The Capability Maturity Model (short ) is a processing concept for the evaluation and improvement of the quality ("matures") of product development processes in organizations. Such a processing concept can be used, in order to analyze the strengths and the weaknesses of a product development objectively, in order to determine improvement measures and to bring these into a meaningful order. CMMI a means are primary to improve the product development. An official examination of a Reifegrades (see Appraisal) is secondary one in the industry de-facto recognized honor.

CMMI the new version software of the Capability Maturity is (short or shortens only CMM). It different quality models for different development disciplines (e.g. for software development or system development), but does not replaced only integrate these in a new, modular model. This modular concept makes possible on the one hand the integration of further development disciplines (e.g. hardware development), and on the other hand also the use of the quality model in spreading disciplines (e.g. development of chips with software).

Historical development

• 1986 began software on initiative of the US Department of Defense (department OF Defense, DoD) the engineering of institutes (WAS) to the Carnegie Mellon University/Pittsburgh, which is subordinate to the US Department of Defense, with the development of a system for evaluation the ripe one of software processes.
• 1991 were published the model as Capability Maturity Model 1,0.
• 1993 were revised CMM and made available in the version 1.1.
• 1997 were withdrawn CMM 2,0 before the Verabschiedung by the DoD, started briefly instead the CMMI project.
• 2000 were published CMMI - at that time still under the name Capability Maturity Model Integrated - as pilot version 1,0.
• 2002 were released to CMMI under the new name Capability Maturity Model (short ).
• At the end of of 2003 is the support for the old version CMM ran out - now only CMMI one supports.
• 2005 were announced the CMMI version 1.2, which was to appear in the autumn 2006. The support IS for CMMI version 1.1 is thereafter still to end of 2007 to keep running.
• Since end of 2005 also the licenses of the Assessmentleiter for CMM ran out, i.e. there are no more official CMM Assessments.

Classification of the model

CMMI is a processing concept: contrary to a concrete description of process defines CMMI requirements to a good product development ("which"), but no concrete steps ("how"). The primary goal of CMMI is it to support a continuous process improvement as requirements and/or criteria are defined to a professional product development organization. The definition of the development process is incumbent on the organization and is an important subtask of the process improvement. Since CMMI defines no concrete development process, can be applied CMMI to very different organizations and organization sizes. So the demand can be e.g. converted of CMMI that during the project planning an agreement of the project-taken part must be caught up to the project plan, on very different kinds and ways concretely in an organization. There is not therefore "the one" correct conversion of CMMI.

A special characteristic of CMMI is that this actually addresses not only the development projects, but also the project-related tasks of the organization (e.g. supply of resources, execution of training measures). A further special characteristic is that very much value puts CMMI on the lived process, contrary to frequent than cabinet commodity designated documented however not lived process.

Structure of the model

CMMI a set of process areas (e.g. project planning, requirement development, organization-far process definition) defines. A process area specifies the requirements to a professional product development in a certain area by a bundle of related practices, which, if they are implemented together, fulfill a set of goals, which are important for a clear improvement in this area. Example: with the process area "project planning" the goals "estimations are set up", "a project plan develop" and "obligation on the plan cause". The practices to the goal "estimations set up" are "scope of the project estimate", "attributes of the results of working and tasks estimate", to "project life cycle define" and "estimations of expenditure and costs set up". For the process areas, goals and practices gives to CMMI additional in each case explaining information. Thus e.g. each process area is first described, and then thereby in connection standing process areas are enumerated. Each practice is continued to describe by explanation text, by typical results of working and by typical work procedures. These references are to help during the conversion, are however no test basis in a Appraisal.

The process areas are divided in four categories: Project management, development, support and process management. While the first two categories contain the process areas, which are converted typically in projects, process management is above all a organization-far task. The process areas in the category support can be both a task of project and a scheduler task.

Apart from the practices, which are specific for a process area, also explicitly institutionalizing the processes addresses CMMI. With "institutionalizing" it is meant that the processes in the organization naturally and as part of the daily work are lived. In particular in times of stress institutionalized processes have existence. Apart from the practices, which are specific for the individual process areas, defines CMMI practices, which convert institutionalizing. These practices for institutionalizing are called there generic practices (they for all process areas are alike). The conversion of many generic practices is a task of the organization.

Ability degrees and Reifegrade

CMMI the improvement addresses within a process area by so-called ability degrees (capability levels). An ability degree designates the degree of institutionalizing an individual process area. The ability degrees are:

Apart from the ability degrees of an individual process area defines CMMI Reifegrade (maturity levels). A Reifegrad covers a quantity of process areas, which must be converted to a certain ability degree. Each Reifegrad is a development plateau in the process improvement of the organization. The Reifegrade are:

The evaluation of the Reifegrades and/or the ability degrees of an organization happens through in SCAMPI Appraisal, which IS only through of authorized persons be led can. The list of all of IS authorized Lead Appraiser, thus those persons, whom such SCAMPI may lead, is on the sides software engineering of institute (see Related links down). The German-language authorized Lead Appraiser united in the German CMMI Lead Appraiser and Instructor board (CLIB).

Demarcation to other standards

In contrast to the DIN EN ISO 9001 that is particularly developed for the product development process CMMI. While the DIN EN ISO 9001 covers the entire organization and with it more the width, goes to CMMI during the product development more into the depth and gives concrete process areas and practices. CMMI and the DIN EN ISO 9001 have however the same basic idea; the requirements of CMMI can be illustrated on the requirements of the DIN EN ISO 9001 (this table is available on the being web pages).

CMMI converts the requirements of the standard ISO 15504 to a processing concept. The Appraisal procedure SCAMPI converts the requirements of the standard ISO 15504 to an appraisal procedure.

Apart from the processing concept CMMI there is also the standard ISO 12207, which is a processing concept for software development, and which standard ISO 15288, which is a processing concept for system development. Contrary to CMMI these two standards do not go however over the definition of the titles of the practices from CMMI outside (no extensive explanations as in CMMI), and it give also no integration of the two standards. Contentwise ISO 12207 essentially demand and ISO 15288 the same as CMMI. To the standard ISO 12207 there is the appraisal procedure Spice, which was published as part of 5 of the standard ISO 15504 in March 2006.

CMMI above all the development of products addresses -- or maintenance projects to existing products. A processing concept for the enterprise of applications represents ITIL.

Articles in category "Capability Maturity Model integration"

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Related Websites

We found here 4 related websites.

• Capability Maturity Model for Software (CMM)
  In 2000, the SW-CMM was upgraded to CMMI


• Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)
  Capability Maturity Model


• Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Overview
  CMM Integration, IDEAL, SCAMPI, and SEI are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University.


• CMMI Main Page
  The CMMI User Feedback Process explains how to submit change requests for CMMI products, including models, appraisal materials, and course materials. ...