CMM - Capability Maturity Model

CMM -Capability Maturity Model definition.

Capability Maturity Model (CMM). - A description of the stages through which software organizations evolve as they define, implement, measure, control and improve their software processes. The model is a guide for selecting the process improvement strategies by facilitating the determination of current process capabilities and identification of the issues most critical to software quality and process improvement. [SEI/CMU-93-TR-25]

How is Capability Maturity Model organized?

CMM Level CMM Focus CMM Key process areas
CMM level 1- Initial Heroes ----
CMM level 2 - Repeatable Project management 1. Software Project Planning
2. Software Project Tracking and Oversight
3. Software Subcontract management
4. Software Quality Assurance
5. Software Configuration management
6. Requirements management
CMM level 3 - Defined Engineering Process 1. Organization Process Focus;
2. Organization Process Definition;
3. Peer Reviews;
4. Training Program;
5. Intergroup Coordination;
6. Software Product Engineering;
7. Integrated Software managements;
CMM level 4 - Managed ---- 1. Software Quality management
2. Quantitative Process management
CMM level 5- Optimizing ---- 1. Process Change Management
2. Technology Change Management
3. Defect Prevention

The development of the Software Capability Maturity Model (CMM) was undertaken at Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute (SEI) beginning in 1986 under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Defence.

The CMM was initially created as a tool that could be used by the Department of Defence to evaluate and measure the quality of contractors bidding to develop complex software-based systems for them.

Auditors from outside the organization who want confirmed levels of capability in order to do business better conduct the formal CMM evaluation process of peer reviews, software product engineering, software configuration management, software quality assurance, software testing, requirements management, process change management, technology change management, defect prevention, quantitative process management, integrated software management and organization process definition.

Check your understanding of CMM by answering the following questions:

  • What is the Capability Maturity Model (CMM)?
  • What is CMM and CMMI? What is the difference?
  • What is the idea of a test process in CMM?
  • What is CMMI and what's the advantage of implementing it in an organization?
  • What's the difference between implementation and institutionalization?
  • What are different models in CMMI?
  • Can you explain staged and continuous models in CMMI?
  • How is appraisal done in CMMI?
  • Which appraisal method class is best?
  • Can you explain implementation of CMMI in one of the Key process areas?
  • Why is it important to improve a test process?
  • How to evaluate the current status of a test process?
  • Describe the CMM as a framework for evaluating and improving the present capability of a software development company.
  • Compare TPI (test process improvement) model, TMM (testing maturity model) and CMM (capability maturity model) for to evaluating a testing process.
  • Compare Six Sigma maturity model that is frequently adopted by organizations with CMM (capability maturity model)
  • Can you explain the different maturity levels in a staged representation?
  • Can you explain capability levels in a continuous representation?
  • Which model should we use and under what scenarios?
  • How many process areas are present in CMMI and what classification do they fall in?
  • Can you define all the levels in CMMI?
  • What different sources are needed to verify authenticity for CMMI implementation?
    Useful book about CMM and CMMI:
    Jumpstart CMM/CMMI Software Process Improvements: Using IEEE Software Engineering Standards By Susan K. Land , 2005.

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    Other Testing Maturity models:
  • Testability Maturity Model (TMM)
  • Software Testing Maturity Model (SW-TMM)
  • Test Process Improvement (TPI)
  • Test Organization Maturity (TOM)
  • Testing Assessment Program (TAP)
  • Proposed Evaluation & Test SW-CMM
  • Key Process Areas (SW-CMM KPA)

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