Updated April 1, 2023
Introduction to SEICMM
SEICMM is expanded as ‘Software Engineering Institute Capability Maturity Model’, and it was produced in 1987 at the Carnegie Mellon University by the SEI (Software Engineering Institute) themselves. The Capability Maturity Model or CMM can be defined as a standard/ framework based on which the software development organizations are classified into different capability levels. This process is carried out based on the analysis performed on the process flow followed by the organization. There are five different levels of CMM, namely CMM1, CMM2, CMM3, CMM4 and CMM5, for demonstrating the progression of the development techniques used by the software development company.
Methods of SEICMM
The examination on the process and methods followed by the software development organization is performed based on two diverse SEICMM methods. They are,
- Capability Evaluation
- Software Process Assessment
1. Capability Evaluation
Capability Evaluation is one of the methods used for the assessment and analysis of an organization’s capability in all aspects that should include the vendors’ level of integrity, the employees’ rank on skills and process patterns, the contractors’ routine on work and techniques followed, etc. The resulting analytical outcome is treated as a factor for evaluating the organization’s overall capability in terms of performance and standards against the whole software industry’s standard.
2. Software Process Assessment
Software Process Assessment is a set of measures primed upon the software development procedures, pertaining to the range, with respect to the model, set by the organization as a prototype for the projects to follow for all the activities carried out under the organization’s name. This assessment aids in the advancement of the level of processes and techniques that are currently in use. The final upshot, in the form of a report or a presentation, is expected to be shared internally and to be improved for a better sort of procedural development.
SEICMM Process
SEICMM process can be classified into five different stages and their respective CMM levels. The lower the process stage, the lower the CMM level will be. There is another important factor that is being considered for this classification process, and that is the ‘Key Process Area’ or the KPA’s.
KPA’s are nothing but the minimum requirement set for any software development organization, and it is expected to be fulfilled so as to attain the better CMM level. KPA’s include the areas like the process control, management methods, technical standards, work ethics, documentation, data administration, employees’ quality and the signposts set for their career growth, product quality, error-free process flow, etc.
The below are the five stages and their respective CMM levels,
|
Stage |
Organization’s Characterization |
CMM Level |
| I | Initial | 1 |
| II | Repeatable | 2 |
| III | Defined | 3 |
| IV | Well Managed | 4 |
| V | Optimized | 5 |
Stage I: Initial – CMM1
The organizations in the Initial stage, typically, will not have any KPA’s set, will have lesser quality employees, the management procedure will not be defined clearly, weakly designed control over the development process, the quality of the product will not be as good both in terms of the customer’s convenience and in terms of the technical advancements. Hence these organizations fall under the least level of CMM1 in the SEI CMM.
Stage II: Repeatable – CMM2
Stage II is used to describe the organizations with repeatable process flow. In this type, the organizations are more decisive on managing the cost estimation, a well-known project management method, and the software development stages covered are, usually, the planning phase, the software configuration phase and the software maintenance phase. When one or two projects are succeeded, the same pattern will be followed for the upcoming projects with comparable behavioural constraints. Hence this type of organization is categorized to be in CMM2 level of SEI CMM.
Stage III: Well-Defined – CMM3
The software development organizations that go one step beyond the CMM2 organizations are identified to be stage III. The commonly observed characteristics of this type of organizations are that they use definite flow for the development process, creating documentation in each step of the development flow, everyone in the company is well aware of their own roles and responsibilities, organization will be able to deliver a better quality of software product, the employees are made to work as a team and there is a notably structured management process is observed. These are the qualities of a CMM3 level of software organization.
Stage IV: Well Managed – CMM4
For any organization to succeed in its own industry, the management style and methods carried forward is a key aspect. When management is clearly defined and executed, the organization can move to a better level in terms of delivering the quality product, as well as in the financial expansion. The organizations in Stage IV are the ones that have qualified management and focuses only on the quality of the deliverables. This type of organizations will have various measures for self assessments, both for the product points and the process points. These type organizations are placed to be in CMM level 4, that is, CMM4 of the SEI CMM levels.
Stage V: Optimized – CMM5
The Organizations past the CMM4, which exceeds in the quality of their products, following well defined management process pattern, frequently evaluated the process and product methods used in the organization, helps the employees to keep up their skills by providing training frequently with respect to the technological growth in the industry, etc. This type of continuous progression in the work keeps them in the CMM5, the highest level in SEI CMM process scale.
Advantages of SEICMM
Below are the advantages of applying the SEI CMM on an organization,
- Quality deliverables
- Higher client contentment
- Easier Management
- Cost Effective
- Brings more business
Conclusion
The CMM levels created and implemented by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is taken upon by almost all the software development organizations as it helps the organization to set their place in the industry. This in turn helps in attracting quality clients and skilled employees, which consequently gives the organization a good productivity.
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