Reason #3 to attend SEPG Europe in Madrid this year

The #3 Reason to Attend SEPG Europe 2012: To Share Your Passion

Buenos días Amigos!  It’s time once again for my Top 5 Reasons to Attend SEPG Europe 2012 on June 5-7.

You know, having been to Spain a few times, I’ve seen first-hand their legendary spirit and propensity to live life to the fullest.  So I was not surprise when Madrid was selected as this year’s gathering place for engineering and software executives and practitioners who are passionate about process improvement and learning to do more with the CMMI.

As I put together my list of reasons to attend SEPG Europe 2012, I considered that living life to the fullest was a combination of sparking ones passion (Reason #5) and consuming great quantities of useful knowledge (Reason #4).   It all comes together in Reason #3.

Drum roll please …

Reason #3: SEPG Europe is where you can share your passion with your peers.

It’s true that every SEPG conference gives you the chance to be with like-minded professionals who are just as passionate as you are about process and performance improvement.  SEPG Europe offers even more.  At SEPG Europe, you will ...

Connect (or re-connect) with international customers

We all want to stay connected with our international customers, but the reality is that everyone’s busy - and the world is a big place!  We’re solving problems and flying at a hundred miles an hour.  It can be hard to slow down and find time to spend together.  Well, SEPG Europe gives us that time.  The three day conference offers an extended opportunity to share with your customers why you are so passionate about organizational process and performance improvement, and for them to share the same with you.

Connect (or re-connect) with business partners

There’s no better place than SEPG Europe to form strategic relationships with compatible companies from all around the world.  Some day, an opportunity will arise in which you will be glad you have an international partner you can work with and trust.  By forming these relationships at SEPG Europe, you’ll form strong, personal relationships with potential partners.

What I love is that SEPG Europe offers these rich networking opportunities in addition to the robust technical program.  That means you can learn  while connecting with familiar faces and starting new relationships.

To me, spending time with quality people is one of the best ways to live life to the fullest.  I hope you’ll join us in Madrid, and show us what living life to the fullest means to YOU.

Click here to register.

Need more reasons to go?  Check back soon for Reason #2!

Jeff Dalton is President of Broadsword Solutions Corporation and Chairman of the SEI’s Partner Advisory Board.  He is a SCAMPI Lead Appraiser whose blog can be read at www.asktheCMMIAppraiser.com.  He can be reached a

Winds of change blow fresh air into the CMMI

Reaction from the market overwhelmingly positive.

As we often say in our business, change is good.  Change re-focuses us, it re-invirgorates us, and fills us with energy to fuel performance and take our companies, and our lives, to the next level of performance.  It's easy to become complacent, and a visit from the winds of change is something we all need from time to time.

Yesterday's news from the SEI, that the CMMI will be moved out from under the influence of the DOD to a new business unit, brought a blast of fresh air to the CMMI market.

Yes, change is always good, and in this case it was a long time coming.  Companies and consultants alike are celebrating the announcement with a unifying message: "BRING IT ON!"

The CMMI has been wildly successful for the SEI, and they deserve strong kudos for their efforts.  It's unlikely they anticipated the level of global interest in CMMI, and it's amazing that this organization, whose primary mission is science and research, has been able to operate a world-wide system that includes models, training, appraisals, certifications, QA, conferences, and marketing.  And that's just a partial list.

As herculean as their efforts have been, the SEI always struggled to be responsive to the market due to constraints imposed by their DOD sponsor.  These constraints made agility difficult when it came to rapid evolution of the model, SCAMPI appraisals, marketing, and the integration of Agile methods with the CMMI, to name a few.

Creation of a newly-formed business unit within Carnegie Mellon is an golden opportunity to learn from the more than 25 years of SEI experience to position the new organization for success - and deploy an infrastructure that catapults the CMMI to the next level.

We're excited to get started!

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.

Reason #4 to attend SEPG Europe: Consume Knowledge!

The #4 Reason to Attend SEPG Europe 2012: To Consume Knowledge

Buenos días Amigos!  I’ve got to admit, the first thought that flashes through my mind when I think about traveling to Spain for the upcoming SEPG Europe 2012 conference in Madrid, Spain, on June 5-7?  Tapas.

Ah, delicious, tapas!  If you love Spanish cuisine, you surely have consumed a wide variety of tapas, or appetizers, served cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as battered, fried baby squid).   My preference is to order many different tapas and forget about the entree.

But just as there is more to tapas than olives and cheese, there are many great reasons to attend this year’s SEPG Europe 2012.  For the next few days, I’ll be counting down the Top 5 Reasons to be there.  Today, we’ll talk about Reason #4.

Drum roll please …

Reason #4: SEPG Europe is a place where you can consume vast quantities of knowledge (and not gain any weight!)

Yes, based on my past experience with SEPG conferences, delegates of SEPG Europe 2012 can expect to consume a lot of knowledge.  You’ll have opportunities to attend presentation after presentation by industry experts from all over the world, and to connect with peers about the different aspects of the CMMI and process improvement you are most interested in.

Here are a few examples of the things I’ve learned at SEPG conferences over the years:

• I’ve learned that there are different interpretations in Western versus Eastern cultures about the true meaning of the CMMI.
• I’ve learned how understanding the differing perceptions of the CMMI can shape the way we deliver CMMI services.
• I’ve discovered new tips and techniques for being even more agile and efficient in conducting appraisals.
• I’ve learned new techniques, including how to help executives and the teams they lead become better at communicating.
• I’ve attended terrific presentations that offered lessons learned from top practitioners in the industry.
• I’ve had fun too – with entertaining and interesting speakers like Mira Culley, Peter Leeson, Ducan Seidler, Eileen Forrester, and many more.

For those who like to plan their sessions in advance, the SEPG Conference team has posted the technical program, which is also now available in an easy-to-read grid format.

It’s a pretty impressive spread.  Learning experiences range from formal presentations, day-long tutorials, and half-day workshops to informal conversations and social interactions.  We’ll share strategies and tactics, tips and techniques, best practices to adopt, and pitfalls to avoid.

And we’ll have the truly unforgettable experience of building on our skills and knowledge, together.

Yes, SEPG Europe 2012 offers a widely varied and delectable array of CMMI tapas.  Why limit yourself to just olives and cheese?

Click here to register.

Need more reasons to go?  Check back soon for Reason #3!

Jeff Dalton is President of Broadsword Solutions Corporation and Chairman of the SEI’s Partner Advisory Board.  He is a SCAMPI Lead Appraiser whose blog can be read at www.asktheCMMIAppraiser.com.  He can be reached at appraiser@broadswordsolutions.com.

We're hearing about changes with CMMI at the SEI - what gives?

Dear Appraiser,


We're hearing rumblings about reorganization at the SEI, and that the CMMI may be moving to another organization at CMU.  What's the story?  ~Joseph P.

Joseph,

It is true.  The SEI announced this morning that the CMMI constellations (as well as other "mature technologies"), no longer considered "research" projects, will be moved to a new business unit within Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).  The Department of Defense, long a sponsor of the SEI, was very involved (along with CMU) in this decision.

To put this all in perspective, remember that the SEI is an "FFRDC" (Federally Funded Research and Development Center).  That means their charter is to conducted Research and Development activities - something they do very well.  So, this move makes total sense in that context.

I interpret this as a good . . . no, a great thing.  The SEI operates under the constraints of its sponsor (the DOD).  A new business unit, unencumbered by this constraint, will take the CMMI in new,  more flexible directions, and to new markets.

Here is the text of the SEI's announcement:

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) have mutually decided to move the CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) and the PCMM (People Capability Maturity Model ) out of the SEI and into an independent business unit of CMU. We believe this new unit may also be a natural transition path for other SEI developed technologies, methods and practices as they mature.

The SEI is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) established in 1984 to provide technical leadership and innovation through research and development to advance the practice of software engineering and technology in support of DoD needs. DoD acknowledges the significant contributions that CMMI has made to Defense programs and the software engineering community, in general. Recognizing the maturity of CMMI and PCMM, SEI and DoD have agreed that the maturity of these technologies make this an appropriate time for the SEI, as a science and technology based FFRDC, to concentrate on newer research.

Carnegie Mellon University is excited about establishing this new business unit to serve the global software engineering community even better--to make adoption, evolution and maintenance of the models more flexible for government and commercial organizations, to be more creative with our partners and other organizations in creating business relationships, and to face the market more proactively.

Join me in wishing the greatest success to this new organization!

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.

Reason #5 to attend SEPG Europe 2012: Spark your Passion!

The #5 Reason to Attend SEPG Europe 2012: Spark Your Passion!

Buenos días, amigos! So you’re wondering whether to pack your suit and join us in Madrid, Spain, for this year’s SEPG Europe 2012 on June 5-7?  Just as there are many traditional flamenco songs, lyrics, dances and instrumental styles in Spain, there are many reasons to attend SEPG Europe this year.  For the next few weeks,  I’ll be counting down the top five.

La lista?  Here are my Top Five Reasons to attend SEPG Europe, starting today with Reason #5.

Drum roll please …

SEPG Europe is where you can spark your passion for your profession.

SEPG Europe is the premier software process improvement conference in all of Europe.   Here you will meet hundreds of professionals from around the world –   people who care as much as you do about learning, networking and exploring solutions to their process problems.  These are the same practitioners who have been driving the CMMI’s reputation as the global leader in performance and process improvement.  You have a place among them.

The program is compelling.  This year the technical tracks offer more experts and more information than ever before – and more ways to get you thinking about solutions.  Designed for both experienced professionals and those who are new in the field, the conference program will challenge assumptions with its comprehensive view of the changing landscape of engineering and process improvement.

The slate of programs has been expanded and enhanced to meet you where you are in your career, and move you forward. Take a look at the range of topics awaiting you:

• Agility and Rapid Process Improvement
• People, Teamwork, and Organizations
• Process as the Basis of Risk & Resilience
• Process Improvement in Small and Medium Business
• Leading Organizational Change
• Software and Systems Engineering Innovations
• Multi-Model Process Improvement
• High Maturity
• Professional Development

Is your heart pumping yet?  Within each track are technical sessions designed to dive into the principles and practices that can help your organization better understand how to harness the power of process improvement.

So let’s get fired up, amigos!  It’s a three-day process feria filled with real-life, practical and implementable solutions that will help you take your business to the next level. What’s not to love?

Click here to register.

Need more reasons to go?  Check back soon for Reason #4!

Jeff Dalton is President of Broadsword Solutions Corporation and Chairman of the SEI’s Partner Advisory Board.  He is a SCAMPI Lead Appraiser whose blog can be read at www.asktheCMMIAppraiser.com.  He can be reached at appraiser@broadswordsolutions.com

Can we use CMMI-DEV on short projects?

Dear Appraiser,  we're an IT Services firm in Ohio.  We need to know if it possible to use the CMMI-Dev model on projects that start and finish within 2 to 3 months?  It seems like a lot of work and documentation efforts to use the model for a 60 or 90 day effort?

If these are the only type of projects we have for an appraisal- will that suffice? ~Larry M.

Larry,

I understand your concerns.  You've heard that the CMMI requires TONS of documents, and a "full-lifecycle" data-dump in order to succeed with an appraisal.  Lot's of people have heard this too.  I'm sorry, you're beyond help.....NOT!

I could just tell you that you're wrong, but since I'm a teacher at heart let me try to help you understand WHY this nasty impression about CMMI exists in our industry.

Years ago there were some early adopters of CMMI.  These companies were working with, mostly, the Department of Defense, and they were building large, complex systems.  Back then, "agile" was just a rainbow and unicorn in Ken and Jeff's eyes, and was not nearly as popular.  And companies with 90-day projects didn't have much interest in process.  But the big-boys who adopted this model, the CMMI, did have a lot of interest.  They needed ways to manage their Engineering processes, and the CMMI was just the ticket.

Funny thing about these companies though . . . they ALREADY were doing work that required lots of documents, long phases, gates, audits, and measurement.  They ALREADY were top-down, command and control, and "low-trust."  So it stands to reason that this is the context that they adopted the CMMI with.  They set the standard - and boy did they!

Fast-foward a few years to short iterations, agile methods, fail fast-fail early, planning poker, and daily stand-ups.  What a difference!  The way information is managed is much different now.  

The unicorns have landed!

On a Scrum project, for instance, the entire Scrum team room is one massive "information radiator" where a simple visit provides evidence of dozens of CMMI practices.  Sure, some things end up in documents and in databases, but some things are just visual.

In some ways, the frequent iterations of agile projects produce way MORE evidence than those in a traditional "waterfall" project - it's broader, deeper, and constantly being improved.  What appraiser wouldn't like that?  Well....don't get me started on that one....

The practices in the CMMI do not indicate sequence, volume, or physical weight of deliverable.  The key is to do WHAT IS RIGHT for your company, and then find a Lead Appraiser that understands it.  I've appraised companies that backed a truck up full of documents, and I've appraised those who rode up on a scooter with an iPad.

It just depends....

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 we need a tune-up before our CMMI appraisal?

Dear CMMI Appraiser – I own an IT company in Michigan that uses Agile business intelligence solutions to provide insights and predictive analytics to State and local government agencies. We want to get our CMMI Maturity Level 2 rating this year, but our CFO doesn’t want to waste time and money on a SCAMPI B assessment, since the result won’t count. My concern is about the repercussions if we are unprepared and fail the SCAMPI A. How important is the tune-up? ~ Somali A. 

Dear Somali,

Whoa!  Doesn't count?  An Appraisal is all about learning about your company - and when it comes to that a SCAMPI "B" counts for a lot.  But based on your question, you may not as far down the road as you think you are. You are correct that the SCAMPI B assessment does not result in a rating  – but it is not a "tune-up."  Tuning up your existing processes is something you do continuously before and after you go through the SCAMPI B or SCAMPI A process. Like giving your car a tune-up at the 5,000 mile mark, tuning up your processes prepares your company to keep its quality and performance improvements rolling in the right direction. But on its own it doesn’t assure that your journey will be successful.

So, before you even get started, there are some key questions to ask yourself:

What could we learn about ourselves from a SCAMPI C (Gap Analysis)? The SCAMPI C is one way to find out how well your company learns about itself.  How aligned (or misaligned) are behaviors with the CMMI framework? It may be a long road ahead, but it's well worth the journey - and you want to understand the baseline before you start.

How could we benefit from training? Multiple training courses are available to assist you in your journey to becoming a great company. Since this is apparently your first experience with the CMMI, start with the introduction to CMMI training course, followed by training on how to become expert process engineers. Broadsword offers courses and workshops that teach you how to execute our AgileCMMI methodology, and how to design and develop the processes you will need to become a great company.  While you're at it, consider some methodology training like Scrum, Measurement, and Process Quality.

What is really involved in the "tune-up?" After the SCAMPI C, and often concurrently with the training, you'll need to develop a plan that identifies all the opportunities to improve that you will need to execute with company.  This plan could be months, or even years, in duration and includes everything you need to do in the context of the methods and working teams you will be using, as well as all of the releases and iterations that must take place between now and when you reach your desired state - perhaps as tested by your SCAMPI B Appraisal.

The SCAMPI B is a semi-formal appraisal that serves as a tool to give you the information you need to completely understand your current state in relation to the CMMI.  It gives you the information you need to help you determine whether you should move forward with a formal SCAMPI A.

Some companies consider skipping the SCAMPI B in order to save money.  This may seem prudent, given that it is not specifically required, but keep in mind that this discussion is not about money, but about Risk Management.  It would be expensive (and demoralizing for your team) to have an unsuccessful SCAMPI A.  My own personal rule-of-thumb is, if the SCAMPI B is better than 75% "in the green," that's a pretty good indicator to start thinking about when you want to conduct your SCAMPI A appraisal.  Of course, it depends......

And if you are successful with your SCAMPI A  … WOO-HOO! You’re done, right?

Uhhh, not so fast.  But you do have an awesome start!  Achieving a CMMI Maturity Level doesn’t make you a great company. It just means you are sufficiently equipped with the infrastructure and tools you need to become a great company.

As we say in the aviation world . . . you'll have a "license to learn."  It's time to remind your CFO that this ain’t no paper chase. Making structural changes in your company – and making the commitment to long-term improvement as an organization – that’s your real adventure.

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.

Where can the "CMMI lady" learn more?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser, I enjoyed your presentation at the PMI Forum in Detroit this week. I'm the CMMI lady whose boss wanted me to take on a Scrum-based project, so I could expand my repertoire as a project manager. Going in, I really thought Agile was too unstructured for us. Are you going to be giving that presentation again any time soon? I feel like I still have a lot to learn. ~ Julia W.

Hey, Julia – It was great to meet you at the Project Management Institute Forum for my CMMI+Scrum: Power Partners in Product Development” presentation on Monday. It's cool that you're still thirsty for more knowledge. Like the old saying goes …

But you knew that. There's a reason project management is one of the top skill sets demanded by organizations around the world today. You never stop learning.

I'm curious. What caused you to change your opinion about Agile? Don't tell me -- all my funny jokes, right?

But seriously, for a lot of project managers and executives, the great thing about CMMI is that it can (and should) be used to improve the performance of teams that are using Scrum (or any other technique). Scrum is a lightweight approach to managing the process for developing products in an iterative and incremental way. It's different than the "command and control" approach you're used to, and that’s probably why it felt “unstructured” to you. In Scrum, teams focus much more on "self-organization" and personal responsibility.  That's not to say that "waterfall" project team members are not responsible, only that the methodology does not address it.  The scope of Scrum does not include everything required to drive enterprise-wide performance, and fortunately, as I said, many such best-practices exist within the CMMI.  Just keep it light!

So whether your goals are to improve as a project manager, successfully deliver software, achieve a CMMI Maturity Level, or get on the path to becoming a great company, you can use the AgileCMMI approach to improve incrementally and in a lightweight, useful way, and reach your goals. AgileCMMI helps you get better at what you are already doing and increase the likelihood your project will be successful.

When will the CMMI Appraiser be back in Michigan? Not to worry. We're on location in Detroit all this week, conducting a CMMI appraisal with a great, agile engineering company ... and then I'm off to Madrid, Spain, for SEPG Europe on June 5, to teach an international audience about the benefits of AgileCMMI.  After that I'm off to Hong Kong.  The date of my return to Detroit will be announced this summer.

In the meantime, get your fill of timely, useful information right here.

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

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPILead Appraiser, CertifiedCMMI 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.

How can we switch to an agile software development lifecycle without causing project delays?

Hey CMMI Appraiser, we are a large software engineering firm in Ohio that uses the CMMI-DEV. For over a decade, we have used our own software development lifecycle, and recently decided to switch to Scrum.  I’m concerned about how we can help our engineers make this big change without causing project delays.  What should we do? ~ Chris H.

Chris, as more companies are adopting agile software development methods, the CMMI Appraiser has received a steady stream of questions about managing this change.  One of the leading experts on this topic is Julie Calfin, a Senior CMMI Consultant with Broadsword.  Julie does amazing work with companies who are undergoing large scale business transformation. Take it away, Julie! ~ The CMMI Appraiser

Thank you, CMMI Appraiser!

Chris, as I explained in my last blog post, Organizational Change Management techniques can help people change their behavior quickly with minimal disruption – and reach the mountain peak together.  We like to think of it as a Journey to Commitment.

To help us visualize the journey and how we will guide people through major changes, we use a tool called the Commitment Curve (above).  In the case of your software engineering firm, Chris, the Commitment Curve maps the upward journey your staff will experience on their way to accepting and committing to Scrum.

So let’s begin our trek up the mountain, one step at a time:

CONTACT – at the first step, it’s your job as management to reach out to every segment of the organization to announce a change is coming.  Be sure to use powerful examples to explain why your firm needs to make this change.  For example, announce the adoption of Scrum at an all-hands meeting.  Explain that an agile software development life cycle will enable your firm to develop working software that is consistently delivered on time and within budget.

AWARNESS – here is where your people start to climb.  They develop some awareness and knowledge of the program and the fact that it will affect the way they do their work.  People may gain awareness by participating in a program kick-off meeting on designing your new processes.  Note: we don’t want to weigh people down with too much detail at this point, or they may choose to exit the process (i.e. fall off the mountain).

UNDERSTANDING – as they gradually ascend the slope, folks come to identify with the change.  They see themselves in the change, and understand how it impacts them and the role they have.  You can help them with this by explaining the specific changes that will be required for each role.  For example, your Project Manager will need to go to Scrum Master training to learn how to use agile processes.

POSTIVE PERSPECTION – notice, each step up the curve brings us to a new choice point.  For example, your Project Manager can choose to perceive the change as good (“Our new estimating processes are going to help me be more accurate with my estimates”).  Or, she could just as easily decide that this new estimating process is too much work, or too time-consuming.  At this point in the commitment journey, you may want to use recognition and rewards to reinforce desired behaviors and to discourage unwanted behaviors.

ADOPTION – adoption is what we’re going for.  This is where our process users begin to adopt the agile techniques as their own.  Tactics like training, mentoring, and PPQA evaluations will accelerate the adoption of your new processes.  You will know your new processes are being adopted when you hear people say things like:   “Using our new agile development processes makes my job so much easier,” and “Be sure you train the new guy to use our agile processes.”

INSTITUTIONALIZATION – it takes some time and some critical mass of people who have adopted the new processes for the business transformation to become accepted as “our way of doing business.”  Institutionalization requires leadership to establish a clear process usage policy and reinforce this policy with their hiring and promotion decisions.

INTERNALIZATION – the mountain peak of process adoption – or any change – is when the change becomes part of the culture of your company.  With your agile process adoption, a symptom of internalization is when people begin improving upon it.  Use the CMMI practices in OPF, IPM, OPD, and others to continuously improve your new agile software development processes.

That’s the journey to commitment, Chris.  By having an OCM Strategy that includes tactics like communication, training, and performance management, you can move your engineers systematically through the stages of change and keep your team firmly on the path to greatness.

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

Julie Calfin is a Senior CMMI Consultant with BroadswordSolutions Corporation. She has years of real world experience using OCM strategy and tactics to help her clients achieve their goals. Julie also uses the CMMI, in partnership with her clients, to set-up, monitor, and sustain process improvement programs.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Does the CMMI require that we produce 400 documents?

Dear CMMI Appraiser, we’re a Michigan-based developer of musical equipment and devices for the hearing impaired. Our new CEO has announced that he wants “continuous improvement,” so we’ve engaged a CMMI Lead Appraiser who said that the “continuous improvement” means we need to produce documents – tons of them! Is it true that the CMMI requires over 400 documents on the average CMMI appraisal? ~ Arnold L.

Dear Arnold,

Your CMMI appraiser is clearly singing from a different sheet of CMMI music than the rest of us. There is no requirement in the CMMI that you produce 400 documents. Continuous improvement is all about changing behavior – not creating documents. How does that sound?

I must say, I find it fascinating that the misperception continues, even among CMMI appraisers today, that the CMMI is this heavy, command and control, document centric cauldron of hard, dreary work and pure nonsense.

CMMI has none of that. It doesn’t tell you how to do anything. It doesn’t “require” anything. The CMMI says, “Here’s what great companies do.” That’s all it essentially says.

Let me break it down a little more. Here’s what the CMMI is and does:

• The CMMI is a tool to help solve business problems.
• The CMMI helps you change and improve requirements churn and volatility, so that you can spend less time and money on requirements.
• The CMMI helps you be on time and on budget.
• The CMMI helps you motivate your staff and make them better at what they do.
• The CMMI helps you understand risk by categorizing and listing them.
• The CMMI helps you avoid having too many meetings, unhappy customers and unpredictable projects.

And the CMMI can do this whether you choose agile, waterfall, and any other set of methods.

No, there is no requirement in the CMMI that you have 400 documents in your project. That’s an average number that came out of the early adopters of CMMI who were - you guessed it - ALREADY doing that!. The average project in the CMMI Level 3 appraisal may produce 400 documents, but you should be able to do it with  about 70. The only “requirement” is that you exercise proactive thought about what you want to be and achieve.

“What do we want this company to be?” is a great question. It resonates with the very timbre of the company, and fires the imagination. This is where everything starts.

On the other hand, when you have a Lead Appraiser taking the position that you just need to "pass the appraisal," or “be CMMI Level 3” without any thought or aspirations for greatness, then that’s how you end up with 400-500 documents. We call that process debt. You incur all of this debt that people have to carry around with them, big stacks of paper, just to prove to your appraiser that you are performing at a certain level.  I missed the memo where this provides any value.

Remember what I said earlier. Adopting the CMMI is 100% about solving business problems. It’s not about documents. It’s not about pleasing your Lead Appraiser or even passing your appraisal. It is a model that's about how great companies perform.  IF you choose to have an appraisal, then these are the things you should be looking for in a Lead Appraiser.

That should be music to your ears.

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 progr

CMMI Appraiser presenting in Philly on CMMI+Scrum this Tuesday night!

Hey, CMMI Appraiser – I am an engineering executive and member of DC-SPIN, and I just wanted to say, I got a lot out of attending your CMMI+Scrum presentation last month. We are a Virginia-based engineering firm with a branch office doing Scrum projects in Philadelphia, and I feel that our whole company needs to understand that CMMI and Scrum are at their most powerful when they are used together. Will you be presenting in Philly any time soon? ~ Dalia H.

Hey, Dalia – great to hear from you. It’s always a pleasure to have such thoughtful participants at my CMMI+Scrum presentations, and I’m glad you found it so useful. That’s our goal: for engineering and software executives as well as project managers and developers to learn something about the CMMI and Scrum that they can take back to their companies and put immediately to use.

It just so happens that I will be ringing the bell in Philadelphia this Tuesday night! On second thought … I will give my CMMI+Scrum presentation tonight, but maybe I’d better not ring the bell.

Yes, tonight, Tuesday, May 8th at 6PM in Dresher, PA, I will be presenting "CMMI+Scrum: Power Partners in Product Development" for the Philadelphia Software Process Improvement Network (Philly SPIN).

Like the presentation you attended, tonight’s talk is designed to give engineering and software organizations new insights into addressing persistent problems, and to show them how to use CMMI and Scrum to improve upon what they are ALREADY doing. The program will focus on providing data, experiences, and lessons learned. As a certified ScrumMaster, I have a lot of real-life stories to share.

As you may know, we’ve been doing this presentation for several months now. After tonight, we’ll be taking our show back to the Midwest, talking to engineering and software companies in Detroit, followed by a jaunt to Madrid, Spain. It’s pretty cool how folks all over the world are learning how CMMI and Scrum can partner up to solve business problems and drive high performance engineering. Don’t you agree?

For your colleagues in Philadelphia, be sure to send them to the link to register: http://spin.asqphilly.org/nextmeeting.html

I hope to see them there tonight. I may even have something for them to win!

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.