Keys to Making CMMI and Agile Compatible

ElbitElbit SystemsSystems
Keys to Making Agile & CMMIKeys to Making Agile & CMMI
CompatibleCompatiblepp
22 Jan 2009 1®2009 Entinex, Inc. ***PROPRIETARY*** ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The KeysThe Keys
1. Understand that CMMI is not a standard,
development life cycle or something that can bedevelopment life cycle or something that can be
complied with.
2. Understand that CMMI is a model and how models
are used.
3. Understand what Institutionalization
(A lt ti ) i i CMMI(Acculturation) is in CMMI.
4 U d t d h t i lif th i l4. Understand how to simplify the appraisal.

TopicsTopics
What CMMI is and isn’t.
What CMMI really is.
How to get yourself Institutionalized.
Making CMMI Agile.

What theWhat theWhat theWhat the
CMMICMMI
is and isn’tis and isn’tis and isn’tis and isn’t
Definitions and MisconceptionsDefinitions and Misconceptions

CMMI is a FRAMEWORKCMMI is a FRAMEWORK
Not a standard
Not a prescription
IS a description
CANNOT be cookie cutter (and still work well)
Does not require purchase of software or toolsDoes not require purchase of software or tools
Meant for process improvementMeant for process improvement,
not process compliance.

Prescription vs.Prescription vs.
DescriptionDescription
Prescription:
“Take twice daily before
Description:
See a doctor when youy
meals.”
Eat < 1800 Kcal/day
Exercise 500 Kcal/day
y
don’t like how you feel,
you’re not sure what’s
wrong and you don’t knowExercise 500 Kcal/day
Sleep > 8 hr/night
Don’t Smoke
D ’t D i k t h
what else to do.
Take good care of yourself.
Eat right.
Don’t Drink too much
Don’t eat refined carbs
Don’t take life or yourself
g
Get exercise.
Get enough sleep.
Don’t abuse your bodytoo seriously. Don t abuse your body.
Reduce stress in your life.

Improvement vs.Improvement vs.
ComplianceCompliance
Process Compliance =
Do the process this way.
Process Improvement =
h h ll k d ffDo things that will make a difference to your
company.

It Is What It Is…It Is What It Is…
CMMI is:
A model
for creating business process improvement
systemssystems
for management ofg
development processes.

It’s Not What It’s Not…It’s Not What It’s Not…
CMMI is NOT:
A life cycle
for developing products
or standards for
development processes.

How we use ModelsHow we use Models

Model Practices vs.Model Practices vs.
Your PracticesYour Practices

Perception/Abuse of CMMIPerception/Abuse of CMMI
CMMI
Existing Processes
22-Jan-09 12®2009 Entinex, Inc. ***PROPRIETARY*** ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

What’s “Required”?What’s “Required”?
Goals are REQUIRED
Practices are expected not requiredPractices are expected not required
You’ve ‘got’ to be doing “something” to be achieving a
goal.g
If you don’t already have good ideas for how to
achieve a goal, the practices are a good place to start.
Everything else is “commentary”
Which can be helpful if the goals or practices aren’t
self-explanatoryself-explanatory.
Don’t assume you and CMMI use terms the same
way.y

Process Areas (PAs)Process Areas (PAs)
The Process Areas in CMMI describe how to improve
activities which take place in the PA:activities which take place in the PA:
Wherever
Whenever
However
they may occur in a given organization.
Each PA describes:
One set of goals and practices that make up the processg p p p
area: Specific Goals and Specific Practices
And one set of practices that are shared across all
process areas: Generic Goals and Generic Practicesprocess areas: Generic Goals and Generic Practices

PAs are NOT Processes!PAs are NOT Processes!
Process Areas ARE NOT:
Processes or Process DescriptionsProcesses or Process Descriptions
Procedures
StandardsStandards
Forms or Formats
Collectively Exhaustive
Mutually Exclusive
The “last” word.
What you need to be doing…
th ’ h t t d t i h t ’ d i…they’re what to do to improve what you’re doing.

Specific Practices (SP)Specific Practices (SP)
What organizations are “expected” to actually do
in order to achieve a Goal is describedin order to achieve a Goal is described
in some number of Specific Practices.
Goals have several practices.
The straightest line to achieving a goal is to perform
the practices.
The “straightest line” may be a matter of perspective.
D t ti i i ht fDo not assume every practice is right for you.

the CMMI waythe CMMI waythe CMMI waythe CMMI way
to getto get
InstitutionalizedInstitutionalizedInstitutionalizedInstitutionalized
Not what you think,Not what you think,
butbut
Not as ha d as hat o think eitheNot as ha d as hat o think eitheNot as hard as what you think either.Not as hard as what you think either.

What isWhat is
Institutionalization?Institutionalization?
Let’s talk about products and projects for a moment.
Imagine you’re the PM/PLImagine you re the PM/PL.
What would be expected of you to manage the
product/project?product/project?
…
…
…
…
…
’d jTreat your processes as you’d treat projects.

SettingSetting--up anup an
Agile CMMIAgile CMMIAgile CMMIAgile CMMI
RealityReality--Based, Scalable, Agile,Based, Scalable, Agile,
Adaptive, Responsive…Adaptive, Responsive…p , pp , p

OptimizationOptimization
O i i d O i i d
Extreme Extreme
Optimized Optimized
Core
CMMI
P i i l
Core
Agile
Principles
Core
Agile
P i i l PrinciplesPrinciplesPrinciples

Simplifying the AppraisalSimplifying the Appraisal
Appraisals require 3 forms of objective evidence per
practice per instance (project):practice per instance (project):
1 Direct
+ Either
1 Indirect or
1 Affirmation
“Objective Evidence” ≠ Documentation!
“Proof-in-pudding” is GOOD!

More AppraisalMore Appraisal
SimplificationSimplification
SCAMPI training is misleading.
Assumes a specific instantiation of required practicesAssumes a specific instantiation of required practices.
Discourages collaboration.
Major on-site activities:
Artifact review.
Affirmations.
Findings Validation.
Can be done simultaneously and collaboratively.

Assumptions & ApproachAssumptions & Approach
You’re already successful.
Your people know how to deliver working productsYour people know how to deliver working products.
You’re doing *something* right!
Each CMMI practice seeks to avoid some risk.Each CMMI practice seeks to avoid some risk.
Successful companies know how to avoid those
risks.
If we seek what your people are doing to avoid the
same risks, we can map what they’re doing to CMMI.
Identify your working practicesIdentify your working practices.
If there are gaps, you probably could use the
improvement.p o e e t

Instead…Instead…
Process SolutioneeringTM
Cascading Life Cycles™
Patent Pending
Expectation/BizDev/Corporate Life CycleExpectation/BizDev/Corporate Life Cycle
Engagement/Management/Technical
Life Cycle
(menu)
Life Cycle
(menu)
CMMI
Process Areas
CMMI
Process Areas
Daily
Management
Daily
Management

Key FeatureKey Feature
Process definition/description documents define
where in YOUR reality practices take placewhere in YOUR reality practices take place.
Expectation/BizDev/Corporate Life Cycle
The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.
Expectation/BizDev/Corporate Life Cycle
Life Cycle
(menu)
Life Cycle
(menu)
Particular
Process
CMMI
Process Areas
CMMI
Process Areas
Daily
Management
Daily
Management
Area
Process
Descriptions

Use a Quality ManualUse a Quality Manual
Explains how on each project,
all company Processes:
are planned-out and tailoredare planned out and tailored
from a single set of company
processes
are assigned as someone’s
responsibility
are provided resources to be
done
are assured of having people
trained in them
h h i k d
Quality
Manual
have their work products
configuration controlled
involve relevant stakeholders
are monitored & controlled
bj ti l l t dare objectively evaluated
against applicable standards,
have performance reviewed
with higher management, and
incorporate lessons learnedincorporate lessons learned
for improvement

Summary 2Summary 2
Requirements
CMMI Happens Here:
Requirements
Management
Project
Planning
Templates
Planning
Project Monitoring
& Control Engineering
Measurement
& Analysis
Engineering
Life Cycle
Process & Product
Quality Assurance
Backlogs &
Peer Reviews
Configuration
Management
Peer Reviews

What’s Not HereWhat’s Not Here
Templates
Engineering
Particular
Process
Area
Engineering
Life Cycle
Process
Descriptions
Backlogs &
Peer Reviews
Peer Reviews

At the AppraisalAt the Appraisal
Templates
E i i
Process
Implementation
I di tEngineering
Life Cycle
Indicator
Descriptions
come from here:
Backlogs &
Peer Reviews
Peer Reviews

Is itIs it thatthat easy?easy?
Less Disruption and More Productivity Requires:
More up-front process design.More up front process design.
Deep understanding of Company Context:
Technology
P ocesses/P acticesProcesses/Practices
Culture
Project types and style
C tCustomers
Deep understanding of CMMI.
Deep understanding of SCAMPI process.p g p
More work by the appraiser.
Lasting results and real ROI require
real investment and real discipline.

Agile + CMMIAgile + CMMI
CMMI withCMMI with AgileAgile
Keys to Making CMMIKeys to Making CMMI AgileAgiley gy g gg

Suppose…Suppose…
CMMI was about process management,
not development processesnot development processes.
Agile could account for non-development activities.g e cou d accou t o o de e op e t act t es
Everything that takes time.
CMMI practices avoid risks everyone wants to avoid.
Agile practices work towards project success and
client delight.

Agile Ideals?Agile Ideals?
Empowered development teams.
Account for everything that takes time.
Manage the processes, not the people.Manage the processes, not the people.
Bureaucracy doesn’t work:
Are they incompetent?
Do they lack discipline?
Does Agile work w/either?
Go Native! Speak the local language.p g g

Keys to MakingKeys to Making
CMMI “Agile”CMMI “Agile”
Reality-Based Process Descriptions and Life Cycles
Process Solutions not Process Compliance
Non-Sequential Process FlowsNon Sequential Process Flows
Non-Prescriptive Process Management
Getting “the right people on the bus.”*
Use “risk-avoidance-speak” not “model-speak”p p
Focus on Customer/Productivity/Profit/ROI
(NOT !)(NOT process!)
*Jim Collins, Good to Great

Questions?Questions?

Keys to Making CMMI and Agile Compatible

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