The journey to IS organizational maturity: a case study of a CMM level 3 IS organization

This paper describes how a 500 person information systems (IS) organization within the Bluejay Company (a pseudonym) used the Software Engineering Institute’s (SEI) Capability Maturity Model (CMM) as a foundation to develop IS organizational maturity. “Maturity” within a corporate IS organization is analyzed and four factors involved in the maturation process are identified. These factors are software engineering techniques, coordination, shared language, and culture change. The result of this analysis is the IS Organizational Maturity Model (ISOMM). This case study indicates that becoming a mature IS organization is not a short-term event. IS organizational maturity requires a long term commitment to change and an ongoing willingness on the part of management to avoid rewarding fire-fighting behavior and to enforce documentation and process. This research is sponsored by The Boeing Company