About CMMI Adoption
This topic contains questions and answers about the adoption of CMMI.
Contents:
What are the benefits of upgrading when there is a new CMMI version released?
How should I upgrade from one version of CMMI to the next?
How does adopting CMMI affect my investment in other process improvement approaches?
How many organizations have adopted CMMI?
Are there services available to help me adopt CMMI?
How long does it take to establish a process improvement program? How soon will I see results?
How can I talk to other CMMI users?
What are the benefits of upgrading when there is a new CMMI version released?
The primary benefit of upgrading is that you will get the latest and greatest best practices available. The CMMI Product Team is constantly collecting change requests from users that suggest improvements to the CMMI Product Suite. There also groups within the product team that represent different organizations, industries, and interests and also suggest improvements. By upgrading from one version to the next, you benefit from this continuous improvement of the product suite and can apply it to your organization.
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How should I upgrade from one version of CMMI to the next?
Whenever there is a new version of CMMI released, visit the CMMI Web site. There will be information available there to help guide you through the upgrade process. The site will point you to published documents and training that is available. The latest versions of CMMI models, the Appraisal Requirements for CMMI, and SCAMPI Method Definition Document are always available on the CMMI Web site.
return to topHow does adopting CMMI affect my investment in other process improvement approaches?
Regardless of which process improvement approach you have been using (e.g., Six Sigma, Agile, ISO 9000), CMMI will complement it. Therefore, your investment will not be lost, but will continue to in some way support your adoption of CMMI. If nothing else, the fact that your organization is accustomed to improving their processes and has a culture that supports needed change is an advantage.
return to topHow many organizations have adopted CMMI?
It is difficult to quantify how many organizations have adopted CMMI because any organization can use CMMI for process improvement without having to register with the SEI or otherwise identify themselves to the public. However, there have been over 55,000 people who have attended Introduction to CMMI training, and CMMI has been adopted in many industries (e.g., software, finance, manufacturing) in countries around the world (e.g., United States, Australia, Japan, Brazil, and Russia).
return to topAre there services available to help me adopt CMMI?
There are SEI Partner organizations that provide services to help you adopt CMMI, appraise your organization in relation to CMMI, and plan to make improvements. The SEI Partner Directory can help you find the Partner that best meets your needs.
return to topHow long does it take to establish a process improvement program? How soon will I see results?
It depends. There are many factors involved in establishing a process improvement program, including the readiness of the organization, the existence of effective processes and infrastructure to support a program, and the skills and knowledge of the organization's people. In general, think about process improvement tasks in terms of months and years, not days and weeks.
return to topHow can I talk to other CMMI users?
There are two primary venues in which you can meet and communicate with other CMMI users: conferences and the Web.
CMMI issues have been a focus at events such as
- Software Engineering Process Group (SEPG) conferences in locations including
- United States
- Europe
- Australia
- Latin America
- the Systems and Software Technology Conference (SSTC)
- the CMMI Technology Conference and User Group
Information about upcoming events are posted on the SEI Web site at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/training/index.html#conferences.
Discussion of CMMI issues on the Web include the following:
- The SEI's Software Engineering Information Repository (SEIR) has over 25,000 registered users and provides a forum for the discussion of software engineering improvement activities, including CMMI.
- The BSCW Shared Workspace is another forum used to contribute and exchange CMMI-related work products and tools.
- The CMMI discussion group on Yahoo! is used to exchange ideas about CMMI-based process improvement.
- CMMI en Francais is a Yahoo! discussion group available to French speaking users.
- CMMI-Turkiye is a Yahoo! discussion group for the Turkish-speaking CMMI community.
- You can also contact individual CMMI experts by finding their contact information at the SEI Directory of Partner Organizations.
Finally, you can ask the SEI questions about CMMI by sending email to cmmi-comments@sei.cmu.edu. Your question will be answered within a few days unless further research is required.
return to topIf you have a question that is not answered within this FAQ, check the CMMI FAQ Main Page or send email to an SEI person at cmmi-comments@sei.cmu.edu. You will receive a response within 48 hours.