Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement

In June 2008, Geneva Software underwent an independent assessment for the Software Engineering Institute’s (SEI) Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). This week-long appraisal, preceded by a month of appraisal preparation and almost a year of process review and restructuring across the organization, resulted in Geneva Software receiving a CMMI Maturity Level 3 rating.

Details of the appraisal results are published on the SEI web site.

The CMMI model is a model for process improvement that is widely recognized for determining the process maturity of an organization. Similar to ISO-9000 and Six Sigma, this model is sponsored by the Software Engineering Institute and is based on the establishment of 5 levels of maturity as well as the practices and goals required within certain process areas to meet those levels. In a nutshell, level 1 is an ad hoc, “seat of the pants” form of project management where every project is potentially managed differently from the rest, while level 5 defines a set of highly formalized, statistics-based project management processes that are typically applicable to mission critical projects.

While the process maturity of an organization has no bearing on the capability of an organization to successfully complete any one project, a higher process maturity rating indicates that the organization is better able to learn from the successes and failures of previous projects and apply best practices and corrective actions to new projects. A higher maturity rating also indicates that an organization is better able to plan, monitor, and proactively manage ongoing projects to ensure their success.

From a process perspective, following the CMMI model can help ensure project success, but the SEI doesn’t have a lock on these processes and many companies follow the model (often unknowingly) without ever getting appraised.

However, from a corporate perspective, being appraised at a given CMMI level represents a strategic advantage.   Worldwide, only a few thousand companies have received any appraisal rating at all; in 2007, 471 organization units were appraised at CMMI ML-3, as compared to 349 at ML-2, 14 at ML-4, and 79 at ML-5. Summed  up, in 2007 a little more than 900 organization units were given ratings worldwide. With the level 3 appraisal, Geneva Software has joined an exclusive group.