They had a good idea, but they applied "old world" thinking to it.
The single biggest issue with software development, is that it is incredibly dynamic.
Static solutions don't work, and CMMI is a very static solution. Sadly, a lot of quality practices are static.
Dynamic solutions are really difficult to get right, and tend to depend on a lot of hard-to-quantify variables, like the experience and talents of individuals on a team.
For example, I am quite good at designing fairly complex systems, as long as I am doing it alone. I can hold some fairly ambitious designs in my head; which allows me a great deal of flexibility. I can start with a fairly "fuzzy" architectural model (I call it my "napkin sketch"), and begin a project fairly quickly. As the project progresses, I can apply some massive structural changes, and pivot fairly easily.
However, the minute I need to communicate this plan, the whole shooting match comes to a screeching halt.
Team overhead is a really big deal, and I believe it is seldom factored into our plans, in any kind of realistic manner.
The single biggest issue with software development, is that it is incredibly dynamic.
Static solutions don't work, and CMMI is a very static solution. Sadly, a lot of quality practices are static.
Dynamic solutions are really difficult to get right, and tend to depend on a lot of hard-to-quantify variables, like the experience and talents of individuals on a team.
For example, I am quite good at designing fairly complex systems, as long as I am doing it alone. I can hold some fairly ambitious designs in my head; which allows me a great deal of flexibility. I can start with a fairly "fuzzy" architectural model (I call it my "napkin sketch"), and begin a project fairly quickly. As the project progresses, I can apply some massive structural changes, and pivot fairly easily.
However, the minute I need to communicate this plan, the whole shooting match comes to a screeching halt.
Team overhead is a really big deal, and I believe it is seldom factored into our plans, in any kind of realistic manner.