DataSource & SEI’s Capability Maturity Model (CMM ® )

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES Overview: What is CMM ® ? Why I Chose To Pursue CMM ® Benefits/Drawbacks DataSource Experience w/ CMM ® Conclusion

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES What is CMM ® ? BACKGROUND/DEFINITIONS Developed by Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Somewhat Based on the Work of Deming, Juran and Others Underlying Premise: “The Quality of a Product is Largely Determined by the Quality of the Process That is Used to Develop and Maintain It.” SEI: A Reference Model of Mature Practices in a Specified Discipline, Used to Assess a Group’s Capability To Perform That Discipline. CMM ® is used by the SEI to denote a particular class of maturity models (e.g., software development) My Perspective: A Set of Policies & Practices That Govern the Way We Perform Custom Software Development Projects, Such That Certain Processes & Goals Are Systematically Addressed/Executed.

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES Types of CMM ® Software CMM ® System Engineering CMM ® System Engineering Capability Model Software Acquisition CMM ® System Security Engineering CMM ® Personal Software Process FAA-iCMM ® IPD-CMM ® People CMM ® SPICE Model CMMI ®

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES CMM ® Levels Level 1: Competent People and Heroics (Hope for the Best) Level 2: “The Repeatable Process” Level 3: “The Defined Process” Level 4: “The Managed Process” Level 5: “The Optimized Process”

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES Level 2 (Repeatable) Requirements Management Software Project Planning Software Project Tracking & Oversight Software Subcontract Management Software Quality Assurance Software Configuration Management Level 3 (Defined) Level 2 KPAs + Organization Process Focus Organization Process Definition Training Program Integrated Software Management Software Product Engineering Intergroup Coordination Peer Reviews Key Process Areas (KPAs) Software Development

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES Key Process Areas (KPAs) Software Development Level 4 (Managed) Level 3 KPAs + Quantitative Process Management Software Quality Management Level 5 (Optimized) Level 4 KPAs + Defect Prevention Technology Change Management Process Change Management

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES My Perspective Policies Plans Procedures Deliverables & Artifacts Validation Measurement Improvements

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES A Guarantee “Any Software Process is Dependent on The Quality of the People Who Implement It.” What CMM ® Is Not

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES 10 Corporate Way of Doing Business, Not Based on the Individual Need to Alleviate Problems Experienced On Past Projects Ensure/Optimize Quality of Delivered Systems Mutual Understanding of Project with Customer, Including Roles and Responsibilities Manage “Scope Creep” Industry Standard Methods Adequate Documentation Supporting All Activities, Including Communication With The Customer Maintain a Solid Reputation Make Money, Not Lose It So I Could Sleep Better at Night…… CMM ® Established & Defined Method of Achieving Results Perks: More Contract Opportunities??? Why I Chose To Pursue CMM ®

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES Benefits & Drawbacks

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES Management of Scope Creep Customers Who Require and/or Appreciate CMM ® Are Excellent Customers Common Understanding of Corporate Software Development Processes and Goals Structures in Place for Documenting Customer Interaction That Are Mutually Beneficial Some Contract Advantage, But Not Substantial Substantially Less “Yucky” Problems “The Mere Act of Measuring Human Processes Changes Them.” (Watts Humphrey in Managing the Software Process) Benefits (Realized)

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES Huge Investment of Time & Money (Initial & Ongoing) Projects Have More Overhead and Are Therefore More Expensive Perception of Many Excellent Software Developers is Negative (Yet can be overcome) Return On Investment?? (Not yet evident for DataSource) Drawbacks

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES 14 Interaction with Better-Trained Staff – Less Frustration, Less Last-Minute Heroics Required Overall Improvement in Documentation of Application Requirements (including Data Requirements) – Many Benefits Including Less Pull on Senior Resources to Maintain Old Systems Reduction/Elimination of Unmanaged Scope Creep Benefits Everyone Project Managers: Defined Project Management Processes, Templates, etc. Tremendous Job Security! Benefits for Data Management Personnel & Project Managers

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES 15 Common-Sense Approach “Process Improvement Should Be Done To Help The Business – Not For Its Own Sake.” Pitfalls To Avoid Overkill/Use of Templates Available Over the Web, etc. That Are Not Necessarily Relevant To Your Organization Too Many People Involved in SEPG Working on Too Many Processes At Once Too Much Superfluous Jargon Things We Did That Were Helpful Senior Management Support/Push Getting All Involved Communicate (Approach, Benefits) Map Out Chart of Policies/Procedures/Templates/Project Deliverables Hire Consultant DataSource Experience With CMM®

CREATIVE Approach Quality SOLUTIONS Quality SOLUTIO NS proven PROCESSES 16 CMM ® Assessment/Evaluation Process A Few Process Proverbs Q&A References: SEI Website: Managing the Software Process by Watts S. Humphrey Conclusion