QUALITY IN SOFTWARE SECTOR AND MATURITY LEVELS:Structure of CMM

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Total Quality Management MGT510

Lesson # 28

QUALITY IN SOFTWARE SECTOR AND MATURITY LEVELS

Performance Maturity Levels

The performance maturity levels used by organizations are as follows:

Maturity

Performance level

Guidance

No formal approach

No systematic approach evident, no results, poor results or

unpredictable results.

Reactive approach

Problem- or prevention-based systematic approach;

minimum data on improvement results available.

Stable formal system

Systematic process-based approach, early stage of

approach

systematic improvements; data available on conformance

to objectives and existence of improvement trends.

Continual improvement

Improvement process in use; good results and emphasized

emphasized

sustained improvement trends.

Best-in-class performance

Strongly integrated improvement process; best-in-class

bench marked results demonstrated

Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model (CMMI) is also a generic model of quality

improvement and is focused on processes and systems related to IT/Software sector.

Capability Maturity Model (CMM) broadly refers to a process improvement approach that is based on

a process model. CMM also refers specifically to the first such model, developed by the Software

Engineering Institute (SEI) in the mid-1980s, as well as the family of process models that followed. A

process model is a structured collection of practices that describe the characteristics of effective

processes; the practices included are those proven by experience to be effective.

The Capability Maturity Model can be used to assess an organization against a scale of five process

maturity levels. Each level ranks the organization according to its standardization of processes in the

subject area being assessed. The subject areas can be as diverse as software engineering, systems

engineering, project management, risk management, system acquisition, information technology (IT)

services and personnel management.

The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a way to develop and refine an organization's processes.

The first CMM was for the purpose of developing and refining software development processes. A

maturity model is a structured collection of elements that describe characteristics of effective processes.

A maturity model provides:

a place to start

the benefit of a community's prior experiences

a common language and a shared vision

a framework for prioritizing actions

a way to define what improvement means for your organization

A maturity model can be used as a benchmark for assessing different organizations for equivalent

comparison. It describes the maturity of the company based upon the project the company is dealing

with and the clients.

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Total Quality Management MGT510

Structure of CMM

Maturity Levels

A layered framework providing a progression to the discipline needed to

engage in continuous improvement (It is important to state here that an organization develops the ability

to assess the impact of a new practice, technology, or tool on their activity. Hence it is not a matter of

adopting these; rather it is a matter of determining how innovative efforts influence existing practices.

This really empowers projects, teams, and organizations by giving them the foundation to support

reasoned choice.)

Key Process Areas

Key process area (KPA) identifies a cluster of related activities that, when

performed collectively, achieve a set of goals considered important.

Goals The goals of a key process area summarize the states that must exist for that key process area to

have been implemented in an effective and lasting way. The extent to which the goals have been

accomplished is an indicator of how much capability the organization has established at that maturity

level. The goals signify the scope, boundaries, and intent of each key process area.

Common Features

Common features include practices that implement and institutionalize a key

process area. These five types of common features include: Commitment to Perform, Ability to

Perform, Activities Performed, Measurement and Analysis, and Verifying Implementation.

Key Practices The key practices describe the elements of infrastructure and practice that contribute

most effectively to the implementation and institutionalization of the key process areas.

Levels of the CMM

There are five levels of the CMM. According to the SEI,

Level 1 - Initial

At maturity level 1, processes are usually ad hoc and the organization usually does not provide a stable

environment. Success in these organizations depends on the competence and heroics of the people in the

organization and not on the use of proven processes. In spite of this ad hoc, chaotic environment,

maturity level 1 organizations often produce products and services that work; however, they frequently

exceed the budget and schedule of their projects.

Maturity level 1 organizations are characterized by a tendency to over commit, abandon processes in the

time of crisis, and not be able to repeat their past successes again.

Level 1 software project success depends on having high quality people.

Level 2 Repeatable

At maturity level 2, software development successes are repeatable. The processes may not repeat for all

the projects in the organization. The organization may use some basic project management to track cost

and schedule.

Process discipline helps ensure that existing practices are retained during times of stress. When these

practices are in place, projects are performed and managed according to their documented plans.

Project status and the delivery of services are visible to management at defined points (for example, at

major milestones and at the completion of major tasks).

Basic project management processes are established to track cost, schedule, and functionality. The

minimum process discipline is in place to repeat earlier successes on projects with similar applications

and scope. There is still a significant risk of exceeding cost and time estimates.

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Total Quality Management MGT510

Level 3 Defined

The organization's set of standard processes, which is the basis for level 3, is established and improved

over time. These standard processes are used to establish consistency across the organization. Projects

establish their defined processes by the organization's set of standard processes according to tailoring

guidelines.

The organization's management establishes process objectives based on the organization's set of

standard processes and ensures that these objectives are appropriately addressed.

A critical distinction between level 2 and level 3 is the scope of standards, process descriptions, and

procedures. At level 2, the standards, process descriptions, and procedures may be quite different in

each specific instance of the process (for example, on a particular project). At level 3, the standards,

process descriptions, and procedures for a project are tailored from the organization's set of standard

processes to suit a particular project or organizational unit.

Level 4 - Managed

Using precise measurements, management can effectively control the software development effort. In

particular, management can identify ways to adjust and adapt the process to particular projects without

measurable losses of quality or deviations from specifications. Organizations at this level set

quantitative quality goals for both software process and software maintenance.

Sub processes are selected that significantly contribute to overall process performance. These selected

sub processes are controlled using statistical and other quantitative techniques.

A critical distinction between maturity level 3 and maturity level 4 is the predictability of process

performance. At maturity level 4, the performance of processes is controlled using statistical and other

quantitative techniques, and is quantitatively predictable. At maturity level 3, processes are only

qualitatively predictable.

Level 5 - Optimizing

Maturity level 5 focuses on continually improving process performance through both incremental and

innovative technological improvements. Quantitative process-improvement objectives for the

organization are established, continually revised to reflect changing business objectives, and used as

criteria in managing process improvement. The effects of deployed process improvements are measured

and evaluated against the quantitative process-improvement objectives. Both the defined processes and

the organization's set of standard processes are targets of measurable improvement activities.

Process improvements to address common causes of process variation and measurably improve the

organization's processes are identified, evaluated, and deployed. Optimizing processes that are nimble,

adaptable and innovative depends on the participation of an empowered workforce aligned with the

business values and objectives of the organization. The organization's ability to rapidly respond to

changes and opportunities is enhanced by finding ways to accelerate and share learning.

A critical distinction between maturity level 4 and maturity level 5 is the type of process variation

addressed. At maturity level 4, processes are concerned with addressing special causes of process

variation and providing statistical predictability of the results. Though processes may produce

predictable results, the results may be insufficient to achieve the established objectives. At maturity

level 5, processes are concerned with addressing common causes of process variation and changing the

process (that is, shifting the mean of the process performance) to improve process performance (while

maintaining statistical probability) to achieve the established quantitative process-improvement

objectives.

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