Is CMMI+Scrum for Agile Puritans?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser,

I work with Leslie (from the last post) and, come on, where do you get off telling us to “be real”?  Our Scrum team is made up of true agile evangelists.  We have no use for process models or BPUF or any of that old school garbage from stuffed suits like you.  The CMMI certification is a necessary evil in our company, so we put up with it.  Now it looks like we’ll have to put up with you at SEPG NA.  ~ Arthur X.

Hey, Arthur,

Thanks for your sweet message!  It’s not often the CMMI Appraiser gets a love letter.  With Valentine’s Day coming up next month, I guess you were overcome with the urge to whisper sweet nothings in my ear.  I love it!

But seriously, Arthur, what I would really love is for us to get on the same page about CMMI+Scrum.  Yes, they really can and do coexist.  When you get to my class at the conference, you’ll see exactly how.  In the meantime, if you are willing to suspend your disbelief in my sincerity, I’d like to point out a few things about CMMI and Scrum that you may not be aware of:

1. This CMMI Appraiser doesn’t wear suits.  The closest thing I came to wearing a suit was last month, when I put on a red Santa suit, and sang the "Twelve Days of CMMI."  The neighbors are still recovering from THAT adventure.

2. You say, “We have no use for process models,” but did you realize that Scrum is a process model also?  When you look at all of the different techniques of a Scrum team, all the "Scrum Elements," every one of them is a process.  They are not the same processes that maybe you think people want to make you use, but they are still a process.  And they're pretty darn good ones too!  And every one of them is in the CMMI! For example, Planning Poker is represented in the CMMI's Project Planning Specific Goal One.  Refactoring is in Requirement Management,  Pair Programming is part of Verification, Velocity is part of Measurement and Analysis, and Test-Driven Development is part of Requirements Development.  And so on.

3. “We have no use for BPUF (Big Plan Up Front).”  That’s OK!  I don’t either. To be clear, the CMMI is not a methodology.  It does not have to be BPUF. That’s a perception based on implementation, not a perception based on fact.  Are you saying that because the CMMI is most often used in BPUF types of organizations, therefore the CMMI is a BPUF process model?  Correlation is not causation Arty.  The real meaning behind CMMI is that it looks to make anything that you are doing better.  So why not use CMMI to make a Scrum better?

4. You’re too cool for “old school”?  Guess what - me too (and it kind of creeps my kid's friends out)!  The beauty of Scrum teams is that they tend to be fiercely independent.  Unfortunately, that perception is one reason why most companies are using Scrum for only a small subset of their projects.  As I was explaining to your teammate, Leslie, part of the challenge with using Scrum is sometimes upper management doesn’t understand it.  It’s well suited for bottom-up implementation, but not so much for "top-down."  But because everything in Scrum is on-time and on-budget by definition, Scrum teams can boast to their management, “things worked really well.  We are on time and on budget with every release.”  But you don't hear so much is whether they met the full number of features they committed to delivering.  Their velocity may be lower than they expected.  If that happens to you, CMMI can help.

5. The CMMI is a “necessary evil”?  Does that mean agile project are full of rainbows, unicorns, goodness and light?  Well, I don’t dispute that the agile community has got great ideas, but Purism is dangerous and damaging in any form.  Whether you are a Tea Partier or an anarchist, Puritanism is dangerous because it chokes off the flowering of new thought. It eliminates the possibility that new, better ideas are out there.  Isn't that kind of an agile "anti-pattern" in itself?

There has always been this sort of antagonistic relationship between the Agile and CMMI communities.  So much so that that I co-wrote a white paper called "CMMI or Agile? Why Not Embrace Both?" for the SEI along with several of my peers on why that perception is hurting the software community, and why the CMMI is an excellent fit for agile environments.  And no, they don’t wear suits either.  


Although whether or not they wear Santa suits, I can’t venture to say.

That’s the history and philosophy, Arthur.  Embrace CMMI+Scrum as a tool to make your organization a great company.  Every framework, including Scrum, has weaknesses, and you can use CMMI to make it even stronger.

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.

Is CMMI+Scrum the real deal?

Hey CMMI Appraiser, 

Our Scrum team is going to SEPG North America in Albuquerque this year, and our boss wants us to attend your CMMI+Scrum Learning Experience. We are an agile shop that has ZERO interest in following the CMMI, because we know the two are not compatible at all. Are you for real? ~ Leslie B.

Hey, Leslie,

I think so ... let me pinch myself. OUCH! That hurts! Yes, I'm for real.

And here's the real deal. Scrum and the CMMI actually ARE very compatible. But maybe in not the way you think. Together, they actually make each other, your team AND your company better.

Please keep an open mind, Leslie, and I'll try to lay out the User Story.

First, as you may know, both agile and the CMMI are frameworks. Scrum and process improvement are implementations of those frameworks. In other words, agile is a framework, which Scrum was developed to fit within. And the CMMI is a framework that process improvement fits within. So you can think of both agile and the CMMI as being like containers which hold the keys to implementing whatever it is you’re implementing.

CMMI is not a process that you follow, it’s something more conceptual. You don't "implement CMMI."  Likewise, agile is not a process that you follow, it’s conceptual. The improvements you make in your company require specific implementations, like implementing Scrum, XP, or spiral for example.

In my "CMMI+Scrum Learning Experience," which will be delivered on the first day of the conference, your team will learn a few things about the CMMI that can help your company get better:

1. On the Scrum side, CMMI can help strengthen and improve what your team delivers.

2. On the management side, CMMI can help your boss understand what’s going on and what information he should expect.

Just guessing here, but it could be that your boss wants you to attend my CMMI+Scrum training so that you can help him come up with ways for you to help him understand what you're up to. It's pretty common in my experience that management sometimes mis-understands the power of Scrum. They see it as black magic that somehow is getting results. They may not really know what is going on and are mostly afraid to ask.  It happens.

Look at it from their perspective.  They're used to numbers, MS Project schedules, and spreadsheets.  They often live in a waterfall world with suits, ties, and fancy tassels on their shoes.  They get the willies when they see team rooms, skate boards, jolt cola, sticky notes, and user stories.  Scaaaaary!

Ultimately, Leslie, that hurts you more than it helps you. For one thing, companies tend to relegate the smaller and less important projects to the Scrum team. They have the perception that agile and Scrum are not scalable for large, complex and meaningful projects. As a result, folks like you and your colleagues are not always given the big, cool projects, and you may be unable to contribute in the manner that you would like to, which hurts professionally and personally.

So let me flip that around, Leslie, and ask YOU to get real. Understanding how to integrate the CMMI with your Scrum implementation can have a real, lasting impact on your company and your career.

Here's the link to register: http://www.sei.cmu.edu/sepg/na/2012/registration.cfm.  I hope I'll see you there!

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.

My company wants me to be their Lead Appraiser. When can I start?

Dear Appraiser,


Our organization wants to go to CMMI level 5, and we are currently at level 2. Our management wants to sponsor me, their employee, to be CMMI Lead Appraiser for the following reasons:

1. They can start their own consultancy service
2. Get process improvements and maturity effectively
3. To reduce the cost of SCAMPI A by getting it conducted by their own Lead Auditor (which is due every after 3 years)


I've looked up the requirements and I think I can become an LA for the cost of the Introduction to CMMI class, the Intermediate CMMI Class, and the SCAMPI Lead Appraiser Class.  How much does it cost and how soon can I start the Appraisal?


Whoaaaaa Nellie!  Take a step back 'der pard'ner!

Wow!  That's so cool that they want to start a whole service offering based on you only taking a couple of classes.  Parrrrrrrrrty!!!!  I bet they can't wait for the big Lead Appraiser bucks to pile in!  And that super-easy CMMI ML5 Appraisal - how cool is that?

I'm sorry, but there are a few teensey-weensy steps you left out.

First of all, appraising your own organization is, shall we say, highly suspect, so I'm not sure that's a good business plan.

As far as training, you did identify some of the basic training, although if your going to conduct CMMI ML5 appraisals, you also need to take the "Understanding CMMI High Maturity Practices" class.

An of course, the SEI Observation - a grueling 5-10 day appraisal where an SEI Observer is watching your every move.  Stressssssssfuuuuuul!

And then there are the exams.  One after the Intermediate class, one after the SCAMPI Lead Appraiser Training Class, then the SCAMPI Certified Lead Appraiser Exam, and the SCAMPI Certified High Maturity Lead Appraiser exam.  Whew!  And you can't take them all at once!

There are waiting periods and experience requirements between each step of course - because it's more about real-life experience than it is about classes. 

Of course, all along the way there are pre-requisites to progress to each next step.  Plan on about 3-5 years of intense study, practice, and experience before you even try to go there.

The bigger problem is that I think you have missed the point entirely.  A Lead Appraiser is a highly experienced practitioner whose skill set only begins with knowledge of the CMMI.  A good Lead Appraiser has excellent communications, consulting, and teaching skills.  This is important because a Lead Appraiser's job is not to help you pass the appraisal, it's to help you become a better company.

I recommend you begin your CMMI study and begin using the model everyday so that you can learn all the great things it can help you with.  Take the Introduction to CMMI class and then work with the model some more.  Then a couple of years later, take the Intermediate class.  If, after that, you're convinced you want to become a Lead Appraiser, apply to the program.

Being a CMMI Lead Appraiser is a vocation - not a something you do quickly.

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.

Do I have to take the High Maturity Class again with CMMI v1.3? Say it isn't so Jeff!

Dear Appraiser,

I have an issue asking you for help. I have taken the course of "Understanding CMMI High Maturity Practices." Now SEI has upgraded the course. I think there must exist some differences but not very big. However I hope I can get the copy of new version of the course lecture note. Of course, I can pay some dollars to SEI but I don't want to attend the course. Is there a way to solve this issue? Please help me to solve this issue. ~Bosheng


Bosheng,


I don't blame you - I wouldn't want to take that CMMI training course again either!

The Understand CMMI High Maturity Practices course (ironically called "UCHMP" - pronounced "You Chump") is a 5 day course about applying statistical techniques to process improvement using the CMMI Maturity Level Four and Five Process Areas.  I took it four or five years ago myself.


When v1.3 of the CMMI came out last year the upgrade featured some major changes to ML5, including the removal of a ML5 Process Area (Organizational Innovation and Deployment - OID) and the inclusion of a new Ml5 Process Area (Organization Performance Management - OPM).


The differences between OID and OPM are numerous, but there is not an upgrade class just for so-called "high-maturity."  So even if you wanted to "pay some dollars to the SEI," you wouldn't be able to get it.  But there is hope.


The SEI offers a CMMI v1.3 model upgrade course that you can take online.  That has a complete description of OPM and a comparison between that and OID.


If you wish to be a member of a ML4 or ML5 CMMI Appraisal team you MUST take this upgrade course, as well as participate in some face-to-face training with your certified lead appraiser.


If you don't intend on being a member of the appraisal team, you might consider connecting with you friendly CMMI Consultant to sit down with you an explain their interpretation of the changes.


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.

You mean I have to collect and analyze my own data?

Dear CMMI Appraiser,

I sent my software engineers to your CMMI training class recently to get them ready for the CMMI Appraisal we will be starting next month. While I am satisfied that they are now prepared, I don’t like what they apparently learned about data collection and characterization. I told them we need our Lead Appraiser to perform this time-consuming work. According to the team, you think WE need to do it? ~ Paul B.

Hey, Paul,

You know, I distinctly remember getting a lot of push-back from some folks in a recent CMMI training about data collection and characterization. Now I know why!

Let me tell you what I told them, and will tell anybody else from your company who tries to delegate this critical responsibility: It is up to you to collect and begin characterizing this important data.

That’s because appraisals are about you - not about me.  They're about people inside your company know more about operations than anyone else.  Why?  Because I can't fix your problems, only you can!

Appraisals are about you and your team - not about a consultant.

True, collecting and characterizing data can be difficult. It can be time consuming. But the same is true for eating healthy, right? Taking the time to plan, shop for, prepare and eat a nutritious meal can be pretty rigorous. It’s far quicker and easier to roll through the drive-thu and grab a bag of hot, greasy fast food. But that type of behavior can have negative health consequences over time.

mmmmm....sure looks good though, doesn't it?

Which brings me to my favorite thing about the CMMI. It’s all about changing behaviors that have negative consequences.

So let me play that back for you again. “Jeff, could you provide someone to perform data collection for us?”

Sure I could! Just like I could plan, shop for, prepare and eat a delicious, nutritious meal for you! You sit in traffic, gorging on French fries, and I’ll eat right.

How nice for me!  But exactly what benefit would YOU get out of that?

None. For the same reason, I won’t let you deny yourself the chance to become a great, continually improving company.

Call me Dr. CMMI, but I’d much rather see you get healthy. I’d much rather see you master the data collection process and make it your own.

I may be more passionate about this topic than others, but it’s not just me anymore. Now that the "managed discovery" approach has been introduced in SCAMPI v1.3, you’ll find more and more Lead Appraisers recommend that you to collect and categorize your own data.

Though it is a new requirement in the SCAMPI process, I've always conducted CMMI appraisals this way, as have most of the leading Lead Appraiser (leading lead appraisers? I'm getting a recursion headache).  I've always told companies to collect and characterize their own data. Or, more precisely, that we will do a lot of it together.

Yes, your Lead Appraiser will HELP you collect an analyze the data.  But a good one will teach you how to develop this important skill for yourself.

After all, why are we doing this in the first place? NOT to get the artifacts to complete the CMMI appraisal. NOT even to achieve "CMMI certification."

No, the purpose of collecting and characterizing data is to give yourself more ways to become better as a person and a company.

So get with the program, Paul!  You’re a good executive. You’ve got a good team.  And a good company!

It’s time to start learning the behaviors that will make you great.

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.

Help! It’s the CMMI Appraisal Day Massacre - on Friday the 13th!

Dear CMMI Appraiser,

Our CMMI Appraiser is torturing us! You would not believe the hours he has us spend in meetings. This whole thing is worse than a tax audit. He is demanding work product evidence for every single sub-practice in the model … and as far as I can tell, there are thousands! When will this ever end? It is so over-engineered and burdensome. Is the CMMI supposed to be like this? ~ Steve C.

Steve,

Maybe you should have called 911. It sounds like you are under siege!  It’s more than a little eerie that your question comes on Friday the 13th … there are so many similarities to your plight and that of the camp counselors in the horror film by the same name.

I’m not trying to make light of your situation (well, maybe a little - if you don't laugh, you'll cry). But it’s really scary to think that some of my brethren Lead Appraisers are so far off the deep end that they are making the CMMI feel like murder.

Similar to the purpose of summer camp, the intention of the CMMI is that you gather together, have fun, learn new skills, establish new traditions and come away the better for it. Where, oh where did your sick and twisted CMMI appraiser go wrong?

Let’s set the record straight.

First, as you are experiencing, too many meetings are a productivity KILLER. It’s a pretty good rule of thumb that the more meetings you have, the less you can accomplish. I’ve heard Lead Appraisers say things like, “We need to have a lot of meetings because they need everything clarified face-to-face, or else how can they understand the projects, resolve issues or risks or assumptions or any of those things?”  AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!  Shoot me now!

Somebody call the process police! That explanation is just criminal.

Second, a SCAMPI appraisal is NOT an audit! A good Lead Appraiser is the OPPOSITE of an auditor. The CMMI is a model for continuous improvement, and a Lead Appraiser is tasked with not only ensuring that you’re using the model properly, but that you are getting value out of it, and that your company is using it to become a better or – as I call it – a great company. That’s the bottom line of CMMI.

If your Lead Appraiser is insisting on seeing “work product evidence,” or what they now call “artifacts” for every single sub practice in the model, he’s acting like an auditor. The CMMI does NOT call for an audit of subpractices! Talk about shattering the stillness of the night with blood-curdling screams!

A Lead Appraiser who behaves like an auditor is driving wrong behaviors, wasting money, and making people hate CMMI. He might as well come at you with a machete.

Clearly what’s happening is that your Lead Appraiser is over-engineering what his task is. He probably thinks the way to win business is to force you down a path where you are terrified of him and think you need to memorize everything that’s in the book. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no reason for anyone in your company to do that.

Steve, this may be difficult, but I want you to remain calm. Stay on the line, and know that the practices in the CMMI are valuable guidance for you. They are not things to comply with, as written. They are guidance for you, like honest-to-goodness camp counselors, whose job is to help you make yourself incrementally and iteratively better.

A good Lead Appraiser won’t care if you know what the GPs are, by their numbers. All a good Lead Appraiser will care about is: Are you training people? Do you have a process for doing work? Do you have policies? Are you improving as an organization? Are you learning about yourselves?

You need a good Lead Appraiser, Steve. Wake up from the nightmare.  Fast. We’ve seen that movie. What a horror show!

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.

Too Late to Join the CMMI Appraisal Team?

Dear CMMI Appraiser,

Hi, I found you by searching for “CMMI Consultant” on Google and I love your posts! Here’s my situation.  In November, my boss told our CMMI Consultant that it would help my career to have me join the CMMI Appraisal Team. I agree! But it’s been frustrating because the CMMI Consultant keeps putting me off when I ask what I need to do to join.  Now that our CMMI Appraisal is underway, is it too late? ~ June D.

Hi, June. It’s great that you are taking it upon yourself to find out how to join the CMMI Appraisal Team. Because the CMMI is about creating an environment of continuous improvement, and you clearly want to improve yourself, the company will benefit from having you on the CMMI Appraisal Team.  Bravo!

Assuming there are a few months before the current CMMI Appraisal onsite has started, and you have been working with the CMMI,  it's not too late for you. In fact ...

By this I mean, it’s never too late to do the things we need to do to improve, both individually and as a company. To join the CMMI Appraisal Team, a few things have to happen:

• You need to successfully complete the Introduction to CMMI training class
• You have to demonstrate the pre-requisite experience as outlined in the SCAMPI MDD for engineers, project managers, or managers
• You need to fill out, sign, and submit the SEI’s FERPA form (if you are in the USA) after you've completed the class
• You need to register on the SEI’s ATM Pool registration page (sas.sei.cmu.edu). If you were able to do this then the first two items were satisfied.
• Your Lead Appraiser must create the Appraisal Record in SAS
• Your Lead Appraiser must add you to the appraisal as an ATM
• You need to complete the SCAMPI Team Training given by your Lead Appraiser.

This all SHOULD be done prior to starting the CMMI appraisal!

Since the first step is CMMI training, start looking into your options today. There are good CMMI Training courses available through the SEI. You can also take a CMMI Training class with an SEI Partner, like Broadsword Solutions Corporation (www.broadswordsolutions.com).

The advantage of taking the CMMI Training with SEI Partner Broadsword is that they are a real-world practitioner of CMMI, and they use real-life stories, examples, exercises, and case studies as they go. They even cover dynamic concepts like CMMI and Agile, and the cutting edge approach of CMMI+SCRUM, which could help you accelerate your career.

I'd love to have you in my CMMI training class.  It's always a pleasure to have participants who are as motivated as you.

As far as your CMMI Consultant, her silence it telling.  Why hasn’t she answered your question?  My guess is that she may not know what it takes to join a CMMI Appraisal Team.  What else doesn't she know?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Feel free to share this post with your boss. It may be time to find a new CMMI consultant.

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.

A pithy description of the CMMI's Engineering Process Areas

A succinct description of the CMMI-DEV Engineering Process areas from my good friend and colleague Hillel Glazer.

If you only have one minute, here's what you need to know about the CMMI's Engineering Process Areas.

In addition to his talent for writing pithy messages on flip-charts, Hillel has also written a great book called "High Performance Operations" that is available on Amazon.

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.

When Should We Do Our Next CMMI Appraisal?

Dear CMMI Appraiser, 

I run a 120-person engineering company that has had 100% turnover in our CMMI Appraisal Team since completing our CMMI Appraisal in August of 2009. As a result, I am not sure when we need to restart the CMMI Appraisal process and renew our CMMI certification. Do we have until August of this year? ~ Dylan D. 

Dylan, if you’ve had a lot of turnover as a result of adopting the CMMI, it sounds like you have bigger problems than renewal. As the leader, you need to take a step back and consider whether your organization has a healthy approach to the CMMI. Based on your question, I suspect it may not.

What does an unhealthy adoption of the CMMI look like? You see your team putting in long hours, working nights and weekends in a miserable attempt to comply with what they think the CMMI “requires” them to do. They waste time meeting, documenting and chasing paper, rather than actually trying to become a better company.

Does that sound familiar? Then you need to get healthy before you waste more time on another CMMI appraisal. So how do you get healthy?

Stop looking at the CMMI as something you have to “do,” and start looking at it as a set of best-practices of many successful organizations that can serve as a model for you to be successful. Stop focusing on what documents you produce, and more on how you act. And most importantly, stop being concerned with "CMMI certification" and think about what it takes to be a professional company.

Now, this might shock you, but having a healthy approach actually makes the CMMI fun. And it makes it easier to achieve a Maturity Level.  i know it's hard to believe, but trust me on this one!

Personally, I find the CMMI to be highly engaging and rewarding, both personally and professionally. We convey this spirit in my CMMI training classes. Contrary to what you’d expect, a healthy attitude toward the CMMI is contagious. Participants in the CMMI training classes are inspired to drive a spirit of continuous improvement in their organizations. So, to get healthy, the CMMI training class may be your best medicine.

Now to your question:

The duration between SCAMPI appraisals is three years. That means if you want to maintain your ML3 rating, you will need to complete a SCAMPI "A" by August of 2012. Depending on your current health and readiness, however, there may be a lot to do. Many clients I work with commission a SCAMPI "C" to evaluate their health and readiness before scheduling the higher-cost SCAMPI "A" to renew their rating. Assume that you need to start ASAP. 

So take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

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.

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.

Are We Ready to Do CMMI Training?

Dear CMMI Appraiser,


We are a large government contractor with processes that are poorly controlled and unpredictable. We need to be more productive and profitable, and are considering adopting CMMI as a framework to improve our operations. Would it help us to do a CMMI training, even if we haven’t decided on doing CMMI yet? Who in our organization should we send? Where do we get CMMI training? ~ Andres M.


Andres,


Before we answer your questions about CMMI training, we need to make an important distinction: You can do all the CMMI trainings you want, but it would not help you to try to “do” the CMMI, because that is impossible.


Why? Because the CMMI is a model for organizational improvement. The CMMI is a framework to help provide guidance on overcoming the challenges you’ve mentioned. But the CMMI is not a process. In other words, you can conduct a CMMI training class, but you cannot “do” the CMMI. It’s like making a commitment to getting stronger. You can “do” a series of workouts, but you cannot “do” strength. Not even Mr. Muscle-Head here:

Now to your question: should you do CMMI training?


Absolutely. Taking an Introduction to CMMI training course is an excellent choice for anyone who is tasked with, or interested in, transforming their organization into a high-performing, lean, and productive team.


The right CMMI Instructor will not only focus on CMMI - but real process improvement for your company, independent of the process model.


Good CMMI training teaches you WHY to use the CMMI. Good CMMI training instructs you on WHAT you need to do to be successful with the CMMI. Finally, good CMMI training shows you HOW to use the CMMI in a way that is appropriate for your organization.


Who should do the CMMI training? Any executive, project manager, engineer, software developer, line manager, analyst, tester, or process or quality professional would benefit.


As far as where to do your CMMI training, you could take the course at the SEI, or consider taking doing it with an SEI Partner, like Broadsword Solutions Corporation (www.broadswordsolutions.com). They'll fill in the gaps with stories, examples, exercises, and case studies as they go - based on their real-world experience. They even cover CMMI and Agile.


Boadsword provides custom Introduction to CMMI Training for organizations, on site. You can find out more at www.broadswordsolutions.com.


So, yes: get better.  Get stronger, faster more productive and profitable.  Do your CMMI Training as you would do any work-out – just don’t overdo it!


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.

Happy New Year! CMMI Style!

Dear Readers,

My good friend, and CMMI expert, Shawn Rapjack has come with his own "CMMI resolutions" for the new year.  Take it away . . . Shaaaaaaaawnnnnnn!

Happy New Year – CMMI Style!

I hope you’ve recovered from Jeff’s eggnog extravaganza of the ‘Twelve Days of CMMI’!  With the New Year, it’s time for resolutions, self-improvement and, yes … Process Improvement! 

If I’m a senior project manager or company president, what resolutions should I consider?  Start making the coffee when the pot is low...  That’s good, but let’s focus on management improvement resolutions for the New Year:

1)    I resolve to be a vocal process improvement sponsor. I will be a visible proponent of our company’s engineering improvements, leading by example. My employees will know that process improvement is positive, beneficial, and supported throughout the organization.

2)    I resolve to accept change. With improvement comes change – I will actively engage with my process team to derive tailored processes and engineering solutions that are logical, that save time and money, and that are agreed upon by all stakeholders.

3)    I will personally monitor improvements.  I will engage with my process team to understand how processes are being piloted and implemented.  I will understand process impacts.

4)    I will provide resources. The process team, managers, and employees will need time to implement improvements – I will ensure they have adequate time and other resources (training, meeting space, PALs, etc.)

5)    I resolve to understand the CMMI model. I, and my management team, will take ‘Introductory CMMI’ or ‘CMMI for Managers’ courses. (Broadsword Training)

6)    I will make the CMMI fun! I don’t want my employees to loathe learning about or implementing new engineering solutions!  Improving my workplace environment should be a positive experience!  (Broadsword Training - Learning is Fun!)

7) I will ban the words ‘process’ and ‘CMMI’ from my vernacular.  I will think of it as ‘E-N-G-I-N-E-E-R-I-N-G’ instead.

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 inCMMI 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.