There are two representations for organizing process areas in CMMI models: continuous and staged. The continuous representation offers flexibility to improve specific trouble spots or closely aligned processes at different rates. The staged representation provides a systematic path for process improvement by organizing process areas into maturity levels that define the improvement path. While the staged representation benefits from demonstrated return on investment and guidance on improvement order, the continuous representation allows customizing the order and rates of improving different processes. When selecting a representation, an organization should consider its business objectives, culture, and past experience with other models.

1. Continuous and Staged Choice of CMMI Representations Chris Lazaris

2. Structure of CMMI models The basic building blocks in every CMMI model are called “ process areas ” A process area describes what those using an effective process do (practices) and why they do those things (goals).

3. What is a CMMI model representation? Process areas can be organized into one of two representations. continuous representation. staged representation. Process areas describe key aspects of such processes as: configuration management requirements management product verification systems integration ……and others

4. Continuous Representation Offers maximum flexibility when using a CMMI model for process improvement. Improves the performance of a single process-related trouble spot, or it can work on several areas that are closely aligned to the organization’s business objectives. Allows an organization to improve different processes at different rates.

5. Continuous Representation If you know the processes that need to be improved in your organization and you understand the dependencies among the process areas described in CMMI.

6. Staged Representation Offers a systematic, structured way to approach model-based process improvement one stage at a time. Process areas are organized by maturity levels that take some of the guess work out of process improvement. Prescribes an order for implementing process areas according to maturity levels, which define the improvement path for an organization from the initial level to the optimizing level.

7. Continuous vs Staged Representations Builds on a relatively long history of use that includes case studies and data that demonstrate return on investment Reflects a newer approach that does not yet have the data to demonstrate its ties to return on investment Summarizes process improvement results in a simple form - a single maturity level number Allows improvements of different processes to be performed at different rates Focuses on a set of processes that provide an organization with a specific capability that is characterized by each maturity level Enables increased visibility of the capability achieved in each individual process area Enables organizations to have a predefined and proven improvement path . Grants explicit freedom to select the order of improvement that best meets the organization’s business objectives and mitigates the organization’s areas of risk. Staged Representation Continuous Representation

8. Factors in Your Decision Business Factors. Cultural Factors. Legacy.

9. Business Factors Mature knowledge of its own business objectives (continuous) Product-line focus decides to improve processes across the entire organization (staged)

10. Cultural Factors To consider when selecting a representation have to do with an organization’s capability to deploy a process improvement program. If the corporate culture is process based and experienced in process improvement or has a specific process that needs to be improved quickly (continuous). Little experience in process improvement may choose the staged representation, which provides additional guidance on the order in which changes should occur.

11. Legacy If an organization has experience with another model that has a staged representation, it may be wise to continue with the staged representation when using CMMI . The same is true for the continuous representation.