CMMI Process Areas and Maturity Levels

CMMI Process Areas and Maturity Levels

CMMI Process Areas: Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is based on a rock-solid framework designed to improve the processes originated from the Software Engineering Institute for Software Development along with its relevant acquisition.

There are three models of CMMI addressing industrial needs:

  1. CMMI – DEV: For the development of Software Products and Services
  2. CMMI – ACQ: For the acquisition of Products and Services
  3. CMMI – SVC: For the establishment, management, and delivery services

Essential Ingredients of CMMI Process Areas Model

the  Some must-haves for the CMMI model include:

  1. The Process Improvement Approach
  2. Setting Goals towards Process Improvement
  3. Reference for Appraising Current Management Processes

The Framework of CMMI Process Areas

 Within the CMMI model are two major categories:

  1. Maturity Level Wise
  2. Category Wise

Categorization of CMMI Process Areas

Depending upon the extent of maturity, organizations can be categorized into maturity levels using the following criteria:

Maturity Level 1 – Initial

This level contains no process areas.

Maturity Level 2 – Managed

  • Configuration Management
  • Measurement and Analysis
  • Project Monitoring and Control
  • Project Planning
  • Process and Quality Assurance (QA)
  • Requirements Management
  • Supplier Agreement Management

Maturity Level 3 – Defined

  • Decision Analysis and Resolution
  • Integrated Project Management
  • Organizational Process Definition
  • Organizational Training
  • Regulatory Process Focus
  • Product Integration
  • Requirements Development
  • Risk Management
  • Technical Solution
  • Validation
  • Verification

Maturity Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed

  • Organizational Process Performance
  • Quantitative Project Management

Maturity Level 5 – Optimizing

  • Causal Analysis and Resolution
  • Corporate Performance Management

CMMI Process Areas: Category Wise Categorization

Category wise process areas have been divided into the following four:

  • Project Management
  • Integrated Project Management (IPM)
  • Project Monitoring and Control (PMC)
  • Project Planning (PP)
  • Quantitative  Project Management (QPM)
  • Requirements Management (REQM)
  • Risk Management (RSKM)
  • Supplier Agreement Management (SAM)
  • Engineering
  • Product Integration (PI)
  • Requirements Development (RD)
  • Technical Solution (TS)
  • Validation (VAL)
  • Verification (VER)
  • Process Management
  • Organizational Performance Management (OPM)
  • Organizational Process Definition (OPD)
  • Organizational Process Focus (OPF)
  • Organizational Process Performance (OPP)
  • Organizational Training (OT)
  • Support
  • Causal Analysis and Resolution (CAR)
  • Configuration Management (CM)
  • Decision Analysis and Resolution (DAR)
  • Measurement and Analysis (MA)
  • Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA)

The Purpose of Process Areas in CMMI

CMMI contains 22 process areas, and each process area has a different, useful motive for CMMI.

  • Project Planning (PP)

Project Planning contains vital practices for any business like close estimation, project plan preparation, scheduling, risk planning, and mitigating and appropriate resource planning so  the company can do project planning effectively and efficiently.

  • Project Monitoring and Control (PMC)

Project Monitoring and Control (PMC) is  a particularly critical process area that may be used to aid project management techniques. Through PMC, a business may use progress and milestone reviews to guide how project management proceeds. Continual meetings help to refresh this methodology and keep it aligned with the company’s goals.

  • Configuration Management (CM)

 Configuration management helps identify configuration items and their control elements, status, maintenance from work products, and further configuration audits the business may need to complete.

  • Integrated Project Management (IPM)

Integrated Project Management (IPM) deals with establishing the project taking into account each stakeholder’s input. It can also assist businesses in crafting a standard procedure for  developing a defined process of projects.

  • Measurement and Analysis (MA)

Measurement and Analysis (MA) offers detailed guidelines for development and sustained measurement within a project. These practices are related to management, allowing for a more in-depth, data-based decision-making process.

  • Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA)

Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) aims to ensure that the business’s products remain high-quality throughout the manufacturing process. It also serves as a basis for the standard the company’s products should meet in other QA audits.

  • Decision Analysis and Resolution (DAR)

Decision Analysis and Resolution (DAR) examines all formal techniques and selects the best one for this particular situation.

  • Quantitative Project Management (QPM)

QPM can be used by a business for advanced measurement and add an element of quantitative control to its processes. By using QPM, the company can improve its overall process efficiency objectives in line with the enterprise’s overall goals.

  • Risk Management (RSKM)

RSKM is a CMMI process area that  helps businesses to identify potential problems before they occur and plan mitigation actions to deal with them should they arise. 

  • Supplier Agreement Management (SAM)

 SAM serves to help management deal with acquired products.

  • Requirements Management (REQM)

 REQM provides management for user requirements, ensuring that the project aligns with what the end goal requires.

  • Requirements Development (RD)

RD is used  to compile requirements analysis and  can help with outlining the details for consumers, customers, users, and products, down to the level of components.

  • Product Integration (PI)

PI helps develop a mature, final product, including all the integrated manufacturing and assembly processes used to create it.

  • Technical Solution (TS)

TS assists businesses in selecting, designing, and implementing desired solutions to the requirements of the project.

  • Validation (VAL)

VAL ensures the product work in its intended environment.

  • Verification (VER)

VER assures the work products that the business selected to meet requirements did so within accepted tolerances.

  • Causal Analysis and Resolution (CAR)

 CAR deals with finding potential defects in products and coming up with preventative and corrective measures to improve the process’s efficiency.

  • Organizational Process Definition (OPD)

OPD is responsible for setting up the library of organizational process assets and  maintaining that library.

  • Organizational Training (OT)

 OT builds competency in the group and aids with human resource management.

  •  Organizational Performance Management (OPM)

OPM allows a business to meet its objectives through proactive management techniques.

  • Organizational Process Focus (OPF)

OPF considers the current strengths and weaknesses of an organization’s processes, improves its existing methodologies, and implements those changes.

  • Organizational Process Performance (OPP)

OPP deals with general process improvement and allows an organization to set up a  way to understand organizational goals by investigating quantitative performance.

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