CMMI stands for Capability Maturity Model Integration. It's a framework that helps organizations improve their processes and performance by providing guidelines for developing and refining their processes. CMMI offers a set of best practices that cover various aspects of product development, service delivery, and organizational management. It’s often used in software and systems engineering but has broader applications across industries to enhance efficiency, quality, and overall performance. CMMI defines five maturity levels that represent a path for the continuous improvement of processes within an organization:

1. Level 1 – Initial: Processes are ad hoc, chaotic, and often unpredictable. Success depends on individual efforts rather than standardized processes.
2. Level 2 – Managed: Basic project management processes are established. There’s more consistency in project execution, with defined procedures for planning, tracking, and managing work.
3. Level 3 – Defined: Processes are well characterized and understood. Standardized processes across the organization lead to more efficient and consistent delivery of products or services.
4. Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed: Processes are measured and controlled. Quantitative metrics are used to control process performance, allowing for quantitative understanding and prediction of outcomes.
5. Level 5 – Optimizing: Continuous improvement is ingrained in the organizations culture. Processes are continually refined to adapt to changing business needs and to enhance efficiency and quality.