What is CMMI® ?
- The Capability Maturity Model® Integration project work is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA).
CMMI® is:
- A DoD-sponsored initiative designed to integrate the proliferation of models (e.g., SW- CMM® , SE-CMM® , IPD-CMM® ).
- Developed by a joint DoD, industry, and academic team.
A model focused on Integrated Product and Process Development.
An ENTERPRISE approach (Program Management, Systems, Hardware and Software Engineering
Worldwide Adoption
The SEI® is excited about the response that organizations around the world are having to the CMMI® Product Suite. CMMI® is being adopted worldwide, including North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa. This kind of response has substantiated the SEI's commitment to the CMMI® models and the Standard CMMI® Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI℠).
SCAMPI℠ incorporates the best ideas of several process-improvement appraisal methods. The SCAMPI℠ Class A method is being used successfully by many organizations. The emerging SCAMPI℠ Class B and Class C methods will extend the suite of SCAMPI℠ methods. For more information about SCAMPI℠, see CMMI® Appraisals.
Benefits of Process Improvement
The following are some of the benefits and business reasons for implementing process improvement:
• The quality of a system is highly influenced by the quality of the process used to acquire, develop, and maintain it.
• Process improvement increases product and service quality as organizations apply it to achieve their business objectives.
• Process improvement objectives are aligned with business objectives.
Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI®) is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes. It can be used to guide process improvement across a project, a division, or an entire organization. CMMI® helps integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes.
This page points you to places where you can find more information about CMMI® , and describes the worldwide adoption and benefits of CMMI® .
CMMI® Information Sources
Before you begin applying CMMI® to your organization, collect information about it. The CMMI® Overview presentation provides a good summary of CMMI® and the Adoption page is a good starting point for finding information most relevant to your situation.
The Adoption page contains information about CMMI® -related conferences and events, online forums, presentations, mappings, and written publications. Consider bookmarking the Getting Started and Adoption pages to help you develop your process improvement program.
CMMI® Benefits
The CMMI® Product Suite is at the forefront of process improvement because it provides the latest best practices for product and service development and maintenance. The CMMI® models improve the best practices of previous models in many important ways. CMMI® best practices enable organizations to do the following:
• more explicitly link management and engineering activities to their business objectives
• expand the scope of and visibility into the product lifecycle and engineering activities to ensure that the product or service meets customer expectations
• incorporate lessons learned from additional areas of best practice (e.g., measurement, risk management, and supplier management)
• implement more robust high-maturity practices
• address additional organizational functions critical to their products and services
• more fully comply with relevant ISO standards
