Why Starting with CMMI Maturity Level 2 is Crucial for Success

 Dear Appraiser,

My boss told me to "go out and get us CMMI ML3.  I just learned that there is a ML2 but just found a webpage to to we should skip it and go right to ML3 to save money.   Can we do that?  What gives?  ~Leveled in Levitown.

What is CMMI Anyway?

Dear Leveled,

STOP WHAT YOUR DOING AND STEP BACK FROM YOUR COMPUTER!

Why Starting with CMMI Maturity Level 2 is Crucial for Success

Of course, you can jump ahead and aim for higher levels of maturity. But honestly, I wish more people (and companies) wouldn’t skip over the basics. Maturity Level 2 (ML2) is all about building a solid foundation for your performance. It’s not about the flashy, advanced stuff—not yet, anyway. And that’s by design.

Having appraised hundreds of organizations, I've seen many companies who reached Level 3 (ML3) later on and wished they had focused on Level 2 first. Why? Because they didn’t have basic processes in place from the start, and the journey to ML3 was a much tougher climb than it needed to be.

It’s one thing to pinpoint the root cause of a problem (CAR). But it's an entirely different challenge to pilot a solution, prove that it works, and implement that fixed process across the entire organization. It’s one thing to choose a solid estimating method, but it’s another entirely to get everyone on board and doing it consistently.

See where I’m going with this? Maturity Level 3 is next-level—and not just in terms of complexity, but in the level of discipline required. It’s great stuff for sure, but you need to have a solid foundation in place first.

Think of it this way: imagine you hire a personal trainer and say, “I want to compete in the Olympics next year, but I’ve never trained before.” Sure, there are a few once-in-a-lifetime athletes who could make that leap, but let’s be honest—you probably aren't one of them!

Starting with Level 2 is like laying the groundwork for long-term health. It's more manageable, more productive, and ultimately more sustainable than skipping straight to Level 3. And don’t even get me started on Maturity Level 5—let’s save that for when your processes are truly optimized!

So, before you rush to comply with ML3 or beyond, remember: tackling the fundamentals at Level 2 will make your journey to higher maturity levels far smoother and more effective in the long run.

Feel free to leave me a question here or email me at AskMe@broadswordsolutions.com.

Like this blog?  Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec! 

Jeff Dalton is a Certified Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

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