CMMI Implementation in Software Development Processes

[andyolivares]

Hi guys:

I work in a young software development firm and we want to make things better implementing the CMMI model to our software development processes. We don't have much experience implementing models and stuff, so I thought you might have some advice for me...

Where do I start? What to read? Any thoughts based on your experience? Etc.

Thank you for your time :)

Andy

[dilettante]

This forum is for Deployment issues.

You are aware that some of the earliest proponents of this kind of thing have begun recanting in recent years, right? Software Engineering: An Idea Whose Time Has Come and Gone? (http://www2.computer.org/cms/Computer.org/ComputingNow/homepage/2009/0709/rW_SO_Viewpoints.pdf) (pdf)

[andyolivares]

Please forgive me if I posted in the wrong forum... so, if an admin is looking at this... feel free to move this thread where it belongs.

Andy

[si_the_geek]

Thread moved to 'General Developer' forum.

[andyolivares]

You are aware that some of the earliest proponents of this kind of thing have begun recenting in recent years, right? Software Engineering: An Idea Whose Time Has Come and Gone? (pdf)

Well... it is a very good article but I think he doesn't mean not to control projects anymore but to be careful about trying to control everything.
We just want to be able to reutilize some code, make a better understanding of requirements, etc.

I found this: http://www.cmmibootcamp.com/CMMI_FAQ.html which seems pretty interesting.

Any other ideas?

Thank you,

Andy

[NeedSomeAnswers]

Well i have never heard of CMMI Before but reading the article from the link you posted it just seems to me to be a bunch of common sense stuff development teams should be doing anyway and some management speak.

Also looking at the costs of getting yourself appraised (between 38k & 75k) it seems to be a bit of a rip of for someone to appraise you on stuff you should probably be doing anyway.

We just want to be able to reutilize some code, make a better understanding of requirements, etc

This statement seems somewhat contradictory to the rest of your post, if that all you want to do why introduce a whole project management framework ???

Most places i have worked that have had a project or development framework basically follow a bespoke version of the SDLC.

[andyolivares]

Well i have never heard of CMMI Before but reading the article from the link you posted it just seems to me to be a bunch of common sense stuff development teams should be doing anyway and some management speak.

Yeah, I know they are all common sense and that we should probably be doing that, but I think having a guide for it it's better than doing things our own (and probably wrong).

This statement seems somewhat contradictory to the rest of your post, if that all you want to do why introduce a whole project management framework ???

As I said... we just want to make sure we are doing things the right way, and for clients it is important. Sometimes you can't participate in big projects if you don't prove you can do things as expected. That way to prove it is to stick to CMMI for example. The costs are high, I know, but I see that as an investment.

Anyway, thank you for your answer and sorry if I expressed myself wrong. Just wanted to hear your comments which allows me to learn from you people experience.

Any other comments would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Andy

[NeedSomeAnswers]

As I said... we just want to make sure we are doing things the right way

Nothing wrong with that, i wasn't trying to criticise.

I have to say though CMMI still seems inordinately expensive. Having read a little on the subject on my lunch i have to say it seems a bit unnecessary unless you are trying to win work for the US Federal Defence agency !! Are you ?

If you are not trying to win work with the US Federal Defence agency, then if it was me personally i would not go anyway near it.

It sounds massively complicated, the kind of framework you only really need at big companies when designing really big systems (or when contracting to the Feds), and for smaller systems it would probably be a waste of time and massively increase the time it took you to get anything finished, therefore increasing your costs.

A good framework is no bad thing but it sounds to me like you would be better of designing your own based upon the SDLC or if your really unsure hire someone in to do it. At least it will be a 1 off fee rather than 30 - 70 grand each level !!!!

Have a read of this article here (http://www.cmmifaq.info/#2)- and read the bit titled - Is CMMI for us?

[andyolivares]

Nothing wrong with that, i wasn't trying to criticise.

No problem ;)

A good framework is no bad thing but it sounds to me like you would be better of designing your own based upon the SDLC or if your really unsure hire someone in to do it. At least it will be a 1 off fee rather than 30 - 70 grand each level !!!!

I agree with you... it seems too expensive for small/medium-sized software companies to be CMMI "certified". So, your comment on doing our own processes based on SDLC sounds wise to me.
We never thought that being CMMI "certified" was that expensive, which make me re-evaluate our options.

It seems like I'll take a look at SDLC... any ideas where to start?

Thank you for your comments.

Andy

[NeedSomeAnswers]

Well as i see it the best way to start is take the basic components of the SDLC, (Something like this)

conceptualization
requirements
detailed specification
software design
programming
testing
user and technical training
maintenance

and take each area and break it down in to the necessary process and documents that would be needed to complete each area.

For instance you could take conceptualisation, firstly you probably need a project kick off document which described what it was you wanted to make.

This first document would be high level focusing on the product, what you wanted to build.

Then justification, why you were going to build it. This could be a cost benefit analysis or a document outlining your bid if you are bidding to do a bespoke piece of work.

That kind of thing.

Also you would want sign off processes. At my company we call them gates, which for instance at the end of the development stage we have to produce a document showing what bugs / enhancement we have fixed / completed, what percentage have been tested, what remain outstanding if any, and reasons why. And Testing also provide figures which show after regression testing any new bugs we may have introduced as a result of our development (the idea is of course for this figure to be 0).

Only if these figures meet our release criteria do we allow the software to pass the stage and move on to the next section.

[andyolivares]

@NeedSomeAnswers:

Thank you so much man for all your advice. I think you were right about CMMI, being too much for us now.
We think we will be doing our own based on SDLC.

Thank's for sharing you experience with us.

Regards,

Andy

[NeedSomeAnswers]

No problem,

glad i could help !