Extension of the SEI software capability maturity model to systems

Substantive improvements in software quality, and meaningful estimates of software cost and development schedules require applying systems engineering techniques to software engineering. Specifically, it is necessary to define existing processes, to assess these processes, to determine the desired process and to implement these processes. This approach is often called business process engineering. The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) developed a capability maturity model (CMM) for software. This software CMM (S/W CMM) is used to assess an organization´s current software process. Whereas the SEI S/W CMM is a very good model for assessing many software processes, it does not include many system level issues related to software development. These issues include safety, security, training and maintainability. An initial system oriented CMM is presented, together with a general discussion of some procedures for defining a more detailed system-oriented CMM. The paper is intended to stimulate discussion of the subject and to promote a generic system-oriented CMM that is suitable for tailoring to individual organizations