Process Areas of CMMI®
A Comparison of PAs Migrating from SW-CMM to CMMI-DEV


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By Maturity Level:
Level 0 | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5

Alphabetical Order:
CAR CM DAR DE IPM ISM IT MA OEI OID OPP OT OPD OPF PI PMC PP PR PPQA-or-QA QPM RD REQM RSKM SAM TS VAL VER

  • The table below provides:
    • A mapping between the SW-CMM (v.1.1.1) Key Process Areas, CMMI-SE/SW/SS/IPPD (version 1.1) Process Areas, and CMMI-DEV v.1.2
    • A high-level evaluation of similarity between the models, based on the Key below
    • See Notes column for additional clarification.
 Key:
  • Yellow cells high-light the maturity level names
  • Black text indicates content included in SW-CMM
  • gray cells indicate content that was not specifically addressed in SW-CMM, but in CMMI
  • green text indicates content that is essentially equivalent
  • gray text indicates where the  Software Product Engineering KPA was split into multiple CMMI PAs
  • olive drab text indicates new PAs, which were addressed by SW-CMM, but...
    "the bar has been raised"
  • pea green cells indicate the SW-CMM ML4 KPAs  restructured in CMMI
  • red text indicates the major changes from SW-CMM to CMMI
  • black cells indicate a "gap" not covered by the current version of CMMI
  • pale blue cells indicate PAs introduced in v.1.1 to support IPPD and SS Disciplines, but were integrated into other process areas in CMMI-DEV, v.1.2

CMMI-DEV 1.2 SW-CMM Notes:

Capability Level 0
(CL0)--Incomplete

new level to support
the continuous representation

With SW-CMM, if you were really bad, then you were called a "mud-suckin' Level 1" (since there was nothing below)! With CMMI, the Capability Level 0 shows when practices are not even being performed. See CIMM.

Maturity Level 1
(ML1)--Initial

CL1--Performed

L1--Initial

The SW-CMM term "Initial" was carried over for the staged representation, which means: "you have a heartbeat". However, a new "Performed" Capability Level was added for the Continuous Representation. a.k.a.: ad hoc, chaotic, hero-driven, fire fighting, high-risk.

Maturity Level 2
(ML2)--Managed

L2--Repeatable

The name of Maturity Level 2 name became the old CMM Level 4 name, to match continuous model and because some people also complained that the model implied a project was not managed until ML4

REQM--Requirements
Management
Requirements
Management
(RM)
Acronym changed to distinguish it from Risk Management (RSKM) and Requirements Development (RD). See Refinements.
PP--Project Planning Software Project
Planning
(PP)
"Software" removed to generalize the application of planning. Also, PP now appears as several Generic Practices in every Process Area. Stakeholder identification was added (which also appears as a Generic Practice in each PA).
PMC--Project Monitoring
and Control
Software Project Tracking and Oversight (PTO) Name changed to more widely accepted terms, which were considered to imply a more proactive involvement (and not as authoritative)..
SAM--Supplier Agreement
Management
Software Subcontract Management (SSM) SSM was expanded to include customer or vendor-supplied software, hardware, and subsystems. CMMI 1.02 and 1.1 had an additional process area at ML3, ISM. However, to simplify the model, CMMI v. 1.2, removed ISM and moved most of the content into SAM, but moved Commercial-of-the Shelf (COTS) content to TS (SP 2.2 and 2.3 added). See Refinements.
PPQA--Process and Product Quality Assurance Software Quality Assurance (SQA) This process area has always intended to include both process and product QA. However, enough organizations "missed it" that CMMI increased emphasis by separate specific processes and elongating the name. See QA Refinements.
CM--Configuration Management Software Configuration Management (SCM) Data Management (DM) was under consideration as a separate process area, because of its importance to some domains, but it ended up being addressed by CM and a practice in PP. See Refinements.
MA--Measurement and
Analysis

"new" process area

Although MA appears as a "new" Process Area, it is not really, since it essentially captures the activities from the Measurement and Analysis (Me) Common Feature from every KPA in SW-CMM. See Refinements.
Back to PA index
CMMI-DEV 1.2 SW-CMM Notes:

Maturity Level 3
(ML3)--Defined

L3--Defined

The establishment of organizationally defined set of documented, repeatable processes.
RD--Requirements
Development
Software Product
Engineering
(SPE)
New in CMMI. Essentially, SW-CMM Software Product Engineering (SPE) was "promoted" to Process Areas and expanded to include practices of their own in CMMI. Generally, most organizations that had these processes operational and effective will have only a small "leap" to CMMI. The Requirements Elicitation practice became RD. See Engineering Refinements.
TS--Technical
Solution
Software Product
Engineering
(SPE)
Essentially, Design, "Code," and Unit Test practices in SW-CMM SPE became TS. In version 1.2 of CMMI, addressing COTS products was moved from SAM, since most frequently it is a design decision. See Engineering Refinements.
PI--Product
Integration
Software Product
Engineering
(SPE)
Essentially, the Integration Testing practice in SW-CMM SPE became PI. For more detail see CMMI Differences.
Delivery and Installation
see CMM Integration Integration
Delivery and Installation
included in SW-CMM v.2.0c
Although CMMI more adequately addresses delivery and installation than SW-CMM v.1.1.1, it falls short of what was originally planned for SW-CMM v.2.0c. However, a Service Constellation is planned (see Changes and Omissions).
VER--Verification Peer Reviews (PR)
plus
Software Product Engineering (SPE)
Essentially, the Systems Testing practice in SW-CMM SPE and the Peer Review KPA became the foundation for Verification. See Engineering Refinements and Omissions.
VAL--Validation Software Product
Engineering
(SPE)
SW-CMM has a practice addressing User Acceptance Testing in Software Product Engineering (SPE), but it is also only one Validation technique used by systems engineers. See Engineering Refinements.
Operation and Support
see CMM Integration Integration
Operation and Support
included in SW-CMM
v.2.0
c
SW-CMM v. 2.0 was to address operation and support in SPE. However, the current version of CMMI is missing Service Operation and Support areas. However, a Service Constellation is planned (see Changes and Omissions).
OPF--Organizational Process Focus Organization Process Focus (OPF) OPF stablishes the responsibility (SEPG) and a process for improving constantly and forever (P5). See Level 3 Refinements.
OPD--Organizational Process Definition Organization Process Definition (OPD) In CMMI v.1.2, OPD was expanded to include the goal "Enable IPPD Management" (and the OEI PA was removed). See Level 3 Refinements and Changes.
OT--Organizational Training Organizational Training Program (OTP) This Process Area remains essentially the same, except for larger scope and more process areas to train. However, P-CMM can be used to address this area in more detail..
IPM--Integrated Project
Management
Integrated Software Management (ISM) IPM project management using an organizational set of standard processes (PP + PMC + OSSP). See Level 3 Refinements.
RSKM--Risk Management
See CrossTalk, Feb 2005
new process area Essentially, an expansion of SW-CMM's risk-related practices in PP and PTO. See Additions.
DAR--Decision Analysis
and Resolution

new process area

Although a new process area, the evaluation of alternatives and selection of solutions, is alluded to in SW-CMM for management and technical decisions. This  PA formalizes the best practice. See Additions.

OEI--Organizational Environment for Integration

new process area

OEI was added to CMMI to support IPPD. However, in CMMI v. 1.2, the practices were integrated into OPD and IPM., and the process area removed. See Changes.
IT--Integrated
Teaming
Intergroup
Coordination
(IC)
CMM's IC is addressed in CMMI by the concept of Stakeholders, through all PAs. IT was added to CMMI to support IPPD. However, in CMMI v. 1.2, the practices were integrated into OPD and IPM. See Changes.
ISM--Integrated Supplier Management Software Subcontract Management (SSM) ISM was added in CMMI to address strategic supplier alliances and other goals of Supplier Sourcing (SS). However, in CMMI v. 1.2, the practices were folded into SAM, see Refinements and Changes.
Back to PA index
CMMI-DEV 1.2 SW-CMM Notes:
Maturity Level 4
(ML4)--Quantitatively Managed
L4--Managed Quantitative added to distinguish from the new ML2 name.

Focuses on removing Special Cause of Variance.

QPM--Quantitative Project Management Software Quality Management (SQM)
 
SQM and QPM were restructured and renamed. The intent for was monitoring project performance (including quality) as a controlled process based on historic organizational. So its was restructured and renamed to QPM. See Refinements.
OPP--Organizational Process Performance  Quantitative Process Management (QPM) The intent for QPM (or QM) was to understand the distribution (mean, standard deviation) of the organizational processes, and to monitor projects in the organization. So its was restructured and renamed to OPP. See Refinements.
DE & Reuse
see Domain Engineering
Organization Software Asset Commonality This process area was included in SW-CMM v.2.0c, but not addressed in CMMI. It is also known as: Domain Engineering, Product Line Development, Product Families, Systematic Software Reuse]. See Omissions
Back to PA index
CMMI-DEV 1.2 SW-CMM Notes:
Maturity Level 5
(ML5)--Optimizing
L5--Optimizing Not an end state! "Optimizing" is verb (continual action), not a noun (place arrived). Level 5 is Kaizen. To continually improve,  -- you determine the root cause of defects, remove or avoid General or Common Causes of Variance to reduce variance (inc. predictability) and improve averages.
OID--Organizational Innovation and Deployment Technology Change Management +
Process Change Management
Since Technology Change Management (TCM or TC) and Process Change Management (PCM or PC) are typically done at the same time and through the same mechanisms, the CMM KPAs were combined. [See Refinements.]
CAR--Causal Analysis
and Resolution
Defect Prevention (DP) Also called: Root Cause Analysis
See:
Cause-Effect Diagrams, Force-Field-Analysis, Control Charts, and other Quality Tools.
See also: PROGRESS and CAR Training
Back to PA index

Subweb: CMMI | Process Areas | CMM History | How different is CMMI? | CMM(I)2


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