There is sometimes confusion about which process methodology or set of methodologies an organization should use. Organizational process goals might include compliance, performance, quality, improvement, integration—the list goes on and on. People see different ways to pursue those goals and want to know which process methodology is useful and, once the methodology is defined, whether it's being followed as defined and actually improving performance.

Addison Wesley's SEI Series in Software Engineering has released a book on bringing Six Sigma, a traditionally hardware-oriented process methodology, and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), a traditionally software-oriented process methodology, together so that organizations can improve their process compliance and performance in software engineering. I find the book's underlying premise magnificent: the five CMMI levels (initial, managed, defined, quantitatively managed, and optimizing) and the five Six Sigma steps (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control—DMAIC) can work together for higher quality and continuous improvement in the difficult human endeavor of building software.

An organization typically has many processes for producing results because it has many people. Management would like to see the tradeoffs optimized—cheaper, better, faster—and achieve their goals painlessly to be more competitive in an advanced marketplace. Organizational staff might have ways to complete their tasks that don't always meet management's expectations. This calls for a process to ensure that both parties understand what's expected and are satisfied with the results.

Taking on these process partners is certainly not for a meek organization nor for one that's seeking quick improvements. Rather, it's for the organization that seeks continuous improvements over a steady long tenure. Software organizations that seek this goal will find it value in partnering CMMI processes for providing organizational structure with Six Sigma methods for asserting quantitative process measurement. The book also suggests a lean process to inject with the process structures to further encourage resource savings.

Case studies from Motorola and Lockheed Martin lay out the steps these organizations took to integrate these processes. The case studies provide significant insight into practical implementations of what otherwise might be just academic topics.

CMMI and Six Sigma is for the process-improvement minded who would like a better understanding of how these two methodologies can work together. It will also interest those who are investigating how process methodologies can benefit their organization and would like an overview of tried and tested processes. Compliance and performance are goals that might seem diametrically opposed to each other, but this approach makes them complementary. Bringing these processes into an organization takes management and staff commitment, training, and a managed understanding of how they will benefit the organization and the quality and quantity of products and services produced. This book assists management in guiding these processes and understanding their effects, and it's worth the read.

Scott Brookhart is a software engineer. Contact him at sbrookhart@alumni.utexas.net.