A Technical History of the SEI

4.6.2.1 CMMI Constellations
For CMMI Versions 1.2 and 1.3, improvements were made to the CMMI framework architecture
to accommodate the need for multiple CMMI models, while maximizing the use of goals and
practices across the different CMMI models. This gave rise to the idea of constellations, in which
CMMI models would be derived from careful selections from a larger repository of process areas
and practices. As a result, during 2006-2009, CMMI models were developed for product and service
development [CMMI 2010a], service establishment, management, and delivery [CMMI
2010b], and product and service acquisition [CMMI 2010c]. Each of these CMMI models was designed
to be used in concert with the others, making it easier for organizations to pursue enterprise-wide
process improvement. The Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement
(SCAMPI) Method Definition Document [SCAMPI 2011] and training materials supported
use of the models.
CMMI for Development (CMMI-DEV). CMMI for Development was the focus of the initial
CMMI framework and was first released in 2002. It was updated in 2006 and again in 2010 with
the release of the Version 1.3 model (CMMI-DEV, V1.3). CMMI-DEV describes best practices
for the development and maintenance of products and services across their lifecycle. CMMI-DEV
combines essential bodies of knowledge, such as software and systems engineering, and dovetails
with other process improvement methods that might be used elsewhere in an organization, such as
the SEI’s Team Software Process (TSP), ISO 9000 [SEI 2009], Six Sigma, and Agile. CMMI-
DEV can be used to guide process improvement across a project, division, or organization to
lower costs, improve quality, and deliver products and services on time. It is employed by organizations
from many industries, including aerospace, banking, computer hardware, software, defense,
automobile manufacturing, and telecommunications. For Version 1.3, high maturity process
areas were significantly improved to reflect industry best practices, guidance was added for organizations
that use Agile methods, and engineering practices and terminology were updated to
reflect best practices related to specifying, documenting, and evaluating software architecture.
CMMI for Acquisition (CMMI-ACQ). CMMI for Acquisition was first realized as an independent
model—the Software Acquisition CMM (SA-CMM) model—in 2002. In 2005, when the SEI and
the CMMI Steering Group were planning development of CMMI for Development, Version 1.2,
General Motors (GM) approached the SEI about developing a CMMI model that would address
acquisition best practices. The SEI had already been directed by the DoD to upgrade the SA-
CMM model to be compatible with CMMI. As a recognized leader in IT, GM’s vision was to improve
how the automaker acquired critical software needed to manage GM’s infrastructure around
the world. Problems similar to GM’s were also being experienced in government acquisition offices.
In 2006, the SEI published Adapting CMMI for Acquisition Organizations: A Preliminary
Report [Hofmann 2006]. This document and its recommendations were piloted and reviewed by
acquisition organizations and used as the basis for what became CMMI for Acquisition, Version
1.2, which was later updated to Version 1.3 in 2007. CMMI-ACQ describes practices for acquisition
organizations to avoid, eliminate, or mitigate barriers and problems in the acquisition process
through improving operational efficiency; initiating and managing the process for acquiring products
and services, including solicitations, supplier sourcing, supplier agreement development and
award, and supplier capability management; and utilizing a common language for both acquirers
CMU/SEI-2016-SR-027 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE | CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY 129
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