CMM Roadmap

When organisations are on the brink of a major project, they are looking for the right tools to manage, guide and control the project.

This is the case, for example, when implementing a new strategy, but also when taking over a company or outsourcing a certain service.

The majority of these processes still do not deliver what was agreed. This is often because agreements were not made carefully, or wrong expectations were raised, or agreements were formulated in such a way that they could never be fulfilled.

Examples of failed projects are not hard to find. LT Consultancy has therefore developed an effective methodology for drawing up roadmaps for the optimisation of technical services. This method, called CMM Roadmap, is an integral approach where parties can work together. The CMM Roadmap distinguishes itself from other methodologies by its connection with value thinking and the emphatic attention for the implementation of new maintenance plans.

The basis of this model lies in America, where it was developed by the Ministry of Defence to indicate the stage of implementation of a certain project. However, LT Group has expanded the model further in order to determine the stage of maturity of a company or department on the basis of performance. The model is based on five pillars, to each of which five levels of maturity can be allocated:

1. Initial
   An organisation is at level 1 when it is unknown how a process is structured and how many resources are needed to achieve a result. Plans are usually delayed, costs are exceeded.
2. Defined
   The process is defined and under control. When new technologies or methods are introduced, one falls back to level 1.
3. Controlled.
   Under normal circumstances, the process is predictable in terms of time and money. It is also possible to respond well to deviations from normal conditions. Process improvement takes place on the basis of qualitative analysis.
4. Optimising
   The process is systematically measured in order to identify and improve deviations at an early stage. Process improvement takes place on the basis of quantitative analysis.
5. Innovative
   Systematic process improvement based on measurements has become an integrated part of business operations. New technologies can be introduced in a controlled way.

If a company knows the maturity level of these pillars, it can determine which activities are important in order to take the next step to reach the next maturity level.

3. Preparation
   3.1 Initiation
   The first goal of Capability Maturity Scan is to create a common frame of reference. On which points does the organisation score well and which level is aimed for? With this the objective, the scope and the degree of difficulty can be determined.

Do you ultimately want to work more efficiently; to realise projects within time and budget? Then it is the start of a professionalisation process.

However, if it is for the implementation of a new strategy, the takeover of a company or the introduction of new technologies, systems and resources. Then it is part of an organisational change.

A CMM study only makes sense if the management is prepared to take up the model as a frame of reference. And with this, the necessary starting points can be created on which the plan can be further developed.

The preparation is concluded with a presentation to all key officials involved, who will then have a clear picture of what is going to happen. This is the first step towards creating energy for the follow-up process.

3.2 Feedback

After the interviews, the results are listed, with the pillars and levels of the Capability Maturity Model as the frame of reference. On which points does the organisation score well and which issues need to be addressed?

The impressions of the research team are presented to the employees, preferably in a meeting without management, to give the employees the opportunity to comment freely. Often employees are very open then and show good insight.

3.4 Analysis and reporting

The results of the survey are further analysed and form a 'picture' of the organisation: what are its strengths and weaknesses? How does the organisation rank on the CMM ladders?
What often becomes clear is that the organisations do not only show aspects of one CMM level. An organisation approaching level 2 always also has some elements of level 3 filled in, and sometimes even of levels 4 and 5.
It is also noticeable that in many organisations, software quality assurance is moderate to poor.

On the basis of the 'photo', a route can be worked out. Here too, the CMM serves as a steppingstone. But the peculiarities of the organisation determine the colour of the proposals. These proposals are first presented to the employees who participated in the survey and the interviews. Usually, this leads to fine-tuning some of the proposals, and this meeting always ends in a 'commitment' from the employees to the improvement process.

The final report first takes place via a presentation to the management, who can make their comments. Then the results are presented to all employees of the organisation.

Research shows that organisational development often focuses on only specific parts of the organisation. The result is that one or more parts flourish, while the other parts lag relatively behind and the impact of the change is not optimally utilised. This internal imbalance creates inefficiencies due to a lack of synergy between the different parts of the organisation.
The model examines all the important organisational dimensions, both internal (strategy & policy-making, organisation & processes, control & management, information technology and people & culture) and external (competitive and other environmental pressures).

Furthermore, it includes the development of organisations (the desired level of development and the ability to change).

Research result

Research by the NVDO with various universities shows that organisations which are in balance perform better than average. CMM offers organisations a handle to grow into a more balanced organisation with significantly better performance.