Boeing

The Boeing [NYSE:BA] Huntsville, Ala., facility recently achieved the highest possible rating -- Level 5 -- on the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) scale.

"Achieving Level 5 is not something you can do overnight; it takes years of hard work and discipline," said Linda Hait, Boeing Huntsville site executive. "The key to this achievement was the commitment to process by our Boeing Huntsville employees."

The Huntsville site achieved the rating in four CMMI disciplines: systems engineering, software engineering, integrated product and process development and supplier selection management process.

CMMI, established by the Software Engineering Institute, is the national standard for benchmarking the commercial and defense industries' best practices for system engineering, software engineering, integrated product and process development, and supplier sourcing. A CMMI appraisal provides insight into a company's ability to execute on proposed projects, thereby reducing risk and required oversight by the customer.

The appraisal, conducted by Assess-IT, Inc., evaluated an array of critical programs located at the site. Compliance required validation of generic and specific goals/practices used by the programs.

Boeing is the largest aerospace company in Alabama. Today, the workforce of nearly 3,300 employees perform leading edge work on a broad array of key space and defense programs including the Ground-based Midcourse Defense, International Space Station, Delta Launch Vehicles, Avenger, Arrow and PAC-3 Missile.