Systematic process improvement using ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI
Systematic process improvement using ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI
Systematic process improvement using ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI
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6.3 Transitioning from the CMM ® to the <strong>CMMI</strong> ® 199<br />
<strong>process</strong> awareness <strong>and</strong> their business goals. Our assumption for this discussion<br />
is that there is a senior management commitment to transition to the<br />
<strong>CMMI</strong> ® <strong>and</strong> a commitment to <strong>process</strong> <strong>improvement</strong> besides just attaining a<br />
maturity level.<br />
An organization at CMM ® level 2 that plans to transition to <strong>CMMI</strong> ®<br />
maturity level 3 has several options from which to choose. The most fundamental<br />
choice is the selection of the representation: staged or continuous.<br />
We discuss both approaches next.<br />
Within each representation, several strategic <strong>and</strong> tactical options can be<br />
selected. For example, if the organization chooses the staged representation<br />
as its transition option, its ultimate goal may be achieving staged maturity<br />
level 3. The same organization, by selecting a continuous option, may<br />
advance certain PAs to capability level 3 <strong>and</strong> then, by <strong>using</strong> equivalent<br />
staging, attain maturity level 3 after bringing all of the required PAs to the<br />
capability level 3.<br />
Staged approach<br />
An organization at CMM ® maturity level 2 should start exploring the similarities<br />
<strong>and</strong> differences between the two models described in Section 6.1, with<br />
special emphasis on systems engineering activities. It should then address<br />
the approach described in Section 6.3.2 for transitioning to <strong>CMMI</strong> ® maturity<br />
level 2 without actually attempting to attain level 2 maturity. The same<br />
strategy used for attaining CMM ® maturity level 3 can then be followed<br />
<strong>using</strong> the <strong>CMMI</strong> ® : institutionalizing the organizational PAs <strong>and</strong> then implementing<br />
the other level 3 maturity PAs. Detailed steps are shown in Table<br />
6.15.<br />
As we can see from Table 6.15, this approach is quite similar to the one<br />
described in Section 6.3.3, but with some subtle differences. Whereas the<br />
transition from CMM ® level 3 to <strong>CMMI</strong> ® level 3 requires augmenting the<br />
<strong>process</strong> infrastructure, transition from CMM ® level 2 to <strong>CMMI</strong> ® level 3<br />
requires revising <strong>and</strong> rebuilding the infrastructure in terms of the <strong>CMMI</strong> ® .<br />
Undeniably, this approach is much more difficult than the one described<br />
earlier but it can also be more rewarding. The organization that undertakes<br />
this approach will have to establish organizational <strong>process</strong>es <strong>and</strong> then revisit<br />
the level 2 <strong>process</strong>es, add new <strong>process</strong> requirements, <strong>and</strong> institutionalize<br />
them as required by the newly developed organizational <strong>process</strong> definition.<br />
It will have to develop, for example, organizational training <strong>and</strong> an organizational<br />
<strong>process</strong> asset library <strong>and</strong> database. This approach requires both<br />
resources <strong>and</strong> an underst<strong>and</strong>ing of level 3 concepts similar to the steps<br />
outlined in Section 6.3.1. However, this approach may provide the organiza-