Software Engineering Institute

Organizations that endeavor to improve their processes often find themselves juggling many approaches to achieve that improvement. To be most effective, all improvement initiatives selected should be implemented in an integrated fashion, not as layered or stovepiped efforts. This document focuses on the joint use of two popular improvement initiatives: Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) and Six Sigma. 

Successfully implementing CMMI and Six Sigma together requires an understanding of the relationships between the two. This report contains a brief summary of each initiative and then outlines the connections between frameworks commonly used in Six Sigma and the CMMI process areas. Coupling this knowledge with a conscious strategy enables an organization to create tactical plans and specific mappings to support implementation. Example strategies and tactics that organizations have used to integrate these initiatives are also provided.