ITIL-CMMII Comparison
Today we can see and understand that many IT organizations are striving to improve how they do business throughout the organization. In doing so, many organizations undertake a number of quality initiatives with the aid of different models and frameworks, including: IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) SEI CMMII ISO 9000 As the organization looks for these different initiatives, several questions are being asked: Overlapping between the models? What about contradictions? Relationships between them? How to get the highest return on investment from the efforts? The following table compares the three models in relation to: Level of abstraction Audience Approach Granularity Level of Abstraction Audience Approach Granularity (perceived view) CMMI ITIL Collection of best practices for software development, product integration, suppliers management and maintenance, ordered along a maturity / capability levels A framework of best practices documented in an abstract Fashion to be applicable to any IT organization. Process maturity was measured to determine, if maturity level has been attained for ITIL processes Specifically developed for software development, product integration, suppliers management and maintenance organizations Specifically developed for IT Service and Operations Provides quantifiable goals, practices and an approach for what to do without Being prescriptive. Assessments are conducted to determine if a maturity level / capability level has been attained Provides service objectives and some key activities and key indicators for review. Maturity measurements. 25 Process Areas Specific 48 modules/ processes Specific ISO 9001 A generic quality management model with emphasis on auditing Originally developed for manufacturing, but generic enough to be applied to any product/service organization Provides high level auditable requirements without how to guidance to prepare for an audit. Organizations either pass or fail the audit. 23 high level requirements General
CMMII Main focus on processes, customers, quality of deliverables. (style), policy and training are important factors for success. Specific for software development and maintenance Touch points with ITIL: cooperation, leadership and management buy-in are essential ITIL Main focus on processes, customer and cost/quality equation. (style), policy and training are important factors for success. Specific for IT service management Important observations The focus for CMMI is software development, integration, deployment and maintenance, while the focus for ITIL is service management/operations. In reviewing, the touch points between the two (see graph and the tables in appendix), the amount of duplication is small in comparison to the number of interfaces and touch points. This suggests the need for: strongly synchronized work efforts clear definition of interfaces, roles, and responsibilities participation from both efforts at a level appropriate to the density of the touch points (e.g., joint process action team membership, subject matter expert guidance, and/or process reviewer) By identifying the touch points between the groups, and promoting best practices using the CMMI and ITIL in their respective areas, the organization can leverage expertise and experience from within and from without. The most significant touch point ist, documented in the graph below, in the area of Configuration and Change. There is no contradiction between the two models (CMMI and ITIL), so the teams should develop a unified process ( the what ), with targeted procedures ( the how ). In CMMI, the Process Areas are ordered along a Maturity Model with maturity levels. The ITIL processes are ordered in sets. ITIL to CMMI Touchpoints The focus of both ITIL and CMMI initiatives should be on improvement within the respective Development and TIOG organizations, as well as on improved cooperation between the two organizations. The most practical approach to this is addressing issues and problems in a collaborative way. For those with an appetite for more theoretical and academic insights, the following cross-reference tables are provided. These are the main touch points for ITIL processes and the Development function in the production environment. In this environment Development can be seen as a supplier and as an extension of the support organization. (The touch points are identified for fourteen ITIL processes that were part of the PinkScan for TIOG. Other ITIL processes are left out of scope.)
For the IT organization / Division, Development units / groups can be seen as a user / client. roles and responsibilities could be defined and agreed as. ITIL Process Output TO Development Input FROM Development CMMI Level and practice CM SP 1.2, 2.1, 2.2 Helpdesk, Incident Problem Change Application related incidents Application problems Application Requests for Change (functional changes) change schedules Documentation regarding Application support Application related solutions, work-arounds. Requests for Change initiated by Development CM SP 1.2, 2.1, 2.2 M&A SP 1.1 PMC SP 1.1, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 PP SP 2.3 RM SP 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 RSKM SP 1.1 CM GP 2.4 CM ; SP 1.2, 2.1, 2.2 PMC GP 2.2 PP GP 2.2 PP SP 2.7 RSKM GP 2.2 Configuration Software Control & Distribution Computer, Network Operations Customer Relationship Information regarding IT infrastructure: components, relationships, versions, status, etc. Naming conventions Hardware configuration, system software versions, release schedules, Batch-online times Back-up mechanisms Run schedules Documentation requirements Contacts regarding operations Information on Applications: versions, relationships, status CM SP 1.1, 1.2, 3.1 Application versions, planned CM GP 2.2, 2.7 releases, release notes, CM SP 1.3 documentation, training PP SP 3.1 requirements TS SG 3, SP 3.2 Run times, file transfer, PP GP 2.2 dependencies. Back-up PP SP 2.4 requirements. Documentation CM SP 1.2 for operations, error codes... TS SG 3 ; SP 3.2 Contacts regarding App. RD SG 1, 2, 3 ; SP 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.4 RM SP 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 IPM SP 2.1
ITIL Process Service Level Output TO Development Functional requirements, constraints Input FROM Development Advise regarding solutions, constraints CMMI Level and practice IPM SG 2 ; SP 2.1, 2.2 IT SP 2.4 RD SG 1, 2, 3 ; SP 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 Capacity Availability Performance requirements, storage specifications, processing specifications Hardware specifications, Testing (performance, capacity) requirements Availability requirements (hours, critical time frames, etc.) Hardware specifications, Capacity, storage and processing requirements, testing results Availability (constraints) RM SP 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 PP GP 2.2 PP SP 1.4, 2.4, 3.2 VAL SP 1.2 RM SP 1.2 Security Contingency Planning Planning and Control Business IT Alignment Security requirements Data classification Authorization tables Business criticality of data and application DR requirements for Development functions IT Goals, objectives, calendar, scheduled activities and projects, resources required, budgets, etc. Business requirements regarding IT Application authorizations, possible incompatibilities Participation in risk assessment Development contacts regarding DR team Development goals, objectives, calendar, scheduled activities and projects, resources, etc. Advise regarding IT solutions, possibilities and constraints CM GP 2.2, 2.7 CM SP 1.2 PP SP 3.1, 1.4, 1.5 PMC SP 1.3 PP SP 2.2, 2.3 RSKM SG 2; SP 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2 PP Process Area PMC Process Area RSKM Process Area IPM Process Area IT Process Area PI Process Area IPM GP 2.7 IPM SG 2 ; SP 1.4 PMC GP 2.7 PCM SP 1.5, 1.6 RD SG 1, 2, 3 ; SP 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 RM SP 1.1, 1.2, 1.3