Difference Between CMMI and TMMI

Introduction

Big words can often be quite intimidating yet have the simplest definitions! When discussing concepts relevant to development and testing, you will hear about CMMI and TMMI or maturity levels. You might have even heard about different companies adopting such models and the maturity levels they belong in for comparison’s sake. But what exactly do they mean and how do they function?

CMMI vs. TMMI

The main difference between both CMMi and TMMI frameworks is the area they are developed to emphasize. CMMI framework chiefly focuses on the development of software and all the practices supporting the same. On the other hand, TMMI frameworks primarily focus on improvements of the testing processes instead of non-testing processes.

Difference Between CMMI and TMMI in Tabular Form

Parameters of Comparison	CMMI	TMMI
Definition	CMMI is a framework that allows different organizations to improve their products and services through implementing behaviors that minimize risks in their products, services, or the software development.	TMMI is a framework that provides organizations the opportunity to improve their software testing processes and practices.
Terminology	CMMI stands for Capability Maturity Model Integration.	TMMI stands for Test Model Maturity Integration.
Developers	CMMI framework was developed by Carnegie Mellon University.	TMMI framework was developed by the TMMI foundation.
Representation	CMMI frameworks have both staged and continuous representation.	TMMI frameworks have only staged representation.
Frameworks	CMMI has 3 other sub-frameworks and they are CMMI development, CMMI acquisition, and CMMI services.	TMMI does not have any addition sub-frameworks.
Emphasis	CMMI places emphasis on the end-to-end Software Development Life Cycle(SDLC) practices.	TMMI places emphasis only on testing practices.
Limitations	CMMI frameworks do not place much focus on improving the test practices.	TMMI frameworks do not place much focus on the non-testing fields that might require improvement.

What is CMMI?

CMMI is a framework that analyses and studies an organization’s existing software practices to identify its shortcomings and strengths. These characteristics are then taken into consideration and undergo some processes that will develop stability, reliability, management, and control throughout the organization.

Why Do We Need CMMI?

• Improvement of Processes: CMMI includes a whole set of software practices and techniques of process management that covers 25 various process areas to eventually provide the organization with an ultimate solution that is all-inclusive.
• Cost-Effective: CMMI helps the developing team detect errors in the earlier stages of design or development. Through this feature, not only is the burden of re-designing reduced but also a significant amount of resources that must be used for the same. Thus, through the early prediction process, CMMI paly a vital role in saving resources and thus providing a cost-effective solution.
• Demand in the market: Through repeated modification, CMMI is a collection of the best practices that any organization in the software industry can adopt to upgrade their software products and streamline them through the standards of the industry. Thus, several major organizations have adopted the practice of evaluating a company’s standards and efficiency by studying their leverage in adopting the CMMI practices, eventually resulting in its popularity for setting a benchmark.
• Demand for Performance: As stated previously, the purpose of CMMI is to provide an all-inclusive solution to the company as close to their requirements as possible. Thus, owing to its reputation and popularity in the market, it is safe to say that the framework of CMMI can significantly increase the efficiency and performance of the software processes, providing extensive competition and demand for performance.
• Self-Improvement and Consistency: Through the appropriate implementation of the CMMI framework, an organization can develop reliability and consistency through steady development. CMMI provides a benchmark for organizations to be compared to and thus, allowing space for improvement and enhancement of their processes.

Maturity Levels of a CMMI Model

Similar to the TMMI model, a CMMI model also has the same five maturity levels, each better than the previous level. This implies that as an organization progresses through levels of maturity, it is said to be getting better than the previous one. It is also important to note that maturity levels as such are only awarded from level 2.

1. Initial Level: In the initial levels, the existent processes are not exactly reactive and very unpredictable. As people, the initial stages take the most effort. Similarly, a lot of resources are used in this stage to bring the organization onto the path of a stable environment. Here, there are high chances of risks and unproductivity since the organization is said to be at its worst if it lies in this stage.
2. Managed Level: While the initial level has smoothened i.e., better planned, measured, and performed, the entire process for the further levels to come, there still will be several issues that need to be addressed and solved. A few of the processes that are operated in this stage are Project Planning(PP), Project Monitoring and Control(PMC), Configuration Management(CM), Requirements Management(REQM), Supplier Agreement Management(SAM), Process and Product Quality Assurance(PPQA).
3. Defined Level: This level is vital for the organizations to identify their shortcomings and where exactly the company lacks standards and thus needs improvement i.e., requires guidance and improvement processes. Few of the processes that are operated in this stage are Organizational Thinking(OT), Requirements Development(RD), Decision Analysis and Resolution(DAR), Product Integration(PI), Risk Management(RM), Validation(VAL), Technical solution(TS), Verification(VER).
4. Quantitatively Managed: Now at a significant level of maturity, the organization lies in a stage where all its processes are much defined, stable, and managed. They are made as precise and close to the requirements of the organization and its stakeholders. It lies ahead of any threats and will follow an approach that is more data-driven for any kinds of process deficiencies. Quantitative Project Management(QPM), and Organizational Process Performance(OPP) are two vital processes that are operated at this level.
5. Optimizing Level: Now that the organization lies at a stage that can provide consistency and reliability, there is only space for improvement that will allow the model to develop further and enhance itself. By this stage, the organization will have solved all of the major shortcomings and issues, allowing the model to provide as accurate as it can to the needs of the stakeholders. A few examples of stage 5 processes are Casual Analysis and Resolution(CAR) and Organisational Innovation and Deployment(OID).

It is important to note that both these models i.e., CMMI and TMMI have the same types of maturity levels but differ in the processes that are included in these levels.

What is TMMI?

TMMI is a framework that helps develop testing models and practices that return accurate, measured, and efficient results to develop the software product as close to the company’s needs as possible. CMMI does not cover nearly half of what TMMI can and thus TMMI was developed to assess the test more deeply than CMMI.

Why Do We Need TMMI?

• There have been several attempts made in the past years to improve the efficiency and the accuracy of the testing process and yet there hasn’t been any effective method that has a zero-error rate in the software industry.
• There have been previous frameworks namely CMMI, that have allowed organizations to develop various fields but none that concern testing or any practices relevant to the same. This called for a special process that was unique for testing or one that integrated the same in a CMMI-like framework.
• The TMMI framework provides a technique of evaluation to support the improvement of the testing process.
• One major advantage of TMMI is that it can be used both as a standalone model i.e., used individually and through integration with other improvement frameworks.
• Major benefits of employing the TMMI framework are the improvement of the software quality, efficiency, and productivity of testing engineering techniques.

Maturity Levels of a TMMI Model

Similar to CMMI, TMMI framework also has different levels of maturity, each level of maturity representing how efficient the testing practices that an organization has currently adopted are. Each level of a TMMI model provides the organization a shift in its testing process to a more managed, measured, and defined model. Every upgrade to another level indicates how enhanced the quality of the software product of the organization is.

1. Initial Level: Organizations that reside at the first level are very irregular and disorderly with a chaotic and undefined testing process. They do not have unique testing processes and include testing as an integral step of debugging the software product. Most organizations that are characterized as level 1 TMMI framework usually overcommit. They might not able to progress further during the time of crunching, eventually resulting in the inability of the acquiring success with no strategy being employed. They also spend heavily to ascend to the next level.
2. Managed Level: Needless to say, these organizations have a better approach to testing than the organizations that reside at level 1. These organizations do not have a completely developed approach but instead, a fundamental one that is better managed and at least established. This is done by implementing a little control over the text execution through defining test design techniques. All the testing practices and activities are designed with basic planning, monitoring, design, environment, and control and thus, defining a proper test environment.
3. Defined Level: The organizations at this level establish the same standard policies and procedures throughout the organization, maintaining uniformity and homogeneity. This level introduces the concept of test training programs and establishes the same in the further levels. This level is more organized as the testing that is not functional is employed in all projects, sometimes even in the early phases of development. The frequent peer reviews are a vital part of the testing process.
4. Measured Level: The software product is managed through quantitative methods by emphasizing the measurement, product quality, and peer reviews of the same. These advanced techniques of conducting reviews even through the early stages of design and development.
5. Optimization Level: The highest level of management and organization, the fifth level of the TMMI framework consists of advanced testing processes that are well-structured through measured activities and outcomes. These activities are continuously measured with the conduction of frequent advanced peer reviews that improve the standards previously set by the IT organizations.

Benefits of Employing a TMMI Model

• Enhanced Performance: TMMI designs and modifies the software product through effective tools that also provide measurement to employ the same in the testing processes. The overall quality of the software product is improved.
• Early Detection: Through frequent testing and reviews in the early stages of development of the software product, the organization gets to detect errors with convenience. Not only does this reduce burden and effort, but it also results in a reduced rate of risks.
• Expenses and Time: As mentioned previously, early detection of errors means that lesser time is spent on debugging in later stages and thus there is a significant amount of energy, time, and other valuable resources spent and wasted. Thus, a cost-effective model is presented.
• Flexible: The software product that is being developed can be designed as close to the requirements of the organization as possible, thus providing a flexible delivery model.
• Credit and Reputation: To adapt a TMMI model can help the organization gain accreditation, allowing higher reputation in the industry.

Main Differences Between CMMI and TMMI In Points

• CMMI is a framework that focuses on the end to end Software Development Life Cycle(SDLC) processes that consist of techniques that can help improve the software development practices whereas TMMI focuses on all the testing practices that a company adopts and how they can be improved to tailor perfection.
• The CMMI framework, when used alone, does not give much attention to the testing practices that a company adopts whereas the TMMI framework when considered individually will not focus on anything other than the testing practices and thus can lack in helping develop the non-testing elements through product development.
• CMMI stands for Capability Maturity Model Integration whereas TMMI stands for Test Model Maturity Integration.
• The CMMI framework was developed by Carnegie Mellon University whereas the Test Model Maturity Integration Foundation developed TMMI.
• CMMI has three sub-frameworks which are CMMI for development, CMMI for acquisition, and CMMI for services whereas TMMI does not have any additional frameworks.
• CMMI models have both staged and continuous representation. On the other hand, TMMI has only staged representation.

Conclusion

From the above discussions, we can summarize that CMMI is a framework that helps develop and enhance all the non-testing processes of a software organization whereas TMMI is exclusive to providing improvement for only the testing processes.

References

• https://slideplayer.com/slide/8264547/
• https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/capability-maturity-model-integration-cmmi/