Capability Maturity Model (CMM)
The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a framework developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University to help organizations assess and improve their software development processes. The CMM is based on the idea that software development processes can be divided into five distinct levels of maturity, each of which has its own set of characteristics and practices. The CMM provides organizations with a way to measure their current level of maturity and identify areas for improvement.
The five levels of the CMM are:
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Initial: This is the starting point for any organization that is just beginning to develop software. At this level, there are no established processes or procedures in place, and the organization relies heavily on ad-hoc methods and individual expertise.
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Repeatable: At this level, basic processes have been established and documented, allowing for consistent results from project to project. However, these processes are still largely manual and not well-integrated with other parts of the organization.
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Defined: At this level, processes have been formalized and integrated into an overall system that is managed by a central authority. This allows for greater consistency across projects as well as better communication between different parts of the organization.
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Managed: At this level, processes are monitored and measured in order to ensure that they are meeting organizational goals and objectives. This allows for more effective management of resources as well as improved quality control measures.
5 Optimizing: At this level, processes are continuously improved through experimentation and feedback from stakeholders in order to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. This allows for rapid adaptation to changing conditions as well as continual improvement over time.
The CMM provides organizations with a way to assess their current level of maturity in terms of software development process management, identify areas for improvement, and develop plans for achieving higher levels of maturity over time. It also serves as a benchmark against which organizations can compare themselves in order to gauge their progress towards becoming more efficient and effective at developing software products or services.
