Systematic again gets top marks in international CMMI rating

Systematic has once again achieved an CMMI5 rating in software development – the only Scandinavian IT company to do so. Only 26 IT companies in Europe have achieved the same high rating.

For the fifth time, Systematic has confirmed that the company ranks high among the elite international IT companies. In a recently published evaluation of how good the company is at optimising and improving working methods and delivering quality software on time, Systematic has again scored the top-level rating – 5 – in the CMMI maturity model.

“CMMI5 appraisal provides clear documentation for the fact that we continuously improve our processes and focus on reducing errors and improving quality. It is a seal of quality that greatly benefits our customers, and that we are very proud of,” says Systematic CEO Michael Holm.

Prior to the rating, an external examiner accredited by the CMMI Institute visited Systematic for 14 days during which an in-depth analysis of the company’s working methods was conducted, including extensive data collection and employee interviews.

“Becoming CMMI5 rated requires considerable focus on constantly improving things. It is a long journey that requires high professionalism in our working methods. For example, we must be able to document that we as a company are skilled at learning from our experiences and constantly focusing on catching any errors early in the process, so that we are able to provide our customers with high-quality systems on time. This is something we focus on vigorously, and which we constantly try to improve,” explains Michael Holm.

Systematic has been CMMI5 rated since 2005 and has a delivery reliability in excess of 96 per cent. This means almost all the company’s assignments are delivered on time or earlier – a combination of achievement and track record that’s unique in the IT industry. One example is the Joint Library System, which Systematic last year rolled out to Danish public libraries and school libraries, in full accordance with all schedules.

“I have no doubt that more public-sector IT solutions could be delivered as successes if suppliers made an effort to become CMMI5 appraised. The methods behind this kind of ratification provide a straightforward, effective way to reduce the causes of errors, delays and budget overruns,” concludes Michael Holm.

Facts about the CMMI model

The CMMI model assesses how good a company is at learning from previous projects and experiences, and at using this knowledge to become more proficient and thus be able to produce more – with the same number of employees. Progress is measured on a scale of 1–5, where 1 is an immature organisation that spends a lot of time on bug fixes, and 5 represents an effective learning organisation. The maturity average in Denmark is about 1.6.

A total of 360 European companies are CMMI rated, of which only 26 have obtained Level 5 rating in software development. Systematic is the only Scandinavian IT company that has obtained an appraisal in this category. Such a rating is valid for three years, after which the company will be assessed again.