Winds of change blow fresh air into the CMMI

Reaction from the market overwhelmingly positive.

As we often say in our business, change is good.  Change re-focuses us, it re-invirgorates us, and fills us with energy to fuel performance and take our companies, and our lives, to the next level of performance.  It's easy to become complacent, and a visit from the winds of change is something we all need from time to time.

Yesterday's news from the SEI, that the CMMI will be moved out from under the influence of the DOD to a new business unit, brought a blast of fresh air to the CMMI market.

Yes, change is always good, and in this case it was a long time coming.  Companies and consultants alike are celebrating the announcement with a unifying message: "BRING IT ON!"

The CMMI has been wildly successful for the SEI, and they deserve strong kudos for their efforts.  It's unlikely they anticipated the level of global interest in CMMI, and it's amazing that this organization, whose primary mission is science and research, has been able to operate a world-wide system that includes models, training, appraisals, certifications, QA, conferences, and marketing.  And that's just a partial list.

As herculean as their efforts have been, the SEI always struggled to be responsive to the market due to constraints imposed by their DOD sponsor.  These constraints made agility difficult when it came to rapid evolution of the model, SCAMPI appraisals, marketing, and the integration of Agile methods with the CMMI, to name a few.

Creation of a newly-formed business unit within Carnegie Mellon is an golden opportunity to learn from the more than 25 years of SEI experience to position the new organization for success - and deploy an infrastructure that catapults the CMMI to the next level.

We're excited to get started!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.