Cmmi

Which CMMI Model Is for You?

Mike Phillips

Do you wonder how to improve your business? The answer can be found in
CMMI models. These models define practices that businesses have implemented
on their way to success. Practices cover topics that include collecting and managing requirements, formal decision making, measuring performance, planning
work, handling risks, and more.

SandyShrum
August 2011

CMMI BENEFITS YOUR BUSINESS
Businesses that use these CMMI models are from over 70 countries all over the
world, including the U.S., Germany, Italy, Chile, India, Australia, Egypt, Turkey, and Russia. Companies that use CMMI number over 5000. Here are just a
few...
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BAE Systems, a global defense and security company centered in the
United Kingdom
DalianSunyard Software Co., Ltd., an software development and technology services company centered in China
Cinq Technologies, a software development and IT solutions design
company centered in Brazil
SRA International, Inc., a problem solver for government organizations
serving the national security, civil government, and global health markets
ADACEL Technologies Limited, a developer of advancedsimulation
and control systems for aviation and defense centered in Australia

Regardless of your company’s profile, these CMMI models can help you diagnose problems and improve performance. Released in November 2010, these
models provide specific help for organizations focused on acquisition, development, and services but can be helpful to others as well.
Software Engineering InstituteCarnegie Mellon University
4500 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2612
Phone: 412-268-5800
Toll-free: 1-888-201-4479
www.sei.cmu.edu

Sometimes it’s easy to diagnose a business problem and solve it, but other times
the problem or solution is not so obvious. CMMI models enable you to examine
practices over a wide range of topics to discover where your organization could
improve and where it isdoing just fine.
Businesses that adopt CMMI experience significant improvements in performance. Many improve their on-time delivery, error detection rates, and accuracy

of work estimates. Others reduce overhead rates and increase productivity. Because CMMI covers a wide range of activities and it works hand-in-hand with
business objectives, improvements focus on the needs of the business.More Than One CMMI Model

There are three CMMI models. Part of each model shares nearly identical practices with the other two models because these practices apply to any business.
However, each model also has practices that are unique because each model has
a different focus.
CMMI for Acquisition is designed for businesses that focus on working with
suppliers to assemble a product or delivera service. This model delves into
creating effective solicitations and supplier agreements, effectively gathering and
communicating requirements to suppliers, monitoring supplier activities and artifacts, and ensuring the results of supplier work meet the needs of end users.
Process areas unique to CMMI for Acquisition are Agreement Management, Acquisition Requirements Development, AcquisitionTechnical Management, Acquisition Validation, Acquisition Verification, and Solicitation and Supplier
Agreement Development.
This model may be the best one for your if you find that (1) you spend much of
your time solving problems with suppliers or (2) you worry about your suppliers
and whether they are doing what you expect.
CMMI for Development is designed for businesses that focus ondeveloping
products and services. This model delves into detail about converting customer
requirements into requirements used by developers, effectively integrating product components into the final product or service, performing the technical analysis and development work to design the product or service, and ensuring that
development work meets the needs of the end users and the specifications...