Implementing the Capability Maturity Model (Hardcover)

by James R. Persse (Author) "The PC revolution of the early 1980s only aggravated the quality problems within the IT community, so much so that the situation was now becoming..." (more)
Key Phrases: staff assignment form, software process improvement plan, designated software work products, Organization Process Definition, Software Engineering Process Group, Capability Maturity Model (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...The book is a useful introduction to CMM..." -- CVu, June 2002

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

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

Product Description
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.

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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 (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #434,037 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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 (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

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 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 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.