CMMI Levels Explained
CMMI is a numeric scale used to “rate†the maturity of a software development process or team. Maturity can be thought of like enlightenment. An immature process is not much different from the old “infinite monkeys†yarn – maybe we get it right, but probably not. A fully matured or enlightened process not only does it right, but improves itself over time.
What CMMI Level Should We Use?
With the exception of a CMMI level five (Optimizing) process, having a CMMI rating doesn’t mean that the process is good. It means that the process is documented and managed (CMMI level two), standardized within the company (CMMI level three), or quantitatively measured (CMMI level four). Even CMMI level five status doesn’t tell us how good a process is, only that the team is actively focused on improving the process.
Managing Scope Creep is NOT a Zero-Sum Game
Is your relationship with your dog better than it is with your supplier?
Dogs epitomize loyalty. They are social animals, as are people, and to them – relationships are important. Relationships are built on trust, but they are sustained with loyalty. And relationships are critical to having a successful product, process, or company.
We’ve never had a project where we didn’t have to address scope creep. As a supplier, we prioritize loyalty and relationships above incremental profitability. Project management techniques for addressing scope creep do us a disservice by starting with the presumption that resources have to be managed in a zero-sum game (every new feature must displace an existing feature). In this post we will talk about the opportunity to strengthen the relationship with our customer as part of addressing scope creep. It is not a zero-sum game.
