Lecture Software process improvement: Lesson 10A - Dr. Ghulam Ahmad Farrukh

Introduction to CMM
Lecture #10A

1


CMM Structure


Software State­of­the­Art in 1984 
­ 1
• More than half of the large software 
systems were late in excess of 12 months
• The average costs of large software systems 
was more than twice the initial budget
• The cancellation rate of large software 
systems exceeded 35%
• The quality and reliability levels of 
delivered software of all sizes was poor
3


Software State­of­the­Art in 1984 
­ 2
• Software personnel were increasing by 
more than 10% per year
• Software was the largest known business 
expense which could not be managed

4

Software Engineering Institute
• A research facility, located in University of 
Carnegie Mellon, Pennsylvania
• Primarily funded by US DoD to explore 
software issues, and especially topics 
associated with defense contracts
• US DoD is the largest producer and 
consumer of software in the world
5


Software Engineering Institute
• SEI developed a Capability Maturity Model 
(CMM) for software systems and an 
assessment mechanism

6


Five Levels of Software Process 
Maturity

7


The Five Levels of Software Process 
Maturity
Continuously
Improving

Process
Predictable
Process
Standard,
Consistent
Process
Disciplined
Process

4. Managed
Process measured
and controlled

3. Defined
Process characterized,
fairly well understood
2. Repeatable
Integrated
Can repeat previously
Engineering
mastered tasks
Process

1. Initial
Unpredictable and
poorly controlled

Project
Management

5.Optimizing
Focus on process
improvement
Managing
Change

Product and
Process Quality


C

MM

Maturity Levels

Maturity Levels

Indicate

• Well defined evolutionary 
plateau, a layer in the 
foundation for subsequent 
process improvement activities

Process Capability
• Range of results expected from 
following a software process

C

MM

Maturity Levels

• Well defined evolutionary plateau, a layer in the 
foundation for subsequent process improvement activities
– Each level is a layer in the foundation for continuous process 
improvement
– There are five maturity levels in the CMM
– Achieving each level establishes a different component in the 
software process
– Maturity levels are described in terms of 18 key process areas


C

MM

Key Process Areas

Maturity Levels

Indicate

Process Capability

Contain
Key Process Areas

Achieve

Goals

• Major building blocks in establishing the 
process capability of an organization; thus 
focus areas for process improvement


The CMM Key Process Areas
• Identify a cluster of related activities that, when 
performed collectively, achieve a set of goals considered 
important for enhancing process capability
– Defined to reside at a single maturity level
– Identify the issues that must be addressed to achieve a maturity 
level
– 18 KPAs in the CMM


Key Process Areas for CMM

13


Levels/
Process
Categories

Management

Technology Change
Management
Process Change
Management

5 Optimizing

4 Managed

Quantitative Software
Management

3 Defined

Integrated Software
Management
Intergroup
Coordination

2 Repeatable

Requirements
Management
Software Project
Planning
Software Project
Tracking and
Oversight
Software Subcontract

Management
Software Quality
Assurance
Software
Configuration
Management

1 Initial

Organizational

Engineering

Defect Prevention
Software Quality
Management

Organization
Process Focus
Organization
Process Definition
Training Program

Ad Hoc Processes

Software Product
Engineering
Peer Reviews

C

MM

Maturity Levels

Key Process Area Goals
Indicate

Process Capability

Contain
Key Process Areas

Achieve

Goals

• Process objectives that, when 
achieved, enhance process 
capability


C

MM

Key Process Area Goals

• Goals summarize the key practices of the key process 

areas.
– They are considered important for enhancing process capability 
for that level of maturity
– They can be used to guide organizations and appraisal teams in 
assessing alternative ways to implement key process areas
– Each Key Practice maps to one or more goals


Common Features

17


C

MM

Common Features

Maturity Levels

Indicate

Process Capability

Contain

Key Process Areas

Achieve

Organized by

Common Features

Address

Goals
Implementation / 
Institutionalization


C

MM

Common Features

• Used to organize the key practices in each key process 
area
• Attribute that ensure the processes are defined, 
documented and understood
• Common features are
–
–
–
–
–

Commitment to perform

ability to perform
activities performed
measurement and analysis
verifying implementation


C

MM

•
•
•
•

Institutionalization

The organization outlives those who leave it
The organizational culture must convey the process
Indicator of whether the KPA is effective, repeatable, and lasting
The CMM has four common features that focus on 
institutionalizing the process
–
–
–
–

Commitment to perform
Ability to perform
Measurement and analysis

Verifying implementation

• Activities performed focus on implementing the process


C

MM

Commitment to Perform

• Describes the actions the organization must take to 
ensure that the process is established and will endure
• Typically includes
– Policies
– Leadership


C

MM

Ability to Perform

• Describes the preconditions that must exist in the project 
or organization to implement the software process 
competently
• Typically includes
–
–

–
–
–

function / tools
resources
delegation
training
orientation


C

MM

Activities Performed

• Describes the roles and procedures necessary to implement 
a key process area
• Typically includes
–
–
–
–

establishing plans and procedures
performing the work
tracking it
taking corrective actions as necessary

C

MM

Measurement and Analysis

• Describes the need to measure the process and analyze the 
measurements
• Typically includes
– examples of the measurements that could be taken to determine 
the status and effectiveness of the activities performed common 
feature


C

MM

Verifying Implementation

• Describes the steps to ensure that the activities are 
performed in compliance with the process that has been 
established
• Typically includes reviews and audits by
– Senior Management
– Project management
– SQA