The Capability Maturity Model Essay Example

for improvement. The five levels of CMM are described below:

Level one - Initial
Issues tackled -
* Projects at this level lack specific criteria and often require substantial re-work.

The key practices delineate the infrastructure and activities that have the greatest impact on effectively implementing and institutionalizing the key process area. Whenever a goal or issue needs addressing, solutions from the CMM can be applied. Figure 1 illustrates a typical diagram at any phase of the CMM when implementing it across organizations. Developing dependable and user-friendly software that is delivered punctually and within budget proves to be a challenging endeavor for many organizations. Late, over-budget, or malfunctioning products also give rise to problems for the organization's clientele. As software projects continue to grow in size and significance, these issues become amplified. They can be overcome by employing a focused and consistent effort to establish a process infrastructure comprising effective software engineering and management practices. Therefore, the CMM serves as a tool for identifying and enhancing processes within organizations, as well as providing a framework for comprehending various options for enhancing software development.

The organization employs a methodology to achieve CMM Level Two. It is a small company with fifteen developers and two QA personnel. Currently, their software process is disorganized and lacks structure. Only a few processes are clearly defined and success relies on individual effort. The organization holds the belief that employees should perform their assigned duties and does not allocate resources for training. In small organizations, communication among colleagues is enhanced due to their cohesiveness.

People live in highly stressed environments with short time cycles, leading

them to disregard rules that are seen as obstacles to getting work done. The diagram below shows the key process areas (KPA's) for maturity level 2 in the CMM. Each KPA represents a group of related activities that, when performed together, accomplish important goals for enhancing process capability. These KPAs are intended to be at a specific maturity level and serve as building blocks for organizations to improve their software process.

Key Process Areas (KPAs) are essential elements that must be addressed to achieve a specific level of maturity. In Level 2, the focus of KPAs is on establishing fundamental project management controls for software projects. The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) does not prescribe how a process should be executed; instead, it emphasizes the importance of following a certain approach. There is flexibility in selecting methodologies like Total Quality Management (TQM) or Object-Oriented Development and choosing a life cycle method. The numbering of key practices is not crucial as exceptions and additions can be made to the template. Appendix A provides a sample definition of the template. Identifying business goals based on company requirements lays the groundwork for various Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

The text discusses four perspectives of the company: Clients, Employees, Processes, and Financial Performance. These perspectives are further divided into Client Satisfaction, Employee Satisfaction, Process Efficiency and Compliance, Company Profitability, and Growth. The CMM at level 2 emphasizes software quality assurance and process improvement, aligning with the organization's commitment. Organizational change played a significant role in the company's overall process improvement, leading to major initiatives that impacted the entire organization.

Several experienced task forces were dispatched to redevelop the Quality System and establish a company-wide

metrics program. After months of diligent effort, the company effectively implemented a new Quality System that prioritizes meeting business requirements and complying with global quality standards. Furthermore, the system's structure enables adaptability to cater to different activities and technological environments within the organization.

The new Quality System had a 3-tier architecture. The foundation of the Quality System was formed by organizational policies. The next layer included common processes that applied to all Key Process Areas. Beyond that, there was a vertical layer comprising processes specific to each KPA and its support group. The topmost layer allowed for the inclusion of client-specific procedures and standards. Following the design of the Quality System, a significant challenge was re-educating the entire organization and familiarizing them with the new system. To tackle this, a large-scale training initiative was launched, which ensured that the quality message spread throughout the organization.

During the transition period, which lasted for several months, it was crucial for the company's growth to continue uninterrupted. The combination of strong management commitment and CMM's organizational focus, along with the concept of institutionalization, ensured that the emphasis on quality and process improvement was not only maintained but also strengthened during this period of organizational transformation.

The introduction of new processes through the redesigning system improved staff efficiency and motivation, resulting in better performance. Consequently, there was an increase in the quality of deliverables and services provided to clients, leading to higher client satisfaction and repeat business.

Collectively, these factors contributed to an improvement in the company's bottom line and substantial profits instead of losses experienced during its early years.