Customer Reviews

CMMI(SM) Distilled: A Practical Introduction to Integrated Process Improvement (Sei Series in Software Engineering)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As previous reviewers have commented, this is a very good overview of the CMMI. The authors work in the industry, and have done an admirable job presenting the nuts-and-bolts of this enormous topic in a straightforward fashion. But if you intend to use it as a tool, like you would Paulk's book on the SW-CMM (SM), DON'T BUY IT YET. The editing in Appendix B renders this book useless to me (I need it as a tool). When I compare the constituents of the Process Areas in Appendix B to the CMMI (CMU/SEI-2000-TR-018), there is erroneous duplication. E.g., "Commitment" in PMC reads exactly like "Commitment" in Requirements Management PA (it shouldn't !). Ditto for Co in SAM, Co in MA, and the subsequent Maturity Level 2 Process Area commitments. The same erroneous cut-and-paste was made for the Abilities, DI, etc. The Level 3 PAs have the similar problem, erroneous cut-and-pastes from the RD template. I cannot use this book as I'd intended because of these errors, so I have to lug around the large heavy SEI tech reports instead.

The CMMI project is an exciting one that will pay enormous dividends once fully implemented in 2003. This book has been especially helpful in giving a clear, fresh understanding of the CMMI Project, its goals, architecture, and models.

Especially valuable are the new sets of tools developed by the CMMI project along with the sections on how to use those tools to the best advantage. Here is where the book really shines: sound, clear advice based on the experience of organizations and software engineering professionals, passed on to the reader in readable language.

The authors distill all this into a manageable 335 pages, filled with pithy examples, engineering humor, even poetry. Most importantly, it is as jargon-free as a book of its nature can be, written in clear, direct prose that will be appreciated by those who are trying to wrap their hands around the evolving CMMI enterprise.

Highly recommended. The kind of book even your boss can read and understand.

I bought the book thinking it would be a practical introduction on how to apply CMMI to your company hence I was very disappointed to find out the authors have limited themselves only to summarize the CMMI models. Few real explication is given about concepts within the CMMI models, neither any real life experience is shared that could help you implement CMMI.

CMMI is an acronym for Capability Maturity Model Integration, and is almost totally an area of management. Therefore, if you read this book with a mindset that is anything other than that of a manager, it will bore you and you may question the practicality of CMMI. When I say this, I am thinking of software developers, who will most likely consider some of what they read to be impediments to the true ways in which software is created.
As a set of objectives designed to improve quality, the basic tenets and activities mandated by the CMMI model are applicable to many other areas of business and organizations. This book is written for people unfamiliar with model-based processes and is non-technical, so very little is needed in the way of background knowledge. It is very appropriate for the manager who is considering adopting a CMMI model. Not only does it provide the essential background information, but also explains how to begin and execute the implementation of CMMI.
Like all other processes designed to improve quality, the most essential precondition is the desire to improve. No book can provide that ingredient. However, this one provides the essential knowledge about CMMI and I strongly recommend that all managers read it carefully. Even if your decision is to not implement CMMI, the knowledge that you will obtain will force you to rethink your current strategies and no doubt improve them.

I first read version one last year and after SEI intro class I have been giving several copies to team members at work.

This second edition bring the book upto level with 1.1. Guess I'll have give away my first edition.

This by far the best book for both someone just looking for an overview on CMMI. I use the book every day on the job and have found no better book to explain the CMM process to project managers.

There is certainly a need for secondary literature to describe a complex standard such as the CMMI. This book does a reasonable job to accomplish this. As it has been stated there are certainly weaknesses. For example the ratio between actual content and number of pages is in some areas pretty bad. One citation an the start of a chapter is nice, two is an over load. In order to gain a fair understanding of the CMMI standard is not sufficient and neither is this book. However, "CMMI Distilled" gets you a step closer.

This book is useful to those who are fairly well-versed in CMMI. For me, this is by far the best "reference" material, since it is concise, and it consolidates separate points into a table or a 1-pager with diagrams, making it easier to digest and understand. This is especially so when compared with the thick (700+ pages) big (A4 size) tome official guidebook from SEI. I could easily take Ahern onto the plane / train for quick brush-up on particular process areas. I would recommend this book to those who had already gained some CMMI knowledge, and would need a light handbook for quick reference.

Many words, but not too practical. Definitions are fine, but that could have happened in 50 pages. This book basically consists of bureacratic motherhood. I will now look for a book written by someone who has actually managed a project to see what his book says about practical application of CMMI.

I wish I could remember the name of the author of a book I read several years ago on SEI processes, which provided excellent guidelines for projects. The author was very explicit and provided examples. He also stated in the Foreword that, though the book contained a great deal of excellent and useful information, if you tried to do everything in the book, you would fail. That may have been the most important line he wrote, since it implied that common sense was still the most important ingredient to meaningful process.

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Why?

Rehash of process improvement. That belongs in a PI book. Folks reading about CMMI know PI and should know CMM -- they need to know how to move to CMMI.

Work of the CMMI Project. Who needs the history of CMMI? These folks may want to rehash the past but we need how to do cmmi for the future.

Authors guidance. Are these the top experts you should listen to? You can get better info from SPC or by reading the various SEI web documents. Everyone know how to choose a model. The only model rational folks will use is the continuous in spite of the SEI preference for staged. Tailoring the cmmi might be useful *IF* any of teh assessors would allow it. Too many CMM assessors demanded you do the whole nine yards or you wouldn't pass. Will the cmmi assessors be more realistic?

Thoughts on the future. Totally irrelevant. This may stroke the authors egos but we do not need this

This book should have concentrated on how to do a continuous cmmi level 3,4,5 from a cmm level 3 (4,5) and left out all the padding.

Download the CMMI from SEI and read the other documents there. Then wait for a good book on doing cmmi to come out.

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This is the best book I have found todate on CMMI. The book covers both models and goes into some history of the whole process improvement process.

If you know CMM and want to move to CMMI or if you do not know anything about CMM, this book is a great starter.

I have purchased several copies for my company and everyone that I have given a copy to loves the book.