What is CMMI?
CMMI is a collection of best practices used by software, hardware, IT development, and service organizations to improve their cost, schedule and quality results. It is organized into a roadmap that can be implemented incrementally over time.
Useful links
- CMMI for Development Summary
- CMMI for Services Summary
- Changes from CMMI V1.3 to V2.0
- Formal and informal CMMI appraisals
- Custom appraisals using your criteria
- CMMI for Development resource page
- CMMI for Services resource page
- Integration with Agile/PMBOK
The CMMI-SVC model is a collection of practices for service providers. Examples of service organizations that can use CMMI-SVC are:
- Maintenance (of products, systems, facilities)
- Human resources
- Health care
- IT services
- Logistics
When and why to use CMMI-SVC?
The purpose of using any framework is to improve the performance of an organization. For a group that provides services, this can include: reducing the amount of errors in services provided, reducing the labor needed to provide each service, improving coordination and consistency of service delivery, reducing the risk of mistakes and surprises, and maintaining improvement gains made over time.
A summary of the CMMI-SVC model is provided below.
The benefits from using CMMI Level 2 and 3 practices are to:
- Clarify customer service requirements early
- Scope, plan, estimate and negotiate service work to manage expectations and achieve commitments
- Track progress to know work status at any time
- Maintain defined quality standards throughout the organization and report strengths and problems to management
- Manage versions of documents, consumables and components so that time is not wasted using incorrect versions or recreating lost versions
- Manage and coordinate multiple teams that have cross dependencies
- Employ practices for capacity planning, incidence resolution, service creation and service continuity across the organization
- Look for new service opportunities and create services to satisfy those needs
- Collect lessons learned and team data to systematically improve future organizational performance
Which CMMI Version Should You Use?
Here is our guidance for which version to use:
| Your Situation | Our Recommendation |
| Starting out with CMMI | Use 2.0 |
| Want a lighter weight model to use that focuses the organization on improvement with required management support written into the model | Use 2.0 |
| Renewing an appraisal rating >= 4Q2020 (V1.3 will sunset 30 September 2020) | Use 2.0 |
| Renewing an appraisal rating <= 2Q2019 | Use 1.3 |
| Renewing an appraisal rating between 3Q2019 and 3Q2020 | Use 1.3 or 2.0 |
Summary
There are two versions of the CMMI available for both Development and Services, the legacy 1.3 version and the new 2.0 version. V2.0 was released in 2018. V1.3 expires at the end of September 2020.
When used correctly, both provide the same benefits of performance improvement. The difference is that V2.0 explicitly states that performance should be measured and improved, and includes a specific set of practices (the GOVernance practice area) to help senior management lead the way. The picture below shows a simple comparison of the two models.
Click on picture to enlarge
See link: Improving Capability and Performance With CMMI V2.0 — What Has Changed?
The Process Areas / Practice Areas (PA) are summarized below.
Service Delivery (was SD, now SDM): Deliver services in accordance with service agreements. Prepare, execute and improve.
Requirements Management (was REQM, now RDM): a) Define the services of the group, b) trace defined services to team activities, c) verify that resources, service definition and actual work done match.
Work Planning (was WP, now PLAN and EST): Establish and maintain plans (major tasks, estimates, risks and resources) for service work.
Work Monitoring and Control (was WMC, now MC): Understand the group’s progress so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken when performance deviates significantly from the plan.
Supplier Agreement Management (still SAM): Manage the acquisition of products and services from suppliers. This Process Area can be declared Not Applicable (after discussion with the appraiser) if there are no custom, risky, or integrated suppliers.
Measurement and Analysis (was MA, now MPM): Develop and sustain a measurement capability that is used to support management information needs.
Process and Product Quality Assurance (was PPQA, now PQA): Provide staff and management with objective insight into processes and associated work products.
Configuration Management (still CM): Establish and maintain the integrity of work products using configuration identification (labelling), configuration control (known modifications and permission to modify), configuration status accounting (final status of work products), and configuration audits (checks to verify changes).
Capacity and Availability Management (was CAM, now in PLAN, MC and MPM): Ensure effective service system performance and ensure that resources are provided and used effectively to support service requirements.
Incident Resolution and Prevention (still IRP): Ensure timely and effective resolution of service incidents and prevention of service incidents as appropriate.
Service System Transition (was SST, now in SDM and CM): Deploy new or significantly changed service system components while managing their effect on ongoing service delivery.
Service Continuity (was SCON, now CONT): Establish and maintain plans to ensure continuity of services during and following any significant disruption of normal operations.
Service System Development (was SSD, now parts are in RDM, PR and VV): Analyze, design, develop, integrate, verify, and validate service systems, including service system components, to satisfy existing or anticipated service agreements. [This is an optional Process Area.]
Strategic Service Management (still STSM): Establish and maintain standard services in concert with strategic needs and plans.
Organizational Process Focus (was OPF, now PCM): Coordinate improvements. Take what is learned at the team level and organize and deploy this information across the organization. The result is that all teams improve faster from the positive and negative lessons of others.
Organizational Process Definition (was OPD, now PAD): Organize best practices and historical data into a useful and usable library.
Organizational Training (still OT): Assess, prioritize and deploy training across the organization, including domain-specific, technology and process skills needed to reduce errors and improve team efficiency.
Integrated Work Management (was IWM, now PLAN and MC): Perform work planning using company defined best practices and tailoring guidelines. Use organizational historical data for estimation. Identify dependencies and stakeholders for coordination, and comprehend this information into a master schedule or overall work plan.
As work progresses, coordinate all key stakeholders. Use thresholds to trigger corrective action (such as schedule and effort deviation metrics).
Risk Management (was RSKM, now RSK): Assess and prioritize all types of risks in a project and develop mitigation actions for the highest priority ones. Start by considering a predefined list of common risks and use a method for setting priorities.
Decision Analysis and Resolution (still DAR): Systematically select from alternative options using criteria, prioritization and an evaluation method.
Causal Analysis and Resolution (CAR): Was at Level 5, now a simpler implementation starts at Level 3.
* Information source = CMMI® for Services, Version 1.3
- Condensed list of CMMI V1.3 Level 2 + 3 practices: http://www.processgroup.com/condensed-cmmi1p3-svc-v1.pdf
- Full CMMI V1.3 model text: http://cmmiinstitute.com/resources/cmmi-services-version-13
- CMMI V2.0 Condensed list of practices: PDF — account registration required
- CMMI V2.0 full model text: Web viewer + PDF option — account registration needed + fee
The Process Group is a CMMI Partner
The Process Group helps you improve your organization's capability to routinely meet deadlines and delivery quality expectations. We are certified CMMI appraisers / trainers and Certified Scrum Masters. 
