A VIEW OF CMMI FROM THE BOARD ROOM

Whether you actually are an executive level or senior level manager, you can easily assimilate what happens in the BOD (board of directors) meetings through corporate directives, policies, and memorandum and other artifacts, and acts which are issued forth from the BOD. You will also know directly what executives are thinking just by asking them.

At the executive or senior manager level, when it comes to things like CMM or CMMI process improvement, ISO, Six Sigma, etc., it s just one more thing to distract you from the latest Wall Street analyst s report on the company s stock performance or the waiting phone call from a customer CEO who wants personal attention on a problem with your product or service. Throughout the course of the day, the week, the month, and the year, the CMMI effort keeps getting moved to the bottom of your pile, often unconsciously. It s just not that loud or demanding at the moment; it can wait.

And wait it does until the day draws close when your organization wants to bid on a major contract, but the RFP (request for proposal) requires a CMMI process capability or organizational maturity level. Then and only then does it move up to the top of your pile, which is way too late.