Questions are frequently asked about how TL 9000 compares to certain other industry sector standards. This page contains information comparing TL 9000 to other standards and models. Note: ISO 9001-based standards such as TL 9000 and ISO/TS 16949 generally incorporate the requirements of ISO 9001 and then include “adders” or additional requirements that are deemed important for that industry sector.
ISO/TS 16949
ISO/TS 16949 is the ISO 9001-based standard in general use by the automotive industry.
From Wikipedia: “TS16949 applies to the design/development, production and, when relevant, installation and servicing of automotive-related products. It is based on ISO9000.”
TL 9000 is ISO 9001-based with approximately 90 additional requirements and a defined measurement system. Registration options include hardware, software, and services. The option selected determines which of the additional requirements apply.
TL 9000 contains several unique requirements that are not present in ISO/TS 16949 including regular reporting of specific performance measurements for benchmarking purposes. QuEST Forum has made a detailed comparison between the two standards. To learn more, click on the link below for a brief description of each TL 9000 requirement not present in ISO/TS16949.
CMMI
CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integrated) is managed by the SEI (Software Engineering Institute) out of Carnegie Mellon University. The orientation of CMMI is primarily software systems development. Per the SEI website, “Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI) is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes. It can be used to guide process improvement across a project, a division, or an entire organization. CMMI helps integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes.” Although ISO 9001/TL 9000 and CMMI both drive for product quality and consistency, they each have a different focus. Therefore, not all the elements of one map directly to the elements of the other. Some of the key differences include:
- TL 9000 adds specific telecom hardware, software and service requirements to the generic practices specified by ISO 9001 standard. CMMI is a model that describes generic best processes for creating software systems in any domain.
- The TL 9000 standard contains specific detailed requirements. The word "shall" indicates a mandatory requirement. The word "should" indicates a preferred approach. CMMI "requires" all goals be met, "expects" that practices related to those goals are implemented, and provides examples of sub practices for detailed implementation of the practices as informational, not required, material.
- TL 9000 incorporates business needs related to telecommunication hardware, software and services as specific requirements. CMMI says that all of the process areas, goals, and practices must be interpreted based on business needs of the organization, but because it is not an industry specific model, does not define any explicit business needs.
- TL 9000 is very strong in post-deployment requirements and measurements. CMMI focuses primarily on pre-deployment processes and in-process measurements.
- TL 9000 gives specific instructions for customer involvement as stakeholders. CMMI requires the organization to identify and involve relevant stakeholders throughout the life cycle, but does not specify who they should be.
There are five maturity levels defined in the CMMI model. QuEST Forum has made a detailed comparison between ISO 9001/TL 9000 and CMMI Level 3 (details are available to QuEST Forum members). |
