CMMI(R) Distilled: A Practical Introduction to Integrated Process Improvement (2nd Edition) (The SEI Series in Software Engineering) (Paperback)

by Dennis M. Ahern (Author), Aaron Clouse (Author), Richard Turner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Book Info
Text introduces integrated process improvement, describes the work of the CMMI team, offers practical guidance in the use of the CMMI products, and presents some thoughts on the future of CMMI. Previous edition: c2001. Softcover. DLC: Capability maturity model (Computer software).

From the Inside Flap

This book is about a new way of approaching process improvement for engineering development. Process improvement is a generally well-understood and accepted means of achieving quality and productivity gains for software development, and the recognition of its importance for other engineering disciplines is growing. The success and wide adoption of the Capability Maturity Model for Softwareâ has led to increased development of similar models in disciplines other than software. The resulting adoption of multiple models in engineering organizations has led to conflicts in process improvement goals and techniques, considerable increases in required training, and confusion on the part of practitioners as to which of the various models applies to their specific needs.

The Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) project, an ongoing effort by Industry, the US Government, and the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Mellon University, is attempting to address this situation. Started in 1998, CMMI is an effort to codify the tenets of model-based process improvement and provide a single, integrated framework for improving engineering processes in organizations that span several disciplines. By integrating the tools and techniques used to improve individual engineering disciplines, both the quality and the efficiency of organizational process improvement are enhanced.

In the last quarter of the year 2000, after extensive stakeholder review and piloting, the first official CMMI products were released. The models provide the user a choice of single or integrated disciplines and a choice of a staged or continuous representation. There is a wealth of engineering and process improvement information in the models including clear goals and extensive guidance on the best practices to achieve them. Most importantly, there is a well-defined framework by which additional disciplines may be brought into the product suite so that the development of incompatible models can be minimized in the future.

The book has a three-fold purpose. First, we intend to help organizations understand how an integrated approach to process improvement can help mature their technical and management processes. Second, to support this integrated approach, we will present a new set of tools developed by the CMMI project specifically designed for multi-discipline process improvement. Finally, we will provide practical guidance in the selection and use of those tools. The guidance is based on lessons learned from organizations who have adopted integrated process improvement, as well as the knowledge and experience gained from the hundreds of professionals involved in the development of the CMMI product suite.

The book is intended for executives, middle managers, team leaders, acquisition specialists, process improvement champions and the often overlooked and overworked process improvement practitioners. Executives, who may have deferred process improvement because the scope of their business exceeded the boundaries of a single model, will find an approach and tools to mitigate their concerns. Middle managers and team leaders will find information on the impact of process improvement on their responsibilities and the cross-discipline nature of their environments. Process improvement champions will find the means to enlarge their base of support and focus their efforts in a way that increases the chances of adoption and success. And finally, those who are charged with implementing the process improvement will find help in applying models in the real world. It is our hope that when unsuspecting project and program managers are instructed to "implement that CMMI stuff," this book will provide sufficient information to save both their careers and their sanity.

While applicable to any organization involved with rigorous, time-critical development of complex systems, the book will be of special interest to system developers and systems integrators who supply the United States government. The US government has participated in the CMMI development work, thereby supporting the efforts of its suppliers (both external and internal) to improve process performance. In October of 1999, the US Department of Defense established the requirement that its large program development contractors demonstrate full compliance with a maturity level 3 as measured by the Software CMM (or equivalent). More recently, it has indicated its intention to have CMMI-SE/SW identified as an equivalent evaluation tool. With the considerable interest at all levels in adding the acquisition discipline to CMMI, the authors feel that the application of CMMI to improving government system acquisition organizations is likely as well.

The book is divided into four major parts.

The first part introduces integrated process improvement and provides rationale for such an approach. This material is both a primer for the novice and ammunition to gain management support for the process improvement champion. There is general guidance as well as specific hints on implementation, including pointers to support the migration from legacy process improvement activities and accomplishments. This part also provides case studies and lessons learned from the pioneering organizations that have literally blazed the trail toward integrated process improvement. We should note that if you wished to start your reading with the details of CMMI, you could save this first part for review at a later time.

The second part describes the work of the CMMI project. The philosophy, architecture, and models of CMMI products are presented, and examples of the models are annotated in detail to provide a better understanding of their contents. This section also includes much of the rationale for specific CMMI decisions and help in navigating the rather daunting CMMI models.

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