SSAI In The News

At SSAI, our passion for science and technology means we are committed to continuous improvement across our organization. That’s why we are so proud to announce that SSAI has been appraised at maturity level 2 of the CMMI Institute’s Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). The appraisal was performed by KMS Enterprises, Inc.

What our CMMI maturity level 2 rating means:

• Our work and processes have received the highest form of third-party validation
• We manage projects with an established set of practices and apply industry best practices to our work
• We’re dedicated to continuous improvement and producing great work that makes a difference

CMMI is a process and behavioral model that facilitates process improvement and supports productive, efficient behaviors that decrease risks associated with software, product, and service development. To maximize efficiency and reduce error, two SSAI-led teams spent over a year studying the CMMI model, then evaluating, improving, documenting, and implementing new procedures to streamline life-cycle processes associated with the Earth Science and Data Information System (ESDIS) project’s Configuration Management EOSDIS Tool (COMET) and ESDIS Metric System (EMS) Tool. 

To meet the CMMI Level 2 Maturity requirements, the SSAI-led COMET and EMS teams went about reviewing and discussing their process associated with software development, software CM, document CM, quality assurance, and project management.  Gaps were identified and remedied, and all processes were documented. Performance goals were set for both efforts. A process was also put in place to ensure the new procedures are regularly maintained. 

Both teams then underwent a rigorous audit and appraisal conducted by the CMMI Institute to demonstrate their superior performance in the areas of Planning, Monitoring and Control, Estimating, Configuration Management, Requirements Development and Management, Managing Performance and Measurement, Implementation and Infrastructure, Process Quality Assurance, and Governance.

By recognizing that better organized and more efficient processes increase deliverable quality and decreases expenditure, the SSAI-led engineering teams pooled their resources and succeeded in maximizing output, while minimizing error and resources. SSAI’s teams are operating at well above industry standard and their journey serves as a typical example of the SSAI excellence our customers have come to know and expect.

CMMI credentials are an important recognition of the high quality of service we provide to our customers and a significant next step in our growth as a company.