Definitions

Overview

This chapter presents two viewpoints concerning implementing the CMMI within a small organization. A small organization is defined as an organization with 20 or fewer technical personnel developing systems. In a small organization, it is not uncommon for a project to consist of three people. One individual may serve as the project manager, developer, and tester; another individual may serve as a coder , tester, and database administrator; and the third individual may serve as a part-time quality assurance representative. The project may only last from three to six weeks.

A point-counterpoint approach is presented to discuss the pros and cons associated with various issues and their operational impacts. The reader should be somewhat familiar with both the CMMI effort and the previous models developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI).

The authors of this book do not make any claims as to these arguments. We believe the readers should be able to make up their own minds.