OPTIMIZA follows proven and well-defined implementation and delivery methodologies that can be applied to a variety of sectors. Our vast experience in delivering technology and business transformation projects has enabled us to develop our own customized approach, which we have successfully tested and implemented in hundreds of projects across the MENA region.
Our approach guarantees the successful delivery of our services by proceeding in these phases:
The agility of our approach has enabled us to provide fast and efficient implementation of technology and consulting solutions with added benefits and rapid returns. While we ensure bridging the gap between business and technology, we believe in simplicity and adding value. Our integrated approach ensures the alignment of the methodology with the needs of diverse industries.
PPM Maturity Model Kerzner Project Management Maturity Model There is then the wider Capability Maturity Model (CMM) that was originally developed by the US Department of Defense to assess the capability of software contractor’s to deliver projects. The CMM approach has a 5 level model for assessing an organisation. The program centers around the Data Management Maturity (DMM) model, a comprehensive framework of data management practices in six key categories that helps organizations benchmark their capabilities, identify strengths and gaps, and leverage their data assets to improve business performance. A critical distinction between maturity levels 3 and 4 is the predictability of process performance. At maturity level 4, the performance of projects and selected subprocesses is controlled using statistical and other quantitative techniques, and predictions are based, in part, on a statistical analysis of fine-grained process data. P3M3 (Portfolio, Programme & Project Management Maturity Model) is the newest model – developed by OGC; Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI®) – developed by the SEI to assist organizations to improve their processes for developing and maintaining the products and services of the organization.
Throughout any technology or business implementation project, we consider the below objectives:
- Reducing cost
- Increasing productivity
- Improving quality
The PMO is an entity within OPTIMIZA responsible for maintaining the adopted project management methodology. It acts as the sole reference for project progress and status. The PMO deploys industry standards and project management best practices.
The below diagram illustrates the framework we follow in our project management. The PMO processes cover four major project phases that are devised and deployed by all project teams. The four phases are: initiation, planning, execution, and closing.
Our PMO offers services that help organizations set up their own PMO departments.
Our PMO team includes a number of highly qualified Project Managers (PMs) and Project Coordinators (PCs) with extensive experience in managing IT projects and hands-on experience in system integration assignments and PMO operations. The PMO team manages projects, maintains processes, and offers support and training to project resources and delivery team members.
The PMO team conducts scheduled quality reviews on projects to ensure adherence to methodology and to identify process improvement opportunities.
The PMO deploys at tool developed in-house, to maintain the PMO processes, projects data and information resources. It also generates regular reports and dashboards.
PMO Services
The OPTIMIZA project management team has been involved in setting up various types of PMOs, ranging from a simple project management office to complex program management offices, project management centers of excellence, project management monitoring offices, and enterprise project management offices.
Depending on each client’s project management needs, type of business, and project management maturity, our teams coordinate with clients to determine the most suitable setup that would yield maximum value and success rates in delivering and monitoring critical projects, including those involving third-party contractors. Below are a few examples in which OPTIMIZA project teams successfully established PMO departments tailored to client needs:
This approach has been implemented by our teams for the establishment of the Arab Bank EPMO to monitor projects implemented in Jordan and throughout the Arab Bank network in the region and also for the Union Bank to monitor the progress of new strategic initiatives.
This approach has been implemented at the Social Security Corporation (SSC). The SSC has decided to adopt new strategies that have been translated into manageable initiatives. The PMO has been designed to deliver and monitor those transformation initiatives and projects.
- Set up a Project Management Monitoring Office (PMMO) based on Design, Build, Operate, and Transfer model.
This approach is utilized for the purpose of establishing a monitoring unit for ongoing projects. It determines the health of each project individually and the status of multiple projects collectively within several portfolios in a dashboard format. This monitoring tool reports to the management and/or other stakeholders as determined by the project steering committee.
Project health (status) is determined by continuously updated completion percentage compared to the planned value as well as its cost, quality, and schedule variance, in addition to the root cause of any discrepancy. It also includes reporting major risks and issues and corresponding mitigation plans. - Setup a Project Management Office as part of a business transformation.
This approach is tailored toward establishing a PMO as part of business transformation that takes on the responsibility of transforming a business by deploying and monitoring certain initiatives in support of this transformation. - PMO staff outsourcing – Simple and Complex Project Management Offices.
Our Project Management team has been involved in upgrading and running existing PMOs for organizations such as Jeddah Municipality. This approach is limited to reviewing existing Project Management capabilities, tools, and policies and upgrading them in addition to running the PMO on behalf of the client for a certain period of time while training existing staff and transferring knowledge.
The quality team is the unit responsible for ensuring that deliverable’s are reliable, meet business and technical requirements, and that adopted methodology is adhered to. The quality team members work closely with the delivery project teams, however, they are independent of the delivery team, reporting directly to the Quality manager.
The quality team is responsible for planning and carrying out the testing of applications and conducting regular audits and reviews so as to ensure that the framework is followed and also to identify process improvements opportunities.
Quality Management Framework
The diagram below depicts the quality management framework followed to test and assure the quality of OPTIMIZA’s projects.
Quality Services
- QA (Quality Assurance); a planned and systematic pattern of all actions necessary to provide confidence that an item or product conforms to requirements.
- QC (Quality Control); a series of inspections, reviews, and tests used throughout the software process to ensure each work product meets its requirements.
- CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration);an internal capability to adhere to industry standard practices in managing work/projects.
Quality Consulting / Outsourcing services:
- Test Management
- Quality Management
- Quality Processes Design and Process Improvement
- Quality, Process Audit
- Training for Quality disciplines
- Devising KPIs for Quality Control
- CMMI; Training, Preparation and Implementation
Optimiza can help institutes build internal CMMI capability or prepare for CMMI audit by providing the following:
- Training: CMMI Model training (support, process management, project management, engineering)
- CMMI Implementation: Diagnose and review current quality management system and identify gaps
- Plan: Determine solutions to meet CMMI required practices
- Educate: Provide training to start process improvement on various topics such as software engineering and project management
- Implement: Execute process implementation plan
- Monitor: Assist process implementation, identify and resolve process issues during implementation
OPTIMIZA adopts Capability Maturity Model Integration CMMI best practices and it was the first company in Jordan to achieve CMMI level 3 accreditation in 2011.
CMMI is the most widely-accepted and adopted process-improvement approach worldwide. It provides organizations with the latest best practices for product, service development, and maintenance to enhance the quality assurance processes. Applying the CMMI model compels OPTIMIZA to commit to several instrumental procedures and assessments.
Achieving CMMI accreditation is advantageous for both clients and employees of OPTIMIZA. It improves the quality of products and services, and improves the productivity of companies by enhancing work procedures. It also promotes and reinforces company capacity to predict project schedules, achieve higher profits, and enhance risk management capability.
CMMI practices cover various categories of work practices in software engineering, project management, process management, and support. Applying CMMI best practices guarantees improvement in the quality of delivered products and services and in schedule accuracy. Moreover, it allows OPTIMIZA to ensure a higher level of client satisfaction..
OPTIMIZA has evolved its own software development framework, the OPTIMIZA Development Framework (ODF), integrating the accumulated experience of its various software engineering teams that have been helping to build software solutions for various clients in the region over the last decade.
The Capability Maturity Model Integration, or CMMI, is a model that helps organizations effectuate process improvement and develop behaviors that decrease risks in service, product, and software development. While CMMI was originally tailored towards software, the latest version is much less specific and can be applied to hardware, software, and service development across all industries. The model enables organizations to measure, build, and improve capabilities and, as a result, to improve overall performance.
A primary goal of CMMI is the creation of “reliable environments where products, services and departments are proactive, efficient and productive.” More specifically, CMMI’s objectives for businesses include enabling the organization to produce quality services or products; increase customer satisfaction; increase value for stockholders; achieve industry-wide recognition for excellence; and build a larger market share. According to the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute, which was integral in its development, CMMI is intended to help “integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes.”
The History of CMMI
CMMI was developed by Carnegie Mellon University as part of the CMMI project. Its goal was to make maturity models – which measure the ability of organizations to have ongoing improvement in a particular area – more effective and usable by integrating a number of models into one framework.
The project, whose main sponsors were the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the National Defense Industrial Association, included members of industry, government, and the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute (SEI). Models were initially created for the Department of Defense to assess the expertise and quality of software contractors.
Cmmi Maturity Model Levels
The first version of the CMMI was released in 2002 and built upon the Capability Maturity Model (CMM), which was developed from 1987 to 1997. In 2002, version 1.1 was released, in 2006 version 1.2 was released, and in 2010 version 1.3 was released. Version 2.0 launched in 2018 with some notable changes that make the model more accessible and effective for businesses in any industry.
Understanding How CMMI is Applied by Businesses
The CMMI is administered by the CMMI Institute, which was bought by ISACA in 2016. ISACA, now known only by the acronym, previously was known as the Information Systems Audit and Control Association.
The stated goal of the CMMI Institute is to “enable[] organizations to elevate and benchmark performance across a wide range of critical business capabilities, including product development, service excellence, workforce management, data management, supplier management, and cybersecurity.”
Organizations that want to better understand how their practices compare to CMMI best practices and want to implement CMMI practices often start with an appraisal. Generally, a business decides to be appraised to:
- Evaluate how the organization’s processes compare to CMMI best practices and to determine areas of improvement;
- Share information with customers or suppliers about how the organization compares to CMMI best practices; and/or
- Comply with contractual terms of customers.
Appraisals
The appraisal process primarily evaluates three areas: process and service development; service establishment and management; and product and service acquisition. While going through the appraisal process can be time-consuming and expensive for organizations, doing so provides some distinct benefits. An appraisal:
- Helps organizations with the development of an improvement strategy that prioritizes key issues;
- Helps to mitigate risks;
- Showcases the soundness of organizational processes by having results available in the Published Appraisal Results site; and
- Provides the organization with a CMMI maturity level.
Any appraisals using the CMMI model must comply with the requirements in the Appraisal Requirements for CMMI (ARC) document. The official appraisal method used by the CMMI Institute is known as the Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI). Within this approved method, there are three classes of appraisal methods:
- SCAMPI Class A is the most formal and rigorous type of appraisal and the only type that results in a level rating. Organizations that conduct this type of appraisal usually have already implemented a number of changes and need to benchmark their progress formally. This type of appraisal must be conducted by a certified lead appraiser who works with an on-site appraisal team.
- SCAMPI Class B appraisals are primarily used by organizations that have implemented some changes and want to gauge their progress towards targeted CMMI levels. It’s less formal and less expensive than a Class A Appraisal, but still provides businesses with an opportunity to evaluate progress towards goals.
- SCAMPI Class C appraisals are less expensive, quicker, and more flexible than either Class A or Class B appraisals. The goal of this type of appraisal is to quickly assess a business’s practices and determine how they align with CMMI best practices. Class C appraisals can be used by organizations at a high-level, to analyze organizational issues, or at micro-level, to address more specific or departmental issues.
CMMI Maturity Levels
Cmmi Pmo Maturity Model
When a Class A appraisal is done, an organization is awarded either a maturity level rating or a capability level rating. Maturity level ratings range from 1 to 5, with level 5 being the highest level and the goal towards which organizations are working.
The five CMMI maturity levels are:
- Initial: processes are seen as unpredictable, poorly controlled, and reactive. Businesses in this stage have an unpredictable environment that leads to increased risks and inefficiency.
- Managed: processes are characterized by projects and are frequently reactive.
- Defined: processes are well-characterized and well-understood. The organization is more proactive than reactive, and there are organization-wide standards that provide guidance.
- Quantitatively Managed: processes are measured and controlled. The organization is using quantitative data to implement predictable processes that meet organizational goals.
- Optimizing: processes are stable and flexible. The organizational focus is on continued improvement and responding to changes.
It’s worth noting that while the goal of organizations is to reach level 5, the model is still applicable and beneficial for organizations that have achieved this maturity level. Organizations at this level are primarily focused on maintenance and improvements, and they also have the flexibility to focus on innovation and to respond to industry changes.
CMMI V2.0
Over time, CMMI has changed primarily in an effort to make models easier for businesses to understand and implement. Additionally, the changes aim to make CMMI more cost-effective for businesses to integrate and use. The newest version, CMMI V2.0 was released in 2018. According to the CMMI Institute, this version was created with the goals of:
- Improving business performance;
- Better leveraging current best practices;
- Building an agile resiliency and scale; and
- Making the model easier to adopt.
Further, the CMMI institute asserts that version 2.0 will improve customer satisfaction; lead to increased customer acquisition and retention; lead to increased productivity and efficiency; and reduce the risks associated with CMMI.
Gartner Pmo Maturity Assessment
CMMI V2.0 has five components that are intended to work together to provide businesses with a clear path to achieve their objectives. The five components are training and certification; an appraisal; a simplified model for performance improvements; adoption guidance; and redesigned systems for online resources and tools.
Pmo Maturity Matrix
This model is intended to make it easier than ever for businesses to utilize CMMI to improve their overall performance. To learn more about CMMI and about how your business can benefit from this model, visit the CMMI Institute.
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