Processes in CMMI

Process Areas (PAs) in CMMI, and we're not being obtuse or overly pedantic about semantics. It's an important distinction to understand between processes and Process Areas (PAs).

So, there are *no* processes in CMMI. No processes, no procedures, no work instructions, nothing. This is often very confusing to CMMI newcomers. You see, there are many practices in CMMI that *are* part of typical product development and project management practices.

Sometimes they are almost exactly what a given project or organization might do, but sometimes the practices in CMMI sound the same as possible typical product development and project management practices in name only and the similarity ends there. Despite the similar names used in both typical development and management practices and in CMMI, they are *not* do be assumed to be referring to one-in-the-same activities.

That alone is enough to cause endless hours, days, or months of confusion. What CMMI practices are, are practices that improve existing product development and project management practices, but do not *define* what those product development and project management practices must be for any given project or organization.