Once the approval and commitment of top management is acquired then comes the question of how to kick off this task. There can be many answers to that, a few of which are listed as follows:
1. Start on One’s Own
This is a very attractive idea to start off a project on one’s own. Company’s management might think that if its own people are doing the job, they would be more loyal to the task and more dedicated. While this may be true, it should also be kept in mind that CMMI implementation is not a small and easy task and cannot be completed by inexperienced personnel.
So how to handle this? In order to handle this, the company will have to choose personnel for the task and provide them with necessary training. This training will equip those people with the required knowledge and skills to implement the standard in the company.
2. Hire a Consultant
Hiring a consultant is another option. Doing this brings a qualified and experienced person at the company’s disposal. That person already has the required knowledge skills and therefore can better help a company with the implementation.
Drawbacks
Much higher amount of finances will be involved that will mainly cover the consultant’s fee.
Coordination with the consultant as they will not be on premises all the time.
3. Training employees
Training employees to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to implement the standard in the company can be an option. This might put the top management at ease that the employees will be more loyal and dedicated to the task than an outsider (consultant).
Drawbacks
Even after the training the employees may not reach such a level where they can handle the whole implementation process on their own.
In case deadlines are near or some urgent task is assigned, these trained people might switch to that and neglect CMMI. This in turn can cause delays in the implementation.
My Own Stance on This
My own stance on this is that a company should hire a good consultant for the job. A good consultant will not only aid in CMMI implementation but would also motivate the employees to take interest in the implementation. Any CMMI related knowledge imparted by such a consultant would be helpful towards implementation as well as better understanding of the employees about the standard and its practices.
1. Start on One’s Own
This is a very attractive idea to start off a project on one’s own. Company’s management might think that if its own people are doing the job, they would be more loyal to the task and more dedicated. While this may be true, it should also be kept in mind that CMMI implementation is not a small and easy task and cannot be completed by inexperienced personnel.
So how to handle this? In order to handle this, the company will have to choose personnel for the task and provide them with necessary training. This training will equip those people with the required knowledge and skills to implement the standard in the company.
2. Hire a Consultant
Hiring a consultant is another option. Doing this brings a qualified and experienced person at the company’s disposal. That person already has the required knowledge skills and therefore can better help a company with the implementation.
Drawbacks
Much higher amount of finances will be involved that will mainly cover the consultant’s fee.
Coordination with the consultant as they will not be on premises all the time.
3. Training employees
Training employees to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to implement the standard in the company can be an option. This might put the top management at ease that the employees will be more loyal and dedicated to the task than an outsider (consultant).
Drawbacks
Even after the training the employees may not reach such a level where they can handle the whole implementation process on their own.
In case deadlines are near or some urgent task is assigned, these trained people might switch to that and neglect CMMI. This in turn can cause delays in the implementation.
My Own Stance on This
My own stance on this is that a company should hire a good consultant for the job. A good consultant will not only aid in CMMI implementation but would also motivate the employees to take interest in the implementation. Any CMMI related knowledge imparted by such a consultant would be helpful towards implementation as well as better understanding of the employees about the standard and its practices.
