An evaluation of CMMI process areas for small- To medium-sized software development organisations

Abstract

In this article, we describe the results of CMMI software process appraisal work with six small-to medium-sized software development companies. Our analysis of six CMMI process areas appraised within each of these organisations is presented. Commonly practiced or not practiced elements of the model are identified, leading to the notion of perceived value associated with each specific CMMI practice. A finer-grained framework, which encompasses the notion of perceived value within specific practices, is presented. We argue that such a framework provides incentive to small- to medium-sized enterprises starting process improvement programmes. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.