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What Is CMMI™? A Complete Guide to the Framework

01 Guide To Cmmi1

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a bit of a mouthful.

The tongue-twisting pronunciation isn’t exactly helped by the complex list of concepts, definitions, and associations. While the CMMI model can seem like a lot to take in, its overarching purpose is simple — that is, to help businesses improve performance

We’ve put together a layman’s guide to CMMI version 3.0 so your business can break down CMMI’s core parts and ideas, answering what CMMI is, who it’s for, and how it benefits the organizations that use it.

What Is the CMMI Model?

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a collection of globally accepted best practices designed to help organizations identify and understand challenges, build capability, and improve the performance of essential business processes. If a company embraces the adoption of the CMMI model, it can be a pathway to maximize resources, optimize project outputs, better serve customers, and proactively define and manage core business processes.

2 What Is

For example, according to the 2023 CMMI Technical Report: Performance Results, organizations that adopted CMMI saw an average defect rate reduction of 30% and a reduced cost variance of 47%. Other top improvement areas include productivity, delivery time, and customer satisfaction.

CMMI’s emphasis on developing process habits and persistence sets it apart from other business performance models. The goal of “habit and persistence” is to ensure companies achieve sustainable continuous improvement by forming new habits.

As a whole, CMMI includes:

  • The CMMI Model
  • An appraisal method
  • Training and certification
  • Adoption guidance
  • Integrated systems and tools, such as the Model Viewer

How Does CMMI Work?

CMMI invites organizations to compare the process activities they wish to improve to the Model’s practices. Using CMMI as a guide, a business can quickly begin working on improvements with a proven performance improvement approach.

The content of the CMMI Model is presented in a structured framework designed to help companies measure progress, build upon improvements, and achieve their desired performance or maturity level.

Here’s a brief overview of what the CMMI framework includes:

Categories

There are four categories in CMMI:

  1. Doing
  2. Managing
  3. Improving
  4. Enabling

If a business has management challenges, for example, it could begin its search for relevant best practices by diving into CMMI’s Managing category.

Capability Areas

Each category includes Capability Areas. A Capability Area contains a group of related Practice Areas. An example of a Capability Area in the Managing category is “Managing the Workforce.”

CMMI Practice Areas

A Practice Area is a collection of practices that guides an organization toward specific intent and value. Practices within each Practice Area are organized at various levels to help users improve performance one level at a time.

Domains

A domain includes Practice Areas relevant to a company’s primary capabilities. For example, the Services domain consists of the “Service Delivery Management” Practice Area, which provides guidance on delivering services according to service level agreements. In CMMI 3.0, there are eight different domains. Businesses typically incorporate guidance from multiple domains.

CMMI Maturity Levels

Within the CMMI framework, a maturity level describes how well an organization met the intent and value of relevant Practice Areas. Businesses can undergo a Benchmark Appraisal to obtain a maturity level rating

Appraisal Types

Appraisal types include Benchmark, Sustainment, and Evaluation that can be used by organizations to assess their adherence to the CMMI framework dependent on their needs.

Training Support

Training courses, workshops, and supporting materials are available to help organizations understand, implement, and sustain process improvement initiatives using the CMMI framework.

A Real-Life Example of CMMI Integration

To illustrate how the CMMI Model works on a basic level, consider the following example:

  • A project manager identifies ongoing communication issues between remote team members, which frequently causes project delays.
  • They look at the CMMI Model to see which Practice Area best addresses their remote team’s communication challenges. 
  • The PM discovers the Practice Area, “Enabling Virtual Work,” which falls within the “Managing the Workforce” Capability Area.
  • From there, the PM reviews the various practices under Enabling Virtual Work and realizes that their organization has never achieved Level 1 of this particular Practice Area — identifying and recording virtual work needs and constraints.
  • The PM determines they need a standardized communication process and tools before performing virtual work.
  • The company provides its remote team with a collaboration tool and revises its current policy to address virtual work more thoroughly.
  • After making changes based on CMMI practices, the organization’s remote team benefits from streamlined communications and can complete projects faster.

What are the Benefits of CMMI?

There are numerous benefits to a model that outlines proven best practices. It means that your organization not only makes performance-altering changes but also has a blueprint for making the changes stick, with buy-in and walk-the-talk participation from everyone affected.

This balance between process improvement and process sustainment is only one of many benefits of CMMI:

  • Comprehensive change: CMMI is explicitly designed to address all of the following core business operations — data management, project management, people management, service and delivery, vendor or supplier relationships, product engineering and development, infrastructure support, and process development. Few models come close to creating such a complete portrait of end-to-end product and process life cycles.
  • Improved product and service quality: Opportunities for right-the-first-time increase and defects decrease, vendors and suppliers are more strategically managed, and employee talent is better supported, assuring higher-quality and consistent deliverables.
  • Boosted productivity: CMMI helps standardize project-management protocol and team collaboration efforts, plus finds ways to integrate workflow to simplify and streamline activities.
  • Increased customer satisfaction: Enable quicker times-to-market, strengthen customer touch points, and fine-tune channels with your customer base for more confidence, connection, and exceeded expectations.
  • Enhanced on-time delivery: Standardized product testing and timetables better manage all project timelines, plus reduce the likelihood of scope creep, budget delays, or project pivots.
  • Reduced costs: Employee time and talent are better allocated, waste and redundancies are reduced, process expenses versus benefits become leaner, and suppliers are better managed — all benefits CMMI can bring to your bottom line.
  • Managed risk: The emphasis on risk management in CMMI helps businesses identify and mitigate potential issues early in the project life cycle, reducing overall project risks.
  • Enhanced competitive advantage: Organizations with CMMI maturity can gain a competitive edge by demonstrating their commitment to quality and efficiency, which may be attractive to clients and stakeholders.

Evolution of the CMMI Framework

CMMI was initially created by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University in the late 1990s under the sponsorship of the Department of Defense (DOD). Since then, private industry experts have refined its process improvement guidelines model and subject matter content into the cross-capability maturity framework it is today. From the original base content of software engineering, CMMI has grown to include hardware and systems engineering, personnel management, data management, systems resilience, acquisition management, and service development, delivery, and management.

CMMI has undergone a few generations or versions. Today, an enterprise interested in CMMI can use version 3.0 to plan process improvement activities in support of the enterprise’s goals. Version releases include:

1. CMMI Version 1.3 (2010)

Version 1.3 was released in 2010. It outlined 22 CMMI Process Areas and their specific goals and practices, as well as their complementary, cross-level generic goals.

CMMI version 1.3 was a popular and successful revision of the CMMI Model. However, the Information Systems and Audit and Control Association (ISACA), which acquired the CMMI Institute, the successor to the SEI, stopped supporting version 1.3 in the fourth quarter of 2020. In other words, ISACA no longer accepts V1.3 appraisals.

2. CMMI Version 2.0 (2018)

Version 2.0 was released in March 2018. It became the only supported version in the fourth quarter of 2020 with the retirement of version 1.3.

There were four primary updates included in version 2.0:

  1. User-friendly: Version 2.0 stressed non-technical language and applications. It contained an online portal for businesses to design a visual CMMI model tailored to their specific interests.
  2. Business-focused results: Version 2.0 promised a profit-building process pipeline with increased attention on customer conversions, retention, and satisfaction alongside ways to boost employee productivity and efficiency.
  3. Operationally agnostic: Version 2.0 explicitly outlined how CMMI integrates with other popular operational methodologies and philosophies, like Agile, DevOps, and Lean Six Sigma.
  4. Appraisal adjustments: Shortened appraisal timelines, reduced costs, and greater transparency on rating results were also highlighted in version 2.0.

3. CMMI Version 3.0 (2023)

Version 3.0 is the latest CMMI version and was released in April 2023. The newest version incorporates feedback from end users and CMMI partners and considers business needs in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. The aim of CMMI version 3.0 is to maintain relevancy and flexibility as organizations keep pace with technological advancements and increase adoption.

One of the main ways version 3.0 reflects and strives to meet organizations’ evolving needs is by adding the following new Practice Areas:

  • Data Management
  • Data Quality
  • Workforce Empowerment
  • Enabling Safety
  • Enabling Virtual Work
  • Managing Security Threats & Vulnerabilities

The new version removes the Supplier Source Selection Practice Area but incorporates some of its content into Supplier Agreement Management. The Practice Area Enabling Virtual Solution Delivery will now be called Enabling Virtual Work to highlight flexible work teams.

Another change seen in version 3.0 includes updated domain information. The latest version of domain content has been updated to include eight domains Development, Services, People, Security, Safety, Suppliers, Data, and Virtual. Additionally, Supplier Management is now called Suppliers.

Other updates include:

  • New Capability Area: Version 3.0 has a new Capability Area — Managing Data. The new Capability Area aims to help businesses evaluate the data-related work they need to do and develop a plan for completing it. It also involves managing and preparing for data risks.
  • Minor wording changes to practices: Some minor wording changes have been made to certain Practice Areas. For example, the word “root” was removed when referring to causal analysis within the Causal Analysis and Resolution (CAR) Practice Area. The purpose of this change was to create a greater distinction between root cause analysis and causal analysis.

Best Practices for Creating a CMMI Culture

The most critical element of creating a successful CMMI culture is, to many, also the most counter-intuitive — at all steps, CMMI is meant to be folded into your organization, not your organization folded into it.

Yes, CMMI is both a process-based and behavior-based set of guidelines. This leads many organizations to view it literally as a manual for replacing how they do business with something entirely new simply because “CMMI said so.” This viewpoint almost always leads to failure — wasted time and money with little benefit in the end.

CMMI is not a textbook. It is not a list of instructions for organizations to check off one by one. Using it this way goes against CMMI’s very nature — like trying to make your square business peg fit into a round hole. It won’t work, it’s frustrating, and everyone will eventually give up.

CMMI is designed to work naturally and intuitively with your existing business processes by prioritizing people, streamlining change management, and facilitating steady focus. To make CMMI’s influence effective, repeatable, and lasting in your organization, consider the following tips:

02 Best Practices Of Creating A Cmmi Culture1

  • Don’t create a “CMMI process”: There’s no such thing as a standard CMMI process. CMMI is about overarching suggestions to sharpen and elevate your work processes that are already activated, not replacing them.
  • Prioritize people: From your end customers to your everyday employees, CMMI scaffolds ways to better support and satisfy anyone involved with your business. People come first. After all, without people, there’d be no point in processes in the first place.
  • Complement implementation with change management: A change-management strategy helps organizations institutionalize their adjustments. Employees are less likely to feel process-change aftershocks. They have a better sense of what changes are happening, when, and why — plus how their roles fit into the new workflow.
  • It’s a marathon, not a sprint: Incremental process rollouts with measurable benefits, stakeholder collaboration, performance tracking, and batch metric analysis are just a few pacing elements ensuring a successful CMMI integration. Save the all-out organization blitz for another time. Changing a process on paper is quick, but changing how an organization performs that process without reverting to “the old way” takes time.

Tips on Choosing a CMMI Consultant

CMMI consultants offer multiple areas of expertise. From assisting an organization in CMMI-based process implementation to helping a business prepare for a formal Benchmark Appraisal, CMMI consultants lend essential guidance.

Consider the following questions when picking the right CMMI consultant for your organization — as well as what to expect from such a professional.

1. What Industries Do They Work In?

Many CMMI consultants pivot their careers to focus on particular industries. If aligned with yours, this could mean the consultant is more familiar with industry-specific challenges and risks, as well as industry goals, objectives, performance metrics, and overall trends — all of which can be funneled into a more workable process plan.

BTI has experience supporting a wide array of industries, from defense industry leaders to health management systems and everything in between.

2. Do They Support CMMI for Development, Services, or Some Other Domain?

The Development (DEV) domain looks to secure process maturity for engineering product development, including software, hardware, systems engineering, and support products, across a product’s entire life cycle. Look for CMMI consultants who have work experience in engineering product development and support, including working as program managers or engineers. Too many CMMI consultants don’t have hands-on experience in actually creating a product and, therefore, have only academic knowledge when applying CMMI for Development.

Conversely, the Services (SVC) domain targets organizations that perform services. It covers process enhancement and behavioral strategies for the design, establishment, administration, and delivery of such services. CMMI-SVC is broad since it can be used in any service delivery organization, from running a doctor’s office to a fast-food eatery to a multinational overnight shipping company. Look for consultants with knowledge in your specific industry.

The takeaway is to look for consultants with the specific expertise you need.

3. Do They Consult, Train, and Lead Appraisals or a Combination of All Three?

Much like a doctor or accountant is formally licensed to offer services in order to assure that they meet certain standards, the same is true for CMMI appraisers and educators. Consultants are not formally licensed, but most CMMI consultants work in conjunction with an appraiser or training service provider. A listing of licensed CMMI appraisers and instructors is available from the CMMI Institute.

One of the main reasons for hiring a CMMI consultant is to help the organization understand CMMI and use CMMI to plan and implement industry-appropriate improvements. If an organization has a business motivation for attaining a particular CMMI Maturity or Capability Level, the consultant should also help the organization prepare for the formal CMMI accreditation event called a Benchmark Appraisal. This is the formal appraisal that gives an organization its official one-to-five maturity level or zero-to-three Capability Level rating.

A Benchmark Appraisal is the only appraisal method to assign such ratings. As such, certified Lead Appraisers are brought into an organization to conduct the formal assessment.

A CMMI consultant who runs appraisals on their own work is akin to an accountant auditing their own books. Inquire with any prospective consultants about how they separate consulting responsibilities from those involved with Benchmark Appraisals and consider what is ethical for your organization and in the view of your customers and your competitors.

4. Can They Do Both Regular Maturity (Level 2 to 3) and High Maturity (Level 4 to 5) Appraisals?

Again, CMMI is meant to work for your organization, not make your organization work for it.

CMMI consultants can perform gap analyses and data collection to gauge where your organization currently ranks before a formal Benchmark Appraisal. Depending on those early assessments, your organization’s capacities may be on the lower end (one to three) or already positioned higher (four or five).

A consultant’s expertise should be tailored to your realistic capacities, goals, and next maturity level. You may not necessarily be ready for that Maturity Level 5 ranking, but a consultant certified by ISACA for Maturity Level 5 support will be more experienced and knowledgeable to see you across any CMMI tiers.

Note that less than 20 percent of official CMMI Institute partners hold this five-tier authorization. BTI is one of them.

5. Can They Do the Latest CMMI Version?

With CMMI 3.0 in play, hiring a CMMI consultant fluent in its updates and implementation will be more important than ever, bridging the gap between today’s CMMI ideology and tomorrow’s. Not all organizations providing CMMI services are well-versed in the latest version. BTI is.

6. If You Work in or for the U.S. Department of Defense, Can They Do Classified CMMI Consulting?

DOD contractors and agencies have special compliance interests they must follow — so much so that contractors bidding on DOD software or IT contracts must carry a minimum of a CMMI maturity level 2 or 3, depending on the acquisition.

A CMMI consultant brought in to help requires preemptive approval. These individuals need full access rights and clearance to work on government-sponsored projects involving sensitive data.

This often means thorough vetting not only by the CMMI Institute but also by the DOD itself. Only a handful of Institute partners hit this dual qualification. BTI is one of them. Save yourself time and energy by ensuring your prospective CMMI consultants have appropriate access to your projects that will meet with the approval of your DOD customers.

Let BTI Bring CMMI Transformation to Your Organization

03 Let Bti Bring Cmmi Transformation To Your Organization1

Business Transformation Institute’s consultants are part of an elite group of all-level certified CMMI experts who help prepare, audit, and implement tailored guidelines for business process success. Whether you need help navigating CMMI maturity or requirements for integration, we’re here to help. 

Explore our portfolio of CMMI services and success stories, then schedule your free consultation today.

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