From TMMi to TPI Next
In the previous lesson, you learned about TMMi — a level-based maturity model for testing processes. TPI Next offers an alternative approach. While TMMi requires organizations to satisfy all process areas at a level before advancing, TPI Next allows improvement in individual key areas independently. This makes it more flexible and often more practical for organizations that need to prioritize specific improvements.
What Is TPI Next?
TPI Next (Test Process Improvement Next) is a framework developed by Sogeti for assessing and improving software testing processes. Originally created in the 1990s as TPI, it was updated to TPI Next to address modern testing challenges including Agile, DevOps, and continuous delivery.
TPI Next organizes the test process into 16 key areas across 4 maturity levels. Each key area can be assessed and improved independently, giving organizations granular control over their improvement roadmap.
The 16 Key Areas
TPI Next divides the test process into 16 key areas grouped into three categories:
Stakeholder Relations
| # | Key Area | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stakeholder management | Managing relationships and expectations with all stakeholders |
| 2 | Degree of involvement | How early and deeply testing is involved in the development process |
| 3 | Test strategy | Defining a risk-based approach to testing |
Test Management
| # | Key Area | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Test organization | Structure, roles, and responsibilities of the test team |
| 5 | Communication | Information flow within and outside the test team |
| 6 | Reporting | Test progress and quality status reporting |
| 7 | Test process management | Planning, monitoring, and controlling the test process |
| 8 | Defect management | Lifecycle of defects from detection to closure |
| 9 | Testware management | Managing test artifacts (cases, data, scripts) |
| 10 | Methodology | Test approaches, techniques, and methods |
Technical Test Implementation
| # | Key Area | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Test professionals | Skills, competencies, and development of testers |
| 12 | Test case design | Techniques and approaches for designing test cases |
| 13 | Test tools | Selection, implementation, and use of test tools |
| 14 | Test environment | Infrastructure for test execution |
| 15 | Test data management | Creation, maintenance, and privacy of test data |
| 16 | Review and static testing | Inspections, walkthroughs, and static analysis |
The Four Maturity Levels
Unlike TMMi’s five levels, TPI Next uses four:
Initial
The key area has no defined practices. Activities are ad hoc, unplanned, and inconsistent. This is the starting point for most key areas in most organizations.
Controlled
Basic practices are in place. The key area is planned, monitored, and produces consistent results. This is equivalent to “managed” — the process works but may not be optimized.
Example for “Defect Management”: Defects are logged in a tracking tool, have a defined lifecycle (Open → In Progress → Fixed → Verified → Closed), severity and priority are assigned, and defect metrics are tracked.
Efficient
The key area is not only controlled but also optimized for effectiveness and efficiency. Best practices are applied, waste is minimized, and the process delivers maximum value with minimum overhead.
Example for “Defect Management”: In addition to Controlled-level practices, defect patterns are analyzed, prevention strategies are implemented, root cause analysis is performed for critical defects, and defect prediction models are used.
Optimizing
The key area is continuously improved based on quantitative data and feedback. Innovation is actively pursued, and the process adapts to changing needs.
Example for “Defect Management”: Statistical process control is applied to defect trends, AI-assisted defect classification is explored, cross-project defect pattern analysis drives organizational learning, and the defect management process itself is regularly reviewed and optimized.
The TPI Next Matrix
The core tool in TPI Next is the maturity matrix — a grid showing the current maturity level of each key area:
| Key Area | Initial | Controlled | Efficient | Optimizing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stakeholder management | ● | |||
| Degree of involvement | ● | |||
| Test strategy | ● | |||
| Test organization | ● | |||
| Communication | ● | |||
| Reporting | ● | |||
| Test process management | ● | |||
| Defect management | ● | |||
| Testware management | ● | |||
| Methodology | ● | |||
| Test professionals | ● | |||
| Test case design | ● | |||
| Test tools | ● | |||
| Test environment | ● | |||
| Test data management | ● | |||
| Review and static testing | ● |
This matrix gives a visual snapshot of the organization’s test maturity landscape. The filled dots (●) represent current levels. The advantage over TMMi is immediately visible: the organization can be at different levels for different key areas. Defect management (Efficient) is more mature than Test tools (Initial), and that is perfectly acceptable.
Using TPI Next for Improvement
Step 1: Assess Current State
For each of the 16 key areas, determine the current maturity level using TPI Next’s checkpoints. Each level has specific, verifiable checkpoints.
Step 2: Define Target State
Based on business needs and priorities, set target maturity levels for each key area. Not every area needs to be at Optimizing — set targets that match your risk profile.
Step 3: Identify Gaps
Compare current state with target state. The gaps define your improvement backlog.
Step 4: Prioritize Improvements
You cannot improve everything at once. Use these prioritization criteria:
- Business impact: Which improvements reduce the most risk?
- Dependencies: Some key areas depend on others (e.g., Test tools depends on Test environment)
- Quick wins: Which improvements can be achieved quickly with visible results?
- Resources: What is the available budget and capacity?
Step 5: Implement and Reassess
Execute improvement actions, then reassess to verify progress. TPI Next recommends reassessment every 6-12 months.
TPI Next vs TMMi: Detailed Comparison
| Aspect | TPI Next | TMMi |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 16 key areas, 4 levels | 5 levels with process areas |
| Flexibility | Each key area improves independently | All areas at a level must be satisfied |
| Assessment granularity | Fine-grained (per key area) | Coarse-grained (per level) |
| Origin | Sogeti (Netherlands) | TMMi Foundation |
| Certification | No formal certification program | Formal TMMi certification |
| Best for | Targeted improvements, Agile teams | Formal maturity certification, outsourcing |
| Learning curve | Moderate | Steep |
| Industry adoption | Europe (especially Netherlands, Germany) | Global, especially India, outsourcing markets |
When to Use TPI Next
- You need to improve specific aspects of testing without a full maturity program
- Your organization follows Agile or DevOps practices
- You want flexibility in prioritizing improvements
- Formal certification is not a business requirement
- You need quick, visible improvements
When to Use TMMi
- Your clients or contracts require formal maturity certification
- You need a comprehensive, structured maturity program
- Your organization is in the outsourcing market where TMMi levels are competitive differentiators
- You have executive commitment for a multi-year improvement program
Can You Use Both?
Yes. Many organizations use TPI Next for day-to-day improvement and TMMi for formal certification. The frameworks are not mutually exclusive — they address the same domain from different angles.
Practical Example: Prioritizing Improvements
Scenario: A mobile app development team assesses their test process using TPI Next and finds:
- Test strategy: Controlled
- Test case design: Controlled
- Test tools: Initial
- Test data management: Initial
- Defect management: Controlled
- Test environment: Initial
Priority analysis:
- Test environment (Initial → Controlled) — highest priority because unreliable environments block all testing
- Test tools (Initial → Controlled) — second priority because the right tools enable efficiency across all other areas
- Test data management (Initial → Controlled) — third priority because test data issues cause flaky tests and unreliable results
The team would NOT prioritize moving Test strategy from Controlled to Efficient, because the fundamentals (environment, tools, data) must be solid first.
Exercise: Prioritize Improvement Areas
Scenario: You are a QA consultant hired by HealthTrack, a company building wearable health monitoring devices. Their software team (15 developers, 6 testers) has the following TPI Next assessment:
| Key Area | Current Level |
|---|---|
| Stakeholder management | Controlled |
| Degree of involvement | Initial |
| Test strategy | Controlled |
| Test organization | Controlled |
| Communication | Controlled |
| Reporting | Initial |
| Test process management | Controlled |
| Defect management | Controlled |
| Testware management | Initial |
| Methodology | Controlled |
| Test professionals | Initial |
| Test case design | Controlled |
| Test tools | Controlled |
| Test environment | Controlled |
| Test data management | Initial |
| Review and static testing | Initial |
Context:
- The product is a medical device (FDA regulated)
- They have had 3 recalls in the past year due to software defects
- Most defects are found late in the cycle or post-release
- The team has no formal training program
Tasks:
- Identify the top 5 key areas that need immediate improvement
- For each, explain why it is a priority given the business context
- Propose a 12-month improvement roadmap with quarterly milestones
Hint
Consider the regulated industry context:
- FDA requires traceability, documentation, and validation
- Recalls suggest defects are escaping to production (review and early involvement are key)
- “Initial” areas in a medical device company represent regulatory risk
- Prioritize areas that directly impact patient safety
Solution
Top 5 Priority Improvements
Review and static testing (Initial → Controlled)
- Why: Three recalls indicate defects are not caught early. Reviews and static testing are the earliest defect detection methods. In a medical device context, FDA expects formal reviews of requirements and designs.
- Impact: Could catch 40-60% of defects before any code is written.
Degree of involvement (Initial → Controlled)
- Why: Testing is not involved early enough. In a medical device company, testing must be integrated from the requirements phase — reviewing specs, participating in design reviews, creating risk assessments.
- Impact: Shifts defect detection left, reducing recalls.
Reporting (Initial → Controlled)
- Why: Without proper reporting, management cannot make informed release decisions. FDA audits require documented evidence of testing activities and results.
- Impact: Enables data-driven release decisions and audit readiness.
Test professionals (Initial → Controlled)
- Why: No formal training in a medical device company is a significant risk. Testers must understand FDA regulations, risk-based testing, and medical device standards (IEC 62304).
- Impact: Upskilled team finds more defects and ensures regulatory compliance.
Test data management (Initial → Controlled)
- Why: Medical device testing requires validated test data, patient data anonymization (HIPAA), and reproducible test conditions. Ad hoc test data management is a compliance risk.
- Impact: More reliable test results and regulatory compliance.
12-Month Improvement Roadmap
Q1 (Months 1-3): Foundation
- Review and static testing: Define review process, train team on inspection techniques, implement mandatory design reviews
- Degree of involvement: Include QA in requirements review meetings, establish test representation in sprint planning
- Milestone: First formal design review completed, QA attending all sprint plannings
Q2 (Months 4-6): Visibility
- Reporting: Define reporting templates, implement weekly test status reports, create release readiness dashboard
- Test professionals: Assess skills, create training plan, begin IEC 62304 training
- Milestone: Weekly reports to management, training plan approved
Q3 (Months 7-9): Compliance
- Test data management: Define test data strategy, implement data anonymization, create test data repository
- Test professionals: Complete regulatory training, begin ISTQB certification program
- Milestone: Test data processes documented, first certification exams
Q4 (Months 10-12): Consolidation
- Reassess all 5 key areas to verify Controlled level
- Address any gaps found during reassessment
- Plan next phase (moving critical areas to Efficient)
- Milestone: All 5 areas at Controlled level, zero key areas at Initial
Key Takeaways
- TPI Next provides a flexible, granular approach to test process improvement with 16 key areas
- Unlike TMMi, each key area can be improved independently
- The four maturity levels (Initial, Controlled, Efficient, Optimizing) apply per key area
- The maturity matrix gives a visual snapshot of the organization’s test maturity landscape
- TPI Next and TMMi are complementary — choose based on your context and goals
- In regulated industries, prioritize key areas that directly impact safety and compliance