Systematic process improvement using ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI

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Preface
organizations have put into developing their process improvement
approaches using legacy standards and models. Although many approaches
can be devised for transitioning from legacy standards to new standards, the
examples presented outline the basic steps from which all other approaches
can be derived, depending on the process improvement maturity of an organization.
In Chapter 7, we describe a process improvement approach based on the
ISO–CMMI ® synergy for an organization with no prior process improvement
experience. Then we address several specific cases that can be useful for
organizations that have previously implemented process improvements
based on one or both of the standards. Chapter 8 covers major appraisal
methods and discusses steps for preparing for ISO registration and CMMI ®
appraisals. Those appraisal methods are not only used for obtaining a formal
rating, but also as a tool for determining process improvement opportunities
in the diagnosing phase of the IDEAL SM process improvement cycle.
Finally, in Chapter 9 we provide mappings between ISO 9001:2000 and
the CMMI ® as a useful tool for judging organizational compliance with ISO,
the CMMI ® , or both. Mappings are subjective interpretations of each standard’s
clauses in terms of another standard. They are useful for extrapolating
knowledge from the more familiar to the less familiar, but they do not replace
a true understanding of the standards.
The outlined approach is based on our experience with organizations
that use both ISO and the CMM(I) ® . The various cases and the process
improvement steps described in the book have been developed to help the
reader avoid process improvement traps and dead ends. However, every
organization will have to analyze its specific situation, using the approaches
described as a guideline. We believe that the steps described in this book will
be helpful and will provide sufficient guidance for implementing systematic
process improvement using ISO 9001:2000 and the CMMI ® .