1. State of Michigan Achieving Software Process Improvement with
Capability Maturity Model (CMM)

2. Outline What is CMM? What is a Maturity Level?
Improved Process Workflow
Quality versus CMM Level
Process for CMM Assessment
Implementation Approach
Prerequisites to Initiate Process
Guidelines
Next Steps

3. What EXACTLY is Software CMM?
The CMM is a framework that describes the key elements of an effective software process
The CMM guides software organizations striving to gain control of their processes for developing and maintaining software, evolve toward a software engineering culture, and management excellence
The CMM describes an evolutionary improvement path for software organizations from an ad-hoc, immature process to a mature, disciplined one

4. What is a Maturity Level?
A well defined evolutionary plateau on the path toward achieving a mature software process.
Indicates a level of process capability.
The CMM has 5 maturity levels.

5. No. of Key Practices per KPA
The Challenge SW-CMM Size Characteristics
Maturity Level
Key Process Areas (KPA)
No. of Goals per KPA
No. of Key Practices per KPA 5 4 3 2
Process change management
Technology change management
Defect prevention
Software quality management
Quantitative process management
Peer reviews
Intergroup coordination
Software product engineering
Integrated software management
Training program
Organization process definition
Organization process focus
Software configuration management
Software quality assurance
Software subcontract management
Software project tracking and oversight
Software project planning
Requirements management
TOTALS
Subtotal 9 6 17 20 52 19 18 13 16 11 21 22 24 25 12 56 31
108
121
316

6. Example of Improved Process Workflow
A common, integrated vision of improvement for all elements of an organization.
Software estimates are documented for use in planning and tracking the software project.
Software project activities and commitments are planned and documented.
Affected groups and individuals agree to their commitments related to the software project.

7. Example of Improved Process Workflow (cont.)
Changes to software commitments are agreed to by the affected groups and individuals.
Adherence of software products and activities to requirements is verified objectively.
The prime contractor and the software subcontractor agree to their commitments to each other.

8. Example of Improved Process Workflow (cont.)
The prime contractor tracks the software subcontractor’s actual results and performance against the commitments.
Changes to identified software work products are controlled.
Affected groups and individuals are informed of the project status.

9. Quantifiable Benefits
Cost of development goes down
Better level of control on project changes
Project metrics at enterprise level controls impact of change
Process consistency across all agencies allows benchmarking and best practices to be shared at the enterprise level
Reduced time to market has a positive impact on business and IT

10. Quantifiable Benefits (cont.)
Better resource allocation
Mitigates single point of failure
Increases percentage of projects on-time and on-budget
Better project forecasts based on historical project data
Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC) will lend itself to Level 3 compliance (Defined)
A better product

11. Quality vs. CMM Level Consider 500K SLOC
Defect rate
halved per maturity level
Consider 500K SLOC
Level defects, rework equals 16 hrs/defect
estimated at $100/hr
$1,600 x 450 = $720K rework
Level 3 $360K rework
Level 4 $180K rework
Level 5 $90K rework
*MAELOC = million assembly-equivalent lines of code
A defect is a bug or error that escapes the phase in which it was introduced
SLOC = software lines of code
M. Diaz and J. Sligo, “How Software Process Improvement Helped Motorola,” IEEE Software,September/October 1997, p. 76.

12. Improvements in Cost, Quality, and Productivity
Software Estimates
Accuracy of project estimates
improved 87%
Software quality improved 130%
Cycle time reduced 36%
Productivity improved 62%
Employee satisfaction
increased 22%
20% 0%
Over/under percentage
-145%
Level 1 & 2
(Without historical data)
Level 3
(With historical data)
Post Release Defects
Staffing Requirements
-12%
Productivity
-26%
Average number of defects/1Ksloc
Percent of staff support per system
-38%
-62%
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Based on data from 120 projects in Boeing Information Systems, when an organization maturity increased
from SW-CMM Level 1 to 3 Source: SEPG 2000 Keynote Briefing by Scott Griffen

13. Process for CMM Assessment
Create a Process Improvement Team which has been trained in CMM.
A Mini-Assessment is completed via a maturity questionnaire for all agencies or IT
organizational units.
The responses are tallied, evaluated and a list of findings are produced.
The results become a basis for recommendation for process improvement.
Develop a project plan to address needed improvements
Plan on-going monitoring

14. Implementation Approach
Average time to achieve Level 2 certification months

15. Prerequisites to Initiate Process
Commitment of staff resources and availability
Orientation to CMM process
Change in organizational culture
Allowing time to follow process
Process improvement
Management Support

16. Prerequisites to Achieve Process
Systems Development Lifecycle be in place and being followed.
Software Configuration Management
Software Quality Assurance Program
Software Subcontract Management
Project Tracking and Oversight
Project Planning
Requirements Management

17. Guidelines (States of Transition)
Desired State
Current State
Transition State
PRODUCTIVITY

18. CMM Level 2 Next Steps
Establish an Process Improvement Team to standardize a process for internal CMM certification prior to official CMM certification.
Create a center of excellence
Commitment of resources
Policy decision
Introduce Mini-Assessment to IT community
Agency continues to operate toward level 2 or higher
Identify IT organizational units that we could use as a pilot.

19. Agency
Pilot Project? IT
Development
Technical
Support
Client/
Server
Main-
frame
Web

20. Conclusion
It is clear, that software process improvement can pay off. The rough calculations of business value ratios indicate that the returns can be very substantial.
However, We need to learn how, when, why, and for whom process improvement pays off.