Implementing the Capability Maturity Model [Hardcover]

James R. Persse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 2001 | ISBN-10: 047141834X | ISBN-13: 978-0471418344 | Edition: 1

Practical guidelines for an effective implementation of software development processes
Designed to ensure effective software development processes, the Capability Maturity Model (CMM)--North America's leading standard for software development--requires companies to complete five steps, or levels, in the development process. But while it is widely adopted by Fortune 500 companies, many others get stuck at the initial planning stage. Focusing on Levels 2 and 3 of the CMM, this book helps readers to get over the hurdle of the two most problematic areas in this process--the project management and software development steps. It offers clear, step-by-step guidance on how to establish basic project management processes to track costs, schedules, and functionality; how to document, standardize, and integrate software processes; and how to improve software quality.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Unlike other books by practitioners, this book has a useful list of reference." (Managing Service Quality)

From the Back Cover

A step-by-step guide to implementing Levels 2 and 3 of the Capability Maturity Model

The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is currently the leading quality improvement standard in North America for software development. Built on a series of five maturity levels, the CMM is founded on a philosophy of gradual progression and continuous improvement. It was designed specifically for the software engineering process, making it easier and more cost-effective to implement than other process models.

James Persse has written a practical guide on instituting the recommendations in the CMM for Levels 2 and 3, which will take you to a sustainable level of software process quality. The text provides examples of practical CMM-compliant process outlines, plan templates, breakdowns of resources, and reviews of the policies the CMM suggests you formulate within your organization.

Divided into four parts, this valuable resource offers you:
* A discussion of each level of the five-level model and how each Key Process Area is built on common elements
* Detailed recommendations for building a Level 2 compliant process improvement program
* Clear explanations on how to move from operating as a Level 2 organization to operating under Level 3 guidelines
* The best ways to implement CMM in your organization and how to ensure the most beneficial outcome

The companion Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/persse contains downloadable forms, reports, and process descriptions.

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Visit the companion Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/persse

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047141834X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471418344
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #898,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear roadmap to levels 2 and 3, June 24, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: Implementing the Capability Maturity Model (Hardcover)

The author of this excellent book give a realistic roadmap to achieving CMM levels 2 and 3, which are major hurdles in capability maturity, especially level 2 from a culture-shock point of view.

What makes this book realistic is the way you're lead through the important steps, with a complete focus on what it takes instead of theory. The book starts off with an obligatory overview of the CMM, but quickly segues into the steps needed to attain level 2 (repeatable), which are creating the structures, processes, training program and policies. While each of these are important, I especially like the inclusion of policies because they are necessary to codify goals and are frequently overlooked. This section also includes subcontractor management, which is important for aligning those with whom you are using on projects with your own organizational capabilities. This makes sense because if your organization is repeatable and your subcontractor(s) aren't, then you either need to go shopping for more compatible subcontractors, or get dragged back into ad hoc approaches.

The same approach to graduating to level 3 is used, with slight changes. In the section that covers level 3 the first topic is about focusing on organizational process improvement, followed by an in-depth chapter on defining organization processes. These reflect the key changes between level 2's repeatable goals and level 3's focus on defined processes. After these are clearly and completely explained the same formula - structures, processes, training program and policies - is addressed for level 3.

Following the steps to get to levels 2 and 3, the next section is centered on implementation and assessment. This section prepares you for the assessment process itself, and offers excellent advice on how to get through it. Additional information of value is provided in appendices B (Annotated Level 2 Preassessment Questionnaire) and C (Samples of Level 2 Policies), both of which are provided in PDF format from the book's associated web site.

One key question that needs to be answered: Which is better, this book or CMM Implementation Guide: Choreographing Software Process Improvement by Kim Caputo? My opinion is that both books are equally important and both should be read because they cover two different aspects of attaining CMM levels 2 and above. This book concerns itself with the nuts and bolts of processes, where Caputo's book is more focused on organizational change. I recommend both books, and think that they nicely complement each other.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good book for process engineers, February 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Implementing the Capability Maturity Model (Hardcover)

This is a pretty interesting book as it has step by step instructions and guidelines for implementing the CMM up to level 3. If your organization is in a chaotic mode, here is a good place to start to see what to fix first. Also includes a set of example policies and procedures which can be modified to fit your needs.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Information-packed reference that lives up to its title, March 18, 2005

By 

Ray Rosenblatt (Clifton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Implementing the Capability Maturity Model (Hardcover)

This book provides a very thorough treatment of all the Key Process Areas (KPA's), the organizational goals, structures, activities, policies, and training that you will need to address in order to attain CMM levels 2 and 3. In addition, an appendix provides a valuable level-2 preassessment questionnaire (150+ questions) that you can use to gauge your readiness for a real appraisal. For people who may be wondering about getting into the CMM but have never actually been exposed to this sort of stuff before, this questionnaire alone should be worth the price of the book. It is certain to be a major eye-opener in terms of conveying the CMM's almost daunting reach into so many different factors that it identifies with software process improvement. (And that's just level 2!)

The SEI's (Software Engineering Institute) Capability Maturity Model "Guidelines" book has been around for many years, and is considered the definitive guide (in book-form) for the CMM. Nevertheless that book will tell you only what's expected of you, but leave you hanging when it comes to how you actually do it. Dr. Persse on the other hand fills in a wealth of much-needed detail. The SEI may have given us the "business requirements", but Persse provides the "detailed development spec".

Although I would definitely recommend this book, I still believe it could have been greatly enhanced by a few well-placed visuals. For example, having now finished reading through the seven KPA's of level 3, I can visualize the Training KPA as a parallel KPA whose purpose is to educate the organization about the other six. Of these other six KPA's, Organization Process Focus establishes the prerequisite foundation for Organization Process Definition which, in turn, establishes the prerequisite foundation for the remaining four KPA's. Although this relationship unfolds as you read the text, I found myself going back and re-reading sections in order to clarify that image in my mind. A simple introductory visual would have allowed me to nail this important relationship early on.

Visuals notwithstanding, I believe the book deserves five stars for delivering exactly what its title advertises (keyword "implementing"), and for doing so with a thorough, clear, and well-organized presentation.