SEI Capability Maturity Model
The purpose of software process improvement or a software quality program is to change behaviors in an organization to produce software faster, cheaper, and better. The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) for software is a tool developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) with the objective of improving the software process of software producers, and to help a software procurer to evaluate the risks associated with the potential suppliers' processes. The CMM for software has been used successfully by many organizations in the world.
The CMM is a complex document of over 500 pages. Process Inc's experience with students of the CMM has shown that simply reading the document does not provide the knowledge necessary to effectively use it.
This half-day tutorial will give an overview of the CMM, and provide the context for its use (and misuse!). It will be an interactive session, where participants are encouraged to challenge anything that does not seem to fit with their own organization or experience.
At the tutorial participants will gain insight into the relationships among the CMM's myriad components. After the tutorial participants will understand the intent of the CMM, and have enough information to decide whether it is right for their own organization. Participants will begin to see how to tailor the CMM to fit their organization and its business strategy.
All participants will receive a copy of the CMM, tutorial handouts and a copy of Ken Dymond's Guide to the CMM.
Louise Hawthorne is managing partner of Process Inc. As a member of the SEI's Software Process Assessment project under Watts Humphrey, she contributed to the SEI's original assessment approach. Louise then founded Process Inc, which became the only Canadian company licensed by the SEI to perform these assessments (and one of only nine worldwide). She returned to the SEI as a Resident Affiliate to participate in the development of their new appraisal method. She is an SEI-authorized leader in both methods of appraisal, and has a wide range of experience in assessment and improvement across more than 20 organizations world-wide.
David Constant is a partner in Process Inc. He delivers training and consulting in the CMM and the SEI assessment method. His profound experience in software development, management and facilitation make him a high-leverage coach for organizations undertaking process improvement. David's professional background includes both technical and management roles in large-scale software development, as well as information systems management consulting to a wide variety of organizations. In addition to his Process Inc responsibilities, he has published in such journals as Organization Science (Academy of Management Best Article, 1997), Information Systems Research and the ACM SIGCHI Bulletin.
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Last updated: October 31, 1996