CMM thoughts; was: RE: [AM] Article of Interest in CIO Magazine

(responding to Mike)

> Just looking at that magazine last night... It has on the cover,
> "Bursting the CMM Hype" How to probe CMM claims, 12 critical
> questions to ask.  Have not read it yet but on my list.  Might be
> good to discuss here.

Having had a quick look at the article and questions, I find I might
want to take the discussion in at least 3 different directions.
Yet if I investigate the directions, they all have an underlying theme.
While I have great respect for the list of goals that CMM provides,
I have problems with the assumptions that underly their idea
of 'process'; in particular the ones that result in the idea of
'repeatable process'.  This seems to be based on an assumption
that a shop will be producing the same broad type of software
time after time, so there will be a large degree of commonality
in the process that is needed to develop that software.

Where this is, in fact, the case, this is fair enough.  Yet that does
not help the places where the software varies considerably
for each project.  It does not help consultancies that need to 
advise on process for a wide range of development shops.
It does not help a mobile workforce that move from one shop
to another following the work.  In fact, this basic underlying
assumption does not hold for any of the places that I have
worked, throughout my whole career.  The first place I worked
I was working on an Expert System in Prolog, followed by a
metrics gathering and cost prediction tool in 7 different
languages.  The second place I worked I was working on
an Ada compiler and development environment, two
object-oriented database management systems, a
Geographical information system, a system for computer-
supported co-operative work, a real-tine architecture
simulator, a distributed object system, and a feature-based
CAD system.  The third place was a telecomms shop,
where the team may work on billing, CRM, switches or a 
variety of other software, as the need arises.  The fourth
team (Air traffic control) was entirely of external consultants
except for the domain specialists.  The list goes on.

I agree that owing to the nature of my career, there may be
an inherent bias toward variety and places that deal in variety.
However, these places need some way of thinking about
process that breaks out of the rigidity of the CMM mindset,
that is not constrained by the mistaken, or at least not universally 
applicable, assumptions that underpin much of CMM.


Paul Oldfield

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
www.aptprocess.com

any opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of
Mentors of Cally or the Appropriate Process Movement
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