CMMI - Key Process Areas
A Process Area is a cluster of related practices in an area that, when implemented collectively, satisfy a set of goals considered important for making significant improvement in that area. All CMMI process areas are common to both continuous and staged representations.
The continuous representation enables the organization to choose the focus of its process improvement efforts by choosing those process areas, or sets of interrelated process areas, that best benefit the organization and its business objectives. Although there are some limits on what an organization can choose because of the dependencies among process areas, the organization has considerable freedom in its selection.
Once you select the process areas, you must also select how much you would like to improve the processes associated with those process areas (i.e., select the appropriate capability level). Capability levels, and generic goals and practices, support the improvement of processes in individual process areas.
Conversely, you will see that the staged representation encourages you to always look at process areas in the context of the maturity level to which they belong. The process areas are organized by maturity levels to reinforce this concept. When you use a process area, you use the entire process area i.e, all goals and all practices.
The CMMI Process Areas (PAs) can be grouped into the following four categories to understand their interactions and links with one another regardless of their defined levels:
Process Management
Project Management
Engineering
Support
Each process area is defined by a set of goals and practices. There are two categories of goals and practices −
A process area is satisfied when the processes of a company cover all of the generic and specific goals and practices for that process area.
Generic Goals and Practices
Generic goals and practices are a part of every process area.
NOTATIONS − GG --> Generic Goals and GP --> Generic Practice
GG 1 Achieve Specific Goals
GG 2 Institutionalize a Managed Process
GP 2.1 Establish an Organizational Policy
GP 2.2 Plan the Process
GP 2.3 Provide Resources
GP 2.4 Assign Responsibility
GP 2.5 Train People
GP 2.6 Manage Configurations
GP 2.7 Identify and Involve Relevant Stakeholders
GP 2.8 Monitor and Control the Process
GP 2.9 Objectively Evaluate Adherence
GP 2.10 Review Status with Higher Level Management
GG 3 Institutionalize a Defined Process
GG 4 Institutionalize a Quantitatively Managed Process
GG 5 Institutionalize an Optimizing Process
Common Features
The common features are attributes that indicate whether the implementation and institutionalization of a key process area is effective, repeatable, and lasting. The five common features are listed below −
Commitment to Perform − Commitment to Perform describes the actions, the organization must take to ensure that the process is established and will endure. Commitment to Perform typically involves establishing organizational policies and senior management sponsorship.
Ability to Perform − Ability to Perform describes the preconditions that must exist in the project or organization to implement the software process competently. Ability to Perform typically involves resources, organizational structures, and training.
Activities Performed − Activities Performed describes the roles and procedures necessary to implement a key process area. Activities Performed typically involve establishing plans and procedures, performing the work, tracking it, and taking corrective actions as necessary.
Measurement and Analysis − Measurement and Analysis describes the need to measure the process and analyze the measurements. Measurement and Analysis typically includes examples of the measurements that could be taken to determine the status and effectiveness of the Activities Performed.
Verifying Implementation − Verifying Implementation describes the steps to ensure that the activities are performed in compliance with the process that has been established. Verification typically encompasses reviews and audits by management and software quality assurance.
The practices in the common feature Activities Performed describe what must be implemented to establish a process capability. The other practices, taken as a whole, form the basis by which an organization can institutionalize the practices described in the Activities Performed common feature.
Process Areas in Detail
The CMMI contains 22 process areas indicating the aspects of product development that are to be covered by company processes.
Causal Analysis and Resolution
Purpose
The purpose of Causal Analysis and Resolution (CAR) is to identify causes of defects and other problems and take action to prevent them from occurring in the future.
Specific Practices by Goal
Configuration Management
Purpose
The purpose of Configuration Management (CM) is to establish and maintain the integrity of work products using configuration identification, configuration control, configuration status accounting, and configuration audits.
Specific Practices by Goal
Decision Analysis and Resolution
Purpose
The purpose of Decision Analysis and Resolution (DAR) is to analyze possible decisions using a formal evaluation process that evaluates identified alternatives against established criteria.
Specific Practices by Goal
Integrated Project Management + IPPD
Purpose
The purpose of Integrated Project Management + IPPD (IPM) is to establish and manage the project and the involvement of the relevant stakeholders according to an integrated and defined process that is tailored from the organization's set of standard processes.
Specific Practices by Goal
IPPD Addition −
Measurement and Analysis
It is a support process area at Maturity Level 2.
Purpose
The purpose of Measurement and Analysis (MA) is to develop and sustain a measurement capability that is used to support management information needs.
Specific Practices by Goal
Organizational Innovation and Deployment
It is a Process Management process area at Maturity Level 5.
Purpose
The purpose of Organizational Innovation and Deployment (OID) is to select and deploy incremental and innovative improvements that measurably improve the organization's processes and technologies. The improvements support the organization's quality and process-performance objectives as derived from the organization's business objectives.
Specific Practices by Goal
SG 1 Select Improvements
SP 1.1 Collect and Analyze Improvement Proposals
SP 1.2 Identify and Analyze Innovations
SP 1.3 Pilot Improvements
SP 1.4 Select Improvements for Deployment
SG 2 Deploy Improvements
SP 2.1 Plan the Deployment areas
SP 2.2 Manage the Deployment
SP 2.3 Measure Improvement Effects
Organizational Process Definition + IPPD (OPD)
It is a Process Management process area at Maturity Level 3.
Purpose
The purpose of Organizational Process Definition + IPPD (OPD) is to establish and maintain a usable set of organizational process assets.
Specific Practices by Goal
IPPD Addition −
Organizational Process Focus
It is a Process Management process area at Maturity Level 3.
Purpose
The purpose of Organizational Process Focus (OPF) is to plan and implement organizational process improvement based on a thorough understanding of the current strengths and weaknesses of the organization's processes and process assets.
Specific Practices by Goal
SG 1 Determine Process Improvement Opportunities
SP 1.1 Establish Organizational Process Needs
SP 1.2 Appraise the Organization's Processes
SP 1.3 Identify the Organization's Process Improvements
SG 2 Plan and Implement Process Improvement Activities
SG 3 Deploy Organizational Process Assets and Incorporate Lessons Learned
SP 3.1 Deploy Organizational Process Assets
SP 3.2 Deploy Standard Processes
SP 3.3 Monitor Implementation
SP 3.4 Incorporate Process-Related Experiences into the Organizational Process Assets
Organizational Process Performance
It is a Process Management process area at Maturity Level 4.
Purpose
The purpose of Organizational Process Performance (OPP) is to establish and maintain a quantitative understanding of the performance of the organization's set of standard processes in support of quality and process-performance objectives, and to provide the process performance data, baselines, and models to quantitatively manage the organization's projects.
Specific Practices by Goal
Organizational Training
It is a Process Management process area at Maturity Level 3.
Purpose
The purpose of Organizational Training (OT) is to develop the skills and knowledge of people so they can perform their roles effectively and efficiently.
Specific Practices by Goal
Product Integration
It is an Engineering process area at Maturity Level 3.
Purpose
The purpose of Product Integration (PI) is to assemble the product from the product components, ensure that the product, as integrated, functions properly, and deliver the product.
Specific Practices by Goal
SG 1 Prepare for Product Integration
SP 1.1 Determine Integration Sequence
SP 1.2 Establish the Product Integration Environment
SP 1.3 Establish Product Integration Procedures and Criteria
SG 2 Ensure Interface Compatibility
SG 3 Assemble Product Components and Deliver the Product
SP 3.1 Confirm Readiness of Product Components for Integration
SP 3.2 Assemble Product Components
SP 3.3 Evaluate Assembled Product Components
SP 3.4 Package and Deliver the Product or Product Component
Project Monitoring and Control
It is a Project Management process area at Maturity Level 2.
Purpose
The purpose of Project Monitoring and Control (PMC) is to provide an understanding of the project's progress so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken when the project's performance deviates significantly from the plan.
Specific Practices by Goal
Project Planning
It is a Project Management process area at Maturity Level 2.
Purpose
The purpose of Project Planning (PP) is to establish and maintain plans that define project activities.
Specific Practices by Goal
Process and Product Quality Assurance
It is a support process area at Maturity Level 2.
Purpose
The purpose of Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) is to provide staff and management with objective insight into processes and associated work products.
Specific Practices by Goal
Quantitative Project Management
It is a Project Management process area at Maturity Level 4.
Purpose
The purpose of the Quantitative Project Management (QPM) process area is to quantitatively manage the project's defined process to achieve the project's established quality and process-performance objectives.
Specific Practices by Goal
Requirements Development
It is an Engineering process area at Maturity Level 3.
Purpose
The purpose of Requirements Development (RD) is to produce and analyze customer, product, and product-component requirements.
Specific Practices by Goal
SG 1 Develop Customer Requirements
SG 2 Develop Product Requirements
SP 2.1 Establish Product and Product-Component Requirements
SP 2.2 Allocate Product-Component Requirements
SP 2.3 Identify Interface Requirements
SG 3 Analyze and Validate Requirements
SP 3.1 Establish Operational Concepts and Scenarios
SP 3.2 Establish a Definition of Required Functionality
SP 3.3 Analyze Requirements
SP 3.4 Analyze Requirements to Achieve Balance
SP 3.5 Validate Requirements
Requirements Management
It is an Engineering process area at Maturity Level 2.
Purpose
The purpose of Requirements Management (REQM) is to manage the requirements of the project's products and product components and to identify inconsistencies between those requirements and the project's plans and work products.
Specific Practices by Goal
SG 1 Manage Requirements
SP 1.1 Obtain an Understanding of Requirements
SP 1.2 Obtain Commitment to Requirements
SP 1.3 Manage Requirements Changes
SP 1.4 Maintain Bidirectional Traceability of Requirements
SP 1.5 Identify Inconsistencies between Project Work and Requirements
Risk Management
It is a Project Management process area at Maturity Level 3.
Purpose
The purpose of Risk Management (RSKM) is to identify potential problems before they occur so that risk-handling activities can be planned and invoked as needed across the life of the product or project to mitigate adverse impacts on achieving objectives.
Specific Practices by Goal
Supplier Agreement Management
It is a Project Management process area at Maturity Level 2.
Purpose
The purpose of Supplier Agreement Management (SAM) is to manage the acquisition of products from suppliers for which there exists a formal agreement.
Specific Practices by Goal
Technical Solution
It is an Engineering process area at Maturity Level 3.
Purpose
The purpose of Technical Solution (TS) is to design, develop, and implement solutions to requirements. Solutions, designs, and implementations encompass products, product components, and product-related life-cycle processes either single or in combination as appropriate.
Specific Practices by Goal
Validation
It is an Engineering process area at Maturity Level 3.
Purpose
The purpose of Validation (VAL) is to demonstrate that a product or product component fulfills its intended use when placed in its intended environment.
Specific Practices by Goal
Verification
It is an Engineering process area at Maturity Level 3.
Purpose
The purpose of Verification (VER) is to ensure that selected work products meet their specified requirements.
Specific Practices by Goal
SG 1 Prepare for Verification
SP 1.1 Select Work Products for Verification
SP 1.2 Establish the Verification Environment
SP 1.3 Establish Verification Procedures and Criteria
SG 2 Perform Peer Reviews
SP 2.1 Prepare for Peer Reviews
SP 2.2 Conduct Peer Reviews
SP 2.3 Analyze Peer Review Data
SG 3 Verify Selected Work Products
Changes Made into Version 1.2
Only those changes that are made to the set of Process Areas are considered here. For a comprehensive detail, visit the SEI homepage.
