The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a five-level framework that describes the evolution of an organization’s software process maturity. CMMI Capability Maturity Model Integration describes a framework to implement it. It is often used as a benchmark for recognizing software process improvement. In this blog, we will take an in-depth look at the CMM and how it can be applied to management studies.
What is the Capability Maturity Model?
The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a process improvement approach that provides a framework for developing and sustaining repeatable process improvements. The model describes five levels of process maturity, each level representing an increasing degree of process discipline and capability. The CMM was originally developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) to improve software development processes, but it has since been adopted in other disciplines such as project management, product development, and IT service management.
The Different Levels of the Capability Maturity Model
There are five different levels to the Capability Maturity Model: Initial, Repeatable, Defined, Managed, and Optimizing. Each level builds on the previous one, and each successive level requires greater organizational commitment and effort to achieve.
The Initial Level is characterized by ad hoc processes and little formalization. There is little or no management of processes, and no real understanding of what processes are being followed. The Repeatable Level begins to address these issues by establishing more formalized processes. These processes are documented and followed more consistently, but there is still no real management or understanding of them.
The Defined Level represents a major breakthrough in process management. At this level, all processes are well-defined and documented. There is a clear understanding of how these processes fit together to achieve the organization’s goals. The Managed Level takes process management to the next level by introducing quantitative methods for monitoring and controlling process performance.
Finally, The Optimizing Level represents a state of continuous improvement in which organizations continually strive to improve their process performance. This requires a deep understanding of the processes being used and how they can be improved.
A CMMI Level 5 also enables the definition of the maturity of an organization in embracing new challenges. The New CMMI models are also integrated with various newer concepts of development like Agile and DevOps. Though CMMI represents the maturity of the process, it has a direct representation of the product life cycle as well. A CMMI Level 5 Organization is believed to be better in delivery, and risk management and helps in better negotiations of external threats. Basically, CMMI is an appreciation to the strong processes and the values built in an organization.
What is Staged Representation and Continuous Representation in CMMI
| Staged Representation | Continuous Representation |
| The improvement path is based on a set of pre-defined process areas. | Lets you choose certain process areas. |
| Improvements are made in a certain order, with each part laying the groundwork for the next. | uses capability levels to measure how each process area is getting better. |
| The improvement path is based on the level of maturity. | Continuous CMMI representation makes it possible to compare different organizations’ performance in each process area. |
| The organization’s level of maturity is shown by its maturity level. | Lets organizations figure out which processes need more work. |
| Staged CMMI representation lets different organizations with different levels of maturity be compared. |
Pros and Cons of the Capability Maturity Model
Since the early 1990s, the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) has been a popular framework for assessing and improving the software development process. CMM was originally developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University and later adapted for use in other industries such as systems engineering and product development.
The CMM model describes a five-level maturity scale, from Level 1 (initial or ad hoc) to Level 5 (optimizing). Organizations typically use CMM as a self-assessment tool, to identify areas where their processes need improvement. Some companies also use CMM as a basis for choosing vendors or contractors; all else being equal, they may prefer to work with organizations that have achieved a higher level of maturity.
There are some criticisms of CMM, however. Some people believe that the model is too rigid and prescriptive and that it leads to excessive documentation and bureaucracy. Others argue that the model does not adequately address the role of people and culture in organizational success. Nonetheless, CMM remains a widely used tool for assessing and improving process maturity.
How to Implement the Capability Maturity Model in Your Organization
The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a process improvement approach that can be used by organizations to improve their performance and maturity levels. CMM has been found to be particularly effective in the management of software development projects. CMMI for development has allowed the transformation of smaller organizations to challenge larger software companies. In this blog post, we will discuss how to implement the CMM in your organization.
The first step in implementing the CMM is to establish a baseline for your current process. This will involve documenting your current processes and procedures, and assessing where they fall on the CMMI maturity levels. Once you have a baseline, you can begin working toward improving your processes and procedures.
There are five core process areas in CMMI:
1. Processes: Establishing and maintaining process discipline within your organization.
2. Practices: Applying best practices to your project processes.
3. People: Building an effective team of skilled and motivated individuals.
4. Tools: Using appropriate tools and technologies to support your project processes.
5. Environment: Creating an organizational environment that supports process improvement.
Each of these areas contains a set of detailed activities that must be carried out in order to improve your organization’s performance
Changes in CMMI V 1.3 to CMMI V2.0
| V 1.3 | V 2.0 |
| Earlier was known as Process Areas | Process Areas replaced by practice Areas |
| No Decomposition of Core and Context Specificity | Each PA is composed of a core and is context specific |
| Some Practices were “Expected” to be complied | All Practices are now compulsory to comply |
| No mention of Governance and Implementation Infrastructure | The new area named Governance and Implementation infrastructure defined |
What do various levels of Capability mean in CMMI assessment?
Maturity Level 1 – “Initial”
- Things aren’t managed or controlled well.
- Processes with results that are hard to predict.
- A haphazard and ad hoc method was used.
- There are no Key Process Areas (KPAs) set up.
- Worst quality and most dangerous.
Maturity level 2: “Managed”
- Requirements are managed.
- Things are planned and kept under control.
- Projects are managed and carried out according to the plans that have been written down.
- This risk is lower than it was at the start, but it still exists.
- The quality is better than the level at the start.
Maturity Level 3: “Defined”
- Processes are well defined and described with the help of standards, correct procedures, methods, tools, etc.
- The quality is average and the risk is average.
- Process standardization is the main goal.
Maturity Level 4: “Quantitively Managed”
- Quantitative goals for performance and quality of the process are set.
- Quantitative goals are based on what the customer wants, what the organization needs, and so on.
- Quantitative analysis is used to look at process performance measures.
- The quality of the processes goes up.
- Lower risk
Maturity Level 5: “Optimized”
- Improving processes and how well they work all the time.
- Improvement must be both small steps and new ideas.
- Processes with the best quality.
- The least risk in processes and how they work.
Case Studies of Companies that Have Used the Capability Maturity Model
The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a tool that can be used by organizations to assess their progress along the software development process improvement continuum. There are five levels in the CMM model, each representing a higher level of maturity. In this blog, we will take a look at cases of three companies that have used the CMM model and have achieved success as a result.
United Airlines
In 1989, United Airlines was one of the first companies to adopt the CMM model. The company was facing many challenges at the time, including a large number of software development projects that were behind schedule and over budget. By using the CMMI for Services, United Airlines was able to assess where they were in its software development process and put together a plan to improve. As a result of their efforts, United Airlines was able to reduce the number of late projects by 40% and save millions of dollars.
Dynanet
In the 2019 CMMI V2.0 Performance Report, Dynanet was one of the early adopters of CMMI V2.0 allowing them to outpace its competition and create a substantial competitive advantage By putting CMMI V2.0 into place, Dynanet was able to do the following:
- The average number of high-priority bugs found within 30 days of a quarterly software release went down by 92%.
- The accuracy of effort estimates went up by 64%.
- The rate of all software bugs found from beta testing through the warranty period went down by 52%.
- The amount of time it took to answer questions about possible bugs went down by 41%.
Alternatives to the Capability Maturity Model
Over the past few decades, the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) has been the gold standard for measuring an organization’s maturity level in terms of its ability to manage software development projects. However, there are a number of alternatives to the CMM that have been developed in recent years.
One such alternative is the people capability maturity model (PCMM), which was developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). The PCMM focuses on the people aspects of software development, such as team structure, roles and responsibilities, skills and training, and communication.
Another alternative is the agile capability maturity model (ACMM), which was developed by the Agile Alliance. The ACMM takes a more holistic approach to software development, considering not only technical aspects but also business goals and customer needs.
Finally, there is the DevOps capability maturity model (DCMM), which Puppet Labs developed. The DCMM focuses on the continuous delivery of software products and services, considering both technical and cultural aspects.
Conclusion
The Capability Maturity Model is a tool that can be used by management students to improve their understanding of organizations. By using this model, students can learn how to effectively manage an organization and its resources. Additionally, the Capability Maturity Model can help students identify areas where they need to further develop their skills. Finally, CMMI appraisals are required for organizations to be labeled as CMMI Compliant.
Samrat is a Delhi-based MBA from the Indian Institute of Management. He is a Strategy, AI, and Marketing Enthusiast and passionately writes about core and emerging topics in Management studies. Reach out to his LinkedIn for a discussion or follow his Quora Page