Learning About CMMI V2.0 (Capability Maturity Model Integration)

The Process Group is a CMMI Institute certified provider of appraisals and training for V2.0 classes (Services and Development). The instructors have been helping companies fully utilize CMMI since 1989.

 

Useful links

• CMMI for Development Summary  |  CMMI for Services Summary  |  Changes from CMMI V1.3 to V2.0  |  CMMI appraisals
• CMMI for Development resource page  |  CMMI for Services resource page  |  Integration with Agile/PMBOK

 

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.

 

Available Classes — Virtual delivery or onsite at your location

• CMMI-DEV V2.0 overview (1-3 hours)
• CMMI V2.0 upgrade training for existing Introduction to CMMI V1.3 students (1 day)
• Foundations of Capability (2 days) + Building Development Excellence (1 day) / Building Services Excellence (1 day)
• Implementing PMBOK, Agile/Scrum, CMMI or any combination (90 mins summary or 1 day workshop)
• Implementing CMMI Maturity Levels 2 and 3, (DEV or SVC)

Many organizations try to improve their quality and productivity by establishing a company-wide process improvement program. These programs often result in large amounts of process documentation which eventually becomes a burden or is ignored completely. In many cases, the organization is left with very little benefit to show for its efforts.

The Capability Maturity Model Integration for development (CMMI-DEV) guides software, hardware and systems development organizations in their improvement efforts. The Capability Maturity Model Integration for services (CMMI-SVC) guides service groups, such as systems engineering, operations, logistics, maintenance, IT, finance, accounting and sales, in their improvement efforts.

Each workshop focuses on using CMMI practices to achieve business goals and solve real problems. As participants learn about each model component they select elements that best help them move towards their goals and fix their problems. At the end of the workshop they group all of the actions into a draft action plan.

Throughout the workshops we discuss the problems that people encounter while doing process improvement. These include over-documenting processes, implementing too much change at once, resistance to change, rote use of the CMMI, and maintaining management buy-in.

The instructors (Neil Potter and Mary Sakry) are both CMMI Institute-certified providers of CMMI workshops, and are Lead Appraisers for the Benchmark process appraisal method. They have been using and teaching the model since 1989. They are also co-authors of two books, “Making Process Improvement Work,” Addison-Wesley. Mary and Neil are experienced in teaching these workshops to mixed audiences, including IT, software engineering, hardware engineering and service organizations.

[Using CMMI pragmatically: see short articles, (for development, DEV resource page, for services, SVC resource page].

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CMMI-DEV or CMMI-SVC V2.0 — Overview (1-3 hours)

In this session, one of our CMMI Institute-certified instructors will explain the model and how it is used to improve the performance of an engineering or services company.

This presentation can be tailored to meet your specific needs.

Audience

• Senior managers looking to improve their organization’s performance and efficiency
• Personnel who are leading process improvement
• Appraisal teams who are going to be using a CMMI-based appraisal method in the future

Learning objectives

• Provide an overview of the model, its benefits, and advice on how to use it to address business goals and challenges

This workshop is appropriate for mixed audiences, including service, IT, systems, hardware and software professionals. Customized versions can be delivered.

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CMMI V2.0 Model Upgrade Training (1 day)

This class is for students that have already taken the Introduction to CMMI V1.3 DEV or SVC class. The class introduces participants to the CMMI V2.0 model changes.

Audience

• Senior managers looking to improve their organization’s performance and efficiency
• Internal process group members who are leading the process improvement effort
• Project team leaders and members interested in understanding how to pragmatically use CMMI V2.0
• Staff that will be on a Benchmark or Sustaining V2.0 appraisal

Learning objectives

The course will help participants:

• Learn CMMI V2.0 and what has changed
• Qualify to be part of a future Benchmark or Sustaining V2.0 appraisal
• Prepare for the CMMI V2.0 Associate exam (required for appraisal team members and other CMMI Institute classes)

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CMMI V2.0 — Foundations of Capability (2 days)

+ Building Development (1 day) and/or Services Excellence (1 day)

The class introduces participants to the CMMI framework and how to use the practices immediately to improve an organization’s schedule, cost and quality results.

The class will cover:

• Numerous implementation examples for each Practice Area
• How Practice Areas can be grouped and baked into 1-page processes
• Your organization’s strengths and initial gaps
• Improvement planning based on the business goals of the group
• Writing essential processes that fit the work of the group
• Summary 1 hour briefing for management at the beginning (CMMI overview)
• Summary 1 hour briefing for management at the end (next steps)
• Preparation for the CMMI V2.0 Associate exam (required for appraisal team members and other CMMI Institute classes)

The CMMI can be used by software, IT, hardware systems or service delivery groups. Organizations that use CMMI to improve their performance can optionally conduct an appraisal to demonstrate their process maturity.

Audience

• Senior managers looking to improve their organization’s performance and efficiency
• Systems, hardware and Software Engineering Process Group (SEPG / EPG) members who are leading process improvement
• Future CMMI V2.0 appraisal team members

Learning Objectives

The course will help participants to:

• Apply CMMI practices to the project management and engineering challenges they face

• Learn how to focus CMMI on results and not paperwork

• Learn to implement CMMI using light-weight checklists that can be used every day by a project team

• Understand the architecture of the CMMI model (maturity levels, practice areas, capability levels, practices and views)

• Develop a mapping of CMMI practices to their organization’s goals and problems

• Qualify as a CMMI V2.0 appraisal team member

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Implementing CMMI Maturity Levels 2 and 3 quickly

If you need to implement CMMI Levels 2 or 3 quickly, we can provide everything you need. We will assess where you are today, teach you how to make ALL CMMI practices useful to run your business, teach you how to organize and write processes that are one-page in length, and provide skills for the identified gaps. If your company is small (e.g., 2 people) or large (e.g., 1000 people), we will show you how to proceed.

Step 1: Establish business goals, challenges to address, and measures:

• Define your context for CMMI adoption
• Define goals and challenges to address with CMMI practices
• Define measures that you care about to monitor progress

Step 2: Learn about CMMI and perform an informal gap analysis. Options:

• CMMI V2.0 Foundations + Development/Services workshop (3-4 days)

Step 3: Perform an in-depth mini-appraisal / gap analysis:

• Plan an event for 1-5 days based on scope and thoroughness needed
• Conduct interviews of project managers and team members
• Review example artifacts

Step 4: Plan the improvement effort (1 or 2 days):

• Set priorities
• Define tasks
• Assign responsibilities and define pilot teams
• Develop baseline measures
• Assess risks
• Establish milestones, tracking and communication

Step 5: Implement the improvement plan

• Provide customized skills to run the business while addressing the gaps (e.g., requirements, design, planning, estimation, risk, defect identification, improvement, Decision Analysis and Resolution, test planning and analysis).

Step 6: Conduct the final appraisal (Benchmark appraisal for CMMI V2.0)

• Plan an event for 3-10 days based on the size of the organization and model scope
• Conduct interviews and artifact review
• Provide an official rating

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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