CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) is a framework designed to improve software development processes by establishing best practices through five maturity levels: Initial, Repeatable, Defined, Managed, and Optimizing. Developed by the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, CMMI allows organizations to assess their process maturity and plan for improvements, although it has faced criticism for being too rigid and paperwork-heavy. Nowadays, it is widely used among commercial and government entities to enhance process efficiency, reduce costs, and improve project delivery times.