The Capability Maturity Model: Guidelines for Improving the Software Process [Hardcover]

Carnegie Mellon Univ. Software Engineering Inst. (Author), Mark C. Paulk (Author), Charles V. Weber (Author), Bill Curtis (Author), Mary Beth Chrissis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201546647 | ISBN-13: 978-0201546644 | Publication Date: 1994

This book provides a description and technical overview of the capability maturity model for software process management, along with guidelines for improving software process management overall. It is the sequel to Watts Humphrey's important work, Managing the Software Process. Featured are the process maturity framework; the key software practices that comprise the capability maturity model, how the model is used in practice; and the results some companies have achieved with it. Also included is a comparison of the model with ISO 9000 standards and a description of an actual project that exhibits Level 5 capabilities.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Principal Contributors and Editors:
Mark C. Paulk, Charles V. Weber, Bill Curtis, Mary Beth Chrissis

"In every sense, the CMM represents the best thinking in the field today... this book is targeted at anyone involved in improving the software process, including members of assessment or evaluation teams, members of software engineering process groups, software managers, and software practitioners..." From the Foreword by Watts Humphrey

The Capability Maturity Model for Software (CMM) is a framework that demonstrates the key elements of an effective software process. The CMM describes an evolutionary improvement path for software development from an ad hoc, immature process to a mature, disciplined process, in a path laid out in five levels. When using the CMM, software professionals in government and industry can develop and improve their ability to identify, adopt, and use sound management and technical practices for delivering quality software on schedule and at a reasonable cost.

This book provides a description and technical overview of the CMM, along with guidelines for improving software process management overall. It is a sequel to Watts Humphrey's important work,Managing the Software Process,in that it structures the maturity framework presented in that book more formally.

Features:

• Compares the CMM with ISO 9001
• Provides an overview of ISO's SPICE project, which is developing international standards for software process improvement and capability determination
• Presents a case study of IBM Houston's Space Shuttle project, which is frequently referred to as being at Level 5

0201546647B04062001

About the Author

About Software Engineering Institute

The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University provides leadership in advancing the state of the practice of software engineering to improve the quality of systems that depend on software. The guidelines described in this book were developed at the SEI. The CMM comprises one of the SEI's best known products, a software process framework that continues to have a significant effect on the work of the software engineering community worldwide.

0201546647AB04062001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 456 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional (1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201546647
• ISBN-13: 978-0201546644
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #756,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for CMM-SW, not a book for exploring benefits, July 3, 2001

By 

Mike Tarrani "www.tarrani.com" (Deltona, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Capability Maturity Model: Guidelines for Improving the Software Process (Hardcover)

At one time this was the definitive text on the CMM, but is rapidly showing its age because of the new CMMI suite that the Software Engineering Institute is developing. For reference the CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) is an effort to integrate maturity models for software, system engineering and integrated product development).

This book is the one that introduced the CMM to the masses and is what is now called the CMM-SW (SW=Software). It is still a valid reference for software-only organizations from a key process area point of view. As such, it still has value to any organization that is striving to attain CMM level 2 or above. If you're new to the CMM (and there are many who are), this the CMM is five levels of capability maturity, when chaotic organizations assumed to be at level 1. It is not a methodology, so do not expect to find any "how to" information in this book. What you will find in this book is a description of the CMM itself and its structure, and key process areas that need to be in place in an organization for each level of the model. Each key process area has associated key practices.

In a nutshell, the CMM is a benchmark. The key to achieving level 2 or above requires a commitment to perform. This book will tell you what processes need to be in place, and what the key practices are for each process, but will not tell you which methods to use. It's dry reading, but there is no ambiguity in the descriptions, which makes this book a valuable reference if you are involved in a company-wide CMM initiative. If your goal is to explore the value and benefits of the CMM, then I recommend A Guide to the CMM by Kenneth Dymond as a better place to start. Despite its age and the CMMI initiatives this book still merits 5 stars for those who are actually implementing the CMM for software.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not necessarily for the CMM beginner, December 14, 2000

By 

"gloriajs" (Clearwater Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Capability Maturity Model: Guidelines for Improving the Software Process (Hardcover)

This book gives a very thorough description of the CMM, its key processes and levels. However, it does not give practical advice on implementation. I would not recommend this book to the beginner just starting to explore the CMM - it is better for someone with a basic understanding who wants an in depth description. The charts and graphs are completely unhelpful, in many cases I could not figure out exactly what the graph was supposed to illustrate. The use of the space shuttle project as a level 5 example is also not very applicable to the average business or software development house in determining their CMM level. A very good academic book and one that should be read if you are planning to implement CMM, but get a basic foundation using simpler books or training before tackling this one.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's not a book, it's a guide reference., June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Capability Maturity Model: Guidelines for Improving the Software Process (Hardcover)

This is a complete description of the Capability Maturity Model for software from SEI/CMU. The big issue of the book, and the model itself, is that it describes widely what has to be done, but no clue of how to do it. This flexibility is very good to one who has been working with the model for so long, but very hard to news fellows to interpret by themselves.