If you are new to CMMI but have experience with other process improvement models, such as the Software Acquisition CMM, you will immediately recognize many similarities in their structure and content [SEI 2002].

We recommend that you read Part One to understand how CMMI is different from other process improvement models. If you have experience with other models, you may want to select which sections to read first. Read Part Two with an eye for best practices you recognize from the models that you have already used. By identifying familiar material, you will gain an understanding of what is new, what has been carried over, and what is familiar from the models you already know.

Next, review the glossary to understand how some terminology can differ from that used in the process improvement models you know. Many concepts are repeated, but they may be called something different.