Capability Maturity Model (CMM)

Question 1

CMM Levels

Answer 1

1. Initial
2. Repeatable
   
   1. Requirements Management
   2. Configuration Management
   3. Project Planning
   4. Project Tracking
   5. Quality Assurance
   6. Subcontract Management
3. Defined
   
   1. Integrated software management
   2. Intergroup co-ordination
   3. Organization process definition
   4. Organization process focus
   5. Peer reviews
   6. Software product engineering
   7. Training Program
4. Managed
   
   1. management and analysis quality management
5. Optimizing
   
   1. Defect prevention
   2. Process change management
   3. Technology innovation

Question 2

Maturity Level 1

Answer 2

Initial

• Informal and ad hoc process
• Performance is unpredictable
• Lack sound management practices
• Ineffective planning and reaction-driven commitment systems
• During a crisis, projects typically abandon planned procedures and revert to coding and testing.
• Success depends entirely on having an exceptional manager and a seasoned and effective software team.

Challenges:

• Configuration management
• Software quality assurance
• Requirements management
• Project planning and tracking
• Subcontractor management

Question 3

Maturity Level 5

Answer 3

Optimizing:

• Focus on continuous process improvement
• Proactive identification of process weaknessess and strengths with the goal of preventing the occurrence of defects
• Innovations that exploit the best software engineering practices and are identified and transferred throughout the organization
• Defects are analyzed to determine their causes

Challenges:

• Still human intensive process
• Maintain organization at optimizine leave.

Question 4

What is an assessment?

Answer 4

A thorough and objective investigation of process strengths and weaknesses of an organization by a trained team of professionals.

Valuable input to further process improvement based on the business needs of an organization.

Analysis of documens, statements and interviews following a defined process.

Organizational intervention with likely ripple effects throughout the organization.

Question 5

CMM

Answer 5

CMM = Capability Maturity Model

• First process assessment methodology.
• Roadmap for organizational software process improvement.

Question 6

Who uses CMM?

Answer 6

Sofware process assessment teams as a basis for assessing their software processes (Strengths/Weaknesses)

Software process improvement teams as a basis for process improvement and process design

Technical managers and staff to understand what is required for improving the software processes

Software process capability teams as a basis for evaluation of software suppliers.

Question 7

What is Process Capability?

Answer 7

The range of expected results that can be achieved by following a process.

Question 8

What are the benefits of higher process capability for the customer?

Answer 8

• Development organization is more responsive to customer and market demands
• Lifecycle cost of the product(s) is minimized
• End-user satisfaction is maximized

Question 9

What are the benefits of higher process capability for the developer?

Answer 9

• Lower development and maintenance costs
• Shorter cycle-time and development intervals
• Increased ability to achieve cost and schedule commitments owing to effective project risk analysis and effor estimation
• Increased ability to meet quantifiable design and quality objectives.

Question 10

What is the SEI Questionairre?

Answer 10

• Assessment instrument developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
• Proccess related issues
• Structured according to the CMM key process areas
• 4 response options:
  
  • Yes (The practice is well established and constantly performed)
  • No (not well established or is onconsistently performed)
  • Does not apply
  • Don’t know *You are uncertain about how to answer the question.

Question 11

What are the benefits of the SEI Questionaire?

Answer 11

• Framework for identifiying key issues for discussion alter.
• Consistent assessment models are more reliable and comparable
• Initial rating of the organization’s software process maturity level is a basleing for process improvement.

Question 12

CMM Architecture

Answer 12

Maturity Level - indicated - Process Capability

Key Process Areas (KPA) - achieves - Goals

Common Features - addresses - Implementation/Institutionalization

Key Practices - describes - Infrastructure and Activities

Question 13

What is a Key Process Area?

Answer 13

Requirements for achieving a maturity level.

ex:

• Defect prevention
• Integrated software management
• Intergroup co-ordination
• Organization process definition
• etc.

Question 14

Example KPA Definition (SCM)

Answer 14

Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Purpose: Establish and maintain the integrity of the products of the software project throughout the projects lifecycle.

Goals:

• SCM activities are planned
• Selected software work products are identified, controlled and available
• Changes to identified software work products are controlled
• Affected groups and individuals are informed of the status and content of software baselines.

Common features:

• Commitment to perform (1)
• Ability to perform (2)
• Activities performed (3)
• Measurement and analysis (4)
• Verifying implementation (5)