Eileen Forrester

The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) released version 1.3 of its Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) models in November 2010, and Addison-Wesley released new editions of SEI series of CMMI books in May 2011. Last year, I recommended the first edition of the book on CMMI for Services (CMMI-SVC) Version 1.2. This review updates that one. (Other books in the series cover CMMI for Development and CMMI for Acquisition.)

The second edition of CMMI for Services: Guidelines for Superior Service reflects improvements in the CMMI SVC V1.3 model. For example, the new model refines high-maturity practices by removing the generic goals for the levels 4 and 5. It also clarifies the level 5 process area for Organizational Innovation and Deployment, renaming it Organizational Performance Management. Other changes extend the Service System Development process area to support agile methods and clarify various details based on user feedback from CMMI-SVC V1.2.

In addition to documenting model changes, the second edition adds new essays to the earlier collection on how to deploy the CMMI-SVC model. The deployment essays, many of them case studies in domains that haven’t traditionally used CMMI, constituted a particular strength of the first edition.

The CMMI Framework, the underlying structure for all CMMI models, makes it possible to combine process areas of the services, development, and acquisitions models into one roadmap that best serves an organization's needs. Mike Phillips, program manager of the CMMI product team, describes the continuous approach in one of the essays. He includes examples of how to combine process areas for maximum benefit. This kind of information helps you better understand CMMI and apply it effectively.

Like the first edition, this one can help new users get started in applying the well-known CMMI approach to services and also serve as a reference guide for any user’s process-improvement journey.

Ben Linders is a senior consultant on quality and performance improvement, working from Tilburg, the Netherlands; contact him at www.benlinders.com.… (meer)