A typical CMMi based Process Improvement life cycle

A Typical life cycle for CMMI based Software Process Improvement is described below. If you have any difficulty to understand, please subscribe the Google Group “Life With Software Engineering”. For subscription just sent your email address in the right side Google Group Subscription box.

Figure: A typical CMMi based Process Improvement life cycle

1. SEI (Software Engineering Institute)
Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is the Institute who developed the CMMi framework. The main person behind developing the model is Watts S Humphrey. SEI has partnership with US Department of Defense (DoD) and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

2. SEI Partner Company
These Partners Company are the institutes who actually work with your company. These company become partner of SEI fulfilling few pre defined criteria. One of that criteria is, they must have SEI Certified Lead Appraiser to perform Gap Analysis or SCAMPI C, Conduct Primary Appraisal that mean SCAMPI B and Final Appraisal that mean SCAMPI A .

3. Gap Analysis
Company / Sponsor ask for Gap Analysis that is SCAMPI C to the SEI Partner Company (e.g. QAI). SEI partner will sent a Lead Appraiser to conduct the Gap Analysis. S/He will conduct an audit and submit a report about current gap. This report will show actually on which area your company is strong and in which area you are weak. Depending on this, you are going to develop your Process Improvement Plan.

4. Process Improvement Plan
Here, SEPG (Software Engineering Process Group) will develop a Process Improvement Plan along with help of Gap Analysis Report.

5. PA (Process Area) Training by (SEI) Partner Company
At This stage many works will start simultaneously. Like, PA Training, Consultant from SEI Partner company will provided consultancy for Process Definition. SEPG will be responsible for Process Definition. Both SEPG and QA team will start own defined Process Training inside the organization.

6. Piloting
Along with the point 5, QA team will implement all developed Process and other Artifacts in live projects. They will identify problems (if any) of the artifacts and will change that. After that, they will publish the final release of the Process or Artifact (Template, Forms, Checklists, and Guidelines) Until all process are defined, piloted and implemented in projects, Consultant will provide consultancy on how to solve the issues.

7. IDEAL – A User(s) Guide for Software Process Improvement
IDEAL (Initiating, Diagnosing, Establishing, Acting, Leveraging) model is a guideline for software process improvement project based on CMMi. IDEAL describes a software process improvement (SPI) program model, IDEAL, which can be used to guide development of a long-range, integrated plan for initiating and managing a SPI program. The purpose of IDEAL is to provide process improvement managers with a generic description of a sequence of recommended steps for SPI. All the phases (from SCAMPI C to SCAMPI A) of SPI program covered by IDEAL.

Figue: IDEAL Model

8. Conduct Primary Appraisal (SCAMPI B)
After implementing all the processes in the organization and projects, SEPG will ask for a primary appraisal. It is call SCAMPI B. It is actually B category appraisal in SCAMPI (Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement) family. This SCAMPI B will be conducted by the LA (Lead Appraiser) from the SEI Partner Company who is consulting you.

9. Prepare for Formal Appraisal
If LA find any nonconformity then in this stage, your people will fix the problem and will be prepared for final appraisal.

10. Conduct Formal Appraisal and get Maturity CMMI MLx
It’s the SCAMPI A where the LA will audit the full QMS and compare with the requirements of CMMI Model. Depending on this appraisal’s finding it will be decided that, either you will get the Maturity Level or not. If for any reason, you don’t get the Maturity Level, you need to conduct the SCAMPI A again when you want.