Capability Maturity Model^® Integration (CMMI) is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes. It can be used to guide process improvement across a project, a division, or an entire organization. CMMI helps integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes. It builds upon the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) which defined 5 maturity levels as:

1. Ad-hoc. Processes at this level that they are (typically) undocumented and in a state of dynamic change, tending to be driven in an ad hoc, uncontrolled and reactive manner by users or events.
2. Repeatable. It is characteristic of processes at this level that some processes are repeatable, possibly with consistent results.
3. Defined. It is characteristic of processes at this level that there are sets of defined and documented standard processes established and subject to some degree of improvement over time.
4. Managed. It is characteristic of processes at this level that, using process metrics, management can effectively control the AS-IS process (e.g., for software development ).
5. Optimised. It is characteristic of processes at this level that the focus is on continually improving process performance through both incremental and innovative technological changes/improvements.

The following are some of the benefits and business reasons for implementing process improvement:

• The quality of a system is highly influenced by the quality of the process used to acquire, develop, and maintain it.
• Process improvement increases product and service quality as organizations apply it to achieve their business objectives.
• Process improvement objectives are aligned with business objectives.

CMMI® is a registered trademark of the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)

Official CMMI Homepage