CMMI explained

Johannesburg, 10 May 2007

The JCSE, the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and the City of Joburg (COJ) have partnered in a campaign aimed at promoting Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). The campaign will kick off with two breakfast briefings on 15 and 17 May for SMEs.

Professor Barry Dwolatzky, JCSE director, says this is the first in a series of briefings that will explain what CMMI is, the process of becoming CMMI certified and the benefit it offers. He says additional workshops will be held specifically for larger businesses and government.

"CMMI is a process certification which assists companies in improving their software development processes. Once a company goes through the CMMI process, it is given a rating according to the five CMMI levels of process maturity."

Dwolatzky says CMMI was developed in the US to assist companies from various sectors to improve their processes in developing high-quality software and systems. He says the certification lowers the risk to companies looking to outsource development projects.

"Research done by the SEI into numerous projects performed by level four and five CMMI certified companies reveals that companies with mature processes have a far lower error margin, making them more likely to meet their targets on time and within budget," Dwolatzky says.

CMMI assists lower-level companies with issues like planning, project monitoring and control, measurement, requirements management and putting in place proper contracts with clients and suppliers, he adds.

It then moves on in the higher levels, helping companies to define policy frameworks and introduce best practice, Dwolatzky says. Furthermore, it increases the predictive power of an organisation, helping to improve quality, bring down costs and improve efficiency.

Awareness campaign

Douglas Cohen, ICT sector support programme manager at the COJ's Department of Economic Development, says the COJ wants to see both large and small companies in the ICT sector reaping the benefits of process improvement, which will assist them in developing quality software.

Two of the companies will be selected from the briefings and the COJ will provide funding for them to go through the CMMI process, adds Cohen.

"Government is committed to stimulating the ICT sector as has been shown by the State IT Agency's involvement in the JCSE's CMMI pilot programme and the Department of Trade and Industry's contribution of just under R1.5 million to the CMMI programme," says Cohen.

Dwolatzky says the campaign will culminate in an event in September, where international speakers will address local companies on the benefits of CMMI and how it can assist them in improving business processes, as well as positioning themselves to secure offshore development contracts from Europe and the US.

The briefing on 15 May will be held at the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce House in Milpark, while the second briefing on 17May will be held in Bryanston, at Habitaz.

For more information on the SME briefings, contact glynis@jcci.co.za.