In CMMI, what does "process improvement" entail?

In CMMI, "process improvement" refers to activities specifically geared towards enhancing existing processes with the goal of increasing both effectiveness and efficiency. This focus on improving processes is central to the CMMI framework, which aims to help organizations assess and improve their capabilities. By refining processes, organizations can achieve better performance, enhance quality, reduce costs, and adapt to change more effectively.

Process improvement involves a systematic approach, including identifying areas for enhancement, analyzing current methodologies, and implementing changes that result in measurable benefits. The intent is not merely to maintain existing practices but to evolve them continually to meet the needs of the organization and its customers.

Outsourcing various processes pertains more to strategic business decisions rather than direct improvement of internal processes. Strict adherence to existing practices may stifle innovation and fail to respond to the ongoing need for optimization and adaptability, while annual evaluations of project success are more about measurement than the proactive enhancement of processes themselves. Therefore, the emphasis in CMMI is clearly on activities aimed at systematically improving processes to yield better results.