Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) implementation can be a daunting journey for many companies that tends to apply CMMI for the very first time. However, the usage of a few tips and tricks can land any organization to its desired goal in less time and more efficiently making the likelihood of achieving success more realistic.
Trailblazing Action Plan for CMMI Implementation
Enlisted below are major ten concrete action points for implementation of CMMI.
- Applying all the Right Reasons to Implement CMMI
- Implementation Goals needs to be Realistic
- Better to Lean on Senior Management’s Support
- Think on What and How of CMMI Implementation
- Unveil Long-Lasting Benefits of CMMI
- Make the Right Person Responsible for CMMI Implementation
- Process Improvement Groups in Action
- Analyze Current Status of the Company
- Document Organization’s Processes
- Ask Help From CMMI Institute Certified Lead Appraiser
Deep Dive In Concrete 10 Pointers Action Plan
Let’s take a deep dive in the action plan for successful CMMI Implementation.
1. Applying all the Right Reasons to Implement CMMI
The implementation of CMMI should not only be limited to the appraisal of maturity levels but towards making your business more worthy, profitable and cost-effective.
Process improvement is what your business should embrace with open wide arms along with ensuring continuous improvement in the processes by reviewing the processes periodically.
It is to be noted that once you get your processes improved through CMMI and its implementation, you can achieve an appraisal towards maturity levels conveniently.
2. Implementation Goals needs to be Realistic
It has been recorded in many research studies that jumping from one maturity level to another normally takes around 12 -18 months.
However, the timings also depend on how easily teams tend to document, get training about CMMI and mastering the CMMI levels. Taking time to achieve CMMI appraisal is natural but making a hassle in such a process can lead to a major loss.
3. Better to Lean on Senior Management’s Support
Leadership must be ensured to come onboard during each and every step of CMMI implementation and during appraisals. The plans of CMMI implementation can be converted into dust and trash in no time if senior management fails to play its part.
4. Think on What and How of CMMI Implementation
Senior management should bring awareness to their peers and teams working under them about the importance of CMMI implementation and should stress on WHY of implementing CMMI approach to the current management system.
Upon realization of the positive impact of the CMMI levels and its implementation, teams will gather their whole energies to put on CMMI implementation target.
5. Unveil Long-Lasting Benefits of CMMI
Bringing new things to the table can get those people really scared who has less ability to adapt to change specifically a positive change. The teams need to be oriented by senior management towards all the benefits of CMMI implementation that it can bring along for the business and for themselves.
Doubts in people’s mind can lead to harsh resistance towards CMMI implementation process and can result in a hurdle in your business improvement.
6. Make the Right Person Responsible for CMMI Implementation
The biggest and the most probable mistakes that companies do is choosing the wrong person for the right project. Talent hunting for the right person is a mandatory job to get done in an accurate manner; otherwise, all the efforts will be wasted within no time.
Choosing the best person is comparatively an easy task but take a deep look into his responsibilities. Ask him/her if he/she is overbooked with other responsibilities.
If yes, then assign other tasks to some other team members of his team, or you can transfer tasks to some other departments if possible.
The assigned person should be able to focus only on CMMI implementation and should possess the ability to get the best out of it so that business can progress on a faster pace.
7. Process Improvement Groups in Action
It is preferable to divide the task into two functional groups so that CMMI implementation cannot be lingered on.
One group’s responsibility should be to improve the company’s profits, and the other group should be made on the executive level, and it should be held responsible for those process improvement decisions that are being taken on the executive level.
8. Analyze Current Status of the Company
Before going towards the implementation of CMMI for the success of your business, it is vital to know where your company exists currently.
One can take help from SEI certified lead appraiser so that you can get insights into the existing situation and for taking advice to build a rock solid strategy to improve processes and the company’s goals.
9. Document Organization’s Processes
Whatever you get in gap analysis practice done as mentioned in the previous point, the next thing to do is making all the processes followed in the organization in the documented form.
Generally, there are three approaches that are being used to document the processes of the organization:
- The first approach refers to the documentation of all the processes that each individual performs by themselves.
- The second approach requires one responsible person to interview team members what they normally do so that their tasks can be documented by the interviewer.
- The third approach is a bit costly one that refers to the purchase of CMMI tool that can be a helping hand to document all your processes that are being followed in the organization by your teammates on daily bases on in special cases.
10. Ask Help From CMMI Institute Certified Lead Appraiser
A CMMI Institute Certified Lead Appraiser can do the tasks that your in-house team cannot do as it requires a special skill set and work experience in the relevant field.
It is best to hire a CMMI Institute Certified Lead Appraiser in early stages of CMMI implementation rather than on eleventh-hour making the whole implementation process risky chaos and hassle for you, your peers and teams working under and for you.
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