organizational enterprise has broadened significantly. At the same time, CMMI is finding use outside the traditional engineering field. For example, it has been adopted by enterprises as varied as medical facilities seeking to improve their patient care and government entities trying to build and improve their infrastructure. We had three primary reasons for writing the third edition of CMMI Distilled. We wanted to update the book to include changes to the CMMI architecture, content, and presentation, as well as the ongoing domain extensions to the model. The full, updated model content for version 1.2 is covered in the same way as in our previous editions. We use the graphics from the CMMI training material and describe the model components clearly and simply. We wanted to further reduce the amount of historical information relating to the origins of CMMI. For those who may be interested, this material is well covered in the previous editions of this book. We wanted to update and expand upon the practical advice we offer for those using the model. In this edition, we more fully address CMMI usage in tandem with Six Sigma, lean engineering, and other continuous improvement approaches. We also discuss some of the changes to the appraisal methods; specifically, we provide additional guidance on preparing for and managing appraisals, and on using the appraisal results as a powerful input to improvement activities. Those who have read the previous editions of this book will not be surprised to find that we have included yet another literary offering (three songs) addressing CMMI and the world of continuous improvement. In fact, for those of you who may have missed the first two editions, the earlier "literary gems" can be found on the Pearson Web site at informit.com/aw under either "literary gems" or "superfluous material"-for some reason, the editors were still discussing this as of publication. And so, in recognition of the explosive growth of CMMI as a process improvement tool of choice around the worl