AVISTA Drilldown: perspectives on critical systems development

Formal Process Improvement Can Also Be Lean

As an SEI CMMI Level 5 rated company, we know from first-hand experience that achieving a CMMI maturity level rating isn't easy. However, we've heard industry comments questioning the value and cost of this type of process improvement. We believe that having a quality end-product is a direct result of using quality production processes.

When a product is developed correctly the first time, it eliminates re-work—making the development process leaner and more efficient. The trick to putting mature CMMI practices in place is to identify the point at which you've reached 'good enough', and not to overextend process improvements which could impact productivity. By employing a common sense approach to process improvement, it is possible to ensure the effort is applied to an area with the biggest potential return.

Do you believe organizations can achieve 'lean process improvement' coupled with a common sense approach? If your organization has a formal maturity rating, or if you're considering it, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Jim Schneller
President
AVISTA Incorporated

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