Using Process Management

Maturity Models
A PATH TO ATTAINING PROCESS MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE

AUTHORS

Abigail Heller
Research Specialist
APQC

Jeff Varney
Business Excellence Practice Leader and Senior Adviser
APQC
Maturity Models
Many times, organizations implement process management and then ask: “Now what?” They
are not sure what happens after the processes are up and running. Other organizations simply
assume process-related work is done once the program is operational. Yet, mature
organizations understand that the challenge has only just begun when process management is
in place; they realize that that the focus must turn to gauging whether process is working and
yielding the desired results. Further, they realize that processes can be optimized to yield even
better outcomes. Although this can be a difficult challenge—knowing if and how process
management is working—using a maturity model can give organizations direction for managing
and improving processes as well as answer the question, “Now what?”

In an effort to ensure that processes are consistently applied, managed, and controlled across
an enterprise, many organizations use a maturity model—a structure of capabilities and
characteristics. These models offer a common point-of-reference with different levels (often
between four and seven) that describe behaviors, practices, and processes that regularly
produce desired outcomes. Maturity models are roadmaps that show the next steps to take
when creating solid, sophisticated, repeatable process management capabilities and can direct
organizations that lack process discipline on how to become highly organized and efficient. In
essence, it is a benchmark by which one organization can compare itself against another by
measuring the process management tools that have been implemented.

There are several reasons to use a process management maturity model in an organization, as
they often:

 increase visibility to proven, systematic practices from best practice organizations;

 create a structure that determines what work gets done, when and by whom;
 facilitate a collaborative dialogue about process management; and
 generate a consistency of process capture and use.

Levels of Maturity
Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is credited with developing one of the first maturity models,
the Capability Maturity Model (CMM), which applied to software implementation processes.
The organization developed five levels of maturity, each with different capabilities. Eventually,
the CMM evolved into the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) model, which uses the
same basic levels and also focuses on five factors including:

1. goals,
2. commitment,
3. ability,
4. measurement, and
5. verification.

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There are five basic levels in the maturity models: initial, managed, defined, quantitatively
managed, and optimized. Each level of the CMMI model is explained in subsequent sections1.

MATURITY LEVEL 1 - INITIAL

This level is characterized by ad hoc or chaotic processes. Success often depends upon the
competence or heroics of the employees in the organization rather than on the use of proven
processes. At this level, products and services work, but getting them produced often exceeds
both the budget and schedule. Often these organizations over commit, abandon processes, or
cannot repeat past successes.

MATURITY LEVEL 2 - MANAGED

At this level, projects are planned, performed, measured, and controlled. Standards, process
descriptions, and procedures may be different, yet the established process management
discipline helps to ensure that existing practices are retained, and that projects are performed
and managed according to documented plans. Requirements, processes, work products, and
services are managed with specified delivery points. Finally, processes are reviewed and revised
as needed, and they are reviewed and controlled to meet requirements, standards, and
objectives. Generally, processes are not extended beyond a department or business unit, and
there is often little or no executive support.

MATURITY LEVEL 3 - DEFINED

An organization at the defined level utilizes processes that are defined, understood, and
documented through procedures, tools, and methods. Standards, descriptions, and tasks stem
from enterprise-wide processes, and they are performed consistently across the organization
while variations are allowed per established guidelines. Processes are described in more detail
and more rigorously than at maturity level 2. Further, they are managed with acknowledgement
of interrelationships of the processes and measures, work products, and services. Processes are
qualitatively predictable, but generally there are no measurements to enforce it.

MATURITY LEVEL 4 - QUANTITATIVELY MANAG ED

At maturity level 4, sub-processes contribute to overall performance, and they are controlled
using statistical and other quantitative techniques. Performance measures are established for
quality and performance, and they are used as criteria for managing processes throughout its
entire lifecycle. Measurements are based on the needs of the customer, end users, organization,
and process implementers in an effort to support future decision making. Process variations are
identified and corrected, and performance is both controlled and predictable.

1
From “SEI CMMI Maturity Levels.” Tutorialspoint, 2013.

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MATURITY LEVEL 5 - OPTIMIZING
At this highest maturity level, processes are continually improved based on quantitative
measures of common causes of variation in processes. The focus is on continually improving
performance through both incremental and innovative technological improvements.
Quantitative process-improvement objectives are established, revised, and used to manage
process improvement. Improvements are evaluated against organizational objectives, and an
empowered workforce executes them. The organization rapidly responds to changes and
opportunities, and it openly shares learning and knowledge. Continual improvement is part of all
employees’ roles.

OTHER MATURITY MODEL S

Over time, several other models have developed: PEMM from Hammer & Co., BPMM from
OMG, and the Seven Tenets from APQC, to name a few. Many organizations have created their
own version of process management models to better meet their goals and needs. One
commonality among all models is the vision of what a mature organization is. In an immature
organization, there is no objective basis for judging the quality of products or services or for
solving problems. There is little understanding of how process steps affect quality. On the other
hand, a mature organization effectively defines, performs, manages, measures, and improves its
processes. Processes are documented, roles and responsibilities are defined, and work flows are
updated when necessary. A disciplined process is consistently followed because all participants
understand its value and an infrastructure exists to support it.

THE MATURITY GAP

One of the biggest hurdles we find when evaluating process maturity is the process maturity gap
or process management gap. In essence, organizations are often unable to make the transition
between maturity levels 2 and 3. The majority of organizations fit into either level 1 or 2, while
about 25 percent of organizations find themselves at level 3. Very few organizations make it to
level 4 of 5. This occurs because an organization has failed to garner the senior management
support required to move processes to an enterprise-wide concern. Other places experience this
gap because they rely on the individual efforts of highly skilled employees who manage and
perform the bulk of the work. Other organizations may experience this because they focus on
tools and methods, rather than on process management. Figure 12 shows a five-level maturity
model and where the process gap occurs.

2
From Harmon, Paul. “The Process Management Gap.” BPTrends, December 2011.

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 Process Maturity Gap

Figure 1

When organizations fall into the Process Maturity Gap, they are working on identifying and
improving specific departmental processes, yet never manage to get the entire organization
committed to process management. Many times, organizations that fall into the maturity gap
get frustrated and replace the system with a different effort. A key to avoiding this pitfall is
organizing and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the entire organization. Mature
organizations have a systems perspective, and they conceptualize the enterprise as a process.
The organization uses sub-processes to create valuable outputs, which leads to process
maturity.

HOW A MATURITY MODEL IS USED

Through either self-assessment or external assessment, an organization receives a level rating
that indicates where the organization best fits according to the selected maturity model. This
gives direction about how the current state of process management impacts the organizational
culture. This is sometimes done via internal assessments, while others bring in outside help
make the determination. Further, this analysis can lead to other organizational benefits
including:

 comparing best practices and enabling benchmarking,

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 identifying areas of improvement,
 assessing risk,
 organizing management practices in a clear direction,
 evaluate capabilities of suppliers, and
 meeting contractual requirements.

Once organizations receive a rating, they have a clear roadmap of the types of changes that will
advance them to the next level. If, for example, an organization receives a rating of level 2, then
the next steps are to develop processes and documented procedures that apply to the entire
organization, rather than in isolated units. Compliance is evaluated through3:

 reviews of artifacts that are produced by performing a process,

 reviews of artifacts that support performing a process,
 interviews with individuals/groups who perform a process,
 interviews with individuals/manage or oversee the performance of a process,
 interviews with individuals who support the performance of the process,
 quantitative data used to characterize the state of the organization and/or the attitudes and
behaviors of those in it, and
 quantitative data describing the performance of a process, its outcomes, and business
results.

Business Process Maturity Model (BPMM)

One of the most detailed process management maturity models is the BPMM, which was
designed by Bill Curtis and John Alden. Like most other maturity models, the BPMM provides
guidance on gaining control of business processes. It is evaluated on five levels that can be
mapped onto the CMMI model. The main focus is on the culture of performance, improvement,
and management excellence, and it differs from other models in that it guides improvement of
business process management specifically. Workflows focus on processes and span
organizational boundaries rather than project management.

Further, according to Curtis and Alden, there are five main business process challenges that the
BPMM model attempts to address.

1. There are few standards for assessing the maturity of business processes. This method
identifies risks and weaknesses when achieving business objectives.
2. There are few proven methods for appraising how tasks are performed and how they are
described in process workflows. This discrepancy compromises the validity of system
requirements, the accuracy of cases and model-based representations, and effectiveness of
the applications.

3
From Curtis, Bill and John Alden. “The Business Process Maturity Model (BPMM): What, Why and How.” BPTrends, February 2007.

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3. Organic growth and acquisitions can result in multiple processes. Creating standard, tailored
processes simplifies the requirements for enterprise applications and reduces the
complexity of enterprise systems.
4. There are few proven methods for appraising a supplier’s capability for delivering services
within defined parameters. Organizations need a proven basis for specifying contractual
requirements for improvements in a supplier’s business processes.
5. There is a need for guidance on how to implement the business process foundations
required for organizational agility and lower operating costs.

Curtis and Alden also noted that the foundational principles of the BPMM are that:

 attributes of a process can be evaluated to determine its contribution to organizational

objectives;
 processes cannot survive unless the organization is mature enough to sustain them;
 process improvement is best approached as a change program that stages the
improvements to achieve successively more predictable states of organizational capability;
and
 each maturity level lays a required foundation on which future improvements can be built.

There are several advantages to adopting the BPMM, and they include:

 understanding the activities that launch and sustain a process improvement program;
 characterizing the maturity of an organization’s existing processes and identifying strengths
and weaknesses;
 identifying critical issues for improving their processes, products, and services, and guiding
them in defining and improving their processes;
 selecting qualified suppliers and monitoring the performance of suppliers; and
 introducing process improvements in stages.

Seven Tenets of Process Management

Many organizations can find these models complicated and difficult to implement. To help
address this concern, APQC offers organizations several tools that can help organizations better
assess themselves. APQC has created a process management maturity model leveraging its
Seven Tenets of Process Management. The Seven Tenets emerged after years of research that
APQC conducted on process and process management. These principles take a horizontal and
holistic view of how work is accomplished in an organization. The Seven Tenets are:
 strategic alignment,
 governance,
 process models,
 change management,
 process performance,

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 process improvement, and
 tools and technology.

By pairing levels of maturity and the Seven Tenets, an organization is able to better understand
the individual elements that will help achieve a more rigorous, structured, and controlled
process program. The table in Appendix A gives specific details about which actions are required
at each level and for each of the seven tenets. For example, those at level 2 process
improvement tenet will likely include individual or team capabilities on improvement (Lean, Six
Sigma, etc.), a focus on high-risk or large change, and focus on project success over sustainable
results. Alternatively, those organizations operating at level 3 process improvement tenet likely
have visibility into improvement initiatives to avoid conflicts, common improvement approaches
defined, and common method for individuals to identify and recommend improvement.

APQC also offers three types of reviews based on the organizations’ current experience and
status with a maturity model. First, there is the basic assessment that performs a quick, cursory
evaluation that gives an overview and some suggestions for moving forward as the organization
embarks on the maturity journey. This is an appropriate review for organizations that are just
starting out with maturity models. It provides direction for initiating a program towards
maturity. There is an intermediate assessment which gives a more thorough assessment that
gives concrete steps organizations can take to advance their path towards maturity certification.
Finally, there is a detailed assessment that is done with rigorous analysis of both documentation
and operations within an organization to provide a more quantifiable measurement of maturity.

Conclusion
Process management maturity is a useful tool that assists organizations in applying, managing,
and controlling processes. By using this tool, organizations can yield a variety of benefits that
include cost savings, more involved employees, and increased, predictable quality and
productivity. By using the hybrid model of the BPMM and APQC’s Seven Tenets of Process
Management, an organization can focus on tangible actions that will lead to a maturing of
process management capabilities.

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Appendix A
Seven Tenets and BPMM Model

Tenet Level 5 Processes

Strategic Alignment  Support created through organizational roles and collaboration

 Internal support created for process management effectiveness
 Process embedded into the culture
 Business strategies developed

Governance  Enterprise-wide authority

 External stakeholders included in governance
 Evaluation of overall value and impact (financial, efficiency, satisfaction,
etc.)

Process Models  Standardized, periodic review and update

 Cross-industry benchmarks and best practices evaluated in process
design

Change Management  External collaboration and leadership in promoting sustainable

capabilities
 Certification approach created for competency (internal and external)

Process Performance  High performance and impact based upon external benchmarks
 Efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and satisfaction measured
 Competency levels tracked across enterprise

Process Improvement  Improvement toolkit created to allow agility

 Reviews and updates of improvement portfolio is standard and periodic
 External stakeholders involved in improvements

Tools and Technology  Evolving technologies proactively identified and evaluated to drive higher
performance and sustainability
 Process automation extends to external participants

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Tenet Level 4 Processes

Strategic Alignment  Process roles formally aligned to organizational roles

 All staff have process role
 Initiatives receive strategic prioritization and implementation
 Sustainable process management is an established goal

Governance  Governance body formalized

 Representation is enterprise-wide
 Priorities for process initiatives
 Support for capability growth
 Initiative performance tracked
 Adoption and measures compliance promoted
 Non-compliance managed

Process Models  Systematic process design approach applied

 Simulation techniques available
 Process and system architecture documentation are linked
 Conflict checking standardized across documentation
 Review and update process created

Change Management  Collaboration and sharing across enterprise (networking) formalized

 Development plans for personnel created
 Formal communication and awareness efforts standardized
 Recognition of successes and expertise formalized

Process Performance  External benchmarking and best practices are shared

 Automated compliance is monitored
 Major processes measured and controlled
 Dashboards provided for visibility

Process Improvement  Opportunities identified from top-down and bottom-up

 Strategic prioritization and selection standardized
 Measures, history, and trends used for forecasting
 Continuous improvement approach promoted and tracked

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Tools and Technology  Technology support (e.g., design, modeling, analysis, simulation,
measurement, reporting and automation) approved and employed
 Process and system architecture technologies integrated
 Process automation optimized

Tenet Level 3 Processes

Strategic Alignment  Process roles linked to organizational roles

 Comprehensive efforts (transition project-based to operational
implementation) are created
 Initiatives tied to portfolio management

Governance  Governance body defined to develop capabilities

 Some enterprise representation
 Standards, methods, and technologies receive attention
 Some oversight across groups implementing process management

Process Models  Multiple groups apply standard documentation

 Common framework used to organize documentation
 Cross-functional (major) processes identified
 Process and system architecture documentation aligned

Change Management  Structured change management approach created for initiatives

 Standard competency model defined
 Training program in place
 Identified experts leveraged to grow competency

Process Performance  Business value of process management measured

 Process measures embedded into processes for “in the flow” control
 Process measures (input, process, output, outcome) balanced
 Compliance tracking is limited

Process Improvement  Improvement initiatives have visibility to avoid conflicts

 Common improvement approaches defined
 Method for individuals to identify and recommend improvement
implemented

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Tools and Technology  One or more technologies are approved
 Common process repository created with access and version control
 Process knowledge is accessible
 Process and system architecture documentation is aligned
 Operations and planning are automated

Tenet Level 2 Processes

Strategic Alignment  Process roles loosely aligned to organizational roles at local level
 Strategy-driven, project-based process efforts occur

Governance  Individual or informal team pursues collaboration

 Multiple approaches pursued
 Limited or no authority
 Best practices promoted
 Some supporting standards for documentation exist, but are inconsistent

Process Models  Documented processes are at local level (pockets)

 Limited use of or no common framework (or multiple frameworks)

Change Management  Change management approach(es) informally used

 Training individually driven

Process Performance  Individual successes are evident

 Oversight and control focused on high-risk or high-volume processes

Process Improvement  Improvement (Lean, Six Sigma, etc.) at individual or team capability
 Focus on high-risk or large change
 Focus on project success over sustainable results

Tools and Technology  Documentation, modeling, analysis, and automation technologies used at
local level
 Multiple technologies in use
 No common repository or storage approach in place
 Some transactional processes automated

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Tenet Level 1 Processes

Strategic Alignment  No BPM roles

 Ad hoc alignment of process initiatives
 Tactical selection of improvement

Governance  No defined governance approach

 Ad hoc development of capabilities
 Limited or no awareness of related efforts across enterprise

Process Models  Ad hoc application of documentation

Change Management  Ad hoc change management

 No defined process training approach

Process Performance  Little or ad hoc measurement of process

Process Improvement  Random acts of improvement

 Reliance on "heroes" to solve problems

Tools and Technology  No process documentation technology in place

 Ad hoc use of basic business tools
 Limited or no support for applying tools for process
 Limited or no process automation

Figure 2

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References
Curtis, Bill and John Alden. “The Business Process Maturity Model (BPMM): What, Why and
How.” BPTRends, February 2007. www.bptrends.com/publicationfiles/02-07-COL-
BPMMWhatWhyHow-CurtisAlden-Final.pdf

Harmon, Paul. “The Process Management Gap.” BPTrends, December 2011.

www.bptrends.com/publicationfiles/advisor20111213.pdf

Harmon, Paul. “Process Maturity Models.” BPTrends, March 2007.

www.bptrends.com/publicationfiles/advisor20070320.pdf

Object Management Group. “Business Process Maturity Model (BPMM).” 2008.

www.dthomas.co.uk/dtalm/products/technologies/what-is-cmmi.htm
“SEI CMMI Maturity Levels.” Tutorialspoint, 2013. http://www.tutorialspoint.com/cmmi/cmmi-
maturity-levels.htm

ABOUT APQC
APQC is a member-based nonprofit and one of the leading proponents of benchmarking and
best practice business research. Working with more than 500 organizations worldwide in all
industries, APQC focuses on providing organizations with the information they need to work
smarter, faster, and with confidence. Every day we uncover the processes and practices that
push organizations from good to great. Visit us at www.apqc.org and learn how you can make
best practices your practices.

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