My Book "Great Big Agile" spotted at South-by-Southwest 2019!

Attendees at SXSW2019 got to check out my new book, Great Big Agile this week, courtesy of my great publisher Springer Apress!

Do we need measures for every Process Area if we want to be Maturity Level Three?

Dear Appraiser,

When being appraised for CMMI Level 3 do we need to have one or more measures of EVERY PA or can we just measure the things we actually need to? ~Nabeel.

Nabeel,

Thank you for reading!  Interesting question.

Every-time some asks me this I brace myself for the many people who will write in to disagree with me!  This is a subject that people feel very strongly about, and I'm always afraid of starting a religious war….

So, let me go put on my armor, pick pick out my favorite sword, and I'll be right back….

….. OK, I'm back (albeit a little bit heavier)….

I think you're on to something when you say "things we actually need."  It's important that a company establish measures that reflect the information needs that are required to be a great company.  In fact, the CMMI explicitly states that you should "Develop and Sustain a Measurement Capability Used to Support Management Information Needs."

What does this mean?

It means that only you and your management can determine what your company can benefit from.  Not a consultant.  Not a model.  Not an instructor.  So, I'll agree *somewhat* with the statement implied by your question.

However…..

In order to fully grasp the intent of the CMMI, you need to understand that it was developed as a research project.  And that project examined the successful implementations of many projects at many companies, and came to some conclusions about patterns and practices.

In my experience, many companies (and their management), don't really have any idea WHAT their management information needs are.  As a CIO myself, I often learned about some new technique, measure, or process that I had not been using, only to say "Wow, that is something I REALLY need to do!"

So goes the CMMI.  It catalogues many of the attributes of a measurement "program" that were seen at other great companies, and makes suggestions for how you might use them.

Note that the CMMI doesn't tell you that you need to measure EVERYTHING.  It starts by asking the question, "what are your objectives?" (MA SP1.1).  This should drive everything.  Typical objectives are "projects need to be on time, on budget," "risks should be kept to a minimum," "growth should be at n%," recalls should be below n%," and so on.  The more you can quantify it, the better.

But the Process Areas also give you a hint into what you should measure.  Look at VER SP2.3 - which discusses analyzing the results of peer reviews.  That implies a measure.  Look at GP2.8, "Monitor and Control….", that implies one also (and appears in every process area).

Let's take that one on for a second.  You didn't say it, but I suspect GP2.8 is the one you are referring to when you asked your question. There are many Lead Appraisers who insist that this practice means you must have a measure for each process area.  This isn't exactly true.  The CMMI isn't a requirements document - it's supposed to be interpreted so that it provides the most value for the user. There was a time when this measurement requirement was the conventional approach (back in the SW-CMM days), and even early in the CMMI life-cycle it was carried over, but this was clarified in version 1.3 of the model to read:

"GP2.8 Monitor and Control the Process"

It goes on to say "…. can involve measuring appropriate attributes…."  Neither the  Goal (required) or the practice (expected) say "must."

The sub-practices provide additional data with phrases like "evaluate actual progress," "review accomplishments," "review activities," "identify problems," etc…

I would start by turning each instance of GP2.8 into a question: "How do I know our requirements change process is working well?"  "How do I know that our estimating process is effective?" And so on.

If the answer requires a metric, then so be it.  If you have another creative solution, then by all means use that too!

In other words, measurement should be PART of the toolset you use to monitor and control your process, and there is a very high likelihood that you will have a healthy collection of process performance measures, but it's not the only tool you can use.

In the end it's not important exactly what the mix of tools is - but I WILL ask you to answer that question when I appraise your organization, so be ready!

Good luck!

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

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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 engineering strategy, performance innovation , software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.

To download eBooks about CMMI, visit Jeff’s Author Page on Amazon.

Pat O'Toole and Jeff Dalton's "Just the FAQs #2: What's the Deal with REQM SP1.1?"

[Dear Readers, our good friend Pat O’Toole, CMMI expert and seasoned consultant, is collaborating with us on a new monthly series of CMMI-related posts, "Just the FAQs." Our goal with these posts is to provide answers to the most frequently asked questions about the CMMI, SCAMPI, engineering strategy and software process improvement. To kick off the series in November, Pat addressed the  frequently asked CMMI-related question  - "Why is REQM at ML2 while RD is at ML3?" This month Jeff Dalton returns the serve with another one: "What's the Deal with REQM SP1.1: Understand Requirements?" ~ the CMMI Appraiser]

Take it away Jeff!

Last year, while conducting a final findings briefing for a CMMI-DEV Appraisal, an attendee blurted out “what’s the deal with REQM SP1.1? We sit around and discuss requirements all the time – why doesn’t this ‘qualify’ for ‘Understand Requirements?’”

Had she been present at the preliminary findings briefing we could have had a conversation about how they evaluate requirements, or maybe even discussed the “definition of done.”  But because we were in the presence of 150 people and executive management, it was, as the kids like to say, “awkward.”

As it turns out, REQM SP1.1 is more complicated than it sounds.

The attendee didn’t give me much breathing room before moving in for the kill.  “Last month you told us,” she insisted, “that the subpractices are meant to help understand intent and are not ‘required,’ yet the weakness YOU noted is from the subpractices. Aren’t you just ‘dinging’ us for something that isn’t required?”

Yikes!

She was right.  The weakness identified by the team was indeed derived from the subpractices, in particular the ones about defining and using criteria to evaluate requirements.

The attendee folded her arms, sat back and waited for me to mount my defense. 

Shifting into “teacher-mode” seemed like the best approach, so I began asking “the questions.”

Does the requirement meet the “definition of done?”  Is it ambiguous? (cue groans from the audience).  Can it be designed and delivered? Without knowing those things, can we understand what we REALLY need to build? 

I like to turn the subpractices into these types of questions because it helps re-direct team members from “compliance-mode” to “improvement-mode,” and leads them to discover something that they probably already knew.

“But you SAID!” protested the attendee, in a last ditch effort to persuade me to acquiesce and soften the weakness.

Yes I did.  But we don’t approach this with an attorney’s magnifying glass.  We’re coaches, mentors, and advisors – not lawyers. I ALSO said that doing what’s smart for your company should dictate how the practices are interpreted.  In this case, they were receiving complex requirements from many different sources and had a geographically dispersed team that had not worked together in the past. In this context, the intent of REQM SP1.1 is precisely defined by the subpractices and examples, and appraisal teams should embrace this guidance, even if they believe, as I do, that it is only intended to be informative.  REQM SP1.1 is about more than just “understand requirements.”

I like to think of REQM SP1.1 as “Evaluate and Understand the Complete Requirements.”  During the “Introduction to CMMI” class I introduce the Agile concept of “Definition of Done” to illustrate that this presents us with an opportunity to achieve consensus, avoid re-work, lower risk, and understand the “complete” requirement.

You could also try turning it into a question by asking: "they want us to build WHAAAAAT?"

Please contact the authors at pact.otoole@att.net and jeff@broadsword.com to suggest enhancements to their answers, or to provide an alternative response to the question posed. New questions are also welcomed!

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about engineering strategy, performance innovation , software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.

To download eBooks about CMMI, visit Jeff’s Author Page on Amazon. 

The Art of CMMI: Maneuvering

[Our good friend Shawn Rapjack, CMMI expert and seasoned consultant, is back with a another installation on CMMI based on Sun Tzu's "The Art of War: Maneuvering."  We're excited that Shawn has agreed to share segments of his article with you here on "Ask the CMMI Appraiser"]

Continuing the ‘Art of CMMI’ discussion, let’s go on the offensive with the Art of War’s seventh chapter, ‘Maneuvering’.  The theme of the seventh chapter revolves around wisely marshaling one’s forces to out-maneuver various types of engagements.  But who are our ‘forces’? When we ‘do war’ on process debt and poor engineering will we fight as a cohesive force or a chaotic mob?  Sun Tzu observes:

Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous.

Fortunately, there are CMMI practices that assist us with composing our army of process warriors – as in OPD SP 1.7 – Establish Rules and Guidelines for Teams. 

Process teams often align with engineering disciplines such as ‘the requirements team’ or ‘the testing organization’.  But flexibility is required:

Whether to concentrate or to divide your troops, must be decided by circumstances.

Thus, teams may also be created to address specific hot issues dear to the program, such as ‘improving customer satisfaction’. Teams must be composed of individuals with the correct training who represent the entire organization.

So we don’t have an ‘undisciplined multitude’, rules must be established that govern responsibilities, clear lines of authority, and reporting – both within and between teams.  Elements to consider when founding and chartering teams include:

·       Specific mechanisms to approve, assign, accept, monitor, and review tasks

·       Organizational charts

·       Resource allocation

·       Measurements

—and certainly communication. While this would be amusing:

Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are means whereby the ears and eyes of the host may be focused on one particular point.

A Communication Plan would probably work better for us. Among many other things, the Communication Plan defines team intercommunication, organizational reporting chains, and specific communication methods.

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 engineering strategy, performance innovation , software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.

To download eBooks about CMMI, visit Jeff’s Author Page on Amazon.

Do I need to be a Certified CMMI Assessor to lead my company's process improvement program?

Dear CMMI Appraiser, 

Like most engineering executives, I wear a lot of hats.  Recently I’ve been assigned the task of leading the company’s CMMI-based process improvement effort, primarily because I was on the CMMI Assessment Team in my last job.  Do I need to become a certified CMMI Assessor to do this?  ~ Sylvia O.

Sylvia, wow, I’m not sure if congratulations or commiserations are in order!


Leading the CMMI effort is an opportunity for you to have a real and lasting impact on the direction of your company.  Of course, that direction might be straight off the cliff – so let’s proceed carefully.

First, to answer your question, there is no certification required to lead a CMMI-based process improvement effort.  If you go forward, you will not hear a knock on your door one night from the process police who want to rifle through your files looking for "objective evidence" So wear that CMMI assessor hat without fear of criminal prosecution.

BUT . . . .

Your effort would be more successful if your team had at least the basic Introduction to CMMI training class, and if possible, the Intermediate Concepts of CMMI training course as well.  And of course, if you want achieve CMMI Maturity Level Two or Three, you will need to engage a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser.

See, the CMMI is a complex set of interdependent practices.  Even though I've taught over 100 CMMI training classes, I still learn something new each time.

Furthermore, it sounds as though things may have changed since your last trip down the CMMI process improvement highway.  For one thing, the SEI does not call it a CMMIAssessment anymore.  The term now-a-days is CMMI Appraisal.  And a CMMI Assessor is now a CMMI Appraiser.

The terminology change is significant.  To be a CMMI Appraiser, and conduct a formal SCAMPI appraisal, you will need to engage a certified CMMI Appraiser.  I would not recommend that most engineering executives abandon their lucrative careers and become a certified CMMIAppraiser – unless they feel the fire burning inside them that it is their moral duty to help companies get on the path to greatness.  Such was the case for me – but that’s another story.

By the way, the CMMI book won't tell you anything about how to successfully lead an initiative like this.  It will merely give you a view into what other successful companies have done with their processes (i.e.; "best practices").  That’s why I really, truly, strongly, passionately, urge you to take a CMMI training course before you risk everything you’ve worked so hard for.

A good CMMI Instructor will not only teach you about CMMI, but will also help you learn about how to develop a useful set of processes for your company - and how to deploy them without bringing the company down!

Check out the CMMI training classes offered by an SEI Partner like Broadsword Corporation for opportunities near you.

Good luck!

 

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.

Why CMMI Certification Might Drive You Crazy

Dear CMMI Appraiser, we are a supplier of electronics and software to large commercial organizations. Lately customers been giving preference to firms that are CMMI Level 2 or 3. We attempted to get our CMMI certification in 2011, but got too busy and failed our CMMI Appraisal.  To get our CMMI certification in 2012 what do we do - try again?

~ Laurence F.

Laurence, your story reminds me of Einstein’s definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

In my opinion, if you go for CMMI certification again this year, and don't change your approach, nothing you can possibly do will be different, and the only certification you will qualify for is this one:

Why do I say that? Because the CMMI is not about certification.

Now, I’m just kidding you about being certifiably insane. You have simply been misled, as have many others. After all, the phrase “CMMI certification” is commonly used. It all started with our friends at the Department of Defense, who created an environment where a CMMI mandate feels and looks like a certification. By extension, many electronics and software companies in the commercial sector are routinely inserting requirements in their RFPs and contracts that suppliers be at a certain CMMI Level. You are not alone.  

But focusing on CMMI certification is crazy. Or, to put it more gently, it’s a misguided interpretation of what actually needs to be done.

Your clients want you to be better at what you do. That’s a noble intention. We all want that for ourselves, to be in a continuously improving environment.

But if you focus on CMMI certification, you end up losing all of the value of the CMMI.  You end up chasing the paper, not the improvements.

And here's a secret (shhh, this is between you and me so don't tell ANYONE)!  It's easier to do it right than it is to chase the paper!  And you also get the benefits.  What's not to like?

The value of the CMMI comes from the transformation of the culture of your company. It’s about changing the way we behave, so that we build products that are better than other companies that are building similar products - albeit with lame processes that cost more, produce lower quality, and make employees unhappy.

You can’t transform a culture by going out and getting certificates. When we put a “certification” mindset around getting better, it drives the wrong kind of behaviors.

And that can drive you crazy.

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.

CMMI Goals for a Prosperous New Year

Mr. CMMI Appraiser, I am the leader of a mid-sized engineering firm, and 2011 was our best year ever. But as I said to the team, let’s make sure 2011 isn’t our best year we ever had. We need to get the next level of CMMI certification, CMMI Maturity Level 3. What advice would you give us? ~ Wilson C.


Wilson, thank you for your note. First, Mrs. CMMI Appraiser and I would like to lift our glasses to wish you and yours a very happy New Year and a prosperous CMMI program.


Happy New Year!


And cheers to your team, Wilson, for striving to get better for 2012. But you make me nervous with this “next level of CMMI certification” business. IMHO, focusing certification isn't quite the right goal.  Do you really want my honest advice?  I'll try not to hurt you :)


Just resolve to be a great company.  The certification will follow....I promise!

See, without the right goals and objectives, companies just can’t do the right thing. And when they can’t do the right thing, they keep doing the wrong thing. That’s why you hear the same New Year’s resolutions every year:

1. I Resolve to Deliver Projects On-time
2. I Resolve to Keep Projects On Budget
3. I Resolve to Make Clients Less Unhappy
4. I Resolve to Have Fewer Meetings
5. I Resolve to Better Understand Risk

What’s wrong with this list? The company is focusing on what they want (the destination), and not the most important thing: what it will take to get there (the journey).


Like Calvin in the comic above, some executives are outraged at the suggestion that they need to change.


You may be perfect, just the way you are ... but maybe your focus just needs to change.


By focusing on CMMI Maturity Level 2 and 3, or CMMI certification, Wilson, nothing changes.  You are focusing on the destination. And it's not the destination you want to get to.  You're hoping for a first-class trip to Maui in December, but you'll end up with a bus trip to Neward in July.  That’s not the best way to be prosperous in the year ahead (but I'll give you a call from Maui, it's NICE here!).


By focusing on the journey, you are always learning how to make your company better. Prosperity is sure to follow.


So let's all change our ways together.  In our quest to be a better company in 2012, here are some questions to ask that will speed the learning process:


1. Where should I use the information I’ve garnered from measuring?

2.  What have I gained from having standardized processes

3.  What have I gained from  having process choices for my engineers in 2011?


4.  How can I to use that information to increase performance and organizational maturity in 2012?


Life is a journey. Set the right goals and objectives, and keep asking the right questions. With learning as your goal, you’ll stay on the path to greatness.


And THAT'S a New Year's resolution you can keep!


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.

Hark, the CMMI Angels Sing!

Rejoice! Rejoice! All across the land of CMMI, the day is finally here!

If you’ve been partying with us at Ask the CMMI Appraiser’s 12 Days of CMMI, you know all we wanted for Christmas was a successful CMMI program. Well, guess what?

WE GOT IT! Woo-hoo!

We know we never could have had a successful CMMI program without the wonderful Generic Practices (GPs), which every software and engineering executive needs to own to have any hope of experiencing continuous process and performance improvement. The GPs guided our every sure step.

Wow, what a day! The former CMMI consultant got a pair of footie pajamas. The CMMI sponsor got a new process tool-belt, and the CEO got a cute puppy to love on. And the CMMI Appraiser?

Check it out! Mrs. CMMI Appraiser gave me this cool vintage CMMI guitar.

So, what do you say, my revelers? The CMMI Christmas Carolers go electric! Let’s hit it one more time!

“On the twelfth day of Christmas, my boss she gave to me:

twelve new improvements,
eleven process flowcharts,
ten process levers,
nine months adhering,
eight measures captured,
seven roles connected,
six storage systems,
FIVE DAYS IN CLASS !
four new assignments,
three new compliers,
two process plans,
and a box with a shiny policy.” 

Generic Practice 3.2 - Collect Process Related Experiences

GP 3.2 guides us to collect process related experiences – or ways of “doing it better” next time.

This is the last Generic Practice, and it is my all-time favorite. It’s another pivotal practice, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving, all year, every year.

GP 3.2 is about making the process better, based on data and experience.

What is the “experience” of the project? This is the lesson we learned from implementing the process.

Like at Santa’s Workshop. As we said yesterday, nearly all of Santa’s elves are left-handed. But not all; some are righties. Santa found out early on that it does little good to design processes for all left-handed elves. Here’s how he figured it out:

One day, while attempting to weld a bicycle frame and earnestly trying to utilize the process as it was written, a right-handed elf took a blowtorch in his left hand. He accidentally burned the Workshop down. Though the elves escaped from harm, three snowmen tragically melted.

Santa decided his process created too many errors. He wanted to fix it to allow elves use the blowtorch on either side. Now his new write-up of the process says, “Place blowtorch on the left side or the right side, depending on your welding style. And for God’s sake, do not operate around snowmen!”

Same holds true in our organizations. Without GP 3.2, companies would keep running the project the same way they ran every project. Or, more commonly, your people would find that the process did not work, and just avoid or ignore the process, and do it any old way they wanted to.

Remember, we’re not building a product. We’re building a process, and that process has an architecture.  Like a product. . . but not.  Well maybe yes.

This might be a tall order, given all the egg-nog we’ve consumed these last 12 days, but we’ve got to wrap our head around the idea that we are not creating some process flowchart. We are creating a product that our company is going to use, and the essence of that product is that it is the architecture in which we do our work.

If I can leave you with one thought that will carry you through the new year, it is this: The Generic Practices represent the things that have to happen to make the architecture possible. These things are strategic in nature. As such, they are under YOUR control as management of the company.

GPs enable the Specific Practices (SPs) to be successful.

GP 3.2 calls on YOU to learn this lesson. Have your teams collect information at the end of projects, at the end of phases and the end of durations (or sprints), that help you improve. Once this information has been collected, GP 3.2 allows you to actually do something with it. Hold a retrospective that really gets this good information and feeds back into the process. Tell the team, “We can do this better next time, and here’s how.”

That’s it, my friends. Though our party is ending, remember that the CMMI is an ongoing celebration, a model for being joyful in the quest for becoming a great company. And GPs guide the way.

Have a happy New Year, and rock on!

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.