A good first step is to visit the SEI Web site to gather information about CMMI and to review your organization's current processes. Attend CMMI training and decide when you are ready for a SCAMPI appraisal. Details about getting started with CMMI are available at
What does CMMI stand for?
CMMI stands for 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.
What is the CMMI Framework?
The CMMI Framework is the basic conceptual structure that organizes CMMI model, appraisal, and training components as well as rules and methods for generating individual CMMI models, appraisal materials, and training materials.
What is the CMMI Product Suite?
The CMMI Product Suite is a set of CMMI-related products that enables users to improve their processes. These products include CMMI models, a guidebook, SCAMPI appraisal methods, and CMMI training courses.
The best time to get help in tailoring a CMMI model correctly is in the early stages of CMMI adoption. A process improvement consultant can help you.To interpret CMMI practices, consider the overall context in which these practices are used and determine how well these practices satisfy the goals of a process area within that context. CMMI models do not imply which processes are right for the organization or project. Instead, CMMI models establish minimal criteria to meet in planning and implementing processes selected by the organization for improvement based on business objectives.
Organizations adopting CMMI must use professional judgment to interpret CMMI practices. Although process areas describe behavior that may be exhibited in any organization, practices must be interpreted using an in-depth knowledge of the CMMI model being used, the organization, the business environment, and the specific circumstances involved.
CMMI practices purposely use nonspecific phrases such as "relevant stakeholders," "as appropriate," and "as necessary" to accommodate the needs of different organizations or projects. Specific needs may also differ at various points during a project's life.
Organizations map their processes to CMMI process areas and use this mapping to track their level of conformance to the CMMI model they are using. Typically, there is not a one-to-one correspondence between the CMMI process areas and an organization's processes.
How do I interpret the model to my organization?
To get the best use of process improvement, the model or framework needs to be interpreted to suit your organizational behavior and existing methodologies. We suggest you speak to us and avail an exclusive interpretation workshop which could discuss the benefits and way ahead.
Where in CMMI are documented procedures addressed?
The concept of documented procedure is handled in CMMI models by the generic goals or GGs. Creation, presence and future upgrades of a procedure are guided by the statement “Establish and Maintain” in the generic practices.
What is the difference between Verification and Validation?
Verification ensures that you are building a product according to its requirements, specifications, and standards. For Verification, you should ask the following questions:
- Are you meeting the specified requirements?
- Are you building the product right?
Validation ensures that your product will be usable once it is in its intended environment. For Validation, you should ask the following questions:
- Are you meeting the operational need?
- Does this product meet its intended use in the intended environment?
- Are you building the right product?
