Are you running an organization? Are you interested in starting a process improvement program in your organization? Or just looking to learn more about CMMI? The following gives information about CMMI-based process improvement
Before you begin applying CMMI to your organization, collect information about it.
CMMI
Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI) is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes. It can be used to guide process improvement across a project, a division, or an entire organization. CMMI helps integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes.
- The CMMI Product Suite is at the forefront of process improvement because it provides the latest best practices for product and service development and maintenance. The CMMI models improve upon the best practices of previous models in many important ways. CMMI best practices enable organizations to do the following:
- more explicitly link management and engineering activities to their business objectives
- expand the scope of and visibility into the product life cycle and engineering activities to ensure that the product or service meets customer expectations
- incorporate lessons learned from additional areas of best practice (e.g., measurement, risk management, and supplier management)
- implement more robust high-maturity practices
- address additional organizational functions critical to their products and services
- more fully comply with relevant ISO standards
- SCAMPI incorporates the best ideas of several process-improvement appraisal methods.
- The SCAMPI Class A method is being used successfully by many organizations. The emerging
- SCAMPI Class B and Class C methods will extend the suite of SCAMPI
methods.
CMMI Implementation Steps
The following actions demonstrate the typical steps involved in implementing CMMI-based process improvement (Note: The steps and sequence may vary from organization to organization.):
Before you begin your process improvement effort, ensure that your process improvement program has a senior management sponsor and funding. Such sponsorship and funding is critical to ensuring the program's success. You can educate senior management about CMMI by presenting the CMMI Overview or CMMI Overview for Executives presentations.
To understand basic concepts of the CMMI Product Suite, attend the Introduction to CMMI (Staged and Continuous) course. This CMMI course is offered by the SEI and by many members of the SEI Partner Network.
To Select a model, you must determine which disciplines are relevant to your organization's business goals. You may want to select a model representation as well but doing so is not required. You can use different model representations during different phases of your process improvement program. The models are available on the CMMI Web site and also are available as a book in the SEI Series on Software Engineering.
You need to treat process as project. Establish the business reasons and the business goals for the effort. Create a compelling case for change, including the rationale for the undertaking and the expected benefits and costs for the people affected. Develop a persuasive presentation of the problems and opportunities. Key people involved in your organization's process improvement efforts should also take the Introduction to CMMI (Staged and Continuous) course.
This group coordinates process improvement activities across the enterprise and exists for the duration of the process improvement activity. Members of the group can serve as process improvement mentors. If the Engineering Process group is new to process improvement, members should consider taking the Defining Software Processes or Mastering Process Improvement courses.
6. Know Where You Are
Map CMMI best practices to your organization's processes and do an informal gap analysis (e.g., SCAMPISM C) to determine how your processes compare to CMMI model practices using an ARC Class C compliant appraisal method. Do a survey to gather data from managers, project leads, and workers to gauge cultural opportunities and barriers to change. Build a detailed picture of the present.
Using the same format as the picture of where you are, create a picture of where you want to be. Characterize the success you want before you begin. Get a balanced view from management, project leaders, and staff about what they think is most important. Each will have different objectives they want to achieve. Prioritize the process areas to address and build your improvement plan. Track your progress against the plan.
You must have honest and open communication. Share the plan with everyone who will be affected and listen to their comments. Track Your ProgressCompare the picture of where you are to the one of where you want to be. The difference between the two is the focus of your process improvement program. Create a periodic (e.g., monthly, weekly) report that demonstrates your program's progress in reaching its (and the organization's) goals. You can also have a SEI-authorized lead appraiser conduct an appraisal, which will provide an objective evaluation of your organization using the SCAMPI method and a CMMI model. For more information about SCAMPI, see CMMI Appraisals.The Adoption page are good starting points for finding information most relevant to your situation. Once you collect information, you can begin the implementation steps.
posted by anu at 4:32 AM
0 comments
