CMMI Distilled: A Practical Introduction to Integrated Process Improvement

334 Pages·2008·4.17 MB·English

by  Dennis M. Ahern

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CMMI® Distilled: A Practical Introduction to Integrated Process Improvement,
Third Edition
by Dennis M. Ahern; Aaron Clouse; Richard Turner
Publisher: Addison Wesley Professional
Pub Date: May 02, 2008
Print ISBN-10: 0-321-46108-8
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-321-46108-7
eText ISBN-10: 0-321-56427-8
eText ISBN-13: 978-0-321-56427-6
Pages: 288
Table of Contents
| Index
Copyright
List of Figures
Preface
Part I: Integrated Process Improvement
Chapter 1. Why Integrated Process Improvement?
Section 1.1. Business Objectives and Process Improvement
Section 1.2. The Engineering Environment of the Twenty-First Century
Section 1.3. Evolving Engineering Approaches
Section 1.4. A Proliferation of Models and Standards
Section 1.5. The Benefits of Integrated Process Improvement
Section 1.6. Conclusions
Chapter 2. Implementing Continuous Improvement
Section 2.1. Driving Business Performance
Section 2.2. Elements of Continuous Improvement
Section 2.3. Five Keys for Continuous Improvement
Section 2.4. Management of Continuous Improvement Activities
Section 2.5. Everyone Understands and Participates
Section 2.6. Pearls of Wisdom
Part II: The CMMI Models
Chapter 3. The CMMI Concept
Section 3.1. An Overview of CMMI
Section 3.2. CMMI Objectives
Section 3.3. The Three Source Models
Section 3.4. CMMI Project Organization
Chapter 4. CMMI Content
Section 4.1. Constellations
Section 4.2. Process Areas
Section 4.3. Content Classification
Section 4.4. Required Materials
Section 4.5. Expected Materials
Section 4.6. Informative Materials
Section 4.7. Additions
Section 4.8. CMMI Model Foundation
Section 4.9. Document Map
Chapter 5. CMMI Representations
Section 5.1. Staged Models
Section 5.2. Continuous Models
Section 5.3. CMMI Model Representations
Section 5.4. Conclusion
Chapter 6. CMMI Dimensions for Measuring Improvement
Section 6.1. Capability Dimension
Section 6.2. Maturity Dimension
Section 6.3. Generic Practices in the Capability Dimension
Section 6.4. Generic Practices in the Maturity Dimension
Section 6.5. Organizational Capability Evolution
Chapter 7. CMMI Process Areas
Section 7.1. Foundation Process Areas
Section 7.2. Development Constellation
Section 7.3. Acquisition Constellation Process Areas
Section 7.4. Services Constellation Process Areas
Section 7.5. Relationships within CMMI Components
Part III: Using CMMI
Chapter 8. Picking a Representation
Section 8.1. Reasons for Liking Staged Models
Section 8.2. Reasons for Liking Continuous Models
Section 8.3. Reasons for Choosing a CMMI Representation
Chapter 9. Appraisals with CMMI
Section 9.1. Appraisal Requirements for CMMI
Section 9.2. Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement: Class A
Section 9.3. The Role of Appraisals in Continuous Improvement
Part IV: The Future of CMMI
Chapter 10. Evolving CMMI
Section 10.1. Simplifying the Model
Section 10.2. A Domain-Independent CMMI Model
Section 10.3. Collection of Issues for Beyond Version 2.1
Section 10.4. A Final Note on CMMI Evolution
Afterword
Three Selections from "A Process Improvement Songbook"
Section 1. CMMI (Norwegian Wood)
Section 2. The Team That's Level One (The House of the Rising Sun)
Section 3. I Can't Help Peer Reviewing You (I Can't Help Falling in Love with You)
Appendix A. Summary of CMMI Models
CMMI Model Foundation
Generic Goals and Generic Practices
Development Constellation
Acquisition Constellation
Services Constellation
Service Establishment and Delivery
Appendix B. References
SEI Figure Credit List
Index
Copyright
The SEI Series in Software Engineering
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as
trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim,
the designations have been printed with initial capital letters or in all capitals.
CMM, CMMI, Capability Maturity Model, Capability Maturity Modeling, Carnegie Mellon, CERT, and CERT
Coordination Center are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University.
ATAM; Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method; CMM Integration; COTS Usage-Risk Evaluation; CURE; EPIC;
Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS Based Systems; Framework for Software Product Line Practice;
IDEAL; Interim Profile; OAR; OCTAVE; Operationally Critical Threat, Asset, and Vulnerability Evaluation; Options
Analysis for Reengineering; Personal Software Process; PLTP; Product Line Technical Probe; PSP; SCAMPI;
SCAMPI Lead Appraiser; SCAMPI Lead Assessor; SCE; SEI; SEPG; Team Software Process; and TSP are service
marks of Carnegie Mellon University.
Special permission to reproduce in this book portions of CMU/SEI-2006-TR-008, CMMI for Development, Version
1.2, Copyright 2006 by Carnegie Mellon University, portions of CMU/SEI-2007-TR-017, CMMI for Acquisition,
Version 1.2, Copyright 2007 by Carnegie Mellon University, and selected figures from Introduction to CMMI
Version 1.2, Copyright 2006 by Carnegie Mellon University, is granted by the Software Engineering Institute.
SEI Figure Credit List appears on page 249.
The authors and publisher have taken care in the preparation of this book, but make no expressed or implied
warranty of any kind and assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for incidental
or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of the use of the information or programs contained
herein.
The publisher offers excellent discounts on this book when ordered in quantity for bulk purchases or special
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ahern, Dennis M.
CMMI distilled : a practical introduction to integrated process improvement /
Dennis M. Ahern, Aaron Clouse, Richard Turner.—3rd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-321-46108-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Capability maturity model (Computer software) I. Clouse, Aaron. II. Turner,
Richard, 1954- III. Title.
QA76.758.A397 2008
005.1068'5—dc22 2008008198
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by copyright, and
permission must be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval
system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
likewise. For information regarding permissions, write to:
Pearson Education, Inc.
Rights and Contracts Department
501 Boylston Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02116
Fax: [phone]
ISBN-13: 978-0-321-46108-7
Text printed in the United States on recycled paper at Courier in Stoughton, Massachusetts.
First printing, April 2008
List of Figures
Figure 2-1 Five keys for continuous improvement 33
Figure 2-2 The Six Sigma DMAIC method 40
Figure 3-1 The CMMI concept 59
Figure 3-2 Current CMMI project organization 67
Figure 4-1 Document map for the model 82
Figure 5-1 Capability level profile (simple) 86
Figure 5-2 Target profile 2 93
Figure 5-3 Target profile 3 93
Figure 5-4 Target profile 4 94
Figure 5-5 Target profile 5 95
Figure 6-1 Capability dimension 99
Figure 6-2 Building capability 101
Figure 6-3 Staged maturity levels 103
Figure 6-4 Maturity level structure 104
Figure 7-1 Process Management process area relationships 119
Figure 7-2 Organizational Process Definition context diagram 120
Figure 7-3 Organizational Process Focus context diagram 122
Figure 7-4 Organizational Process Performance context diagram 124
Figure 7-5 Organizational Innovation and Deployment context diagram 125
Figure 7-6 Organizational Training context diagram 127
Figure 7-7 Project Management process area relationships 128
Figure 7-8 Project Planning context diagram 129
Figure 7-9 Project Monitoring and Control context diagram 130
Figure 7-10 Integrated Project Management (without IPPD) context diagram 131
Figure 7-11 Integrated Project Management for IPPD context diagram 132
Figure 7-12 Quantitative Project Management context diagram 133
Figure 7-13 Risk Management context diagram 135
Figure 7-14 Requirements Management context diagram 136
Figure 7-15 Configuration Management context diagram 138
Figure 7-16 Process and Product Quality Assurance context diagram 139
Figure 7-17 Measurement and Analysis context diagram 140
Figure 7-18 Decision Analysis and Resolution context diagram 141
Figure 7-19 Causal Analysis and Resolution context diagram 143
Figure 7-20 Requirements Development context diagram 145
Figure 7-21 Technical Solution context diagram 147
Figure 7-22 Product Integration context diagram 148
Figure 7-23 Verification context diagram 150
Figure 7-24 Validation context diagram 151
Figure 7-25 Supplier Agreement Management context diagram 152
Figure 7-26 Agreement Management context diagram 155
Figure 7-27 Acquisition Requirements Development context diagram 156
Figure 7-28 Acquisition Technical Management context diagram 157
Figure 7-29 Acquisition Validation context diagram 158
Figure 7-30 Acquisition Verification context diagram 158
Figure 7-31 Solicitation and Supplier Agreement Development context diagram 160
Preface
CMMI Distilled was originally conceived as a way to introduce the CMMI Product Suite and model-based
continuous process improvement to a wide audience. Our goal was to offer a succinct, no-nonsense, minimal-
jargon, wittily written, practical guide that was less than half the weight of the "official" CMMI book. We wanted
to describe the origins of the model and give the readers some insight into how the 200-plus CMMI authors
worked (and fought) to produce it. The first edition had a good deal of "why" information, aimed at folks who
had used one of the three source models and who wanted to understand how CMMI differed from earlier
models. Of course, it also had the "what" and "how" information about CMMI Version 1.0.
The second edition coincided (roughly) with the release of CMMI Version 1.1, so it included significant changes
to the original "what" and "how" sections. At that point CMMI was no longer new and people were beginning to
move away from the source models, so we removed some of the "why" material. To reflect the broader reach of
CMMI and the need to support practitioners in acquiring sponsors for their improvement initiatives, the second
edition added material aimed at managers rather than practitioners.
CMMI content and usage continue to evolve, so now we have created a third edition, building on the legacy of
the first two. CMMI began as a tool for managing improvements in engineering development organizations, with
a focus on systems and software. In CMMI Version 1.2, this attention to engineering has been strengthened by
including explicit hardware-related information. More intriguing, however, are two new members of the CMMI
Product Suite: one for the acquirer of systems instead of the developer, and the other for service providers
instead of product builders. With these two additions, the potential scope of application for CMMI within an
organizational enterprise has broadened significantly. At the same time, CMMI is finding use outside the
traditional engineering field. For example, it has been adopted by enterprises as varied as medical facilities
seeking to improve their patient care and government entities trying to build and improve their infrastructure.
We had three primary reasons for writing the third edition of CMMI Distilled.
1. We wanted to update the book to include changes to the CMMI architecture, content, and presentation, as
well as the ongoing domain extensions to the model. The full, updated model content for version 1.2 is
covered in the same way as in our previous editions. We use the graphics from the CMMI training material
and describe the model components clearly and simply.
2. We wanted to further reduce the amount of historical information relating to the origins of CMMI. For
those who may be interested, this material is well covered in the previous editions of this book.
3. We wanted to update and expand upon the practical advice we offer for those using the model. In this
edition, we more fully address CMMI usage in tandem with Six Sigma, lean engineering, and other
continuous improvement approaches. We also discuss some of the changes to the appraisal methods;
specifically, we provide additional guidance on preparing for and managing appraisals, and on using the
appraisal results as a powerful input to improvement activities.
Those who have read the previous editions of this book will not be surprised to find that we have included yet
another literary offering (three songs) addressing CMMI and the world of continuous improvement. In fact, for
those of you who may have missed the first two editions, the earlier "literary gems" can be found on the
Pearson Web site at informit.com/aw under either "literary gems" or "superfluous material"—for some reason,
the editors were still discussing this as of publication.
And so, in recognition of the explosive growth of CMMI as a process improvement tool of choice around the
world, and having incorporated the most recent developments in the evolution of the model suite, we are
pleased and excited to present this third edition of CMMI Distilled. We hope that it will continue to help our
readers understand the CMMI Product Suite and use it wisely for their continuous improvement initiatives.
As always, we couldn't have put this third edition together without the support, wisdom, and patience of our
wonderful wives. Pam, Debbi, and Jo—we still love you the best of all!
Dennis, Aaron, and Rich
April 2008
Part I: Integrated Process Improvement
The Tower of Babel Gustave Dore (1832–1883)
© 2007 JupiterImages Corporation
In the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, God caused a construction project to fail by interrupting
communication through the creation of multiple languages. In the modern story of process improvement,
we have created multiple languages to serve various organizational disciplines through divergent process