Do small IT firms benefit from higher process capability?

Small businesses are the lifeblood of the US information technology (IT) sector, with small IT providers accounting for approximately 80% of the IT jobs in the country. Global players are now involved in higher IT functions and consulting opportunities, including system design, systems integration, and contract management. The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is no exception to such criticisms. Though the CMM is clearly one of the models that has not only made its way into practice but also into widespread use, the majority of evidence regarding the success of the CMM comes mainly from larger organizations. The development of process maturity models in the area of systems development began in the 1980s during the software engineering total quality management (TQM) movement. An organization moves up this CMM evolutionary maturity structure by institutionalizing processes required within a certain maturity level.