Support

Support process areas cover the activities that support product development and maintenance. The Support process areas address processes that are used in the context of performing other processes. In general, the Support process areas address processes that are targeted toward the project, and may address processes that apply more generally to the organization. For example, Process and Product Quality Assurance can be used with all the process areas to provide an objective evaluation of the processes and work products described in all of the process areas.

The Support process areas of CMMI are as follows:

• Configuration Management

• Process and Product Quality Assurance

• Measurement and Analysis

• Organizational Environment for Integration

• Decision Analysis and Resolution

• Causal Analysis and Resolution

Fundamental Support Process Areas

The Fundamental Support process areas address fundamental support functions that are used by all process areas. Although all Support process areas rely on the other process areas for input, the Fundamental Support process areas provide support functions that also help implement several generic practices.

Figure 4.6 provides a bird's-eye view of the interactions among the Fundamental Support process areas and with all other process areas.

Figure 4.6. Fundamental Support Process Areas

The Measurement and Analysis process area supports all process areas by providing specific practices that guide projects and organizations in aligning measurement needs and objectives with a measurement approach that will provide objective results. These results can be used in making informed decisions and taking appropriate corrective actions.

The Process and Product Quality Assurance process area supports all process areas by providing specific practices for objectively evaluating performed processes, work products, and services against the applicable process descriptions, standards, and procedures and ensuring that any issues arising from these reviews are addressed. Process and Product Quality Assurance supports the delivery of high-quality products and services by providing the project staff and all levels of managers with appropriate visibility into, and feedback on, the processes and associated work products throughout the life of the project.

The Configuration Management process area supports all process areas by establishing and maintaining the integrity of work products using configuration identification, configuration control, configuration status accounting, and configuration audits. The work products placed under configuration management include the products that are delivered to the customer, designated internal work products, acquired products, tools, and other items that are used in creating and describing these work products. Examples of work products that may be placed under configuration management include plans, process descriptions, requirements, design data, drawings, product specifications, code, compilers, product data files, and product technical publications.

Progressive Support Process Areas

The Progressive Support process areas provide the projects and organization with an improved support capability. Each of these process areas relies on specific inputs or practices from other process areas.

Figure 4.7 provides a bird's-eye view of the interactions among the Progressive Support process areas and with all other process areas.

Figure 4.7. Progressive Support Process Areas

Using the Causal Analysis and Resolution process area, project members identify causes of selected defects and other problems and take action to prevent them from occurring in the future. While the project's defined processes are the principal targets for identifying the cause of the defect, the process improvement proposals they create target the organization's set of standard processes, which will prevent recurrence of the defect across the organization.

The Decision Analysis and Resolution process area supports all the process areas by determining which issues should be subjected to a formal evaluation process and then applying a formal evaluation process to them.

The Organizational Environment for Integration process area establishes the approach and environment for the implementation of IPPD. The environment is established by obtaining, adapting, or developing processes that facilitate effective integrated team behavior as well as stakeholder communication and collaboration, creating the organization's shared vision, and managing people to promote integrative behavior. Specific practices in the Organizational Environment for Integration process area promote both team and individual excellence while enabling and rewarding integration across all business and technical functions in the execution of the projects.