Probably yes. If the company that claims to be a CMMI level asked the SEI to publish its results in the PARS database , you will find it listed there. If they haven’t asked the SEI to publish its results, the company should have an Appraisal Disclosure Statement that describes not only the appraisal results, but which part of the organization was appraised.

No. Many of the improvements in CMMI v1.3 clarify the intent of CMMI V1.2.  Since the intent was already in CMMI, you should be able to continue with your improvement plans. To see the differences between these two versions, see the Comparisons page for the model you’re using:

• CMMI-ACQ Comparisons
• CMMI-DEV Comparisons
• CMMI-SVC Comparisons

The SEI is not officially involved in the LinkedIn CMMI groups; however, SEI staff members as well as SEI Partner Organizations and their staff regularly participate in many of these groups.

If you are just getting started with CMMI now, it isn’t important what the changes were between Versions 1.2 and 1.3. Just use the latest version, which is Version 1.3. To see the differences between these two versions, see the Comparisons page for the model you’re using:

• CMMI-ACQ Comparisons
• CMMI-DEV Comparisons
• CMMI-SVC Comparisons

There also is a Model Upgrade eLearning Course available that provides a detailed description of the changes.

A SPIN is a Software and Systems Process Improvement Network. See the SPIN Overview page for more information.

CMMI is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes that will improve performance. CMMI-based process improvement includes identifying your organization’s process strengths and weaknesses and making process changes to turn weaknesses into strengths.

CMMI applies to teams, work groups, projects, divisions, and entire organizations. CMMI has been adopted by many organizations worldwide. The published CMMI appraisal results (PARS) searchable database of appraisal results lists hundreds of organizations that use CMMI.

CMMI practices cover topics that include causal analysis; configuration management; quality assurance; verification and validation; risk management; requirements management; supplier management; project management; interface compatibility; make, buy, or reuse analysis; capacity management; availability management; disaster recovery, data collection, process performance; and more. View the inclusive set of CMMI process areas to get a more complete picture of the topics it covers.

For a description of PARS and how to access it, see the Published Appraisal Results page.

The CMMI Product Suite is a set of CMMI products that enables users to improve their processes. These products include CMMI models, the CMMI appraisal method, and CMMI training courses.

The SEI process maturity profile is a presentation that provides an overall look at businesses using CMMI. It is published every six months and is based on the most recent appraisal results reported to the SEI. The maturity profile includes adoption trends, including the global distribution of appraisals, number of appraisals, and how long it takes to move from one maturity level to the next. See the Company Profiles page for more information about the maturity profile, CMMI published appraisal results (PARS), and the SEI Appraisal System (SAS).

The SEI looks for the most recent information available that demonstrates the benefits of adopting CMMI. See Success Stories for the most recent information available. For a list of benefits, see the Benefits page.

The most comprehensive study done on CMMI return on investment is the SEI report Performance Results of CMMI-Based Process Improvement. There are other articles, blog posts, and reports available from other sources on the web about CMMI ROI.

The CMMI Product Teams and CMMI Advisory Groups maintain the CMMI Product Suite.

The SEI (Software Engineering Institute) is a federally funded research and development center that has been working on process improvement since the center’s inception. The SEI is the steward of CMMI.

As the steward of all CMM-related intellectual property (including the CMMI products) produced within Carnegie Mellon, the SEI does the following:

• supports the transition of CMMI into broad use across government and industry
• maintains and evolves CMMI in a way that best meets the needs of the community
• ensures that the quality of present and future CMMI products is protected for the Department of Defense, its suppliers, and users of the products
• ensures a reliable, valid, and consistent set of products and services for users